Hi list,

A friend ponted me to a post on your mailing list about StepTalk. (http://lists.squeakfoundation.org/pipermail/squeak-dev/2003-June/059712.html). I am the author of it and I just would like to fill/clarify few things.

StepTalk does not want to be 'another scripting language' or 'another implementation of smalltalk'. It wants to make *existing* operating environments to be closer to the idea of common object environment.

Yes, StepTalk is scripting framework. However, the word scripting is not appropriate and does not reflect exactly what StepTalk is, it is just a word that fits best and is better understandable. You can call it 'application and framework glue' or 'application objects abstraction layer' or ... pick one you like. With this framework you can 'glue' objects of multiple applications and distribuetd object servers to do single task.

Better description for 'unix' people: In current 'operating environments' you are manipulating with streams less and less. You are dealing with objects and this framework enables you to communicate with the objects.

You want to have your work done and to make it done you use tools/applications. Steptalk provides 'scriptable environments' and it is like context of your work, where you have all tools/applications you use. In the environment you see applications as objects and you can do with those objects what you can do with the application as a user. Environment provides another layer of abstraction, where all mechanisms and internal structures of the applications are hidden to the user and only objects you see an can touch (with a mouse or keyboard) are presented.

Developers do not have to care about language. Developers have to provide and name objects that scripting user can manipulate with. The objects should be same as user see in the app. Therefore users have objects from various applications and user connects those object in one environment where he does its work. Users do not have to care where the objects come from, from which application or from which process.

StepTalk is not finished yet. Basic stuff, like environments, basic scripting framework, scripting shell and application scripting mechanisms are implemented. Main StepTalk objects are: environment, language, language engine and object dictionary (nouns/named objects).

I do not know how this can be compared to .NET. StepTalk is not based on any common VM, you can imeplemnt any language in the way you like. Language is between steptalk and the users. Steptalk provides framework for applications and frameworks - it gives a way how to present objects to the upper layer - to the user.

If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to ask. Please, if you reply to this email, also CC to me, because i am not on the squeak list. Any feedback is welcome.

Here are few links:

StepTalk; http://steptalk.host.sk
About scripting with steptalk: http://wiki.gnustep.org/index.php/Scripting

Best regards,

Stefan Urbanek
-- 
http://urbanek.host.sk

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
- Mahatma Gandhi