January 14, 2026
Smalltalk, big opinions
Xoscript
From C64 roots to 2026 reboot, devs argue over dots and “stop”
TLDR: A retro-inspired server language, xoscript, launched in 2026 to be simple and secure. Commenters loved the minimalist promise but fought over the “stop” keyword, dot-as-line-end, bracketed strings, and what “pure object oriented” really means—while begging for real code examples to prove the pitch.
xoscript just dropped a fresh 2026 reboot after a journey that started on the vintage Commodore 64, promising simplicity, security, and compatibility. But the community isn’t whispering—they’re loud. Early cheerleader afandian loves the story yet demands, “let the code tell the story,” calling for juicy examples front and center. The vibes? Smalltalk vibes, according to mettamage, with that “send a message to everything” feel like Smalltalk. Then the drama hit: the “stop” keyword became the lightning rod. ddtaylor side-eyes it hard and wonders if “Out write” really needs the capital O—and where’s the answer on case sensitivity? hnlmorg clapped for using a period as end-of-line but roasted the whole idea of line terminators as “antiquated,” and questioned why strings need both quotes and square brackets. Meanwhile, bddbbd poked the bear: can you be “pure object oriented” if you’re doing regular variable assignment with side effects? The crowd split into camps: nostalgia minimalists who love the lean, and quirk skeptics who want fewer hoops. Memes flew—“Stop means go home?” and “Dot drama 2026” trended, with one wag joking, “Everything’s a reference—even my coffee.” xoscript wanted neutral; the comments delivered spicy.
Key Points
- •xoscript is a server-side scripting language with development origins in 1993 and a new release in 2026.
- •The language was originally created for the C64 system and rebooted in 2009 with research, localization, and educational goals.
- •The 2026 release focuses on simplicity, security, and backward compatibility to keep code stable across updates.
- •Design choices include typeless data, dynamic scope, references for all values, Smalltalk-like message passing, and fault tolerance.
- •xoscript aims to be a lightweight, practical alternative amid increasing complexity in other server-side scripting languages.