> -----Original Message-----
> From: squeak-dev-admin at lists.squeakfoundation.org [mailto:squeak-dev-
> admin at lists.squeakfoundation.org] On Behalf Of Bert Freudenberg
> Sent: Monday, February 11, 2002 2:09 AM
> To: squeak-dev at lists.squeakfoundation.org
> Subject: RE: lets co-opt the .net engines
> 
> On Sat, 9 Feb 2002, PhiHo Hoang wrote:
> 
> > On that note, a backend for Squeak compiler to generate CIL would be
> > very cool.
> >
> > http://research.microsoft.com/projects/ilx/
> 
> Does it provide support for dynamically typed languages? How
officially
> supported is it? You know, MS-research ~= MS ...

I missed this comment the first time around. But I think it is worth
commenting here that I personally know the guys at MS-research who are
doing this work. The reason I know them is that we were all working side
by side on building .NET language implementations. We were basically fed
from the same Microsoft.NET technology-seed resource pools and
collaborated in the .NET evolution. I.e., there was no particular
distinction (on the part of MS) between MS-research and MS-redmond as
far as the value of the MS-research work on IL, types, closures, and
various security validation work.

As with any large company, it would be erroneous to assume there is a
single "MS" in the .NET story. I think it more fair to say that
MS-research just represents one of many "competing" interest groups
within Microsoft. Sometimes their views and opinions hold sway, and
other times they do not. Which is to say that sometimes their work and
samples are a good indicator of future Microsoft direction and
commitment, but not always. They are one of the predominant groups for
driving the internal design of the .NET CLR mechanisms.

-- Dave S. [SmallScript Corp]

SmallScript for the AOS & .NET Platforms
David.Simmons at SmallScript.com | http://www.smallscript.org

> 
> AFAIK, David Simmons had to basically implement his own VM on top of
.net
> to support SmallScript (correct me if I'm wrong).
> 
> -- Bert
>