The Steam XML platform uses the Water language, an all-purpose, easy to learn and use language that replaces dozens of alternative languages and programming interfaces. Here are some of the important features of this object-oriented language.

Water is easy to use

• XML/HTML-based syntax
• Quick edit/run/debug cycles
• Instant syntax checking

• Any object can be treated as a class or an instance (or both)
• On-the-fly changing of the parent of an object to have dynamic inheritance
• Multiple inheritance

• Capability-based security model
• Simple yet effective in keeping programs running on a single JVM separate
• New high level of maintainability

• Add arguments to methods while still preserving the integrity of existing calls
• Add additional instance variables to already-created instances
• Add methods to existing classes without requiring the class’s source code for recompiling

• Optional parameters with default values
• Arguments passed by keyword or position
• Unlimited number of parameters possible via rest parameter
• Content parameter for particularly large arguments
• Execution kind settable per parameter, allowing different kinds of evaluation per argument including none
• Type declaration is optional for each parameter