Smalltalk Daily: Basic Introduction

Smalltalk Daily is a regular screencast done by James Robertson, the Cincom Smalltalk Product Manager.

Basic Introduction

• Installing the Product
  
• What do I do First?
• Smalltalk Syntax 1
• Smalltalk Syntax 2
  
• Smalltalk Syntax 3
• Shared Variables
• Introduction to Namespaces
  
• Dynamic Typing
  
• Color Syntax Highlighting
  
• Browser Introduction: Creating a Package
• Browser Introduction: Creating a Class
• Explaining self and super
  
• Classes
• Inheritance
  
• Abstract Classes
• Abstract Classes II
  
• Extending a Class 1
• Extending a Class 2
• Changing System Settings
• Editor Keyboard Shortcuts
• Copy/Paste Compatibility
  
• Saving Code
• Save and Restart an Image
• Polymorphism in Smalltalk
• Basic Code Examples
  

For information on the various development tools (browsers, GUI builder, debugger, etc) - go here.

This is the current roadmap for the Cincom Smalltalk product suite.

This information is subject to change and adaptation - in particular, we want your feedback - send it to Arden Thomas or James Robertson. With that said, here is the roadmap, as of January, 2008.

Seaside

• Track Seaside development, and keep the Cincom Smalltalk port up to date
• Deliver a Relational Persistence solution for Seaside on Cincom Smalltalk, using GLORP
• Continue to work with the Seaside community in order to move Seaside forward
• We plan to deliver a Seaside based application server product
• Our plan is to deliver a complete Seaside solution during the 2nd quarter (calendar year) of 2008

Tools/GUI

• Deliver ObjectStudio 8.1 as a Vista Certified Smalltalk Solution (Done: April 2008!)
• Improve access to Fonts from Cincom Smalltalk
• Deliver the ObjectStudio Modeling Tool as a supported part of ObjectStudio 8
  
• Improvements to specific widgets (tabs, grid), as well as enhancements to the base UI framewor
• Over the next 12-18 months, the base UI framework will be enhanced and refactored. The UI development tools will be upgraded in concert with these changes
• General facelift to the look of the product (icons, look and feel, etc)
  
• Store will get faster, and we will gradually be moving the Store database interface on top of GLORP.
  

VM/Base image

• Improved C Connect capability - we want internal and external developers to be able to more easily make use of platform specific capabilities. In January, you'll see faster connectivity. A better DLLCC parser is coming, but will probably not make the January release.
  
• Make it possible to build a CST app as a DLL/shared lib. This should make the January release as beta quality (possibly release) for Windows, Linux (x86) and Solaris, with other platforms to follow. This will be a fully supported part of the product during late 2008 at the latest
• Make Smalltalk truly international capable: when you bring up an image, typing/displaying the local characters should "just work". For January, we will have this ready for Mac OS X. We have Windows support in the "preview" directories now. This support will be refactored and made cross platform during 2008.
• Improve our 64 bit platform support
  

Collaborative/Cross Product

• Create a defined Smalltalk Application deployment story - we will deliver an easy to use way of going from Smalltalk development to deployment. Scripting the creation of an executable on Windows and Mac OS X will be much simpler in the January release.
• Within the next 12-18 months, this kind of scripting support will be part of the deployment tools themselves.
  

Interested in watching this take shape - why not join our developer program?

Cincom Smalltalk: ObjectStudio

Cincom has released ObjectStudio 8.1! Click here for more information

Cincom includes ObjectStudio as part of Cincom Smalltalk. ObjectStudio is the first - and only - Windows Vista certified Smalltalk environment. For customers needing to build applications that cleanly fold into a Microsoft-centric infrastructure, ObjectStudio is the best choice. ObjectStudio is a Windows-specific platform that is oriented toward building client applications that need good connectivity to databases.

For any questions about this document or about Cincom Smalltalk, please contact the Cincom Smalltalk Product Evangelist, James Robertson.

Based on the powerful Smalltalk language, ObjectStudio provides a robust development environment necessary to create innovative applications that capture complex business models and processes.

ObjectStudio is a complete, object-oriented rapid application development suite of tools for designing and assembling customized applications. ObjectStudio promotes a highly productive, interactive development style backed with a powerful architecture and comprehensive toolsets.

ObjectStudio provides graphical round-trip object modeling, graphical object persistency tools, and tight platform integration with Windows. Legacy connectivity within a single development environment enables your enterprise to respond faster to market opportunities.

ObjectStudio simplifies the development process by leveraging the power of component-based technology, enabling developers to:

• Model business objects
• Map business objects to data stores
• Manage objects with a team approach
• Develop with a powerful Windows integrated development environment
• Integrate with the powerful VisualWorks cross platform suite, enabling WS* and server connectivity
• Integrate databases and legacy applications

Powerful Object Modeling
The ObjectStudio modeling tool integrates the design of complex business objects generation, presenting a high-level, businesslike interface that delivers user-friendly tools for working with objects. The object-modeling tool supports case analysis, event diagramming, CRC cards and notations, including UML and Coad/Yourdon.

Automated Code Generation
Using ObjectStudio, an application moves from the design stage to completion much faster than with traditional tools. The ObjectStudio modeling tool can modify and maintain applications more quickly and easily because class hierarchies and object relationships can be arranged graphically, without coding. Simply make changes to the model and then let the modeling tool generate the code ï¿¿ automatically.

Round-Trip Engineering
Once an application is rolled-out, it is difficult for new users to understand the complex functionality. With ObjectStudio, any changes to the model are automatically reflected in the code. This means that you always have access to a current business model of the application. Using a current visual, and easy-toï¿¿understand model, your business analysts, training and support team, and IT staff can better understand your complex enterprise applications and be productive in less time.

Robust Object Mapping
The ObjectStudio mapping tool provides visual, drag-and-drop tools for linking objects to databases. The Object Relational Mapper uses the resulting object mapping definitions to make application connections to an object database, without requiring any SQL code written into the application. This allows the developer to concentrate on objects without worrying about the details of the database implementation. This is done automatically.

Strong Database and Legacy Applications Integration
ObjectStudio supports the native API of the major industry-standard databases. This means you can use the latest features of your database. With faster performance throughput and less coding, your development team does not have to be familiar with the complicated database API. ObjectStudio automatically integrates into the database for you. This means less training and better application performance over generic gateways like ODBC.

In addition, ObjectStudio is open to many communication standards and its multiple access and interface capabilities make integration easier between new application-developed legacy applications and desktop environments.

Hardware and Software Environments:

• Windows Vista - ObjectStudio is Vista Certified!
  
• Microsoft Windows 98 through XP

Supported Standards:

• ActiveX and OCX
• TCP/IP
• APPC
• OLE/OLE2
• DLL
• COM/DCOM

Supported Databases:

• ODBC
• Microsoft SQL Server
• Sybase SQL Server
• Oracle
• DB2/2
• Informix
• UniSQL Server
• SUPRA SQL Server
• Adabas

Unparalleled productivity, the best tools for supporting emergent methodologies like XP, and worldwide support from Cincom -- you simply can't go wrong by choosing Cincom Smalltalk. Still not sure? Visit our download site and see for yourself!

Cincom Smalltalk - Productivity and Portability

Cincom has release ObjectStudio 8! Click here for more information.

Build your applications faster - up to three times faster than with competing technologies. Need more? Need a Vista Certified, Windows-centric Smalltalk?  Take a look at ObjectStudio. Need a cross platform, server-capable Smalltalk?  Take a look at  VisualWorks

Build web applications, client applications - anything you can imagine. With Seaside support, the possibilities are endless!

Cincom Smalltalk offers seamless portability across Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and all major Unix implementations. You can download it now and see for yourself! Don't forget to check out our client success stories

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- April 28, 2008 -- Cincom announces the release of ObjectStudio 8.1 and VisualWorks 7.6, which together make up Cincom Smalltalk - each with a number of significant improvements.

Cincom ObjectStudio 8.1 is the first Vista-Certified Smalltalk available. It now uses the industry-leading VisualWorks VM and has access to all of the standard VisualWorks components-including Seaside. Cincom has also updated its Sybase and ODBC support.

Cincom VisualWorks 7.6 has enhanced integration and revamped and refined browsing tools. Along with a greatly improved MacOSX VM, Cincom VisualWorks 7.6 also supports Microsoft Vista, OSX Leopard and MySQL, and includes a supported object-relational mapping framework (GLORP).

For further information, please visit the Cincom Smalltalk Product Manager blog, the Cincom Smalltalk Product Evangelist blog, and the Cincom Smalltalk website.

About Cincom Smalltalk
Cincom Smalltalk is a cross-platform development technology that helps developers build applications quickly and efficiently from highly scalable web applications to classic client/server systems. Cincom Smalltalk brings better productivity than Java, Ruby, Python, C# or VisualBasic. Bring your products to market faster with Cincom Smalltalk.

About Cincom
Cincom delivers and supports innovative software and services to simplify complex business processes. For nearly 40 years, Cincom has enabled thousands of clients worldwide to increase revenue, control cost, minimize risk and achieve rapid ROI.

Cincom serves clients on six continents including Citibank, Boeing, Ericsson, Penn State University, Milacron, Siemens and Trane. For more information about Cincom's products and services, contact Cincom at 1-800-2CINCOM (USA only), send an e-mail to info@cincom.com, or visit the company's website at www.cincom.com.

We have just released new versions of the Cincom Smalltalk Product Suite: ObjectStudio 8.1, ObjectStudio 7.1.3, and VisualWorks 7.6. For full details on what's below (and more), please read our Release Notes. You can also download them now!

All enhancements to VisualWorks are also available to ObjectStudio 8 - they both share the same base libraries, and can both load the same components.

Here are the highlights:

ObjectStudio 8:

• Vista Certified - ObjectStudio 8.1 is the first (and only) Smalltalk system certified for Windows Vista.

ObjectStudio 7.1.3:

• A number of bug fixes have been applied. Note that ObjectStudio 7.1.x is not moving forward; all new work for ObjectStudio will be for the 8.x release series

VisualWorks 7.6:

• Support for Windows Vista
• Much improved Mac OS X VM
• New Process Termination Semantics - a number of new APIs have been added to make terminating a process safer and more reliable.
• Improved Hashing - the performance of many low level operations will be faster
• Updated ToolTip support - the old system has been replaced, but the API is unchanged - your code should not have to change at all
• More GUI Layout options: VisualWorks 7.6 introduces VisualStack, a handy VisualComponent for stacking arbitrary VisualComponents on atop the other, and VisualRow which is a handy way to create a nice horizontal row of VisualComponents. The system itself uses these two "layer" icons as well as show multiple arbitrary icons side by side.
• Announcements - we have started integrating Announcements into the UI - this will continue over future releases
• Reduction of UI "Flicker" - the damage repair policy has been updated, reducing annoying flicker.
• Major updates to the Browser - see the release notes for full details.
• Assets: Assets are libraries of resources for an application, things such as Images, Masked Image, (OpaqueImages), Strings, Bytes, etc. The libraries support a framework for deriving these objects from external files found in a directory associated with the object and keeping them up to date. They also provide caching of computed assets so that access is fast as possible. Again see the release notes for full details
• Enhanced Inspector - informative icons have been added, making it easier to identify what kind of objects you are looking at
• Support for per-process locales (a major aid for web applications)
• Support for Seaside 2.8
• Support for the MySQL Database
• Support for Solaris SPARC 64 bit platforms

The Cincom Smalltalk team had a great time at OOP 2008!  We have photos and video from the event:

• OOP 2008 Photo Montage
• OOP 2008 Videos
  
• Press Release Announcing Thorsten Seitz' Dynamic Languages Shootout win
  

Join Cincom for the Smalltalk Evening at OOP 2008, in Munich, Germany - January 23rd, 2008. For full details, look here.