[Newbies] I am not sure if choose squeak/smalltalk or another language. HELP

[cdrick]

Hi
>
> I'm a total newbie at all ;-)
> I don't know about squeak, I'm not a programmer...
so am I
>
> First of all, squeak overload my CPU. 80-90% all the
> time, even if I do nothing. Except if I move the mouse
> (then I get 100%).
Maybe you can use an older version of squeak
http://ftp.squeak.org/

but maybe, using some parameters when launching squeak will help...
squeak -m ...  etc..   somebody will tell you


> Second, I don't understand very well squeak one thing,
> I have to install an image of squeak, a VM and a
> sources file. Why sources file has another version
> that image of squeak.
Sources files allows to properly display the code in the browser...
but you don't really have to care about that...  except 3.9 has a new
sources files...
>
> Third, I have read almost all post in the list and I
> have the feeling that with squeak/smalltalk I could do
> anything, but then, why the projects you can find are
> so few and so strange? You can't find an mp3 ripper or
> a CD burner or a program for doing a backup or a fast
> downloader or a DVD author or a simple image cutter...

projects are more etoys stuff... programs in squeak/ST are self
contained in the image...  you can look at the class and find
appropriate method.
For instance, to read a flash file...
it's something like:
FlashFileReader fileNamed: '/MyDocs/aFile.swf'

to read a mp3 file...  you can open a file list and right clic on a mp3 file...
MPEGMoviePlayerMorph playFile: '/MyDocs/aFile.mp3
...
>
> Forth, is it possible the comunication with the
> exterior of squeak? What I mean is, if we could do,
> for example, a gui interface for a console program (a
> frontend). Or a program with needs comunication with
> special devices like webcams or scanners...?

possible but more complicated I guess
you probably need to use OSProcess

hope that helps a bit ;)

Cédrick