Smalltalk

I got curious about Smalltalk in 1981, and started using it actively in 1985.  The only systems I've seen that compare with it are the various Lisp machine environments.  Smalltalk is ideal for business programming, yet it is also ideal for a researcher who wants to build something quickly to test some ideas.  It is great for accessing databases, for building fancy GUIs, and for distributed programming.  In fact, there are very few things it is not great for!  I have no explanation for the fact that most programmers do not know it, other than the obvious fact that there are lots of things wrong with the world.

I've been teaching Smalltalk here since 1985 in a class called Object-Oriented Programming and Design. I also taught a Summer Smalltalk School in June of 1995 and 1996, and have taught a few industrial groups. In the fall of 1998, I will teach the course again, this time on video-tape, and will offer it to industrial groups along with assistance from one of my student-colleagues. I also teach industrial courses on frameworks and patterns, both for Smalltalkers and for C++ programmers.

I've got lots of Smalltalk friends, many of whom are top consultants. So, if you want to find good consultants or just browse interesting Smalltalk-related web pages, take a look!

Ron Jeffries describes the patterns that the Chrysler payroll project learned from Kent Beck. That is the Smalltalk Way!

Is Smalltalk safe?

Papers I've written about Smalltalk

    Double dispatching (postscript, PDF)

Miscellaneous Smalltalk links.

    Chapter from tools for thought
    UIUC Smalltalk archive
    Patterns for Dolphin Smalltalk (but pretty universal)
    Squeak Smalltalk (open source and portable)
    VisualWorks (slick and powerful, now there is a free noncommercial version)
    Engineering math
    Monty Kamath's Smalltalk pages
    SUGAR
    Open Directory Smalltalk links

Ralph Johnson