dietz@zhmti.UUCP (Dieter H. Zebbedies) (08/20/87)
Yes, here it is, posted to comp.sources.misc! "Producer", A package to
translate Smalltalk-80 code to your favorite object oriented language,
Objective-C. Just in time for OOPSLA... ;-)
This is a slick (read: useful) tool for those of us that use Smalltalk
(for us, on a Mac) to do quick and dirty prototyping, and then want to
interface to the Real World (read: C-libraries, networks, workstations,
pc's, etc.) by using "Producer" to convert to Objective-C then
Objective-C to convert the code ultimately to C.
*** Caution ahead, informational description and an unsolicited
testimonial from a satisfied customer... (the net encourages unbiased
product reviews, right?) ***
Objective-C and "Producer" are from our friends at Productivity
Products International, Sandy Hook, CT. They are also the ones that
are *really* contributing "Producer" to the net, but they aren't on the
net just yet (but soon) so I am posting it from here because I like
"Producer", and it is good, and they said I could post it. :-)
Objective-C is a pre-compiler, that is, it sits in front of the C
compiler and translates this enhanced Objective-C language into C.
This is the same technique that C++ uses, but Objective-C, as a
language, has much more of a Smalltalk-like flavor to it, where C++
smacks a little-bit more of Simula... I prefer the "feel" of
Objective-C much more than C++) Objective-C is superset of C adding
Objects, Classes, Inheritance and *real productivity* to the base
C language. Objective-C is also a big win over C++ because PPI makes an
interpreter (called "Vici") to compliment their Objective-C compiler.
This makes debugging, prototyping, experimenting and learning really
nice.
Using "Producer" will add that much more functionality, drawing on
already written Smalltalk code, or your own Smalltalk classes, in
addition to the foundation classes supplied with Objective-C:
+----------+
Smalltalk code -->| Producer |--> Objective-C -> C
+----------+
Now for the testimonial. We here at zhmti, a small manufacturing
company, use Objective-C exclusively for all of our in-house
development. We don't write code to sell it, we write it to solve our
manufacturing and automation problems. We just can't afford to recreate
the wheel very often. I can't tell you how nice it is to have a
generic "container" class that you can add things to (like the parts of
an assembly), or the ability to design "standard" types (like bolts)
that are really easily customizable (socket head, torx) whenever the
need arises. Believe me, when you need software to get a job done,
(for us its making precision parts), Objective-C can be a big win over
C++ because of all those wonderful foundation classes included with
it. I can speak from experience, Objective-C allows us to produce
reuable software components (general modules of generic code) that can
really save time when developing solutions and applications.
***End of testimonial***
If you have any comments, bug fixes, questions, etc. You can gateway
them through me, and I'll forward them to PPI.
Oh, BTW, rumor has it that there will be a fantastic user interface
package making an entrance at OOPSLA this year as highlighted in the
August 86 Byte magazine article by Brad Cox and Bill Hunt, "Objects,
Icons, and Software-ICs". Look it up, this is neet stuff!
See you at OOPSLA!
Dietz.
----
Dieter H. Zebbedies ('dee-ter ayech 'zeb-ed-eez)
Zebb-Hoff Mach. Tool's Automated Manufacturing Project Cleveland, OH
(USnail): 9535 Clinton Rd, Cleveland, OH 44144 (+216 631 6100) (+216 741-5994)
(UUCP): ...{decvax,sun,cbosgd}!cwruecmp!zhmti!dieter
(CSNET/ARPA/BITNET): dieter@CWRU.EDU