.Domino Framework

It has been a long time since the LotusScript language received any major attention.   The time is rapidly approaching where the language needs a major upgrade to compete with other programming languages such as Java, C#, and VB.Net.  The following is a list of the 20 features that I would most like to see added to LotusScript: (many of which are already posted on IdeaJam)-

1. Allow the extension of product classes such as NotesDocument
2. Provide a construct (similar to .NET LINQ) allowing LotusScript to perform SQL operations such as joins on views.
3. Allow method overloading (defining a single method with multiple options for the parameters - # and type)
4. 100% Fideltity exporting and importing data using DXL.
5. Expand the list of properties exposed by product classes to include all those other properties already available within the C API.
6. Add a Try/Catch construct as an alternative to On Error Goto (with VB.Net it is Try Catch End Try)
7. Allow optional parameters for a method (sub/function)
8. Add "enumerations" (as per .Net) as a construct within a class.  This would allow keywords to be added without necessarily having to assign keywords specific value.
9. Add the ability to serialize a class into text, XML, and/or binary formats.  This would be especially usefull when passing data via a Web Service.
10. Allow field events to be trapped outside the form (e.g. allow an external class to trap when a field value has changed)
11. In addition to Public/Private classes, add the ability to define abstract and sealed classes.
12. Provide greater support for polymophism, including the ability to cast a object from one class to another.
13. Add the ability to define extension methods as a way of adding to/modifying the behviour of classes (as per C# 3.0)
14. Provide a constructor for the NotesDocumentCollection class
15. Add an AllDocuments property to the NotesView returning a NotesDocumentCollection.
16. Extend the NotesUIWorkspace class so that access can be gained to any window presently open on the workspace.
17. Implement interfaces as a way of specifying properties/methods that must exist in a class implementing a specific interface.
18. Add Reflection, in which it is possible to establish if a class has a specific property/method.
19. Devise a simple way to tell if a Rich Text field is empty
20. Add iterators for document collections.  e.g. Forall NotesDocument in NotesVIew or ForAll NotesDocument in NotesDocumentCollection.