Ron,


Ron: To be clear here I've been writing production applications for 20
years.  One of the major benefits of smalltalk is the ability to take
complicated structures and simplify them.  Small helper methods help to
improve the productivity of programmers, they can help to show proper
implantation and even help to highlight platform issues.  String (or
Collection) >> writeToFile: or writeToFileUsingBlock: aBlock are very
useful
and are much easier to remember then having to know about CrLfFileStream
and
it seems to me that I should not have to know what platform I'm writing
for
to get a file written.  There are other very useful helper methods like
copyToClipboard that would help application developers.  I understand
the
language focus but I'm supporting a more application friendly focus.

Bill: Fair enough, but how often does one really have a single string
that becomes the payload of a file?  I much prefer to write #printXYZOn:
method and direct it to either a write stream on a string or a file as
appropriate.  It usually ends up being sent to many objects before the
output is complete.



Ron: The answer to the HL7 question is all of the versions that I need
to
support.  I believe that by providing tools that help the medical
industry
we may be able to attract that industry.  I am currently working on a
very
large project which will help.

Bill: Go get 'em :)  On a more serious note, I agree that the medicine
needs much better software, and Smalltalk would be a great match.




Ron: The cryptography pieces in my opinion need to be done in open
source to even
be considered. 

Bill: (Quite sincerely) Open source in order to be considered by you or
by "them"?




Ron: I believe that the lack of open source applications is the problem.
Once there are a number of valuable applications developed in Seaside,
which
are freely available, sysops will support them.  Powerful freely
available
applications that solve real world problems (like properly supporting
continuations) will entice hosts that are looking to increase market
share.

Bill: Perhaps a little jaded, but I'm not that confident.  Please note
that I agree with most of what you have said, but I do not consider
gaining mainstream acceptance as a reasonable goal, nor do I consider it
necessary.  I will admit that it would be nice to have money oozing from
the walls.  I can barely imagine what SqC might have done with a few
percent of the money that was dumped into Java.



Ron: It's very nice to meet you Bill; maybe in the future we can work
together.

Bill: likewise.


Bill




Wilhelm K. Schwab, Ph.D.
University of Florida
Department of Anesthesiology
PO Box 100254
Gainesville, FL 32610-0254

Email: bills at anest4.anest.ufl.edu
Tel: (352) 846-1285
FAX: (352) 392-7029