the "script manager" in Stable Squeak

Stephen Pair spair at advantive.com
Thu May 24 16:53:39 UTC 2001


What about introducing the concept of a "user" into Squeak?  Traditionally,
all "doits" have executed in the context of nil (this has always bothered
me).  What if the "doits" we're to be executed in the context of the current
user, and added as methods on the current user (this would require the
dynamic creation of subclasses for each specific user)?  This would provide
a convenient place to maintain a history of "doits" as well as be a good
place to maintain personal work areas such as that suggested by Lex.  This
may also have some synergy with the concept of a "session" that I read about
StSq.

To me, this seems like a better way to model the process of issuing a
"doit"...since it is the user that issues the doit, wouldn't it make sense
to make the user a real object and the "doit" a method on that object?

- Stephen

> > It's a wonderful project overall, but I don't like the script manager.
> > Here's why:
>
> [warning: My comments are based on just reading Göran's article]
>
> > 	1. The scripts appear to be based on text, instead of on
> > PasteUpMorph's.  Text is pretty general in Squeak, but PasteUpMorph's
> > are much better.
>
> My impression of the ScriptManager is that it's just a fancy
> Workspace with
> semi-permanent texts attached.
>
> > 	2. There is a single global hierarchy.  Wouldn't it be
> better to have a
> > web connected with hyperlinks?
>
> I'm not sure what the ScriptManager is supposed to be. If it's just a
> Workspace Organizer, then hyperlinks wouldn't be all that
> helpful. The top
> level organization beats a single big list of snippets. If it's a
> book, the
> organization might be improved by links.
>
> > 	3. The texts are accessed from a single window.  Basically,
> I directly
> > disagree that "all those workspaces windows" is bad -- multiple windows
> > is a terrific, modern way to talk to a computer.
>
> Is there any reason you couldn't have multiple ScriptManagers open?
>
> > 	4. Every title has a number with it for ordering.  This
> bothers me to
> > the bone.  Things should just *have* an order, one way or the other, and
> > we shouldn't need such a hackish encoding.
>
> In another of the pictures the numbers are missing. I suspect
> that this is
> just an implementation detail (that there is no UI for
> re-ordering things,
> and someone used a SortedCollection).
>
> > So instead of this Script Manager, let me propose two different
> > approaches that stay closer to Squeak's spirit:
> >
> > 	1. Use BookMorphs, and code up an option for textual tables of
> > contents.  The table of contents seems to be the big win here;
> > everything else in the Script Manager is a step back from what's already
> > possible with BookMorphs.
>
> If you're making a Book. If you're making a multiple-code-snippet
> organizer,
> then something simpler would be an advantage. BookMorphs don't include
> Workspace functionality (editing, variable binding, etc.)
>
> > 	2. Use projects and hyperlinks.  This appears to be the
> emerging idiom
> > for large presentations in Squeak, so why not go along with it?
> > Probably  there will be quirks, but it would seem better to work out the
> > quirks than to dump it and go back to the text age.
>
> Note that Stable Squeak probably wants to remain UI-independent,
> so that a
> Morphic-only solution wouldn't be the best bet for someone wanting to
> jettison Morphic for an embedded system.
>
> --
> Ned Konz
> currently: Stanwood, WA
> email:     ned at bike-nomad.com
> homepage:  http://bike-nomad.com
>





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