title: "Parseltongue": get Ruby to Speak a bit of Python?
body: <p>Just for interest really - community wiki - how much Python can we get Ruby to understand ?
  [ Probably be just as interesting to do the reverse as well].</p>
  
  <p>The experiment (such as it is) perhaps to see how much can be written in Ruby-Cross-Python scripts that will result in identical outputs. The only 'cheat' I guess being allowed here is the too allow Ruby statements to precede the eventual 'common' script. [like the 'len' definition below].</p>
  
  <p>For instance, this works in both:</p>
  
  <pre><code>a=[1,2,3]
  mystring="hello"
  bobby="hello"*3
  epoch=1270123200
  map={}
  map['supamu']='egusu'
  map['dedu']='paroto'
  
  keys=map.keys()
  values=map.values()
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>And doing this in Ruby:</p>
  
  <pre><code>class Object
      def len(object)
          object.size
      end
  end
  
  class Object
      def str(object)
          object.to_s
      end
  end
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Means this now works in both:</p>
  
  <pre><code>a=[1,2,3]
  mystring="hello"
  len(a)
  len(mystring)
  str(123)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I think the trouble will come with conditionals and loops, due to different syntax requirements. (the ':' at the end of Python lines for instance...)</p>