What is "Open Language"?

[JB]

> On Oct 24, 2015, at 2:25 PM, Richard Gaskin <ambassador at fourthworld.com> wrote:
> 
> JB wrote:
>> If you do get Open Language what will it do to the
>> speed?  They said LC8 would be good because it
>> will make it easier for developers to write code in
>> LC which needed to be and external before.
>> 
>> Then after releasing it they said it is slower to use
>> than a external written in C.
>> 
>> I would prefer better lessons and examples to write
>> externals if they are faster and the same goes for
>> Open Language.
> 
> That's a different but important part of the Builder language, the ability to call OS APIs.
> 
> I've worked with OS APIs in Pascal, C, and two xTalks, Tookbook's OpenTalk scripting language which provides that built-in, and CompileIt for HyperTalk.
> 
> The one thing I've learned from that is that the language you're using isn't all that important, because no matter what you're writing in the OS you're talking to expects C:  it uses C data types and structures, provides tons of great sample source but all in C, and requires that you think like a C programmer, understanding and managing data in ways a good xTalk normally insulates from even having to think about - the difference between a pointer and a handle isn't interesting to most xTalkers, but can be essential in C.
> 
> By the time you become fluent enough in C to understand OS APIs well enough to use them, you've already learned enough to write in it as well.
> 
> I'm sure that part of Builder will be very interesting for some tasks, but if I could add to that wish list it would be to see the externals SDK made as easy as possible to work with, including examples for each of the supported platforms.
> 
> Monte's done an amazing job showing off what the externals SDK can do for extending LC.  It would be great to see more people jump on board with it.
> 
> -- 
> Richard Gaskin
> Fourth World Systems
> Software Design and Development for the Desktop, Mobile, and the Web
> ____________________________________________________________________
> Ambassador at FourthWorld.com                http://www.FourthWorld.com
> 
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I fully agree with you.

As for Monty I am not sure if you are talking about his
externals for mobile apps.  I do not have a mobile yet
but when I get one I will definitely buy his externals.

I do not expect him to release that code but are there
other examples he has released?

JB