Crystal: Fast as C, Slick as Ruby

A Google TechTalk, 1/20/17, presented by Brian J. Cardiff
ABSTRACT: Crystal is a new programming language that focuses on developer productivity, type safety and execution performance. It is statically checked and compiles to native (machine) code. It combines a type inference algorithm, compile-time macros, compile-time type introspection, automatic union types and Ruby-like syntax, allowing quick prototyping and generating efficient computer programs. It provides a Garbage Collector, uses LLVM as its backend and doesn’t run on a Virtual Machine.

In this talk we will show some examples and patterns that arise from combining all these language features.

About the speaker: Brian J. Cardiff

Brian is part of the original three-person core team that started Crystal language. He has over 15 years of experience as a professional software developer, most of them at Manas, the company behind Crystal. He has an extensive knowledge on programming languages, which include being a teacher at University of Buenos Aires on Paradigms of Programming Languages for several years. His contributions to Crystal have helped shape its type system and type inference algorithm, one of the key features of the language. Brian also has a keen interest in visualizations and user interaction, which is reflected in the Crystal playground, the built-in interactive code editor that ships with the compiler.

[uhbandduhn]

I haven't been excited about a language in decades. Crystal seems like the shot of adrenaline I've been needing. Thanks billions for this.

[CristianMolina]

For those who ask why not use D, Go, Jai, whatever, it's because of the syntax, C-style language. I know Ruby, Java, JS, some C, C++, D and let me tell you that syntax matters.

[geonerd]

The audio was apparently processed using Crystal's groundbreaking 4 bit precision! :/

[kcvinu]

I agree everything, but where is the compiler for Windows ?

[IgnatRemizov]

So... crystal is just ruby with swift features. neat.

[fjsfnehfwhxbfid]

why use this over something like D? I won't use either because of GC but doesn't D do these things too?

[cold-]

its not the accents, its the cheap recording. thanks for relay of know

[abpccpba]

Horrible production; not typical Google quality.

[Omnifarious]

Every new language tells me that they're as fast as C. Then they tell me they use garbage collection and I know they're lying to me. :-( Garbage collection destroys your ability to control memory layout well enough to be cache friendly. No matter how spectacular your garbage collector is, programs written in a garbage collected language will be slower because their data structures will have too much indirection.

[paulobreim]

Crystal is a bad name for this language. Better to change because when people ear Crystal think in Crystal reports, incuding Google.