[squeak-dev] Metacello and Squeak4.4

Dale Henrichs dhenrich at vmware.com
Thu Aug 2 20:33:36 UTC 2012


I have a small 3 class package (Metacello-Base[1]) that I would hope could be included in the Squeak4.4 release.

Of the 3 classes, the Metacello class is a stub class for the Metacello Scripting Api[2], that will bootstrap Metacello _if_ you use the scripting api. I am promoting the scripting api as the cross platform way to use Metacello. Instead of seeing install scripts fly by that look like this:

  Gofer new
    package: 'ConfigurationOfSeaside30';
    squeaksource: 'MetacelloRepository';
    load.
  ((Smalltalk at: #ConfigurationOfSeaside30) version: #stable) load.

(with the caveat that Installer should be used for Squeak)...the install scripts will look like this:

  Metacello new
    configuration: 'Seaside30';
    version: #stable;
    squeaksource: 'MetacelloRepository';
    load.

The same script will "do the right thing" on all three supported platforms (Squeak, Pharo, GemStone), presuming that the class Metacello is present in the base images:)

I've recently released a preview version[4] and am actively collecting feedback. I would think that I can finalize the visible portion of the scripting api by September...

I've been ensuring that the metacello preview release is functional on Squeak all along and I am currently running CI builds against Squeak4.3 using travis ci[5]. Moving forward I would add Squeak4.4 to the list of platforms for CI and publish updates to the Metacello-Base pacakge as needed.

The class comments for each of the classes provides basic documentation for using Metacello so I think that Metacello-Base is a clean and small presence for Metacello and will enable the use of "cross-platform install scripts for Metacello."

Thanks,

Dale

[1] http://seaside.gemstone.com/ss/metacello/Metacello-Base-dkh.96.mcz
[2] https://github.com/dalehenrich/metacello-work/blob/master/docs/MetacelloUserGuide.md
[4] http://forum.world.st/Metacello-Preview-release-1-0-beta-32-2-tt4642064.html
[5] http://travis-ci.org/#!/dalehenrich/metacello-work/builds/2012331


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