Version 5 of Smalltalk

Updated 2003-03-02 15:39:22

Smalltalk [L1 ] is a pure object environment and programming language. Read the link to learn more.

Smalltalk is the oldest mature pure object-oriented language. It is brilliant, simple, and has only a few keywords. It is similar to Tcl in that the control structures are not part of language.

Almost all good things known in new hype-languages come from Smalltalk. That is

  • virtual machine
  • garbage collector
  • reflection (introspection)
  • dynamic object system (object can change the class, metaclasses)
  • Integrated Development Environment

Also many popular program-techniques were developed under Smalltalk first. That is Extreme Programming (with Unit-tests), Refactoring Tools, Visual Programing, MVC (Model View Controler).

Smalltalk has also good designed standard libraries (Collections, Process Controll, IO).

Why is not Smalltalk the first most popular object-oriented program language? The reasons could be:

  • for 30 years computers were too slow for virtual machines.
  • the first smalltalk systems was too expensive for normal folk.
  • smalltalk was too closed (not open) to another systems or languages.
  • has no types. Some managers belive that typed-languages can save them from ignorance.
  • it is too mature for making big money with consulting.

XOTcl is an object-oriented extension for Tcl that has some characteristics from Smalltalk. It is also dynamic and has metaclasses and also have the same feeling.


[ Category Language | Category Object Orientation ]