Squeak-dev September 2001

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168 participants
408 discussions

Re: [Modules] a summary of joseph's work
by danielv＠netvision.net.il 04 Sep '01

04 Sep '01

As another Squeaker that was there - I think the ModSqueak offers us a very powerful loading mechanism, and we should take it. It doesn't solve all the problems discussable under Modules, but I think that's a good thing - we don't know what we want well enough on most of those fronts. We know we want to be able to load and unload, and we can't now, and ModSqueak will give us that. We know we want to have tiny images, and ModSqueak (together with other tech, like ImageSegments or whatever) will probably give us that in spades. For the rest, I think what we really need is a higher stable starting point for various explorations, and the ModSqueak work is engineered to allow that. You want to load two versions of a method at once and manage their co-existance? ModSqueak won't do it, but it'll raise an exception when the conflict occurs on loading, and you can catch it and play around. You want to do Collage style overlaying depending on load order? same exception, different catch. You want strict "that's MY method you can't touch that" semantics - same thing. Those sort of alternate policies would be hard to play with now, but they'll be easy if we get ModSqueak. Anyway, I think the real issue we should be thinking about is "Given a good load mechanism, a clean (empty?) base SWT image, how does this affect the way we work?" * Are you going to start working daily in the SWT image? * and not use all the tools you're used to (Celeste, in my case) but aren't part of SWT? We might need to start separating those out into modules we can maintain independent of the SqC image. * and not see all the new cool eToy stuff SqC is working on? * and anyway, if Lex and Daniel do start maintaining Celeste in a module outside the SqC image, how does this mix in with the updates review team? * how will I get the bug fixes and tweaks for Celeste, if that's not in the update stream? And so forth. Ideas? Stephane Ducasse <ducasse(a)iam.unibe.ch> wrote: > Hi > > I discussed and saw a lot of demoes of joseph's work at ESUG and I would > like to summarize it. > > Joseph's idea is to find a minimal structure that support the modularisation > and on top of which other can build > > - Based on a minimal semantic model: a layer on top of the smalltalk > meta-model (implemented lazzily) that represents declaratively Smalltalk > elements. Around 15 classes > > - a Module/Cluster structure influenced by Team/V in which classes and > classes extensions can go. > > - a set of errors that can be captured to resolve differently conflicts: > the base to build other tools such as Colleage. > > - a modularizer: this class allows one to define the basic structure of the > modules and automatically move classes in those modules. This is an > extremely important aspect to let people explore different ways of > organizing the code. > > - The possibility to have envy like prerequisites validation or to let it > lose so that we can hack fast something. > > - a set of Browsers for the module ....: really cool to already have them! > > I hope I did not forget anything. > The point for me is that being able to compile Squeak from VA or VW is just > a proof of concept that we could get a really small image, and even less > minimal if we would stream in byte-code and remove the compiler ;) > > > Stef > I hope this helps

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Question about projects
by Diego Gomez Deck 04 Sep '01

04 Sep '01

I can't find the way to put my projects out of a SystemWindow..... I'd like to organize my projects like the projects in "The Worlds of Squeak".... How can I do this? TIA, Diego Gomez Deck

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[ENH]Refactoring Browser cosmetic tweaks (for 3.1a update #4303)
by Stephan B. Wessels 04 Sep '01

04 Sep '01

The attached zipped change set is for Squeak V3.1a update level #4303. It fixes some cosmetic problems with the new RefactoringBrowser recently published. Here is a detailed summary of the changes: The optional browser buttons are now of the new design when the alternate look is enabled. It is also now fixed in height. The optional annotation pane is properly supported and fixed in height. The class/instance pane is now fixed in height. Cosmetic problems with this pane in the new alternative look have also been resolved. Support for drag-n-drop is included for the same panes as regular Browsers. If you have my optional variables pane preference installed and enabled it also works on the refactoring browser. The optional variables pane change set is not a requirement for this change set. - Steve <Attachment missing> -- The box label said, "Requires Windows 95 or Better," so I bought a Macintosh. The attached zipped change set is for Squeak V3.1a update level #4303. It fixes some cosmetic problems with the new RefactoringBrowser recently published. Here is a detailed summary of the changes: The optional browser buttons are now of the new design when the alternate look is enabled. It is also now fixed in height. The optional annotation pane is properly supported and fixed in height. The class/instance pane is now fixed in height. Cosmetic problems with this pane in the new alternative look have also been resolved. Support for drag-n-drop is included for the same panes as regular Browsers. If you have my optional variables pane preference installed and enabled it also works on the refactoring browser. The optional variables pane change set is not a requirement for this change set. - Steve -- The box label said, "Requires Windows 95 or Better," so I bought a Macintosh.

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[ENH]Html table (second version)
by Karl Ramberg 04 Sep '01

04 Sep '01

I'm still torturing my self, but I begin to see the light :-) -I solved the nesting of the tables! -links within tables work These were the really hard parts to figure out. Left to do is paying attention to attributes like table color border widths etc. Should be easy;-) Enjoy, Karl

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RB family (was: SmallLint)
by danielv＠netvision.net.il 04 Sep '01

04 Sep '01

Anreas K. gave some good references if you want to learn more. But should you? So - A (short?) blurb about the RB, Smalllint and Rewrite Rule editor (The RB tool family), for those not very familiar with it. I think code can be beautiful. And like a statue in a popular plaza, very public code (Squeak's code) very much should be. I also think that artists/artisan deserve to have good, powerful tools. I say good as well as powerful, because tools can be powerful but push you in an ugly direction... And programmers, specifically, can have an enormous range of quality for their tools. The standard Smalltalk tools make most others look like bent nails and hammers with over-long handles. Well, the RB tools are the next step up. So, what do they do? The Refactoring Browser itself mirrors some of the wonderful big-picture query tools (senders/implementors) with big-picture modification tools - Rename Method will rename the method and adjust all the senders accordingly. When you're writing Smalltalk code you write small methods right? what if they get big? Extract Method means you can make them smaller painlessly - mark the code to extract, give the name for the new method, and voila. This is the most accessible tool of the lot. You just use it like a regular browser, except when you want to do something it supports (rename that temporary variable), it's much easier. Please try it for a month, it'll help make our public space look better. Smalllint is based on a framework within the RB that does arbitrary parse-tree matching. It is a library of patterns for dubious code. For example, it will complain at a condition where the last statement is identical in both branches. You can easily turn it unto a bunch of classes, and it tries to find all those problems in it, giving you a detailed report. It's a great way to start cleaning up a module, which is a great way to get to know something and help make it better. So just run Smalllint on some piece of code, make it better, and send in the enhancement. Reading other people bad code is a great way to learn what not to do. Some people I met at ESUG have done extensions that make Smalllint also usable as a long-term quality management tool. I'll try to get those mods to port them to Squeak. More on that another time. The Rewrite Rule Editor is a powerful and mysterious artefact. I'll start by saying we currently don't seem to have Squeak UI for it. Also the UIs for other platforms are not satisfactory - I didn't quite understand the tool until I read the code for it! So what is it? well, where Lint can be used to detect predefined baddies, this tool allow you to create rules that actually rewrite code. When you suddenly discover that there's a much better way of doing something (than what we've all been coding for years), or that you could get lots of information if you could only instrument 300 methods just this way... this tool is what you need. Again, some people at CampSmalltalk had started rethinking the UI to make this tool more approachable and useful. If anyone is interested in collaborating with them and getting us a Squeak version in the process, I'll give you their contact info. BTW, if you care about your tools, there're lots more fascinating projects out there being done in the Smalltalk community that we could benefit from having handy. A couple that were shown in ESUG - * QSOUL (Squeak based, but not done) and * CodeCrawler (VW based, but might be portable. Also, it can read code from Squeak, so we could use it, if not in the preferred reflective style). </sales pitch (it's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it...;-)> Daniel Vainsencher "Andreas Kuckartz" <a.kuckartz(a)dokom.net> wrote: > > Bob Hartwig's site includes a UI for the Lint tool (find bugs, code > > smells, and oddities automatically) which is uses the RB model. We > > haven't tested or modified it. > > That is > http://www.bobjectsinc.com/squeakrbalpha/download/LintUI.9.cs.gz > > Decompress and file it in after the RB-files and execute "LintDialog open". > Then select items in the different panes and hit the "RUN" button. Only > select a few classes until you have a feeling for the expected execution > time or at least schedule a coffee-break ... Click on an item in the > resulting report and a RB opens. > > First impression: it seems to work fine. (The RBs for "Variables not > referenced" do not show the names of the variables.) > > Further information about Smalllint is avalable here: > http://st-www.cs.uiuc.edu/users/brant/Refactory/Lint.html > > and the rules are explained there: > http://st-www.cs.uiuc.edu/users/brant/Refactory/LintChecks.html > > Andreas

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[ENH] Mouse Click Focus Policy option.
by sps2000＠mail.com 04 Sep '01

04 Sep '01

from preamble: "Change Set: spsFocusPolicy Date: 30 August 2001 Author: Steven Swerling This change set adds a preference called ""mouseClickFocusPolicy"" in the morphic tab of the preferences window. If unchecked, behavior is identical to the standard focus policy -- the pane that the mouse is over gets keyboard focus. If checked, the user must explicitly click in a pane to set the focus on that pane -- the location of the mouse does not effect where the keyboard focus goes. I have been using this focus policy for awhile now, and it''s solid -- for me. There are bound to be little snags, which I will try to fix as they are reported. "!

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The VM is in the Swiki
by Andres Valloud 04 Sep '01

04 Sep '01

Hi. The VM I used to release SWT 0.6 is now in the Swiki. Andres.

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[MODULES] Class structure for modules and much more :-)
by Dirk Wessels 04 Sep '01

04 Sep '01

An example for Modules in squeak *Module --WorkspaceModule -- classes and methods are seperated from the rest of the system - Project // "my work" - Scratch // "do anything you like" - Private // "test" -- Package -- something you can "add" to your image or workspace (module) - Library // adds many new classes and methods. eg: Math3DLibrary - System // standard library of Smalltalk - Driver // defines and implements connection to hardware or component (may need DriverInterface class) - UpdatedDriver // replaces parts of the implementation - RemoteDriver // connection to remote or embedded hardware - Component // defines a gui-component and some of its functionality - UpdatedComponent -- Segment -- seperation of instance-space - RemoteSegment // distant objects or embedded objects - InternalSegment // like cpu-objects - LanguageInterfaceSegment // communication with C There is also a module browser which includes a class and method browser. Inside this browser the module's settings can be changed. The module's instance variables: definedMethods definedClasses definedVariables importedModules exportedModules submodules -- submodules automatically import the main module's stuff. exportedMethods exportedClasses exportedVariables --internal-- methodDictionary classDictionary variableDictionary --system options-- optimisationLevel nilAsSubclassOfObject methodTemplates methodVTables memoryOptimisations memoryRestrictions trackGarbage useProfiler --methods for opening closing etc..-- open close connect // for remote stuff sleep wakeup disconnect fileOut... fileIn...

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[FIX] Version 2 of Stop text pane from reseting after method accept.
by sps2000＠mail.com 04 Sep '01

04 Sep '01

Use this fix to retain the scroll position and cursor selection after a method is accepted in any CodeHolder (ie. browser). This post makes a correction to the last posted version of this fix (it now does not restore the selection if the method did not compile successfully). from preamble: "Change Set: keepTextPaneStableOnAccept Date: 28 August 2001 Author: Steven Swerling Use this fix to retain the scroll position and cursor selection after a method is accepted in any CodeHolder (ie. browser)."!

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Re: [ENH] Mouse Click Focus Policy option.
by Russell Allen 04 Sep '01

04 Sep '01

Karl Ramberg <karl.ramberg(a)chello.se> wrote: > Wow! Great. This was one of the first things that got me > when I started to use Squeak. I did a crude implementaiton of this > same thing back then. This seems better and should be in the image! > > Karl I really agree with this. I have been using a program written in Squeak in a classroom lab situation, and almost all of the students have problems with the current focus scheme. They have strong muscle-memory to click in a text box then to throw the pointer out of the way before typing. Yes, I could and do train them; but one of the major points of the software is to reduce the amount of learning needed for a particular task :) :) Having this as a preference in the image would definately ease one of the initial problems people from MacOS and Windows backgrounds encounter when trying Squeak. Russell ---------------------------------------- Russell Allen russell.allen(a)firebirdmedia.com ----------------------------------------

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