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

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.