HELP: Different MVC Versions

Boris Gaertner Boris.Gaertner at gmx.net
Fri Jan 23 11:01:44 UTC 2004


Ed Grant <CEO at EdGrant.com> wrote:

> Problem: I've noticed that Smalltalk/V, Smalltalk-80
> and Squeak use different Model-View-Controller (MVC)
> models.
Yes, this is true. The View-Controller classes of Squeak
are closer to Smalltalk-80 than to Smalltalk/V, but there
are some subtle differences to Smalltalk-80.

> Question: Is it necessary to learn older MVC models
> before progressing to newer MVC models? Or can one just
> start with, let's say, Morphic (A newer model).
It is not necessary to learn the older models first.
Morphic and MVC are independent. It is entirely possible
to begin with Morphic. (and it is equally possible to never
use Morphic, but I think that Morphic is here to be used.
It has a lot of interesting features that are not part of MVC.)
Morphic uses some features of MVC and some classes
(PluggableListMorph, PluggableTextMorph are protocol
compatible to the View classes)

> For example: Should I learn the Smaltalk/V Model-Pane-Dispatcher
> model before learning the Smalltalk-80 MVC version.  Then after
> learning the Smalltalk-80 MVC version, learn the Morphic version?
> 
This is a posible way to do it, but it is not necessary.
Fairness requires that I say that
* Smalltalk/V is not actively maintenanced anymore, 
* Smalltalk-80 MVC differs *a lot* from what you find in
   the current version of  VisualWorks for Smalltalk.

The great advantage of the Smalltalk/V MVC is that it is
so very small. It is possible to completely understand it
in short time.


Arguments in favour of Morphic:
* it is innovative and powerful
* it is actively supported, and on this list your questions
   about Morphic will be answered
* Some very interesting applications are implemented
   for Morphic only

Arguments in favour of MVC:
* it is fast
* it is small
* it is one of the really important achievements of
   computer science and it was done in Smalltalk


It is possible to create a MVC-only image that is
only 1.5 MBytes large. This is an option for very small
computers and when you need to use Squeak on very
small computers you are perhaps best served with MVC.
The size of the smallest Morphic images is about 6 MBytes.

Have you already seen our Swiki?
It is on http://minnow.cc.gatech.edu/squeak/1
and it has a search facility, that will show you a lot of
references for search words like 'MVC' and 'Morphic'  

http://minnow.cc.gatech.edu/squeak/30  is the shortest way to
Morphic

Greetings, Boris



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