Squeak-dev January 2009

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94 participants
95 discussions

[ANN] - New SqueakDBX release
by Mariano Martinez Peck 20 Jan '09

20 Jan '09

We are very glad to announce our second beta release of SqueakDBX. The aim of this project is to build an OpenDBX (http://www.linuxnetworks.de/doc/index.php/OpenDBX/) plugin which will allow users to perform relational database operations (DDL, DML and SQL) through a truly open source library. The features for this release are: Bugs fixed: - Bug in odbx_query(), odbx_result() and odbx_result_finish() execution order. - Timeout in DBXPlatform #nextResultSet: was wrong mapped with FFI. Now, it is nil. - Some bugs in OpenDBXWin32 with apiCalls. New Features: -Support for SQLite in Linux -Support for MSSQL in linux and windows (with MinGW) -Support for PostgreSQL in Windows (with MinGW). -Better error handling. See http://wiki.squeak.org/squeak/6076 -New non-blocking plugin to replace FFI (just a proof of concept, but running). See OpenDBX-Plugin package in Monticello. -New SqueakDBX tutorial: how to compile openDBX in linux and windwos, common problems and solutions. You can download it from: http://www.assembla.com/spaces/Proyecto-Proyecto/documents/a0bKPg0qCr3Aeaab…. However this pdf will be converted into "wiki format" and put there. -Configurable Log. See http://wiki.squeak.org/squeak/6099 -Refactorized and updated wiki: http://wiki.squeak.org/squeak/6052 - We will be adding benchmarks on different backends and OS soon in the wiki: http://wiki.squeak.org/squeak/6063. - You must use openDBX 1.3.10 version. Useful links from wiki: - Current supported backends, operating system and squeak images here: http://wiki.squeak.org/squeak/6108 - ChangeLog: http://wiki.squeak.org/squeak/6109 - Targets and Features: http://wiki.squeak.org/squeak/6106 Again, help wanted. We are really convinced about open source projects. A software project is better when people share opinions, work, advice, comments, etc. We would really appreciate if you: -Give us opinions, comments, ideas, new features, complaints and so on. -tell us if you find a bug. -tell us if you test SqueakDBX with other RDMBS or OS different from the ones we tested. Just to know if it works or not :) Full documentation, installation and getting started instructions can be found at wiki page: http://wiki.squeak.org/squeak/6052 Packages can be installed from Universe (3.10) or SqueakMap. Current version is 0.8 Sources can be download from SqueakSource http://www.squeaksource.com/SqueakDBX (it requires FFI installed) Mary christmas, SqueakDBX team

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Problem with Polymorph Widgets version 1.2 install
by Casimiro de Almeida Barreto 20 Jan '09

20 Jan '09

Hello, While updating Polymorph Widgets (Linux) via Universe Browser, installation freezes at "initializing"...

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Updating Universe
by Gary Chambers 20 Jan '09

20 Jan '09

Just wondering if it is a good or bad idea to remove older versions of packages from the (dev) universe? Particularly for UI Enhancements since it has been renamed to Polymorph. Don't want to cause anyone trouble but the (essentially obsolete) older versions seem like they may be confusing, given that only one of the two sets (Polymorph *or* UI Enhancements) should be loaded at any time. Regards, Gary.

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mac carbon vm 3.8.21beta1U ships
by John M McIntosh 19 Jan '09

19 Jan '09

Based on feedback I've promoted 3.8.21beta1U to production, it can be found via links from http://smalltalkconsulting.com/squeak.html If someone can update ftp.squeak.org that would be helpful. Because of the following issues anyone using 3.8.20beta1U should upgrade. info.plist change: To turn on the mmap file mapping for the image loading, which can improve startup times alter the SqueakUseFileMappedMMAP setting to TRUE from the default value of false. Note the risk of turning this one appears to affect image saving where you experience: (a) lockups writing to images on NFS mounts (b) occasionally an image save to the local hard disk can fail. -- = = = ======================================================================== John M. McIntosh <johnmci(a)smalltalkconsulting.com> Corporate Smalltalk Consulting Ltd. http://www.smalltalkconsulting.com = = = ========================================================================

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"position" or "location"?
by Michael van der Gulik 19 Jan '09

19 Jan '09

Hi all. I'm (still) designing a new Canvas API (http://gulik.pbwiki.com/Canvas). When describing screen coordinates, which is a better term to use: "location" or "position"? Is there a technical difference between these words that I don't know about? Gulik. -- http://people.squeakfoundation.org/person/mikevdg http://gulik.pbwiki.com/

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[ANUNCIO] FunSqueak listo para probar
by Edgar J. De Cleene 19 Jan '09

19 Jan '09

Aqui esta el link http://ftp.squeak.org/various_images/FunSqueak/FunSqueak.7215.zip Es una primera version , construida sobre SqueakLightII, que prueba como dicen en otros paises que uno puede hornear la torta y comerla tambien. Se puede tener una imagen base mas modular que la actual, mas pequeña. Se puede hacer que esta imagen cargue tanto las herramientas que se usan para desarrollo. Se puede hacer que esta imagen tambien cargue los viejos y divertidos proyectos que hicieron de Squeak un lugar distinto. Lo que no se puede es hacer milagros.... Edgar, Advocatus Diaboli y Defensor del Pueblo

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Mac OS X VM (Squeak 3.8.20beta1U) issue
by Alain Fischer 19 Jan '09

19 Jan '09

I have just tried the new Mac OS X VM (Squeak 3.8.20beta1U) and have noted that when saving image located on an nfs mount, all the system is blocked probably on a network lock. When saving image located on a local disk all seem ok. When using Mac OS X VM (Squeak 3.8.18beta4U) and saving image located on an nfs mount, it's ok. My system: - Mac OS X 10.4.11 - Dual 2.3 GHz PowerPC G5 Best regards. Alain

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MC broken / how to update in 3.11 alpha?
by Andreas Raab 19 Jan '09

19 Jan '09

Hi - I was just doing some stuff in 3.10 when I decided to try the 3.11 alpha. First of all, can we *please* rename the image to 3.11 instead of 3.10.2 "bc"? The reason being that 1) I've never seen the designation "build candidate" for any software project, and 2) it gets extremely confusing when you have to distinguish "3.10.2" (which works fine) from "3.10.2 bc" (which breaks). Much simpler to call 3.11 alpha what it is: 3.11 alpha. Anyway, enough of that. What I noticed in 3.11 alpha (no I won't call it 3.10.2 bc ;-) is that apparently Monticello got badly broken. I have not been able to load or browse any packages at all; every attempt to do so died with the stack trace below. At which point I thought I'll just see if that has been fixed already (which I presume it probably has) but I couldn't for the hell of it find out what the process for updating that image is. Can someone shed a light on the process? Even better, write it up and put it into the welcome window? (and while you're at it rename the image to 3.11 alpha in case I haven't mentioned that ;-) Thanks, - Andreas VM: Win32 - a SmalltalkImage Image: Squeak3.10.2bc-beta [latest update: #7179] SecurityManager state: Restricted: false FileAccess: true SocketAccess: true Working Dir C:\Squeak\3.11\081216-1256-Squeak3.10.2bc-beta\081216-1256-Squeak3.10.2bc-beta Trusted Dir C:\Squeak\3.11\081216-1256-Squeak3.10.2bc-beta\081216-1256-Squeak3.10.2bc-beta\andreas Untrusted Dir C:\My Squeak\andreas UndefinedObject(Object)>>doesNotUnderstand: #addAll: Receiver: nil Arguments and temporary variables: aMessage: addAll: an OrderedCollection(a MCClassDefinition(B3DEngineConstants) ...etc... Receiver's instance variables: nil [] in MCMczReader>>extractDefinitionsFrom: {[:rc | reader := rc on: member contentStream text. definitions addAll: rea...]} Arguments and temporary variables: member: a ZipFileMember(snapshot/source.st) reader: a MCStReader rc: MCStReader MCStReader class(Object)>>ifNotNilDo: Receiver: MCStReader Arguments and temporary variables: aBlock: [] in MCMczReader>>extractDefinitionsFrom: {[:rc | reader := rc on: me...etc... Receiver's instance variables: superclass: MCSnapshotReader methodDict: a MethodDictionary(#addDefinitionsFromDoit:->a CompiledMethod (1525...etc... format: 134 instanceVariables: nil organization: ('as yet unclassified' addDefinitionsFromDoit: categoryFromDoIt: ...etc... subclasses: {MCCsReader} name: #MCStReader classPool: nil sharedPools: nil environment: a SystemDictionary(lots of globals) category: #'Monticello-Base-Chunk Format' traitComposition: nil localSelectors: nil MCMczReader>>extractDefinitionsFrom: Receiver: a MCMczReader Arguments and temporary variables: member: a ZipFileMember(snapshot/source.st) reader: a MCStReader rc: MCStReader Receiver's instance variables: stream: a RWBinaryOrTextStream a ByteArray(80 75 3 4 20 0 0 0 8 0 86 3 101 48 1...etc... package: a MCPackage(Balloon3D-Constants) info: a MCVersionInfo(Balloon3D-Constants-ar.4) definitions: nil dependencies: nil stepChildren: nil zip: a ZipArchive snapshot: nil infoCache: a Dictionary('005012f2-87f9-6342-b736-ac5003facd22'->a MCVersionInfo...etc... --- The full stack --- UndefinedObject(Object)>>doesNotUnderstand: #addAll: [] in MCMczReader>>extractDefinitionsFrom: {[:rc | reader := rc on: member contentStream text. definitions addAll: rea...]} MCStReader class(Object)>>ifNotNilDo: MCMczReader>>extractDefinitionsFrom: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [] in MCMczReader>>loadSnapshot {[:m | self extractDefinitionsFrom: m]} OrderedCollection>>do: MCMczReader>>loadSnapshot MCMczReader>>snapshot MCMczReader(MCVersionReader)>>basicVersion MCMczReader>>basicVersion MCMczReader(MCVersionReader)>>version [] in MCHttpRepository(MCFileBasedRepository)>>loadVersionFromFileNamed: {[:r | r version]} MCMczReader(Object)>>ifNotNilDo: MCHttpRepository>>versionReaderForFileNamed:do: MCHttpRepository(MCFileBasedRepository)>>loadVersionFromFileNamed: [] in MCHttpRepository(MCFileBasedRepository)>>versionFromFileNamed: {[self loadVersionFromFileNamed: aString]} Dictionary>>at:ifAbsent: MCHttpRepository(MCFileBasedRepository)>>versionFromFileNamed: [] in MCHttpRepository(MCFileBasedRepository)>>versionWithInfo:ifAbsent: {[:fileName | version := self versionFromFileNamed: fileName. version info ...]} Array(SequenceableCollection)>>do: MCHttpRepository(MCFileBasedRepository)>>versionWithInfo:ifAbsent: MCHttpRepository(MCRepository)>>versionWithInfo: MCVersionInfo>>loadVersionFrom: MCRepositoryPackagesVersionsInspector(MCRepositoryVersionsInspector)>>load PluggableButtonMorphPlus(PluggableButtonMorph)>>performAction PluggableButtonMorphPlus>>performAction [] in PluggableButtonMorphPlus(PluggableButtonMorph)>>mouseUp: {[:m | (m containsPoint: evt cursorPoint) ifTrue: [m performAction]]} Array(SequenceableCollection)>>do: PluggableButtonMorphPlus(PluggableButtonMorph)>>mouseUp: PluggableButtonMorphPlus>>mouseUp: PluggableButtonMorphPlus(Morph)>>handleMouseUp: MouseButtonEvent>>sentTo: PluggableButtonMorphPlus(Morph)>>handleEvent: PluggableButtonMorphPlus(Morph)>>handleFocusEvent: [] in HandMorph>>sendFocusEvent:to:clear: {[ActiveHand := self. ActiveEvent := anEvent. result := focusHolder han...]} [] in PasteUpMorph>>becomeActiveDuring: {[aBlock value]} BlockContext>>on:do: PasteUpMorph>>becomeActiveDuring: ...etc...

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Avoiding compiler inlining
by nicolas cellier 19 Jan '09

19 Jan '09

Following cascading of macros, I need turning some inline off. A recurrent topic in Squeak-dev. Well, once i thought about using a Compiler reflective annotation (i.e. a pragma) in order to turn optimization off. Stupid me. Inlined messages are made of block receiver/arguments. So one would simply turn inlining off by sending a yourself message to a block. [false] yourself whileTrue. false ifTrue: [self inspect] yourself. Of course, yourself is not a very explicit message... We could create another #turnOffInlining or something... Except that in Squeak as other Smalltalks, the Old Compiler is quite pedantic about optimizing these messages. [false] yourself <- receiver of whileTrue must be a block or variable ->whileTrue. false ifTrue: [self inspect] <- argument of ifTrue: must be a block or variable ->yourself. Common! You don't like the system? Change It! This is just 1 method attached. Ah, and the ifNil test is just a trick for the cascades, remember? Isn't life easier with Smalltalk compared to a static world? Nicolas

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second call for feedback on Naiad design
by Craig Latta 19 Jan '09

19 Jan '09

Hi-- This is another call for feedback on the design of Naiad[1], a Smalltalk module system I'm writing for Squeak as part of the Spoon project[2]. On the theory that I'll get more of a response by including the whole text rather than a link to it, here it is... :) *** 2008-10-20, 1946 GMT Copyright (c) 2008 Craig Latta. All rights reserved. Hi-- I've been on a quest to make Squeak smaller and more modular, the Spoon project[1]. Part one was making the object memory small. Part three is about making the virtual machine small. This message is about part two, making a module system suitable for adding new behavior to a minimal system in an organized way, and for transferring behavior accurately between running systems. Spoon's module system is called "Naiad", which is an acronym for "Name And Identity Are Distinct". It keeps track of the development history of a system (what the "sources" and "changes" files are for now), and makes it available for exchange with other systems. I think keeping classes' names and identities separate is critical for this. Following are some notes on its design and use, including the object model[1]. At this point I'd like to emphasize I am the author of this design, that I intend to release its implementation under an MIT-style license, and that I'd like to pursue a graduate degree with it (I'm open to invitations :). *** motivation A traditional Smalltalk system uses source code to express both development history and changes exchanged between systems. The precise meaning of source code depends on the current state of the system compiling it. Since a Smalltalk system is dynamic, source code is an inherently ambiguous medium across time. The most problematic system artifacts in light of this ambiguity are classes. All activity in a Smalltalk system is the result of sending messages to objects. The sending of a message invokes the execution of a method, a sequence of instructions for a virtual processor. Some of these instructions manipulate the state of the object receiving the message. Classes define the structure of that state. Therefore, when those class definitions change, the source code for the methods of those classes may become meaningless. One may confront this situation when trying to recompile source code for an old version of a method whose class definition has changed in the meantime. Similarly, source code from one system may not be meaningful on another, since corresponding class definitions on each system may change independently (or be removed entirely). This means that the accurate exchange of behavior requires manual labor, hindering the propagation of useful fixes and new code. It also means that interpretation and use of historical code is more difficult than necessary. So we pay twice for this problem: when learning the system, and when trying to share our work with others. By separating class name from identity, Naiad makes Smalltalk more approachable for newcomers, and more productive for developer and user communities. editions Using Naiad, each development system consists of two object memories: one containing developed code, and another containing "editions" which describe that code. I'll call the first one the "subject memory" and the other the "history memory". An Edition is a description of some artifact in the subject memory at some point in time, currently an author, comment, tag, class, method, module, checkpoint, or edit. Each edition has a reference to that artifact's next state in the future (the next edition) and in the past (the previous edition), as well as an author edition, a collection of licenses, and a timestamp. An Edit represents the activation of some edition at a point in time. For example, there may be a method created in 2005 that is removed in 2006 and reactivated in 2007. There would be an Edit for each of those three events, but only two method editions (one representing the method becoming active, and one representing it being removed). The history memory replaces the current changes and sources files. It has an instance of EditHistory corresponding to the subject memory, which records the active (current) editions for the classes, method, modules, and authors in the subject memory. It also keeps the subject memory's id and the last Edit made to the subject memory. Every time the subject memory adds, changes, or removes a class definition, method, author, comment, tag, or module, or makes a checkpoint (i.e., makes an edit), it adds the appropriate editions to the history memory via remote messages. The history memory snapshots itself after every edit, so as to provide crash recovery support. The subject memory keeps a remote reference to the history memory's instance of EditHistory as a class variable of the local EditHistory class, and interacts with it using utility messages sent to the local EditHistory class. The history memory also keeps that EditHistory instance as a class variable of its local EditHistory class, but as a local reference. An edition typically elides some of its references when it is transferred out of a history memory. For example, a transferred edition will usually omit the references to its next and previous editions. The requesting subject memory can calculate the ID of those editions and obtain them with a separate request, if necessary. A subject memory may elect to keep its EditHistory instance as a local object, such as in a situation where one wants some limited immutable history for debugging purposes, and no crash recovery support. Whether in this scenario or in normal development the same EditHistory utility messages suffice, since no special code need be written to support remote objects. If no edits will be made during deployment, and no history retrieval is required, one may simply jettison the history memory. One may always reconnect the subject and history memories at a later time and continue development. The subject memory has tools for browsing and activating the editions, wherever they are located. This means that no special tools are needed to browse the artifacts of multiple subject systems; one uses the same tools as for browsing the artifacts of the local subject memory. Each subject memory may connect to multiple history memories concurrently (if allowed). For that matter, the history memories of multiple systems may connect to each other directly, to aggregate editions from multiple people, for example. class and method IDs Each class in the subject memory has a universally-unique identifier[3], or UUID. The classes in the minimal subject memory are assigned UUIDs before the initial release, and all subsequent classes are assigned UUIDs when created. Rather than use the single word "class" to refer to either a metaclass or to its sole instance, Spoon introduces the term "protoclass". For example, (Array class) is a metaclass, and its sole instance, Array, is a protoclass. Each metaclass and protoclass has its own UUID, called a "base ID". This is supported by a new instance variable in ClassDescription. Each version of each class is identified by a ClassID, a byte array with segments for the class's baseID, author UUID, and a sixteen-bit version. This means we can uniquely identify, for each author, 65,535 versions of each class in the system. Since we identify authors by UUID, the number of possible authors is very large. Each version of each method is identified by a MethodID, a byte array which contains a ClassID and segments for the method's selector, author UUID, and a sixteen-bit version. This means we can uniquely identify, for each author, 65,535 versions of each method in each version of each class in the system. method editions and method literal markers Each MethodEdition holds a reference to the corresponding ClassEdition, the method source code, and the information needed to reconstruct the corresponding CompiledMethod directly, without need of the compiler (the method header, initial and final program-counter values, method literal markers, and instructions). If one will never use the history memory to install methods in a subject memory that lacks a compiler, one could drop the compiled method information to save space. Method literal markers are used to transmit a compiled method's literal frame values between object memories. There are method literal marker classes to support references to classes, class variables, other pool variables, and literal objects, and to support methods which perform class-side super-sends. Each method literal marker instance knows how to serialize itself as part of Spoon's remote messaging system. In particular, when a method literal that refers to a class transmits itself, it transmits the ClassID of that class, not the name of the class. This gets at the namesake concept of Naiad, "Name And Identity Are Distinct". When referring to a class, we never need to use its name. Each version of each class is an object with a distinct identity. By using ClassIDs to refer to each of them, we can avoid using class names at all when storing history or distributing code. This means that name of each class can be anything, as far as the system is concerned. With every class name unconstrained, there is no need for "namespaces" to distinguish between classes which happen to have same name at some point in time. Each class effectively has its own namespace, since it is uniquely identifiable regardless of its name. Developer tools armed with this information can resolve ambiguity for humans browsing and changing the system. If a developer writes a method which uses a name shared by multiple classes, the system can present more information about each of those classes (such as the author, time of creation, version, and module association), so that the developer can choose the intended one. When browsing such a method, the system can distinguish the aliased class name visually, indicating that there is disambiguating information available. class editions and shared variables Each ClassEdition holds the editions for all the method versions currently active in the corresponding class in the subject memory. Since every edition keeps a reference to its previous and next editions, one can trace the history of any method by starting at the active edition. Removed methods are represented by method editions which have the same MethodID as a normal previous method edition, but with the rest of the fields set to nil. Each ClassEdition also holds the information needed to reconstruct the corresponding class directly, without need of the class builder. For all classes, this includes the format, instance variable names, and superclass ID. For protoclasses, it also includes the class pool keys, class name, and received pool IDs. In Spoon, every shared variable pool is the responsibility of some class in the system. There is no global variables pool ("system dictionary"). Each class that defines a pool is said to "publish" that pool; classes which use that pool "receive" it. Spoon adds an instance variable to Class to map published pools to their names. Each ReceivedPoolID that a protoclass edition uses is a byte array which contains a class ID and a published pool name. checkpoints and modules A Checkpoint edition is simply a named marker of a particular point in time. A developer may use checkpoints to indicate various interesting states of development, and use the tools to regress or replay edits made before or after that time. The largest unit of work is represented by module editions. They are named collections of method IDs, indicating the specific versions of methods which comprise a module, along with sets of child, parent, prerequisite, and postrequisite module editions. When a module edition is transferred out of a history memory, those edition references are transmitted as ModuleIDs. Each module edition also has an "antimodule", a module edition calculated at installation time by a receiving system which, if applied, would undo the changes made by installing the original module. Finally, each module edition has a URI by which someone at a remote site may install the module. That URI represents a command to a Spoon system running on a requestor's local machine; it refers to a standard port on localhost. Its path is a text-encoded action, containing an instruction (in this case "install a module"), the hostname and port of a Spoon system providing the module, and the module's ID. The receiving system uses this information to request the module from a providing history memory, which then transmits editions as necessary. Exactly which editions are transmitted depends on the state of the receiving system; this is a two-way conversation between the providing and receiving systems. This is often more time and space efficient than simply providing all of a module's code, which is what happens with traditional static representations like change sets. The URIs may be cited on ordinary webpages, which are indexed by search engines like Google. A person in search of a module for a particular purpose can search for it with a web browser, using those search engines. Having found a module's URI, the person can click on it, establishing a connection to an embedded webserver in their local Spoon system, which carries out the URI's command. This mechanism for code distribution avoids storing code in static files. It's a deparature from Smalltalk's traditional "fileout" mechanism. The encoded URIs can serve other functions as well, such as listing a system's installed modules, removing an installed module, making a snapshot, and quitting the system. In this way one can use a web browser to interact with a Spoon system for several basic tasks; this is especially useful when the system is headless (e.g., in its initial minimal state). comments and tags Editions for authors, classes, methods, checkpoints, edits, and modules each have their own comment and tag editions. This means each one of those artifacts has a comment and tags, and the changes in both are recorded over time. Comments are as we've already been using them: they're explanatory prose about the artifacts. Tags may be familiar to you from the web; they are short semantic markers used for grouping similar artifacts. I intend for tags to replace class and method categories. Nominally, we've been using class and method categories to establish semantic hierarchies, but the hierarchies have turned out to be quite shallow. Although we can form hierarchies with tags as well, I think we would do better to apply the sorts of algorithms that search engines use, and not concern ourselves with memorizing an artifact's semantic markers. The computational cost this incurs for the tools might have been high in the early days of Smalltalk, but it is quite modest now. Thanks for reading! Please let me know of any questions or other feedback, and feel free to discuss this on the Spoon and Squeak-dev mailing lists. -C [1] http://netjam.org/spoon/naiad [2] http://netjam.org/spoon [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universally_Unique_Identifier -- Craig Latta improvisational musical informaticist www.netjam.org Smalltalkers do: [:it | All with: Class, (And love: it)]

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