Squeak Smalltalk 4.2

Squeak Smalltalk 4.2 is now available at http://squeak.org as a single bundle "app".

I find the more conventional IDE to be to my liking - a click on a menubar selection opens a window.  On my Windows box this gave a much more conventional feel which, for better or worse, is now the common desktop look and likely an aid both to productivity and to ease of adoption.

This version is designed to be compatible with the coming "Cog" VM so additional performance improvements can be expected soon.

The main alternative 'squeak' is now http://pharo-project.org where Traits from Self have been brought into Smalltalk as an alternative to AOP and Mixins.  The awaited Pharo 1.2  is expected soon.

Both Squeak and Pharo are compatible with the Seaside 3.0 web application framework.

The Joy Of Smalltalk Debugging

Here is a link to Eliot Miranda on debugging in Smalltalk: Sometimes Smalltalk Is Truly Awesome.
He has authored a new VM which should appear any day now in Squeak 4.2 and which is also suited to Croquet and Pharo. The VM is being released as open-source by Teleplace who are in the collaborative software space.

GTD with AniAniWeb as personal homepage wiki

The AniAni is a personal WikiWiki from the Squeak Smalltalk Swiki designer.

For a personal webpage as wiki-homepage I have a GTD tip: when using the asterix to create submenu or topic such as *aule* - when you click the CREATE button that then appears beside that word on your page, do not opt for "Include Parent Menu Items".

By not including the parent menu items, the distraction options drop dramatically. GTD trumps AAD.

If you have not tried a Smalltalk wiki before, all you need is to get setup before a mere pair of asterix suffice to create topic links or web links (when placed around http://someaddress.)

I have a post over at aule-browser.blogspot.com on what you need to know to run an AniAniWeb on a mere netbook or the like (not itself serving the web.)

One last suggestion: choose 8888 as your port when in the setup as it is the least nuisance if you opt to run another personal web server (the port choices are restricted to very few by the setup app.)