Smalltalk for Windows

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Visual Smalltalk Programming
with VisualAge™

Scheduled on Demand
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Smalltalk

Smalltalk was the first complete object oriented language and integrated development environment (IDE). It was developed concurrently with the first GUI at Xerox Palo Alto Research Centre (PARC). The GUI concept appeared commercially on the Apple Lisa dn Macintosh. Now it is ubiquitous on the PC in Windows. Standardised in 1980, Smalltalk is the second most widely used OO lnaguage in the world today, after c++. Whereas c++ and Java are hybrid languages, Smalltalk is a pure OO environment. It is a uniquely powerful language, allowing great control of details, while allowing the developer to solve application problems at a very high level. Modern versions are efficient and have extensive class libraries making them ideal tools for commercial development.

 

IBM's VisualAge for Smalltalk

This is the most comprehensive and powerful Smalltalk environment available, with full cross platform support for Windows, Unix and OS/2. VisualAge also supports extensive connectivity to TCP/IP, AS400 and MVS environments, as well as creation of Internet applications and CORBA support. Extensive class and component libraries enhance productivity and quality.

Who should attend

Programmers who have had exposure to OO concepts and would like to understand the concepts fully via application. Commercial developers who would like to develop graphical applications under Windows. Designers who would like to understand the OO design paradigm and the capabilities of a prototypical OO environment. Those who will later program in another OO environment: Smalltalk is the ancestor of these environments, and if you understand its concepts, you will easily adapt to other tools.

Coverage

The course covers

  • the Smalltalk development environment
  • Application management
  • Class and method browsers
  • Composition editor (visual construction)
  • Interface editor
  • Script editor
  • Testing and debugging tools
  • Smalltalk transcript and workspaces
  • Image management
  • language syntax
  • commonly used classes
  • collections and iterators
  • component libraries
  • user interface building
  • Visual Interface components
  • Model view and controller
  • Validation
  • Menu's and toolbars
  • Multi-window applications and wrappering
  • Windows 95 native controls
  • event driven programming
  • dealing with text panes, graphics and forms
  • calling external functions
  • communicating with other Windows applications
  • use of relational database via ODBC and SQL
  • Linking to object database (Gemstone)
  • profiling and performance issues

All concepts are incrementally applied to develop a working Smalltalk application within a layered architecture design paradigm. The integrated Envy multi-developer support tools and library management are covered.

Format and Costs

The course is ideally run inhouse as a programme comprising two full days, followed by five weeks of two afternoon sessions per week, finishing with one full day covering the Envy team development environment. Between sessions, students are expected to complete assignments begun in the formal sessions. These are reviewed at the following session to ensure full understanding. Each student (or pair of students) should have access to a workstation with the VisualAge for Smalltalk tools installed.

Costs are R10 000 per student or R80 000 for an inhouse programme for up to 10 students. Fees include high quality delegate notes and telephone mentorship during the programme.

Presenter

Graham McLeod

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