On Aug 30, 2006, at 8:35 AM, Ramon Leon wrote:
> This is the difference between using a framework and using an API,
> Smalltalkers like frameworks, which by their very nature, require  
> you to
> understand how they work.  You make it sound like digging through  
> classes is
> hard, it's just a couple keystrokes, browse here, browse, there,  
> check out a
> few examples, bam, ok, makes sense now.  I not only find digging  
> through
> classes a good solution, I find it's the only one I've ever found that
> works.  Documents lie, code doesn't.  I consider understanding how  
> something
> works, a prerequisite to using it well.  And frankly, I can bounce  
> around
> the code, in a far more organized and faster manner than I could  
> through
> some document.

I agree that Smalltalk has excellent tools for sifting through the  
source code. However, this can be a barrier to entry for newcomers.  
We need a constant supply of new blood, otherwise Smalltalk will  
wither and die.

In general I'm ok just browsing the source code, but I do get upset  
when someone doesn't even bother to add a class comment. I mean,  
really. How long does it take to add two or three sentences? A few  
sentences, that's all I'm asking. A handful of words can save me so  
much time.

Sometimes, when I'm working with a new framework, it can be hard to  
find the door in. Once I find the door, I'm golden. Maybe there are  
tricks to moving through the source code that I don't know (hey,  
maybe they should be documented somewhere). But, it really frustrates  
me when I can't even find the door.

I think there are a couple of other barriers to Squeak in particular.  
I think the user interface is a huge one. Let's just say, the UI for  
3.8 seems a bit...how should I say it...aesthetically challenged. 3.9  
looks like it will be a big step forward, but it's still not great.

There's also a pretty serious learning curve before you can even use  
the interface. I'm sure halos have driven away more than one  
potential user. They seem so foreign at first.

Also, I  hate being isolated from the rest of my desktop. I'm a mac  
user. I like my mac. I like my mac apps. I wish Smalltalk could be  
part of that environment. Visual Works gets a few points here. At  
least it looks like a native interface (Though, the UI doesn't behave  
in a consistently native manner--which can actually be more annoying  
sometimes. And it doesn't run on intel macs yet.).

When I started learning Smalltalk, I originally tried squeak, moved  
to VisualWorks because of the UI issues, then moved back to squeak to  
get access to newer versions of SeaSide. Once I made it over the  
initial learning curve, I discovered that I really like squeak  
(except for being isolated from the rest of my desktop--I still don't  
like that).  I've heard at least one other person on this list  
describe similar experiences. I wonder how common it is? I wonder how  
many people we lose, because they just don't make it far enough?

-Rich-