On 1/25/06, Andreas Raab <andreas.raab at gmx.de> wrote:
> For example, I hope that if we ever get a new
> compiler, this would be done in a way that the old compiler can be
> loaded and used side-by-side. For example, if we ever get a new set of
> tools, I would hope that... etc.
>
Well, I think that if people have an interest in that, they are
welcome to step forward and implement all these compatibility packages
:-). If I'm going to help out rewriting files and sockets, though,
it's not going to be a goal very high on the list (probably use new
primitives, so the old ones can still be used, and maybe provide a
backwards compatible basic API for the simple&straightforward users,
but that should still break plenty of code).

But personally, I'm of the persuation that even if we make Squeak 4.0
in a language hitherto unknown, that won't mean that suddenly version
3.9 will stop working. It's not like a new version and an old version
behave like some pair of Fermions, where only one of the pair can in
be a certain state (like, "working" ;-)). My current commercial Squeak
project uses 3.8(wx0.4) and will do that for the foreseeable future.

Plus, I believe more in "helping people move forward tools" than in
"helping people sit still" tools. As I argued before, I think with the
RB's Rewrite tool we have plenty of opportunity to make moving forward
as easy as hitting a button.