Squeak (ST80) syntax

Gerardo Richarte core.lists.squeak at core-sdi.com
Wed Feb 16 19:05:42 UTC 2000


Leandro Caniglia wrote:

> Sometimes, the use of 'self' goes against the illusion
> created by Morphic, where one enjoys the direct manipulation
> of objects.

    I think that this "sometimes" sometimes can be defined, or at least,

something more can be said about it...

    When there ARE objects in a world, and YOU want to talk to them
(like
when you use MorphicWrapper's "type in the air"), if YOU say "self
position",
nobody else but YOU would be able to answer this question. My first
approach to this
selfless Smalltalk (back in MW's beginnings) was to use "your" instead
of "self"
(like "your position"),
    I was just starting to learn Smalltalk, and was not very used to the
changing
context of "self" in Smalltalk, and I I (how to capitalize a capital
letter?) wanted
to talk to THEM (the objects) not to myself.
    When you are coding a method, Smalltalk places yourself in a context
where
"self" doesn't refer to you, but to an instance of the class you are
going to submit
you new method (too many indirections? [an instances OF the class YOU
are
GOING to submit it] two subject changes and a temporal reference? I
don't know)
    This is ok for us, programmers, used to become variables, counters,
accumulators,
functions... then methods, classes, objects, etc. What about a kid? I
know there is
a psychological test to "measure how much" you are able to put yourself
in somebody
else's place*. I don't know what score do kids get in this tests, but,
it may be low (I'll
try to get some more info on this).
    If this is the case (kids get low scoring), changing self's context
is not a good idea to
teach kids... or I may be completely wrong, too.

(*) useful to know if you are able to "know" what somebody else is
thinking/filling when
you talk to them, or do something to them.

    Hope to contribute at least $0.02

    Psychological Bye!
    Richie++

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