# Ruby: an original name for Visual Basic!

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-an-original-name-for-visual-basic/108954>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [July 9, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-an-original-name-for-visual-basic/108954 "2007-07-09T22:51:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![wickie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@wickie](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/wickie)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ruby-an-original-name-for-visual-basic/108954/1 "2007-07-09T22:51:54Z")

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Hello,  
stumbled upon this one while googling something else:

Visual Basic - bought as Ruby from Alan Cooper in 1988

However, in March of 1988, I showed this prototype to Bill Gates  
, and he immediately saw its potential. He declared that it was  
“cool” and that it would have significant impact across their  
entire product line. Bill said he wanted to buy it, and over the  
next few months we hammered out a deal.

The decision was made to delay shipping Ruby and to convert it  
from a shell construction set for all users of Windows, to a  
visual programming language for professional programmers by  
adding QuickBasic. At first, I was very frustrated by Microsoft’s  
decision, and argued against it. However, I was impressed by the  
power of the eventual product, and soon became an enthusiastic  
Visual Basic supporter.

from [Cooper.com](http://Cooper.com): Why I am called “the Father of Visual Basic”  
[http://www.cooper.com/alan/father\_of\_vb.html](http://www.cooper.com/alan/father_of_vb.html)

— [http://www.mcmillan.cx/innovation.html#vb](http://www.mcmillan.cx/innovation.html#vb)

lol? 🙂

PS: cross-post, please reply to only one ML.