Squeak's role in a larger world?

John Tobler squeakie at visto.com
Fri Oct 1 16:52:54 UTC 1999


Recently, I've seen quite a few posts about putting Java 
support into Squeak or running Squeak via a Java VM.  While 
discussing the particular case of interaction with Java, 
perhaps we should contemplate a larger question: 

  "To what degree should Squeak be 
   embeddable and extendable?"

We may want to consider various interactions with other 
languages (e.g. Self, Python, Perl, Tcl-Tk, Rebol, Eiffel, 
C/C++, etc.).  In Python, for example, embeddability and 
extendability are core concepts in the language design and 
Python gains considerable power from these mechanisms.

Squeak is already extendable, via C/C++.  Should it be 
extendable by other compiled languages?  What would this 
involve?  Could Squeak be extended via other interpreted 
languages?  What support would be needed in the class 
libraries to make Squeak's existing extendability more 
general?

AFAIK, Squeak is not yet embeddable.  For what applications 
might embeddability be desirable?  Can a Sqeuak image be 
somehow packaged as a component?  What would be needed to 
make Squeak available to another language system?  

I am curious about these questions, in particular, because 
many very serious programmers are now using scripting 
languages as glue to bind widely disparate technologies 
into united solutions to user needs.  This trend towards 
scripting and interacting language systems seems very 
strong, today, and I'm wondering to what degree Squeak will 
be able to fit into a scripting-based picture of the future.

Ultimately, the question is whether Squeak should be 
isolationist, standing apart as a completely unique and 
self-sufficient environment, or cooperative, taking its 
place in a community of interacting languages.

Just musing,

/John Tobler


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