Why are many ports of languages to .net prefixed with 'Iron'?

Question

Was discussing over lunch why several ports of languages to the .net framework are prefixed with 'Iron'.

e.g.

• IronPython
• IronRuby
• IronLisp
• IronScheme
• IronPHP

Anyone out there know?

(language list sourced from http://www.dotnetpowered.com/languages.aspx)

Answer 1

Iron is strong :)

I have no idea!

I am the author of IronScheme, and I am just going along with the marketing wave :P

Answer 2

I don't think there is a particular reason. More so that the first one was named Iron (IronPython I believe) and the others followed suit.

Answer 3

IronPython came first and the rest followed. As for why IronPython is called IronPython, Jim Hugunin goes into that in this video (at about 14:00). He says it was partly to avoid calling it Language.NET or Language#, and the idea is that Iron languages are:

• True language implementations

  • True to the language
  • True to the community
  • True to the experience
  • Excellent performance

• Great integration with .NET

  • Easy to use .NET libraries
  • Easy to use other .NET languages
  • Easy to use in .NET hosts
  • Easy to use with .NET tools

And a slightly specious acronym explanation, which came after the name:

Implementation Running On .NET.

Answer 4

All are IronPython followers, the question is, where did IronPython originate? (video)

Meet Jim Huginin creator of Jython and the brains behind IronPython...

As the video is no longer (Aug 2010) available, I'll include a quote:

IronPython is an implementation of the Python programming language, targeting the .NET Framework and Mono, created by Jim Hugunin. Today Jim on his session “Deep Dive: Dynamic Languages in Microsoft .NET” has explained the Iron nature. It is the acronim from the “ Implementation running on .Net”.

Answer 5

From the creator of IronPython Jim Hugunin

http://port25.technet.com/archive/2006/06/01/2565.aspx

I'll give you the story, but I'll give you the short version 'cause it's not very good.

At the time, I had a consulting company called "Want of a Nail Software". "Want of a Nail" is based on a children's poem. It's about the importance of small things. I've always kind of believed in the importance of small things. Part of the story of IronPython's actual performance is it wasn't one big thing - Everybody wants to know "What was the one big thing?" There were some big things, but most of it was all the small things - paying attention to performance in every place.

So, that was the consulting company and "Iron" seemed to match.

There were some obvious names: Python.Net, Python#, nPython - All of those were taken. All of the URLs for those were registered.

I didn't want to reuse any of those names, so "Iron" was just kind of a name that appealed to me at a visceral level - I like the feeling of "IronPython".

There's a little bit of "Iron Chef" in it, although I'm always reluctant to admit that.

Answer 6

Based on the element some answers spring to mind. The positive one first: It's easy to form alloys of iron, often with superior properties.

There's also some negative connotations, draw your own conclusions: Iron rusts very easily

Answer 7

According to the video Pumping Iron (found on Channel9) it stands for:

*I*t *R*uns *O*n .*N*et

NOT

*I*mplementation *R*unning *O*n .*N*ET.

Answer 8

I have no supporting evidence whatsoever but I always thought that the Iron Cobra monster from Dungeons and Dragons must have had some influence on the naming of IronPython.