Re: [Pharo-users]Porting from VW 8.3 to Pharo: Pharo100 fileOutValues

S
Shaping
Thu, Aug 4, 2022 10:01 AM

Hi Christian.  (You can find some other discussion of this in Discord with Yanni and others.)

I just evaled:

SmalltalkTransform.Pharo100 fileOutValues

This wrote file Values.Pharo100.st of size 42 KB to my VW image directory.

So that little example is a test that shows how the transformation is done.  It converts just package Values to a Pharo-compatible file-in.  My task is then to queue a bunch of ProjectChange instances like this one:

SmalltalkTransform.Pharo100>>

ValuesProject

            ^ProjectChange

                            name: #Values

                            source: (Array with: (Package name: #Values))

                            changes: (Valuemap with: 'Values' -> self ValuesTransform)

but for my own packages.  No bundles are transformed (just their contained packages) because Pharo doesn’t have bundles.

Is that right?

Is method

ValuesTransform

            ^PackageChange

                            ignoredNames: #(#{Smalltalk.GeneralBindingReference})

                            bridgeClasses: (Valuemap

                                            with: #{Timestamp} -> #DateAndTime

                                            with: #{Smalltalk.ColorValue} -> #Color)

                            localChanges: self valuesLocalTransform

                            extensions: (Array

                                            with: (SystemClassChange

                                                            className: #Color

                                                            instanceChanges: (Array with: (Add method: #asColorValue code: #_ph_asColorValue)))

                                            with: (SystemClassChange

                                                            className: #TextStream

                                                            instanceChanges: (Array with: (Add method: #nextPutAllText: code: #_ph_nextPutAllText:))))

written specifically for that package?  I would think it applies to all packages.  I see some expected mappings like Timestampe to DateAndTime.

What about conversion of VW arrays to Pharo literal arrays?  How is that done?

I recall that one of the Smalltalks (I don’t recall which) had Stream semantics differing from VW’s.

… I just checked.  VW’s #upTo: method includes the object and leaves the index after it, and Pharo’s excludes the object and leaves the index at the object.  So that is some major breakage if we don’t correct it.  Can it be done automatically?

valuesLocalTransform

has lots of juicy bits.  But this doesn’t look very simple.  We can’t just replace an old method with a new one.  We also have to write the new one to tweak how the indices are used in #upTo:,  and make sure that new method gets filed-in as well into the Pharo target image.  Or, we have to do this kind of change manually.

How did you handle conversion to literal arrays conversion and Stream semantic adjustment?

This bit

(SystemClassChange

                                                            className: #Color

                                                            instanceChanges: (Array with: (Add method: #asColorValue code: #_ph_asColorValue)))

is replacing #asColorValue with #_ph_asColorValue because some special Pharo-color conversion needs to happen.  But how does #_ph_asColorValue get defined?  It’s neither in VW nor in Pharo 10.

Shaping

[…]

How does one generate the source (run the transformation)?  Where are the aforementioned “defined code transformations”,  Is there an example of how to setup the declarative template needed to map VW namespace names to Pharo class prefixes?

I loaded the following packages into my VW 8.3 image:

Values Project Yes

Values

Values Fileout Pharo

Values Testing

Values Tools

Values Tools Testing Automatic

Load PDFtalk Project bundle. Since the main target is PDFtalk. Values (and PostScript) are just bycatch.

Pharo Fileout Values No, this package has been renamed to [Pharo Fileout PDFtalk]. Load this.

Pharo Transform No, not separate. This is part of the Transform Project.

Smalltalk Transform Project Yes

Smalltalk Transform TestBundle

Smalltalk Transform Tests

Smalltalk Transform

Smalltalk Transform Model

Smalltalk Transform Testing

Smalltalk Transform TestPackage

Smalltalk Transform Tools Automatic

Yes, I just loaded the head packages and the dependencies were also loaded.  Thanks for trimming that down for me.

Any package not updated recently (in the last few months) I didn’t load.

Did I miss anything?

Yes. The ideal setup from a virgin image

Ok.  I don’t have a virgin image.  I have a very non-virgin image, about 27 years of development I’m trying to port to Pharo.  I don’t yet have a specific interest in the PDFtalk, though I do see a need for PDF generation later, and will probably revisit that.  For now, I just want my own stuff to run in Pharo.

is:

            Load {Values Project] bundle

            Load {PDFtalk Project} bundle

            Load {Smalltalk Transform Project} bundle

            Load [Pharo Fileout PDFtalk] package

            Save, done

Okay, so do I understand correctly that I need to include the PDFtalk stuff even if I’m not interested in PDFtalk, because that’s where a lot of the Smalltalk transformation machinery lives?  Or is the PDFtalk just being used as an example for how to do a massive transformation?  Or Both?

            To transform Values do: “Pharo100 fileOutValues”

The [Pharo Fileout PDFtalk] package includes the latest Values transformations.

I am thinking about a better modularization…

Also, the wiki is a bit out of control. It really needs some restructuring.

In the cites wiki page, there is a link to a blog where I record the changes. This might be informative.

  1. Port the Values package. This is easy, since no namespaces are involved.

This first instruction after VW package setup says to port the contents of the Values package from VW to Pharo.  Do you mean manually?  Probably not.

No, no. This has been finished in March.

For each dialect, I have a GitHub repository where I release important versions:  https://github.com/PortingPDFtalk/PharoPDFtalk https://github.com/PortingPDFtalk/PharoPDFtalk. You can find the working port as first release “ https://github.com/PortingPDFtalk/PharoPDFtalk/releases/tag/1.3.0.0 Working version“. There you can download the ported Values fileout with the exact description with which versions of what it was created.

This should be a good starting example.

Why do I need any new code installed in Pharo before I begin the transformation, if I’m transforming code from VW to pharo?  I’m not understanding the basic constraints of the problem, even when the detailed steps are clear.

I’ve done these steps so far:

  1. Went to  https://github.com/PortingPDFtalk/PharoPDFtalk https://github.com/PortingPDFtalk/PharoPDFtalk.

  2. Saved down PDFtalk.Pharo100.st into <my Pharo 10 image directory>/pharo-local/Smalltalk-Transformation. (I figured that was a good place to save it.  If anyone disagrees, or has a better or more conventional idea about where files should be saved, please say so.  I setup a Pharo Git repo and played with it briefly for the first time yesterday.  I’ve used Pharo off an on for 16 years, but this is the first time I’m making a serious effort to manage source, and not throw away what I’m working on.)

  3. Filed-in PDFtalk.Pharo100.st.  This went on for about 7 minutes or so.  I have a hundreds if not over a thousand classes showing in Epicea.  Is there anyway to get Epicea to give me a count of changes with a time-range filter?

  4. Deleted (forgot) yesterday’s, old Main practice-repo from both the image and the drive, and made a new one.  I need to add to Main all the packages I just filed-in, but I don’t see an efficient way to do that.  I would like to use the Add Package button, but this gives a filtered list of available packages.  I can filter subgroups, and then individually select each of the checkboxes to the left of each package (there is no Ctrl-A [select all] option here, which seems to be a strange omission given the potentially large number of packages involved).  I see lots of prefixes for the classes just loaded.  I could easily miss something if I filter/select/add one prefix-group at a time.  Is there an easier way?  Over in Epicea I don’t see a way to push the loaded items listed to a specific repo.  The first thought I have is to select all filed-in code artifacts by datetime span.  I did that and saved it as an .ombu file (I have no idea what that is).  I don’t see a way to import that .ombu file into repo Main’s “Working copy” window.  It must be easy, but I don’t see it.  Please suggest the best way.

I feel like I’ve missed the main details of how to start the transformation.  I’d like to do a small fully contained test package with no external dependencies as a first test, probably my Magnitude or Collection packages.  Suggestions are welcome.  Thanks for doing this and sharing it.

If I may suggest, I would look at the transformations on the class side of the SmalltalkTransform.Pharo class: methods #ValuesProject and #PDFtalkProject (I know, some would detest, that I start methods sometimes with a capital letter…).

I used to be this way.  I’m okay with it now, and actually have selectors that are completely capitalized Acronyms.  Times change.

To get a feel for the machinery, you could debug through “Pharo100 fileOutValues” (for Pharo 10.0).

This will be my next step, but I’m trying to understand the big picture of dependencies.  The file-in was clean.  I want to commit that before moving on.

As said, Values don’t use namespaces. To see what is involved there, you could look at #PDFtalkProject for the name mapping.

But beware! The PDFtalk transformation is not finished yet. Still, you could get some inspiration and can probably reuse some of the rules.

Great that you are trying to use the transformation project. The more use, the better it should get.

Please share your questions and insights (and successes :)).

I’ve been looking for a tool like this for many years.  Thanks again.

Shaping

From: christian.haider <christian.haider@smalltalked-visuals.com mailto:christian.haider@smalltalked-visuals.com >
Sent: Wednesday, 22 June, 2022 05:42
To: pharo-users@lists.pharo.org mailto:pharo-users@lists.pharo.org
Subject: [Pharo-users] [PDFtalk] second fileOut for Squeak and Pharo

With help from the community some issues were fixed which improved the test statistics nicely.
Check it out: https://wiki.pdftalk.de/doku.php?id=portingblog#second_pdftalk_fileout_for_squeak_and_pharo

Thanks to everybody involved!

Happy hacking,
Christian

Hi Christian. (You can find some other discussion of this in Discord with Yanni and others.) I just evaled: SmalltalkTransform.Pharo100 fileOutValues This wrote file Values.Pharo100.st of size 42 KB to my VW image directory. So that little example is a test that shows how the transformation is done. It converts just package Values to a Pharo-compatible file-in. My task is then to queue a bunch of ProjectChange instances like this one: SmalltalkTransform.Pharo100>> ValuesProject ^ProjectChange name: #Values source: (Array with: (Package name: #Values)) changes: (Valuemap with: 'Values' -> self ValuesTransform) but for my own packages. No bundles are transformed (just their contained packages) because Pharo doesn’t have bundles. Is that right? Is method ValuesTransform ^PackageChange ignoredNames: #(#{Smalltalk.GeneralBindingReference}) bridgeClasses: (Valuemap with: #{Timestamp} -> #DateAndTime with: #{Smalltalk.ColorValue} -> #Color) localChanges: self valuesLocalTransform extensions: (Array with: (SystemClassChange className: #Color instanceChanges: (Array with: (Add method: #asColorValue code: #_ph_asColorValue))) with: (SystemClassChange className: #TextStream instanceChanges: (Array with: (Add method: #nextPutAllText: code: #_ph_nextPutAllText:)))) written specifically for that package? I would think it applies to all packages. I see some expected mappings like Timestampe to DateAndTime. What about conversion of VW arrays to Pharo literal arrays? How is that done? I recall that one of the Smalltalks (I don’t recall which) had Stream semantics differing from VW’s. … I just checked. VW’s #upTo: method includes the object and leaves the index after it, and Pharo’s excludes the object and leaves the index at the object. So that is some major breakage if we don’t correct it. Can it be done automatically? >> valuesLocalTransform has lots of juicy bits. But this doesn’t look very simple. We can’t just replace an old method with a new one. We also have to write the new one to tweak how the indices are used in #upTo:, and make sure that new method gets filed-in as well into the Pharo target image. Or, we have to do this kind of change manually. How did you handle conversion to literal arrays conversion and Stream semantic adjustment? This bit (SystemClassChange className: #Color instanceChanges: (Array with: (Add method: #asColorValue code: #_ph_asColorValue))) is replacing #asColorValue with #_ph_asColorValue because some special Pharo-color conversion needs to happen. But how does #_ph_asColorValue get defined? It’s neither in VW nor in Pharo 10. Shaping […] How does one generate the source (run the transformation)? Where are the aforementioned “defined code transformations”, Is there an example of how to setup the declarative template needed to map VW namespace names to Pharo class prefixes? I loaded the following packages into my VW 8.3 image: Values Project Yes Values Values Fileout Pharo Values Testing Values Tools Values Tools Testing Automatic Load PDFtalk Project bundle. Since the main target is PDFtalk. Values (and PostScript) are just bycatch. Pharo Fileout Values No, this package has been renamed to [Pharo Fileout PDFtalk]. Load this. Pharo Transform No, not separate. This is part of the Transform Project. Smalltalk Transform Project Yes Smalltalk Transform TestBundle Smalltalk Transform Tests Smalltalk Transform Smalltalk Transform Model Smalltalk Transform Testing Smalltalk Transform TestPackage Smalltalk Transform Tools Automatic Yes, I just loaded the head packages and the dependencies were also loaded. Thanks for trimming that down for me. Any package not updated recently (in the last few months) I didn’t load. Did I miss anything? Yes. The ideal setup from a virgin image Ok. I don’t have a virgin image. I have a very non-virgin image, about 27 years of development I’m trying to port to Pharo. I don’t yet have a specific interest in the PDFtalk, though I do see a need for PDF generation later, and will probably revisit that. For now, I just want my own stuff to run in Pharo. is: Load {Values Project] bundle Load {PDFtalk Project} bundle Load {Smalltalk Transform Project} bundle Load [Pharo Fileout PDFtalk] package Save, done Okay, so do I understand correctly that I need to include the PDFtalk stuff even if I’m not interested in PDFtalk, because that’s where a lot of the Smalltalk transformation machinery lives? Or is the PDFtalk just being used as an example for how to do a massive transformation? Or Both? To transform Values do: “Pharo100 fileOutValues” The [Pharo Fileout PDFtalk] package includes the latest Values transformations. I am thinking about a better modularization… Also, the wiki is a bit out of control. It really needs some restructuring. In the cites wiki page, there is a link to a blog where I record the changes. This might be informative. 2. Port the Values package. This is easy, since no namespaces are involved. This first instruction after VW package setup says to port the contents of the Values package from VW to Pharo. Do you mean manually? Probably not. No, no. This has been finished in March. For each dialect, I have a GitHub repository where I release important versions: <https://github.com/PortingPDFtalk/PharoPDFtalk> https://github.com/PortingPDFtalk/PharoPDFtalk. You can find the working port as first release “ <https://github.com/PortingPDFtalk/PharoPDFtalk/releases/tag/1.3.0.0> Working version“. There you can download the ported Values fileout with the exact description with which versions of what it was created. This should be a good starting example. Why do I need any new code installed in Pharo before I begin the transformation, if I’m transforming code from VW to pharo? I’m not understanding the basic constraints of the problem, even when the detailed steps are clear. I’ve done these steps so far: 1. Went to <https://github.com/PortingPDFtalk/PharoPDFtalk> https://github.com/PortingPDFtalk/PharoPDFtalk. 2. Saved down PDFtalk.Pharo100.st into <my Pharo 10 image directory>/pharo-local/Smalltalk-Transformation. (I figured that was a good place to save it. If anyone disagrees, or has a better or more conventional idea about where files should be saved, please say so. I setup a Pharo Git repo and played with it briefly for the first time yesterday. I’ve used Pharo off an on for 16 years, but this is the first time I’m making a serious effort to manage source, and not throw away what I’m working on.) 3. Filed-in PDFtalk.Pharo100.st. This went on for about 7 minutes or so. I have a hundreds if not over a thousand classes showing in Epicea. Is there anyway to get Epicea to give me a count of changes with a time-range filter? 4. Deleted (forgot) yesterday’s, old Main practice-repo from both the image and the drive, and made a new one. I need to add to Main all the packages I just filed-in, but I don’t see an efficient way to do that. I would like to use the Add Package button, but this gives a filtered list of available packages. I can filter subgroups, and then individually select each of the checkboxes to the left of each package (there is no Ctrl-A [select all] option here, which seems to be a strange omission given the potentially large number of packages involved). I see lots of prefixes for the classes just loaded. I could easily miss something if I filter/select/add one prefix-group at a time. Is there an easier way? Over in Epicea I don’t see a way to push the loaded items listed to a specific repo. The first thought I have is to select all filed-in code artifacts by datetime span. I did that and saved it as an .ombu file (I have no idea what that is). I don’t see a way to import that .ombu file into repo Main’s “Working copy” window. It must be easy, but I don’t see it. Please suggest the best way. I feel like I’ve missed the main details of how to start the transformation. I’d like to do a small fully contained test package with no external dependencies as a first test, probably my Magnitude or Collection packages. Suggestions are welcome. Thanks for doing this and sharing it. If I may suggest, I would look at the transformations on the class side of the SmalltalkTransform.Pharo class: methods #ValuesProject and #PDFtalkProject (I know, some would detest, that I start methods sometimes with a capital letter…). I used to be this way. I’m okay with it now, and actually have selectors that are completely capitalized Acronyms. Times change. To get a feel for the machinery, you could debug through “Pharo100 fileOutValues” (for Pharo 10.0). This will be my next step, but I’m trying to understand the big picture of dependencies. The file-in was clean. I want to commit that before moving on. As said, Values don’t use namespaces. To see what is involved there, you could look at #PDFtalkProject for the name mapping. But beware! The PDFtalk transformation is not finished yet. Still, you could get some inspiration and can probably reuse some of the rules. Great that you are trying to use the transformation project. The more use, the better it should get. Please share your questions and insights (and successes :)). I’ve been looking for a tool like this for many years. Thanks again. Shaping From: christian.haider <christian.haider@smalltalked-visuals.com <mailto:christian.haider@smalltalked-visuals.com> > Sent: Wednesday, 22 June, 2022 05:42 To: pharo-users@lists.pharo.org <mailto:pharo-users@lists.pharo.org> Subject: [Pharo-users] [PDFtalk] second fileOut for Squeak and Pharo With help from the community some issues were fixed which improved the test statistics nicely. Check it out: https://wiki.pdftalk.de/doku.php?id=portingblog#second_pdftalk_fileout_for_squeak_and_pharo Thanks to everybody involved! Happy hacking, Christian