Karl Wilson wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I am relatively new to computers in general, I have been using Filemaker
> Pro to make a living for about three years.
> 
> (waiting for the laughter to subside...)
> 
> When I found Smalltalk and Squeak I knew I had found what I was looking
> for. Elegance and revolution and fun. When I saw the Alan Kay video
> called "The Computer Revolution hasn't Happened Yet" I was even more
> convinced. Rather than destroying the world by enabling greed to know no
> bounds, computers could actually be tools for enhancing creativity and
> learning and life. I started thinking maybe I really did want to strive
> to be a hacker.
> 
> It has been slow going, and my enthusiasm and energy fluctuate, but I
> (may have) finally gotten the courage to post a couple newbie questions.
> 
> 1. I would love to be able to do in Squeak what I can do in Filemaker
> (and more). I noticed a postGreSQL file on the CD, and my heart skipped
> a beat, but then I realized that it must just be a way of connecting to
> postGreSQL (because the file is so small). I have been very interested
> in learning a "real" database, and postGreSQL seems to be a great
> choice, but doesn't run on Mac OS. I am guessing it's likely it will run
> on OSX, or maybe I need to learn to run Linux (so much to learn, so
> little time). At any rate, Filemaker makes security and multi-user stuff
> fairly easy, would Squeak/postGreSQL be a viable combo for doing the
> same sort of work I am doing with FileMaker (a business database) only
> more adaptable and fun? Or is this world in more of the experimental
> realm right now?
I don't know anything about databases but there is one called MinneStore 
that is written in Smalltalk. Look for it at:
http://minnow.cc.gatech.edu/squeak/1406
> 
> 2. Is there some sort of word processor in Squeak? I am starting to
> figure out how to use the book Morph - maybe you have to build your own
> page template and just go from there, piling up Morphs that do what you
> want them to. Maybe it is just that I am not used to how things work
> from a user perspective. For example, if I want to keep an address book,
> do I have to create an address book, or has someone already done a good
> job of it? I would love to do everything from Squeak, does this mean
> that I have to build everything out of textMorphs and polygonMorphs et
> al?
There is a PDAMorph, that is quite good for most stuff like addresses 
tec. (world menu/new morph menu/ PDAMorph)
> 
> 3. I am noticing that when I am using some other program in a window
> above squeak, that Squeak responds to those mouse clicks even though it
> doesn't seem like it should be active - do I have a preference set
> strangely - or is this just how it is?

I have the same on my system:Mac with Norton AntiVirus.

> 
> I know that I just need to bumble around a lot more, but any hints would
> be appreciated.
> 
> Karl
> 
> PS
> 
> *Newbie tip of the day* - I just figured out what the "?" button in
> between the "class" and "instance" buttons in the class pane is for -
> extremely useful information sometimes, for getting a quick clue about
> what is going on.
Have you turned on the optional buttons preferences. They also help alot 
when you try to read the image.
> 
> *Newbie anxiety enhancer of the Day* - those Morph error walkbacks sure
> are long and full of stuff I don't have a clue about...

Karl