Thanks for your help but, No. Smalltalk does not make such things easy.
It's almost like someone is taking a perverse pleasure in making such
things hard. Here are some of the most obvious problems with
loading code:<br>
<br>
1. I should be able to load the file from the "File List"
browser. This is a close as Squeak comes to a file menu, which is
a universally accepted approach to loading files into desktop
software. And if I highlight a file and the Load button appears,
then it should actually load when I click it. If it only loads some of
the file, I should get an error or warning message. (Fortunately, I've
used Squeak before, so I can actually find the file-list dialog.) I
highlighted the mcz files, and it indicated that they loaded. <br>
<br>
2. There shouldn't be 3 or more ways to do the same thing: I count
file-in, install, monticello, and package loader. For all I know, there
may be more. Ironically, this is the same problem OO is supposed to
solve - hiding implementation differences behind a simple, consistent
interface. I don't need 5 different buttons/dialogs to load different
file formats into Excel.<br>
<br>
3. A tool for loading code shouldn't be called Monticello, it should be
called, I dunno, maybe, code-loader or something equally
descriptive. A browser for a virtual tour of Thomas Jefferson's house
should be called Monticello.<br>
<br>
4. The instructions for using monticello shouldn't refer to mouse
buttons as red and yellow. Yes, I know it's a Smalltalk tradition
dating back from the days when the community actually cared about
usability. My mouse buttons are both black. Give me a break.
(This is where it starts to feel like poor usability has crossed over
into sadism.)<br>
<br>
5. It can't be usable if it doesn't work. I downloaded the files to a
directory, opened monitcello, browsed to that "repository" highlighted
the files and clicked "load". Same as before-says it's loading, but no
new classes/methods appear in the system. Hmmm, maybe I should have
clicked Merge. I click Merge. It says it's reloading and hangs. Maybe
the firewall is blocking. Monticello must use HTTP tunneling,
right, so the user doesn't have to deal with networking stuff? <br>
<br>
And then, inevitably, somebody from the mailing list shakes their head and tells you it's easy to use. <br>
<br>
<br>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 11/29/05, <b class="gmail_sendername">Philippe Marschall</b> <<a href="mailto:philippe.marschall@gmail.com">philippe.marschall@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
2005/11/29, Larry White <<a href="mailto:ljw1001@gmail.com">ljw1001@gmail.com</a>>:<br>> got that. but there seems to be only test code in the files.<br>No, there are two class extensions and a TestClass and. That's enough,
<br>well Smalltalk makes such things easy.<br><br>> unless the<br>> implementation is in binary form only and i can't figure out how to load it.<br>Monticello<br><br></blockquote></div><br>