MJB@cup.portal.com (Martin J Brown-Jr) (01/14/90)
I am using Digitalk's Smalltalk V/286 to learn smalltalk. I'm am somewhat con
fused by the following:
Two of the three smalltalk texts that I have use the following format when
dealing with single quoted strings:
Prompter prompt: `Name: ' default: `'
** note that the open quote is an ascii xx60, while the end quote is xx2C *
Another smalltalk text uses the following format in the same situation:
Prompter prompt: 'Name: ' default: ''
** note that the open and end quotes are both ascii xx2C
(The V/286 manual uses the first format, but V/286 only works if you use the
second format.)
Is there a smalltalk standard? And if I need/want to change how V/286 works,
where (class?) would I go to change it?
Thanx for any assistance!
- MJB -wdr@wang.UUCP (William Ricker) (01/15/90)
MJB@cup.portal.com (Martin J Brown-Jr) writes: >Two of the three smalltalk texts that I have use the following format when >dealing with single quoted strings: > Prompter prompt: `Name: ' default: `' > ** note that the open quote is an ascii xx60, while the end quote is xx2C * >Another smalltalk text uses the following format in the same situation: > Prompter prompt: 'Name: ' default: '' > ** note that the open and end quotes are both ascii xx2C >(The V/286 manual uses the first format, but V/286 only works if you use the >second format.) I'm afraid someone in the Technical Publishing department(s) at the sources of the books is not technical enough. There is a problem in desktop publishing of getting too fancy; some systems and style guides do a global search and destroy on typewriter quotes, changing them with Artificial Ignorance to printers open-and-close quotes. Digitalk's older (PC XT level) manuals for Smalltalk/V had no such confusion, and Smalltalk/V PM edition has been corrected, using a type-face with *vertical* open quotes for all code samples, just like their screen font. I don't know if Xerox/PARCPLACE ST uses printersquotes; if it does, it would be, to my knowledge, unique among programming languages. -Bill Ricker, erstwhile Smalltalk programmer