Microsoft is "very interested" in the Ruby programming language and also plans to expand its Expression design tools line, a Microsoft official said this week.

During an Internet chat with InfoWorld, Forest Key, Microsoft director of Web and client user experience marketing for the company's developer division, acknowledged Ruby is on the company's radar screen. Asked if the company would accommodate the Ruby on Rails Web framework, which is based on Ruby, in Expression, Key said, "Ruby is currently more of a 'developer' concept for us."

"We are very interested in Ruby and have lots of thinking going on," but nothing to announce at this time, Key said. He advised chatters to "stay tuned."

Key added he was not the Microsoft person to comment in detail on this subject because he did not know the company’s plans. One chatter expressed wishes for an IDE for Ruby on Rails from Microsoft.

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