JRuby 1.0, which provides a version of the popular Ruby programming language to run on the Java Virtual Machine, has been released, Sun Microsystems said on Monday afternoon.Two Sun engineers, Charles Nutter and Thomas Enebo, have been leading the project, which features compatibility with the 1.8 version of Ruby. “JRuby 1.0 is a major milestone for our project,” Enebo said in his blog. “Our main goal for 1.0 has been Ruby compatibility. We feel this goal has been reached. When we see companies like ThoughtWorks offering commerical JRuby support, we know this goal has been reached. Please download JRuby and take it for a test drive. Try running your Ruby and Ruby on Rails applications with it. Give us feedback. Join our community. Help us continue to improve JRuby.” JRuby 1.0 is downloadable here.JRuby enables developers to leverage the Ruby language for Web development without having to leave their familiar Java platform, Nutter said during an interview in May. Developers also gain a new option for deploying applications based on the Ruby on Rails Web framework, he said. Plans for upgrading JRuby include boosting its performance and better integration with the Java platform. Software Development