Largest Provider of Commercial Smalltalk
Cincom is one of the largest commercial providers of Smalltalk, with twice as many customers and partners as other commercial providers.
Tom Nies
Welcome to the March 2024 edition of the Cincom Smalltalk Digest. In this month’s newsletter, you will find the following:
CUSTOMERS and PARTNERS
BEGINNERS and DEVELOPERS
We are pleased to announce to our valued customers and partners the current version of Cincom Smalltalk. This release includes the major releases of Cincom ObjectStudio 9.4.0 and Cincom® VisualWorks® 9.4.0. Changes include:
Cincom Smalltalk Foundation 9.4.0 | Cincom ObjectStudio 9.4.0 | Cincom VisualWorks 9.4.0 |
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Our valued customers and partners may order the newest release through our Customer Product Request Form.
PLEASE NOTE: Our order process has been updated, and we no longer offer auto-ship.
ALSO NOTE: Should you have any questions or problems in accessing the request form above, please contact your Sales Account Manager or Cincom Smalltalk Support.
If you need to submit a new case to Cincom Smalltalk Support, we’ve made it very quick and easy:
When possible, please provide a test case. Test cases enable Cincom Smalltalk Support to better understand the issue by re-creating it in their environment.
The original developers of Smalltalk played a crucial role in its development and often spoke of the idea of “modeling” during the object-oriented language’s infancy. While early Smalltalk pioneers used the concept of mapping to create objects and interfaces, later tool builders used the concept of mapping to map objects to persistent storage.
It wasn’t until the early 90s that the current Modeling and Mapping tools in Cincom ObjectStudio made its debut. In 1992, Enfin Software rolled out a product known as ENFIN/2, designed for OS/2 and Windows. It garnered attention in its era for its superior graphical user interface (GUI) and robust support for crafting business applications. This included database connectivity, a feature that positioned it ahead of its competitors because all major RDBMS systems were supported, along with some IBM mainframe database systems and protocols like EHLLAPI and APPC.
Easel Corporation took over the product later in 1992, investing heavily in its development and promotion. One of Easel’s significant feats was persuading IBM to embrace Enfin Smalltalk as the endorsed solution, largely due to it being a native 32-bit OS/2 solution. After enhancing the product with object modelling and relational mapping capabilities, Easel renamed it to ObjectStudio.
In the dynamic world of software development, Cincom ObjectStudio stands out as a premier tool for crafting custom Windows® applications. Dubbed the “business analyst’s thinking tool,” ObjectStudio is built on the robust, object-oriented programming foundation of Smalltalk. It offers a comprehensive development environment designed to encapsulate complex business models and processes seamlessly. Both ObjectStudio and Cincom VisualWorks are built on the shared foundation of the Cincom Smalltalk Foundation, ensuring a unified and powerful development experience.
Cincom ObjectStudio’s Next Generation User Interface (NG UI) propels application development into the future. It leverages the latest Windows native widgets, eliminating the need for primitives and fully utilizing Smalltalk with FFI (DLLCC) to access the Windows API. This integration supports a wide range of image formats and grants access to advanced GDI+ features, including gradient brushes and alpha blending. The NG UI also introduces a revamped Launcher, providing centralized access to essential tools and resources, enhancing productivity and streamlining the development process.
At the heart of ObjectStudio are its Modeling and Mapping Tools, designed to bridge the gap between developers and their clients. These tools offer a visual representation of the application, from front-end to back-end, ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned before significant resources are invested. The Modeling and Mapping Tools not only facilitate rapid application development but also provide a platform for demonstrating potential enhancements or validating the feasibility of a project. This clarity is invaluable for business owners, enabling informed decision-making and strategic planning.
The ObjectStudio modeling tool is a powerhouse for designing intricate business objects. It presents a user-friendly interface for object manipulation, supporting case analysis, event diagramming, CRC cards, and UML notations. This tool accelerates the transition from design to deployment, allowing for graphical arrangement of class hierarchies and object relationships. Changes to the model automatically generate the corresponding code, simplifying maintenance and updates.
The ObjectStudio mapping tool simplifies the connection between objects and databases through visual, drag-and-drop functionality. Its Object Relational Mapper eliminates the need for SQL coding, automating database interactions. This focus on objects over database specifics frees developers to concentrate on application logic, enhancing efficiency and productivity.
ObjectStudio’s round-trip engineering ensures that any modifications to the business object model are reflected in the code and vice versa. This continuous synchronization provides developers with an up-to-date business model, facilitating a deeper understanding of complex applications. It empowers business analysts, training personnel, and IT staff to engage more effectively with the enterprise software, reducing the learning curve and accelerating productivity.
Interested in exploring the capabilities of the Modeling and Mapping Tools? Here are some examples, demonstrations and tutorials:
It is our pleasure to bring you the current version of Cincom Smalltalk. This release includes the releases of Cincom® ObjectStudio® 9.4 and Cincom® VisualWorks® 9.4.
Cincom is the market leader in commercial Smalltalk. Cincom Smalltalk enhances the value and ease of use of application development software, web application development tools, and deployment environments. Developers who are looking for custom Windows® applications will find that ObjectStudio is the ideal choice. When enterprise-level, multilingual, cross-platform,
custom application development is required, VisualWorks is the perfect solution.
The Cincom Smalltalk Foundation and the core libraries are shared by ObjectStudio and VisualWorks. This means that foundation enhancements benefit both products. It is worth noting that beginning with release 9.0, ObjectStudio and VisualWorks now share a release number. Since both products share a foundation of work, this makes it easier for customers and Cincom to discuss, compare and track.
As one of our valued Cincom Smalltalk customers or partners, we’re pleased to offer you this opportunity to request the latest release of Cincom Smalltalk through our Product Order Form.
PLEASE NOTE: Our order process has been updated, and we no longer offer auto-ship. Should you have any questions or problems with accessing the request form above, please contact your Sales Account Manager or Cincom Smalltalk Support.
The current releases of Cincom ObjectStudio 9.4 and Cincom VisualWorks 9.4 are major releases. Changes include:
Cincom Smalltalk Foundation 9.4 | Cincom ObjectStudio 9.4 | Cincom VisualWorks 9.4 |
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To learn more about these new releases, please see the product release notes. The release notes contain new-feature descriptions and descriptions of the ARs and support resolutions that were addressed.
If you are interested in seeing the Cincom Smalltalk user interface for yourself, we have compiled a list of Hidden Gems screencasts that give a broad spectrum of capabilities:
Welcome to the February 2024 edition of the Cincom Smalltalk Digest. In this month’s newsletter, you will find the following:
CUSTOMERS and PARTNERS
BEGINNERS and DEVELOPERS
If you need to submit a new case to Cincom Smalltalk Support, we’ve made it very quick and easy:
When possible, please provide a test case. Test cases enable Cincom Smalltalk Support to better understand the issue by re-creating it in their environment.
Thank you for being a valued customer or partner of Cincom Smalltalk. We’re always here to listen, learn from you, and support your needs where possible.
Do you have any feedback for our team? What are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? What could we do better? Are there other ways we can share information with you? Where do you get your information from? Perhaps there are websites, forums, or social-media sites that we currently don’t subscribe to that you could share with us.
We value your input and want to make sure you know how to get in touch with us. Please send your comments or suggestions to the Cincom Smalltalk Product Team at CSSTARTeam@cincom.com.
From the software pioneers of Xerox PARC to the capable engineers of Cincom Systems Inc., Smalltalk has revolutionized the field of modern programming. This influential object-oriented programming language has left a mark on the global tech industry, shaping the way developers write and structure their code.
With its emphasis on simplicity and readability, Smalltalk offers a unique approach to software development. It allows programmers to break down complex problems into manageable components, fostering collaboration and code reuse. This, in turn, increases efficiency and productivity, making Smalltalk a favorite among developers worldwide.
Smalltalk’s impact goes beyond the realm of programming. Its philosophy of “everything is an object” has influenced other programming languages through the years, shaping their syntax and principles. Smalltalk has also paved the way for modern development tools and frameworks, empowering developers to create robust and scalable applications.
Let’s take a look at what happened to Smalltalk with the user experience and user interface:
The Smalltalk user experience has undergone significant changes since its inception at Xerox PARC. The pioneering research conducted at Xerox PARC laid the foundation for Smalltalk’s simplicity, interactivity, and object-oriented nature. Cincom’s innovations and advancements have further enhanced the user experience, making Smalltalk more accessible, efficient, and versatile.
The Smalltalk user experience has had a profound impact on the development community, influencing the design and development of other programming languages and tools. Smalltalk’s enduring relevance and popularity are a testament to its intuitive nature and adaptability to changing technological landscapes.
As we look to the future, the Smalltalk user experience will continue to evolve, driven by the needs of developers and the advancements in technology. Smalltalk’s rich history and Cincom’s ongoing commitment to the user experience make it a programming language worth exploring and embracing for anyone passionate about software development.
The changes made to the Smalltalk user interface from Xerox PARC to Cincom had a significant impact on user experience and productivity.
The introduction of a more intuitive and visually appealing design enhanced the overall user experience, making it more enjoyable and engaging for developers.
The customizable workspace in the Cincom Smalltalk user interface allowed developers to tailor the coding environment to their specific needs, improving productivity and reducing distractions. The addition of advanced code editing features and debugging tools streamlined the development process, making it easier for developers to write, understand, and debug their codes.
The productivity enhancements introduced by Cincom improved the usage of the development environment, allowing developers to navigate large codebases deftly. This underscored and enhanced productivity and efficiency.
The availability of comprehensive documentation and online resources, such as tutorials and screencasts for the Cincom Smalltalk user interface, made it easier for developers to learn and master the interface, reducing the learning curve and enabling them to make the most out of its capabilities. This accessibility further contributed to improved productivity and overall user satisfaction.
If you are interested in seeing the Cincom Smalltalk user interface for yourself, we have compiled a list of Hidden Gems screencasts that give a broad spectrum of capabilities:
Overview of the Smalltalk User Interface
The Smalltalk user interface, developed at Xerox PARC in the 1970s, revolutionized the way programmers interact with their codes. At its core, the Smalltalk user interface aimed to provide a visual representation of objects and their relationships, making it easier for developers to understand and manipulate their codes.
“… We were the first out with this type of an environment … The market that [we] went after was the standard US industries, you know whether it’s financial, transportation and shipping, or manufacturing or telecommunications, automotive people who really rely on their systems. They understand their business models … and they’re missing something and one of the things they were missing was a graphical user interface.”
– Adele Goldberg
Smalltalk user interface introduced several groundbreaking concepts that are now considered fundamental in modern programming environments.
Overall, the Smalltalk user interface laid the groundwork for modern programming environments, emphasizing visual representations, interactivity, and live programming.
Key Features and Innovations in the Smalltalk User Interface
Smalltalk user interface was packed with innovative features that set it apart from other programming environments of the time.
Evolution of Smalltalk User Interface at Cincom
With the transition of Smalltalk to Cincom, the user interface underwent significant changes to adapt to the evolving needs of developers. Cincom aimed to build upon the foundations laid by its predecessors and further enhance the usability and efficiency of Smalltalk.
Major Changes and Improvements in the Cincom Smalltalk User Interface
The Cincom Smalltalk user interface and environment brought about several major changes and improvements compared to its predecessors. A few of the many notable changes include:
From its inception in the 1970s, using the Smalltalk programming language has come a long way. Today, it continues to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing needs of the user. Cincom, the leading provider of commercial Smalltalk, has played a significant role in shaping the user experience of this dynamic language.
With its focus on simplicity and object-oriented programming, Smalltalk has gained a loyal following among developers and enthusiasts alike. By examining the progression of the Smalltalk user experience, we can better understand how this influential language has evolved to meet the demands of a rapidly advancing technological landscape.
The Smalltalk User Experience at Xerox PARC
Xerox PARC, the birthplace of many groundbreaking innovations, laid the foundation for the Smalltalk user experience. Smalltalk was designed to be a highly interactive and visually appealing programming language that provides a seamless development environment for users. The user interface was unlike anything seen before, with bitmapped graphics and icons that made it easier for programmers to understand and navigate their codes.
The early user experience set the stage for the future of Smalltalk, with its emphasis on simplicity, interactivity, and object-oriented programming.
Key Features and Innovations in Smalltalk
Smalltalk introduced several key features and innovations that shaped the user experience:
These key features and innovations laid the groundwork for the evolution of the Smalltalk user experience, as it transitioned to the hands of other organizations and ultimately brought together by Cincom.
The Evolution of Smalltalk User Experience
As Smalltalk made its way from Xerox PARC to other organizations, it continued to evolve and improve its user experience. The focus shifted towards making Smalltalk more accessible to a wider audience, with improvements in usability, documentation, and community support.
Smalltalk is known for being arguably the most productive programming language available. The reason for this is not only the carefully developed syntax, designed to be highly expressive yet simple and elegant at the same time, but also the interactive tools.
Smalltalk continued to improve and evolve by adding capabilities like:
One company developed advanced visual modeling tools that are UML-type tools to assist in system application architecture and integrated code development. This allows domain experts to work productively with developers on software projects. (Now part of Cincom’s Smalltalk suite.)
The evolution of the Smalltalk user experience paved the way for Cincom to take the language to new heights.
Smalltalk User Experience at Cincom
Cincom has been at the forefront of Smalltalk development, pushing the boundaries of the user experience and introducing innovative solutions. Their commitment to enhancing Smalltalk’s usability and performance has made it a popular choice among commercial developers and organizations worldwide.
One of the key differences in Smalltalk user experience at Cincom is the focus on productivity. Cincom has invested heavily in developing tools and frameworks that streamline the development process and boost efficiency. The Cincom Smalltalk IDEs provide advanced code navigation, refactoring capabilities, and code generation, enabling developers to write clean, high-quality code with ease.
Cincom embraced and enhanced the productivity aspect of Smalltalk by:
The Smalltalk user experience at Cincom is a testament to our dedication to continuous improvement and innovation, ensuring that Smalltalk remains a versatile and powerful language in the ever-evolving world of programming.
Smalltalk, a programming language, has evolved significantly over time, introducing native support for database operations and object-relational mapping (ORM) frameworks. These tools have revolutionized the way Smalltalk applications interact with databases, simplifying the development process and improving performance.
Today, Smalltalk continues to evolve its database usage, offering more flexibility and options for developers in areas such as concurrency, replication, and support for NoSQL databases.
Let’s take a look at the fascinating journey into Smalltalk’s database usage and its evolution:
Founded in 1968, Cincom is one of the first, if not the first, global software companies in the world. Cincom’s President, Thomas M. Nies, is the longest actively serving CEO in the computer industry. This consistent leadership throughout the years means a stable management structure and direction for our company and security for our customers and partners.
From its roots in database management systems and consulting, the Cincinnati-based company has expanded to offer a full line of multi-platform business applications. Tom Nies and the other founders were hardware salesmen at IBM but saw an emerging market rising for software to run on that equipment. Seizing this opportunity, the men left IBM and formed a company that would go on to have a global impact.
A look at Cincom’s history shows a long and distinguished list of notable events, including:
In these tutorials, we explore multiple techniques tailored for scenarios where employing a full-scale database may be excessive or impractical, providing elegant solutions for managing data without the burden of a traditional database system.
Throughout the series, viewers will gain invaluable insights into efficient and effective methods for retrieving objects. Whether you’re a seasoned Smalltalk developer or new to the language, these tutorials will equip you with the expertise to harness the full potential of object storage in Cincom Smalltalk, unveiling hidden gems that optimize performance and streamline data management.
Object persistence is about saving and restoring the state of an object. This can be done in a variety of ways, often with a relational or object database. But what alternatives are there and how do they work? That is what this video will discuss, build, and demonstrate. This tutorial will demonstrate a simple, powerful, and useful text-based technique that is not widely known and includes:
Watch this screencast here: https://youtu.be/RVRqSjnqN9Y?si=twUm4RFrrB3YCzAN
As mentioned in this article, Cincom Smalltalk supports connectivity to all major relational databases including Oracle, Sybase, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, DB/2 and SQLite. VisualWorks also connects easily with OODBMS systems.