Squeak-dev April 1999

squeak-dev@lists.squeakfoundation.org

130 participants
319 discussions

Polymorphism and language
by Adam Bridge 02 Aug '00

02 Aug '00

I wonder if we're not asking the wrong question here. Language, it seems to me, is for expression. If we design a language (as opposed to allowing it to evolve) then we should have a goal for that language. What's the goal here? Although polymorphism is certainly an interesting capability shouldn't we be looking at the kinds of tasks we wish to perform? Would we demand an artist work in tempra when water color is what expresses the mood best? Personally I like the idea of small languages that do some things very very well. They are easy to learn because their concepts are clear. If languages can agree on ways to intermingle so I can write my image manipulation in one language and my text in another and my GUI in yet another -- and have them work together intimately and EASILY -- then I think we have a software system which is about expression first and language second. I'd love to easily, trivially, combine Smalltalk, Perl, Fortran, Obj-C and be able to easily explore other languages in this same context: it becomes easy to grow. Adam Bridge

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unsubscribe
by Alek 09 Jun '00

09 Jun '00

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Re: Re: Float bug toolkit: what the hash is this?
by Tim Olson 31 Aug '99

31 Aug '99

>>"[1]" (10 raisedToInteger: 600) = (10.0 raisedToInteger: 800) "alt-p" >>These are equal since both expressions end up answering a float with a >>special value indicating positive infinity. Positive infinities are always >>equal. > >Nonono.... (10 raisedToInteger: 600) is anInteger, while the other (if >finished correctly) is aFloat. Correct. The problem occurs when the #= message is sent to the LargePositiveInteger with the argument a Float (+Infinity). This causes the LargePositiveInteger to be adapted to a Float (resulting in +Infinity, as well). >If aFloat turns out to be infinite, an error >should be posted. This would have to be tested in the Float primitives in the VM whenever an overflow (or NaN, I suppose) is generated. However, I *think* (VM experts correct me, here) that all they can do is fail rather than returning a succesful value, so all of the Float code that invokes primitives would have to be rewritten to test and reflect this overflow/exception failure. The IEEE "default" operation is to silently return the default values (Inf or NaN), rather than generating an exception. What should the standard for Squeak be? -- tim

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Re: Re[2]: Thinking about a better UI
by Michael S. Klein 17 May '99

17 May '99

Peter W. Lount wrote: > http://www.smalltalk.org > p.s. check out the Version of Smalltalk from the 24th century on the web > site. I think you'll like it. ;--) [site contains an audio file of Star Trek's Picard & Data] Picard: Smalltalk? Data: Yes, sir.... I've found that humans often use smalltalk during awkward moments, therefore I've written a new subroutine for that purpose. So, I guess that they are *still* using subroutines in the 24th century. I guess we shouldn't be looking to hard at their UI's either. At least Data didn't have to reboot himself. mklein(a)alumni.caltech.edu

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Re: [another Buglet] & a question about fonts
by Reinier van Loon 12 May '99

12 May '99

Chris, about fonts (I am writing this at the top of my head): 1) Fonts are still a weak point; 2) You can create or import (strike) fonts easily if you know how; 3) I have a font viewer dialog available which could be turned into a font selection dialog; 4) What you see in Squeak are mostly text styles (of which a font is a part) 5) Not all fonts are in the global variabele TextConstants; 6) The font viewer dialog knows how to grab fonts and turn them into text styles; 7) Setting a text style or font does not last: for that you have to modify ListParagraph class>>initialize and Paragraph class>>withText: 8) Fonts present in previous Squeak versions are still available at my download site; 9) The idea that the current font design is soon obsolete kept me from writing what I know down somewhere; (Dan, if you're reading this, can you comment on that?) Doei, Reinier.

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[PWS] PWS only meant for Swiki?
by Reinier van Loon 03 May '99

03 May '99

I tried to use a PWS for something else then a Swiki. I created a Server directory, but did not copy the files as mentioned. I copied the method initializeAll and stripped some actions. I tried to start the server but I got the message 'The path to the Server folder is wrong. Please modify the following method ...' But the path to the Server folder wasn't wrong, there was a folder Server. It turned out that the path to ...\Server\Swiki\page.html did not exist. This would have been no problem if I had copied the server folder and it's easily fixed by stripping the checkVersion message send. But the message is misleading. And I think the checkVersion method is bit Swiki minded. We should put something like that in a method called checkSwiki. Or is PWS only meant for Swiki's? Macarena.

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2.4b image/changes mismatch
by Hans-Martin Mosner 01 May '99

01 May '99

Hi, I just downloaded 2.4b from the UIUC file server, and the image and changes file don't seem to correspond. I remember that there was some discussion on the list and that 2.4b was supposed to have fixed that... So, it is not fixed. Just open a fresh 2.4b and look at StringMorph>>drawOn: to see what I mean. Hans-Martin

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Re: update 617 syntax error
by John Buffington 30 Apr '99

30 Apr '99

Thanks Andreas, After 4 previous misguided attempts, I've finally got a copy of Squeak 2.4b for my PC that was able to complete the update from server process successfully. I know you guys are not trying to make the start-up of a newbie as difficult as it seems, but might I suggest that broken versions be deleted from the "official" ftp sites? ;-) Thanks to everybody John Buffington -----Original Message----- From: Raab, Andreas <Andreas.Raab(a)disney.com> To: 'squeak(a)cs.uiuc.edu' <squeak(a)cs.uiuc.edu> Date: Friday, April 30, 1999 14:51 PM Subject: RE: update 617 syntax error >The Windows version on > >http://isgwww.cs.uni-magdeburg.de/~raab/squeak/Squeak.zip > >includes the released 2.4b image (I simply didn't sent out a message on this >issue). > > Andreas >-- >+===== Andreas Raab ========= (andreasr(a)wdi.disney.com) ==+ >| Walt Disney Imagineering Phone: +1 818 544 5016 I >I Glendale, CA Fax: +1 818 544 4544 I >+======< http://isgwww.cs.uni-magdeburg.de/~raab >========+ > > >> ---------- >> From: John Buffington >> Reply To: squeak(a)cs.uiuc.edu >> Sent: Thursday, April 29, 1999 9:58 PM >> To: squeak(a)cs.uiuc.edu >> Cc: recipient list not shown >> Subject: Re: update 617 syntax error >> >> I've also experienced difficulties trying to update the original released >> 2.4 image. Has anyone packaged up a 2.4b .zip file for us PC users? >> Or... someone please list which files I'll need and where to get them. >> Dan Ingalls wrote of changes from 2.4a to 2.4b on 4/23, but I cannot >> find files bearing this date at the posted ftp site. >> >> Thanks, >> John Buffington >> >> >> on 4/29/99 Dwight wrote: >> >> >The original released 2.4 image thinks it's a 2.3 image with no updates. >> >You should get the 2.4b files before updating. >> > >> >-- Dwight >> > >> >"Richard L. Peskin" wrote: >> >> >> >> In updating 2.4 I get a syntax error for update 617. Has anyone else >> gotten >> >> this? >> >> Also, I am starting with the 2.4 (Mac) image. Yet, the latest updates >> >> appear to have numbers like 1165, 1166, ....Should I be starting with a >> >> different image (e.g. 2.4a)? >> >> --dick peskin >> >> >> >> > >

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Hyperbolic Tree in Squeak for navigating large data structures
by Torsten.Bergmann＠phaidros.com 30 Apr '99

30 Apr '99

First: Squeak 2.4 rulez !!!! Thanks to Jeff for Alice. Some weeks ago the squeak list mentioned a new technology for navigating complex data structures with a hyperbolic tree. The hyperbolic tree is a commercial product of Inxight software (http://www.inxight.com) and I haven't found any free sources all over the web. Using such a tree would be cool. Can anyone point me to a location where I can find more informations about the implementation of this tree? Is anyone working on a squeak version ? I think it is not so heavy to implement such a hyperbolic tree without sources, because the demos at Insight.com tell a lot about the maths behind the tree. A Hyperbolic Tree (HT) always have a start node (root) in the center of the demo applets with surrounding nodes. The distance between the root node and its surrounding nodes depend on the number of nodes connected to each surrounding node. An example: E B ! ! B A-R-C ! ! ! D A-R-C ! D On the left there is an easy tree with a root node and four surrounding nodes (each one has the same distance to the root and is placed on a invisible circle that covers the root). The angle for the position on this circle is 360 degrees divided by the number of surrounding nodes. (In the left picture 4 nodes -> 90 degrees). On the right there is the same tree with a node E added to node B. So the distance R-B is increased. So B is placed on another invisible circle with a larger radiant around the root node. Each surrounding node of the root node is a root node for itself (with sorrounding nodes using the same algorithms) In the demo applets you can move the root node to the edges of the applet. You will notice that the distances between the nodes are scaled with the distance of the root node and the border of the applet, meaning that if the root node is in the center of the demo applet the distances have theyr largest values. If the root node is near the border the distances to his surrounding nodes seams to be zero (no line is painted). If you move the root node in the demo applet (a rectangle) you will notice that it can't reach one of top-left, top-right, bottom-left or bottom-right positions. The root node only displays in a circle inside the applets rectangle. I think it's easy to understand whats going on behind the scenes. Some mathematical stuff with cosinus and sinus to calculate the position (distance from other nodes), depending on weights. The weights for each node are calculated by the number of surrounding nodes (the more it has, the more place/distance it needs to display all). I have uploaded a picture showing the principles to http://www.phaidros.com/DIGITALIS/hyperbol.gif Does anyone know more about the algorithm used to display the hyperboolic tree? Torsten PS: The demos can be found at http://www.hyperbolictree.com/Inxight/Demos/HT_Live_Demos/HT_Live_Demos_ Page.html

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RE: [?] How can I test for my platform in Squeak?
by Raab, Andreas 30 Apr '99

30 Apr '99

That is one possibility - if you need more precise information then look at Smalltalk getSystemAttribute: 1001. "Basic OS type (e.g., Unix, Win32, Mac)" Smalltalk getSystemAttribute: 1002. "Special OS type (e.g., 95, NT, WinCE for Win32)" Smalltalk getSystemAttribute: 1003. "Processor tyoe (e.g., IX86, MIPS, SH3 for Win32)" Andreas -- +===== Andreas Raab ========= (andreasr(a)wdi.disney.com) ==+ | Walt Disney Imagineering Phone: +1 818 544 5016 I I Glendale, CA Fax: +1 818 544 4544 I +======< http://isgwww.cs.uni-magdeburg.de/~raab >========+ > ---------- > From: Stephen Travis Pope > Reply To: squeak(a)cs.uiuc.edu > Sent: Friday, April 30, 1999 12:05 PM > To: squeak(a)cs.uiuc.edu > Cc: recipient list not shown > Subject: Re: [?] How can I test for my platform in Squeak? > > > "Norton, Chris" wrote: > > > > Hi Folks. > > > > I must have my stupid hat on today... > > Well finally somebody took it away from me! > > > Can anybody tell me how I can determine what platform I'm running from > > within Squeak? > > How about using FileDirectory activeDirectoryClass -- it returns the > Mac/Dos/UNIX directory class that's right for the current platform. (It > uses a nasty kludj related to the fact that they have different filename > separator characters.) > > -- > stp > > Stephen Travis Pope | stp(a)create.ucsb.edu | > http://www.create.ucsb.edu/~stp >

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