Slate is a prototype-based object-oriented programming language based on Self, CLOS, and Smalltalk. Slate syntax is intended to be as familiar as possible to a Smalltalker, rather than engaging in divergent experiments in that respect. Unlike the Smalltalk family, within Slate, methods can be assigned to a signature of objects, instead of being installed on one favored receiver. Slate has also many further expansions of the semantics which interest advanced users.

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Particular attention is being paid to the design of a fuller and more useful set of libraries than even the usual Smalltalk set, for collections, the meta-level protocols, and exception-handling, among others. If you have recommendations in this area, please let us know. Our prime inspirations are the libraries of Strongtalk, Common Lisp, and Dylan.

The Environment
Slate is also an environment, and is intended to support the full services that one would expect from an Operating System, including a graphical interface. There are many new designs and ideas that will be implemented for the language, including a modification of the Morphic user interface to support the notions in the CLIM user interface architecture.

We plan to fully bootstrap Slate using similar optimization methods as its predecessor Self used, as well as some more recent advances. We believe, however, that a properly self-hosted implementation of these ideas will support better integration and extension, and in the end result in a much lighter-weight system.