Smalltalk WithStyle
presentation
Michael Lucas-Smith: Wizard Information Services
Monday 2:00:00 pm to 2:45:00 pm
Abstract: Recent years have seen many software development projects moving away from desktop clients to Web Applications. Unfortunately, whilst today's Web Applications offer some benefits (particularly for implementors), they constitute a significant step backward for users. Usability and productivity suffer as user interfaces are 'dumbed-down' to fit a request-response model reminiscent of green-screen terminals. The IT industry has again manufactured new limitations that need not exist.
With:Style WebUI is a 100% Smalltalk user interface technology that frees user interfaces from the limitation of Web Browsers that were not designed to meet the UI requirements of business applications. The quality rendering capabilities of the With:Style technology prove the strength of Smalltalk as a first-class user interface platform that need not be fragmented and tied to Java or Windows-specific front-end technologies.
As a customisable XML presentation technology, With:Style offers many deployment models and even more possibilities for rich, 'hybrid' user interfaces through integration with Pollock. It fits in naturally with server-side Web applications and emerging Service Oriented Architectures. Demonstrations will include XML Editing and Scripting client-side behaviour with Smalltalk.
Bio: Michael Lucas-Smith currently works at Wizard Information Services as the head of Research and Development. While at Wizard he has worked on Smalltalk business applications ranging from an Audio/Visual Archiving system to web content management software.
He has been involved with computers since age 4 and first came in contact with the concept of "Online" when he ran a BBS from his bedroom in high school. His software interests range from Commodore64 assembler through to modern business applications.
He has spent the last four years using VisualAge and the last two using VisualWorks. Michael is a co-author (with David Murphy) of the TypeLess irc client written in VisualWorks, has helped with James Robertson's Bottom Feeder and has contributed goodies such as StackOverflow and ThreePaneSelectorsBrowser.
Michael has recently started Software WithStyle with three other partners to pursue the WithStyle WebUI technology, a Web-based User Interface thin-client using XML.