[squeak-dev] SqueakMap server

Frank Shearar frank.shearar at gmail.com
Mon Apr 14 20:22:03 UTC 2014


On 14 April 2014 20:46, Chris Muller <asqueaker at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> ...
>>> 3. I'm interested in hearing what you have to say about the design of a
>>> new SMServer, even if you're hysterical about. But I would appreciate it if
>>> you would allow me to respond in my own time.
>
> As you may know, I put a lot of time and thought and work into
> SqueakMap.  The goal has always been for the community to have one
> single source for information about all or most Squeak-based software,
> to the extent that, anyone who wants published software to be noticed
> by Squeaker's will want it to be "in Squeak's app store" too.
>
> When you first said replace the server, I thought you meant replace
> the implementation and look-and-feel of the web-UI per your
> discretion.  That would be great.  Not only would the community end up
> with a new SM server running on 4.5/Cog, it'd also be a
> signature-example of a web-app to learn from that has browse, search,
> user-accounts and a callout API.
>
> Then when I saw your revamp of the requirements and that something
> about the "closet" and, remembering past events, I wondered while I
> was reading it whether all my work had already gone "poof".  Had to
> check.  Whew!  Downloaded a backup of entire SqueakMap.
>
> We don't have to be friends to do good for the SqueakMap server
> (though it would be preferable, of course).  I've had this on my own
> to-do list to replace because I want to learn web and it's a good
> example-app.  I don't think it'll be a "quick-and-done" at all,
> because all the requirements serve a needed purpose and integrate into
> a overall process.  If you're willing to retain "SqueakMap" as we know
> it today, with the domain model and all the critical functionality
> intact, I'd welcome that.

I think it's safe to say that the _purpose_ of SqueakMap is
well-understood, and hopefully everyone knows that it's (a)
underutilised and (b) very, very important. (Datum: Pharo are
re-inventing/have re-invented the concept.) But having said that, if
someone came along and wrote a new server that provided the same
functionality as SM, and provided some means of letting people migrate
with a minimum of fuss between the old service and the new, I'm sure
that noone would complain. In fact, the opposite: I think that several
people would be very happy at seeing some revitalisation of SqueakMap.
Especially if the client/server protocol was well-documented.

frank


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