I just got back from XML World. A few programming/scripting languages are
commonly being used for parsing/processing XML. Smalltalk was not
mentioned. I mentioned it one day, to subtle ridicule.

Java is the highest profile language being recommended, actually raved
about, in this application. One of the presenters with one of the most
extensive
backgrounds in object technology I've ever seen repeatedly mentioned Java in
his presentation. When I asked him in private about Smalltalk, he readily
agreed that Smalltalk would be much better in a lot of ways for this stuff;
and that maybe in a couple years more people would realize it, too.

It would be nice if a few Squeakers were interested in working on building
in as
much support as possible for the processing of markup languages. It's
pretty clear that despite the general ignorance, confusion, and hype about
what markup languages provide in the context of data exchange and
presentation, the XML wave is big and getting bigger. If Java takes over
this field by default, Smalltalk (and Squeak) will have a bigger task by a
factor of 1000 than it had before, and it didn't seem to be doing so hot
before!

Regards,

David Cramer

--
David Cramer, Process Innovation Evangelist     87-1313 Border Street
PBSC Computer Training Centres (an IBM company) Winnipeg MB R3H 0X4
Corporate Office Research & Development         Canada

David Cramer, Process Innovation Evangelist          87-1313 Border Street
PBSC Computer Training Centres (an IBM company)      Winnipeg MB R3H 0X4
Corporate Office Research & Development              Canada