[comp.lang.smalltalk] Wouldn't it be nice...

MUHRTH@DB0TUI11.BITNET (Thomas Muhr) (09/29/89)

..if SmallTalk V/286 had the following features:
1. Upon installation offer the opportunity to select among different
   modes of memory management:
   How much of DOS-mem to use (already offered).
   How much of extended mem to use (partly).
   How much of diskspace to use in a virtual mode (partly in ST V).
2. Some goodies from ST 80 like
   - Categories and supporting Browsers
   - Structured change.logs to support team work and versioning.
   - Consequent support of the MVC-paradigm.
3. Source code available for the compiler part for efficient implementation
   of activity-logging (history lists etc.).
4. Better documentation of goodies (like DAGPane....)
5. Support of OODBs
6. Multi-inheritance

Does this wishlist represent anything general or feasable?
Thank you very much,
- Thomas
-------
Thomas Muhr, Technical University of Berlin, BITNET: muhrth@db0tui11
   Project ATLAS - Computer Based Tools for Qualitative Research
         "Computers, like every technology, are a vehicle
      for the transformation of tradition." (WINOGRAD/FLORES)

UH2@PSUVM.BITNET (Lee Sailer) (09/30/89)

I think your wish list is just fine, though I don't expect to see some of
them very soon (eg multiple inheritance).  However, others are really "just"
new classes that could be grafted on by anyone.

Which brings me to my real point.  Why isn't there very much source posted
in Smalltalk?  The C community's strength lies in the long history of
sharing, especially code.  I'd like to see the same thing true here.

I am just bginning to learn Smalltalk, and I know that I would benefit from
perusing other peoples classes.  As a teaching example, I am trying to build
a trivial toy Payroll system.  I already have had to sort of invent style
from scratch, because I have no suitable models to follow.  When it
works, I plan to post it here.  Why?

1.  Maybe someone will say, "You clod.  That's not how to do that!"

2.  Or, "Wow.  What a good way to do that.  Thanks."

3.  As an excercise in sharing.  Right now, I don't even know how to
    dump the new classes and methods I've added into a file so that I can
    post them here.  What will people who already have a class TimeCard do
    when they try to install my classes?


Now, I bet that some of you are way ahead of me, here.  You have some kind of
toy demo that you could post, and we could all learn.

BTW.  I know that *real* source should go to one of the source groups.  I am
only suggesting that small sources for discusssion and education should
be posted here.