Programming languages
“Any nitwit can understand computers. Many do.” — Ted Nelson
Table of contents
Ruby
Version managers
| Avoid | Why |
|---|---|
 | asdf-vm is a universal version manager that supports multiple languages not limited to Ruby. |
| Consider | Why |
 | RVM and chruby are extensive but ship with shell modifications. |
| Prefer | Why |
 | rbenv sets the Ruby version globally per user or localler per directory. |
Java
Which Version of JDK Should I Use?
| Avoid | Why |
|---|---|
  | Oracle JDK is no longer free for commercial use while OpenJDK update roadmap lags behind other flavors. |
| Consider | Why |
  | Bellsoft and Zulu provide OpenJFX binaries for JavaFX developers. However, CI/CD pipelines do not usually support these flavors. |
| Prefer | Why |
 | Maintained by Eclipse Foundation with timely updates, LTS releases and free for commercial use. |
Project managers
| Avoid | Why |
|---|---|
 | Maven project is configured with XML files which are statically typed. |
| Prefer | Why |
 | Gradle has usable built-in plugins out of the box. |
Version managers
In a Gradle project, the modern solution to lock specific Java versions is by using the Toolchains.
| Avoid | Why |
|---|---|
 | SDKMAN! is a universal version manager that supports multiple languages not limited to Java. |
| Prefer | Why |
 | Specific Java switcher command for Arch Linux. |
JavaScript
Package managers
| Consider | Why |
|---|---|
  | PNPM and Yarn perform better but are not as widely adopted as NPM. |
| Prefer | Why |
 | NPM is installed by default in many Linux distributions. |
Python
| Avoid | Why |
|---|---|
 | Anaconda allows users to install packages with dependencies but comes with a lot of unnecessary applications and not free for commercial use. |
| Prefer | Why |
 | Use the official Python distribution with PIP to install packages. |