Beginners July 2006

beginners@lists.squeakfoundation.org

70 participants
63 discussions

wxSqueak: How/Where do I find GUI object params, e.g., for Checkbox: style: wxNoBorder
by Brooks Bridges 11 Jul '06

11 Jul '06

I've done a lot of searching but can't find a list to choose such things from. I'm looking at the code for a checkbox in the checkbox demo. cb1 := WxCheckBox parent: self id: wxIdAny label: ' Apples' position: 65@40 size: 150@20 style: wxNoBorder. Of course my question is general. Are these kinds of things in pool dictionaries or what? I don't see anyway to do a general search in Squeak for a given string. I don't have a clue how to proceed. Thanks in advance, Brooks

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basicFormat method missing in SHTextStylerST80?
by Mark Aufflick 11 Jul '06

11 Jul '06

Hi everyone, I think that my smalltalk conversion will be much nicer if I can get the SVI emacs-like environments up and running. The editor and workspace work great, but the SVI ClassBrowser fails at the following point: basicStyle: (aText _ styler basicFormat: t asText). Where styler is an instance of SHTextStylerST80. Problem is it has no basicFormat method. The only reference to a basicFOrmat method via google is: http://lists.squeakfoundation.org/pipermail/squeak-dev/2004-April/077901.ht… which is hardly useful in this case, although it does point to the function of the method. First, can anyone suggest a change to the code or a wrapper implementation of basicFOrmat? This also points to a challenge that the ST community has with regards to it's use of traditional SCM. Since most coding projects (say Rails) use a "standard" text based SCM like CVS or subversion, they can run simple web interfaces allowing access to all versions of all source files. A huge benefit of that is that I can google for some class and method names (that may be in either an upcoming version or may have been deprecated years ago) and I will often find the source that implements that method which is a good starting point, even if noone has ever mentioned my specific issue. There don't seem to be any such online viewable repositories of, say, the squeak core. Is there any kind of repositary that would be suitable for putting a read only web front end on? Ideally with more granularity than just the snapshots of released image versions. Cheers, Mark. -- Mark Aufflick e: mark(a)pumptheory.com w: mark.aufflick.com p: +61 438 700 647 f: +61 2 9436 4737

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Q: Standard Lisps on the Squeak VM?
by David Corking 10 Jul '06

10 Jul '06

For a variety of reasons, I have a hunch that a Lisp would be a useful language for building Croquet worlds. So, I browsed the Squeak Map and saw several Lisp implementations for Squeak. While I appreciate that most of them are proof-of-concept experiments, one of them may prove useful for practical programming. If you have already looked at any of these Lisps, you may be able to help me choose which to investigate more deeply: Which of the Squeak Lisps came closest to implementing a standard Lisp (either R5RS Scheme or ANSI Common Lisp)? I have some extra questions as a postscript. -- David Corking p.s. 1. Are any of them Lisp compilers rather than straight interpreters? 2. Did any of them target the Squeak VM bytecode, rather than translate to full Smalltalk-80? 3. Are there any proprietary Lisps that run inside Smalltalk?

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>> implementation
by math su 10 Jul '06

10 Jul '06

Hi, I was reading code when I find several implementation of #>> selector. But they all have the same body. (Except for Integer). So why? Math ___________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Mail réinvente le mail ! Découvrez le nouveau Yahoo! Mail et son interface révolutionnaire. http://fr.mail.yahoo.com

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Fun with Dates
by Bert Freudenberg 09 Jul '06

09 Jul '06

Here's a fun little snippet of code to let you plan unusual birthday parties. Just insert a list of dates and get a list of parties, like celebrating the 2222nd week of birth ;-) | start end parties birthday birth number party | start := (Date today subtractDays: 14) asSeconds. end := (Date today addDays: 365*5) asSeconds. parties := SortedCollection new. #('1/3/1995' '7/30/1999') do: [:each | birthday := Date fromString: each. birth := birthday asSeconds. 1 to: 9 do: [:digit | {false. true} do: [:repeatDigit | number := digit. 12 timesRepeat: [ #(1 60 3600 86400 604800) with: #('seconds' 'minutes' 'hours' 'days' 'weeks') do: [:unit :units | party := birth + (number * unit). (party between: start and: end) ifTrue: [ parties add: (Date fromSeconds: party) -> (number asString, ' ', units, ' since ', birthday asString)]]. number := number * 10. repeatDigit ifTrue: [number := number + digit]]]]]. Transcript clear. parties do: [:each | Transcript show: each asString; cr]. - Bert -

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Re: Drawing an Arc.
by Claudio Acciaresi 09 Jul '06

09 Jul '06

----- Original Message ----- From: "Claudio Acciaresi" <claudioacciaresi(a)hotmail.com> To: "A friendly place to get answers to even the most basic questionsabout Squeak." <beginners(a)lists.squeakfoundation.org> Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 10:21 PM Subject: Drawing an Arc. > Hello, I`m trying to draw an arc using Morphs, exists an easy way to do it? > The acrs that i´m trying to create are like smiles of a face. > I see FaceMorph, Gesture morph, but i do not want to use a PolygonMorph. > > Thanks a lot!!!! > Claudio. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Greg Smith" <brucegregory(a)earthlink.net> > To: <beginners(a)lists.squeakfoundation.org> > Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2006 11:34 PM > Subject: [Newbies] Rotated Text, Animation and .png Sequences > > > > GentleSqueakerFolk: > > > > I've been able to get really good results with standard text objects > > found in Squeak, except when I rotate them. All the antialiasing > > goes out the window. Any way to fix that? > > > > The same thing happens when I import .png files with alpha channel. > > They look great, full-sized and even when I scale them down. But > > antialiasing is destroyed the moment I rotate the graphic. What > > occurs to me is that, if I want to animate a graphic rotating, I > > should just produce the animation externally and import it into > > Squeak, either as a sequence of 32 bit .png images or one at a time. > > It would be crucial to preserve the transparent background of the > > images so that they can be used as a "sprite". What is the step by > > step procedure for doing this in the most economical fashion? > > > > To choreograph several animations that respond to various user input, > > I'm used to creating this with a timeline analogy as the means, with > > "actions" applied, either at a given time, or as a result of a user's > > action. What is the procedure for creating a scene with several > > animations that indicate different states of the same object, which > > appear as a result of user input, (for example, a simple mouseclick)? > > > > Thanks, > > > > Greg Smith > > _______________________________________________ > > Beginners mailing list > > Beginners(a)lists.squeakfoundation.org > > http://lists.squeakfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/beginners > ____________________________________________________ Esa persona especial te espera en Yahoo! Encuentros. ¡Dejate encontrar! http://ar.encuentros.yahoo.com/

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Rotated Text, Animation and .png Sequences
by Greg Smith 08 Jul '06

08 Jul '06

GentleSqueakerFolk: I've been able to get really good results with standard text objects found in Squeak, except when I rotate them. All the antialiasing goes out the window. Any way to fix that? The same thing happens when I import .png files with alpha channel. They look great, full-sized and even when I scale them down. But antialiasing is destroyed the moment I rotate the graphic. What occurs to me is that, if I want to animate a graphic rotating, I should just produce the animation externally and import it into Squeak, either as a sequence of 32 bit .png images or one at a time. It would be crucial to preserve the transparent background of the images so that they can be used as a "sprite". What is the step by step procedure for doing this in the most economical fashion? To choreograph several animations that respond to various user input, I'm used to creating this with a timeline analogy as the means, with "actions" applied, either at a given time, or as a result of a user's action. What is the procedure for creating a scene with several animations that indicate different states of the same object, which appear as a result of user input, (for example, a simple mouseclick)? Thanks, Greg Smith

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Will EToys Teach Me to Program in Squeak?
by Greg Smith 08 Jul '06

08 Jul '06

Alan: My programming aspirations are really very specific in nature. I have been a graphic artist and animator, using primarily the Mac platform since 1985. Mostly, I am trying to find a solution that helps a visual learner, like myself, get a grip on the thinking required to engineer a graphically based interactive "building system", like a Lego set with brains. I'll elaborate in a moment. I actually have a little exposure to programming going back to HyperCard in the early 90's and was actually paid by a local university to write a simple and fun stack that taught children the base 10 number system. I can tell you the entire learning process was one of the biggest struggles of my computer life. Whereas, absorbing the necessary knowledge found in complex 3D graphic systems is quite quick and easy for me, because there is instant visual confirmation of my efforts; trying to understand systems by working with textual abstractions which define algorithmic processes bounces off my brain and simply falls, lifelessly to the floor. Though I can express myself and understand others using text as found in the English language, the abbreviated, strange, math-like structure of most "modern" computer languages simply does not make sense to me. Not only so, but I find the experience totally unrewarding. I believe it has to do with not having any visual feedback during the process of creation. Everything is an abstraction, like in math. I've learned, over the years, that my mind does not function and learn like the minds of most "programmer types". And I think this is true for most "artist types". Still, I have some pretty interesting ideas for putting together a very entertaining "building system" that could provide hours of entertainment, as well as education for children and adults, alike, that I would love to create via some kind of programming environment. Imagine either a 2D grid, isometric grid or a 3D gridded surface that is similar to a Lego table top building surface. It is equipped with regular "plug-ins" or snap points just like a Lego system. Further imagine a wonderful set of building parts, each one possessing certain, rather simple properties, that, when snapped "magnetically" or with a socket joint, to other similar pieces which possess different, interesting properties, more complex behaviors become possible. As an example: one building piece has the simple ability to rotate on the horizontal plane, while another can levitate, hover and move any direction on the horizontal plane, while still another has the ability to sprout Lego-legs and walk, both horizontally, up "walls" and over "ceilings" . . . still another piece can act as a strong magnet, repelling or attracting other certain pieces, and yet another piece can levitate, hover and fly from place to place on the "board". Even the board is "alive" and has regions of freedom and constraint which need to be discovered . . . a Lego "terrain". The user of such a building system would enjoy both the "tactile" sensation of working with "real" Lego-like building blocks in addition to watching the actions and reactions grow and develop by combining different parts together, ultimately creating systems like factories that accomplish a "work" task, games that reach certain goals, or simulations that demonstrate various physical principles. The system would be graphically rich and animated, probably best constructed from ray-traced 3D models. Quite unlimited in potential assemblies, yet only attainable by the combining and interaction of the many talented "pieces" as they are manipulated by the user through their world. A "living" Lego set that demonstrates encapsulation of behaviors, inheritance and "object oriented-like" construction processes, though I really don't understand the depth of what you had in mind when you coined the phrase. A more advanced building system or an "add-on" set of functions would include a "part" construction set for the creation of custom pieces with a wide variety of user defined abilities. Actually, working with and interacting with this kind of tactile, visual system is my idea of what programming should be. I know I would take to a learning system like this as a duck to water. I learn by analogy and constant reference to the "real" world. I also learn by actually "working with my hands", not just my mind. And there is constant feedback that displays results, instantly. Great for kids of all ages! So, you see, I have an idea for a very complex system which I am quite helpless to create using any of the programming tools I have ever been exposed to, nor would I really relish the idea of having to create such a system using those kinds of abstract tools. I'm hoping that Squeak might offer some hope toward helping me to realize this goal. Sincerely, Greg Smith

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linux squeak startup
by cdrick 08 Jul '06

08 Jul '06

Hi all :) do you know how to make an init.d script to start squeak each time a linux server starts... It's for seaside. For now I use a command line squeak -nodisplay myImage.image but when I close the shell, squeak stops too Thanks for all :) Cédrick

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Is there a way to find examples of how a certain method is used?
by Murphy Stein 08 Jul '06

08 Jul '06

Hi All, I am trying to find some good examples of how the Dictionary class is used, particularly basic stuff like examples of how add: works. The sender button in the SystemBrowser calls up about a million examples of add: , but I don't see a way to filter by a specific class. Is there a built-in way to do this? Thanks, Murphy

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Beginners July 2006