April 2010 - Pharo-dev - lists.pharo.org

Re: [Pharo-project] Talking to Steve Jobs about Scratch.

by John M McIntosh

Morning, I've posted the letter I had posted to the Apple developer forums and sent to Steve Jobs at http://www.mobilewikiserver.com/Interpreters.html I'll suggest there was some lifting of concept and quotes by Wired from letter. As of this morning I have no further news, I have heard thru various sources that the issue is not dead yet, So I wait. On 2010-04-16, at 11:09 AM, John M McIntosh wrote: > Let me give everyone an update on what is going on with Scratch.app -- =========================================================================== John M. McIntosh <johnmci(a)smalltalkconsulting.com> Twitter: squeaker68882 Corporate Smalltalk Consulting Ltd. http://www.smalltalkconsulting.com ===========================================================================

April 21, 2010

[Pharo-project] HelpSystem (was Documentation Team)

by Torsten Bergmann

To clearify a few things from my side on the discussion on squeak-dev: 1. HelpSystem is working, if ASCII is OK for now we can use it Pharo/Squeak - otherwise I would see it as an early preview. I have clear goals how it should look like in the next iterations. For this more patience is necessary. 2. HelpSystem is independent from where and how the actual information is stored (I think I demonstrated this with the IRC example, the books and the API help). 3. I hope to keep HelpSystem in sync for major Squeak distributions (Squeak, Pharo, Cuis, ...) The last additions from Hannes already broke the code in Pharo. Seems to be a Pharo issue this time http://code.google.com/p/pharo/issues/detail?id=2342 But please dont commit when it is only working in Squeak since my development environment is Pharo. 4. Yes, the content is currently ASCII but the design is prepared to add other types in future releases. A HelpTopic defines an ivar "contents" - currently referring to a string. I may add another ivar "contentType" in the future to handle/distinguish additionaly types (HTML, SqueaksRichText, Morphs/BookMorph, ...) 5. HelpSystem should not be limited to Squeak. It should also serve the case that when you write and deploy a commercial app in Squeak you may use it to provide help to your end user/customer 6. There are two types of help I see: A. SystemHelp: Help books/Tutorials/Manuals B. SystemReference: API Help, class comments HelpSystem is supporting both. I already wrote about the differences and details in http://lists.gforge.inria.fr/pipermail/pharo-project/2010-April/024857.html 7. I would really like to see support for HTML viewing in the image (HTMLViewMorph or so) - maybe based on Scamper to get a better viewer (headings, tables, ...) than the current plain text. If people want to contribute they should start right with this task. I know that Laurent already made Scamper loadable in Pharo, dont know about the state in Squeak. There is also another HTML browser with markup and CSS now available open source as MIT (WithStyle), I already mentioned this. http://www.cincomsmalltalk.com/userblogs/rowanb/blogView?showComments=true&… 8. I know that we now have discussions on which syntax (Wiki,...) to use for describing the contents. My answer is: it is important but I dont care (yet) since this discussion is useless until we have an HTML viewer (see 7.) and even when there are different syntax styles you can provides builders to transform them into HTML or other contentTypes afterwards. See the class HelpBuilder and subclasses. 9. If you want to write a book for SystemHelp (see 6.A) then the help system provides a class "CustomHelp" similar to TestCase in SUnit. This class is used to directly map book structures to the class hierarchy. The intention was to be able to create, store and manage these books directly with the usual Smalltalk tools. You can even restructure your book with the RefactoringBrowser. 10. If you want to write API help you (see 6.B) can contribute right now by commenting all the undocumented classes in the standard image. HelpSystem just queries these informations from the usual sources (class comments, ...). I would not change this or make it too complicated since this is what people are used too. I dont see more documented classes by introducing a special syntax (wiki or whatever) people have to learn/know about - so lets clean up documenting the classes first. 11. HelpSystem is able to get contents from external sources (see the IRC example) - but I would prefer that authoring/viewing could be done right from within the image. Even when the result is stored external afterwards. Look at my example books: I can view and change them right from the image and make them available to other images using Metacello/Squeaksource. Accessibility of docu (viewing and authoring) is the key to keep the system and docu in sync and up to date. External authoring mostly results in unmaintained docu (see the Squeak Swiki). 12. I thought again if it is ready to integrate into Pharo and Squeak. From all the discussions I would say it is too early. 13. If one wants the docu on the web the answer is easy: we can generate static files or serve them with Seaside. But I have no need for that right now, especially since this is already available in various forms. We can do many things (similar to Python, JavaDoc, you name it) But - let's do it step by step. As I said: - Someone working on a good HTML Viewer that I can integrate would really help moving this forward (based on Scamper or by porting WithStyle) - Updating class comments would also help a lot Bye Torsten -- GRATIS fÃ¼r alle GMX-Mitglieder: Die maxdome Movie-FLAT! Jetzt freischalten unter http://portal.gmx.net/de/go/maxdome01

April 21, 2010

Re: [Pharo-project] Hints and clues for a Pharo newb

by Lukas Renggli

> thisContext is a special object for representing an activation in a > stack frame in a stack-based VM. Actually "thisContext" represents *the current* activation/stack-frame. foo: anObject ^ thisContext at: 1 is the same as foo: anObject ^ anObject > There are two kinds of contexts: > Method Contexts and Block Contexts. Actually in Pharo images there are only instances of MethodContext. Though you can ask the context if it comes from a block by sending the message #isExecutingBlock. > Context creation is optimized in the VM in most Smalltalks, so it's > only really created as an object in the environment (reified) when > it's specifically needed through "thisContext". In Pharo contexts are not reified like that. Stack-frames are actual objects at all times. However, for speed reasons, their creation and garbage-collection is optimized by the VM. Stack frames get automatically recycled if nobody refers to them. > There are several applications related with computational reflection > (Reflective Programming, Meta-Programming, MOP, etc) which makes use > of the current context. Also: exception handling, generators, continuations, co-routines, ... For another fun use of "thisContext" check this Stack-Overflow question: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2500483/is-there-a-way-in-a-message-only… Lukas -- Lukas Renggli www.lukas-renggli.ch

April 21, 2010

Re: [Pharo-project] Error when 'Loading 11313-Pha-CleaningCompilerTests...'

by Henrik Johansen

On Apr 21, 2010, at 6:44 05PM, Sean P. DeNigris wrote: > > > Henrik Johansen wrote: >> >> "SqueakSource is currently down. We are sorry for the inconvenience and >> working on the problem. In the meantime you can still commit to a >> directory repository on your disk and later copy the versions to >> SqueakSource." >> > > Oh, thanks. I didn't do too much investigating, lol. > > And, maybe the error message could be better than 'Error: can''t find EOCD > position.' > > Sean Well... I'm not a network specialist, but the following code looks kind of shady: HTTPSocket class >> httpGetDocument: url args: args accept: mimeType request: requestString *snip* "a 400-series error" sock responseCode first = $4 ifTrue: [^ header, aStream contents]. No idea how much existing code will break if you, say, raise an Exception there instead :) Cheers, Henry

April 21, 2010

Re: [Pharo-project] Hints and clues for a Pharo newb

by HernÃ¡n Morales Durand

2010/4/21 Peter Hugosson-Miller <oldmanlink(a)gmail.com>: > Hi all, > So it's time for me to stop lurking and do some stuff. However, although I > am an experienced Smalltalk programmer (VisualAge Smalltalk continuously > since 1995), I am a complete newb when it comes to Pharo and Squeak, it's > hard to find my way around, and it's going to take me some time to get up to > speed. > I'm working on a small improvement to the testing framework, using ideas > that I have found to be very useful in my daily job over the past 15 years. > Note that I am doing this from scratch, so that I don't accidentally steal > anything that I've done in my work, but I know how it all works in > VisualAge, so I feel sure that I'll eventually be able to find the > corresponding classes and methods in Pharo. > What I would like are a few hints, clues and nudges in the right direction > for scenarios and questions that I will describe in this thread. What I > *don't* want are full-blown solutions, because then I won't learn anything. > I hope that some kind souls will be able to give me a little help in the > beginning that will eventually bring me up to speed and let me be > productive. > So to start with, one scenario and one question: > 1) I want to find or write a method on Process that will print a stack trace > onto a supplied Stream. Ideally I'd like to be able to decide the start and > stop depth of the trace, so for example if I know that the top 4 stack > frames will always be uninteresting, I would want to be able to write > something like this: > Â Â Â Â Processor activeProcess printStackFrom: 5 to: 15 on: aStream. > 2) What *exactly* is "thisContext"? It appears to be a reserved word in > Pharo, just like the familiar "self", "super", "true", "false", "nil" that > are always reserved in Smalltalk. I'd also like to get an idea of what it's > good for, and if anyone can describe it in terms of something that is in > VisualAge, that would be nice too :-) thisContext is a special object for representing an activation in a stack frame in a stack-based VM. There are two kinds of contexts: Method Contexts and Block Contexts. Context creation is optimized in the VM in most Smalltalks, so it's only really created as an object in the environment (reified) when it's specifically needed through "thisContext". You may emulate its usage in VisualAge writing something like [] homeContext and in a method it would be >>thisContext "returns the context of the sender" ^[] homeContext sender although with some limitations. There are several applications related with computational reflection (Reflective Programming, Meta-Programming, MOP, etc) which makes use of the current context. Cheers, HernÃ¡n > BTW, if this is not the appropriate place for a thread like this, then > please tell me where I should put it (politely, of course :-p) > -- > Cheers, > Peter > > _______________________________________________ > Pharo-project mailing list > Pharo-project(a)lists.gforge.inria.fr > http://lists.gforge.inria.fr/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pharo-project >

April 21, 2010

Re: [Pharo-project] Some more dev on Polymorph for DrGeo

by Hilaire Fernandes

Just uploaded a latest snapshot for XMl support. Hilaire

April 21, 2010

Re: [Pharo-project] Hints and clues for a Pharo newb

by Henrik Johansen

On Apr 21, 2010, at 6:09 02PM, Peter Hugosson-Miller wrote: > Hi all, > > So it's time for me to stop lurking and do some stuff. However, although I am an experienced Smalltalk programmer (VisualAge Smalltalk continuously since 1995), I am a complete newb when it comes to Pharo and Squeak, it's hard to find my way around, and it's going to take me some time to get up to speed. > > I'm working on a small improvement to the testing framework, using ideas that I have found to be very useful in my daily job over the past 15 years. Note that I am doing this from scratch, so that I don't accidentally steal anything that I've done in my work, but I know how it all works in VisualAge, so I feel sure that I'll eventually be able to find the corresponding classes and methods in Pharo. > > What I would like are a few hints, clues and nudges in the right direction for scenarios and questions that I will describe in this thread. What I *don't* want are full-blown solutions, because then I won't learn anything. I hope that some kind souls will be able to give me a little help in the beginning that will eventually bring me up to speed and let me be productive. > > So to start with, one scenario and one question: > > 1) I want to find or write a method on Process that will print a stack trace onto a supplied Stream. Ideally I'd like to be able to decide the start and stop depth of the trace, so for example if I know that the top 4 stack frames will always be uninteresting, I would want to be able to write something like this: > > Processor activeProcess printStackFrom: 5 to: 15 on: aStream. > > 2) What *exactly* is "thisContext"? It appears to be a reserved word in Pharo, just like the familiar "self", "super", "true", "false", "nil" that are always reserved in Smalltalk. I'd also like to get an idea of what it's good for, and if anyone can describe it in terms of something that is in VisualAge, that would be nice too :-) > > BTW, if this is not the appropriate place for a thread like this, then please tell me where I should put it (politely, of course :-p) > > -- > Cheers, > Peter > ________________ I haven't used VA, but for instance, 2) allows you to write 1) as: Process >> printStackFrom: start to: end on: aStream ((thisContext stackOfSize: end) removeFirst: start; yourself ) do: [:each | each printOn: aStream. aStream nextPut: Character cr]. ;) Cheers, Henry

April 21, 2010

[Pharo-project] Doc about Coral?

by Nicolas Petton

Hi, I was wondering if there is some documentation about Coral? I would like to play a bit with it :) Cheers, Nico

April 21, 2010

Re: [Pharo-project] Error when 'Loading 11313-Pha-CleaningCompilerTests...'

by Sean P. DeNigris

Henrik Johansen wrote: > > "SqueakSource is currently down. We are sorry for the inconvenience and > working on the problem. In the meantime you can still commit to a > directory repository on your disk and later copy the versions to > SqueakSource." > Oh, thanks. I didn't do too much investigating, lol. And, maybe the error message could be better than 'Error: can''t find EOCD position.' Sean -- View this message in context: http://n4.nabble.com/Error-when-Loading-11313-Pha-CleaningCompilerTests-tp2… Sent from the Pharo Smalltalk mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

April 21, 2010

Re: [Pharo-project] Hints and clues for a Pharo newb

by Michael Roberts

thisContext reifies the activation contexts (if that is the exact way to describe it?). I don't believe you have it in VA. So you can just walk it. If you look for some of the fatal error handling logic you can see how the debug log is written out on crash containing the stack. Cheers mike On Wednesday, April 21, 2010, Peter Hugosson-Miller <oldmanlink(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Hi all, > So it's time for me to stop lurking and do some stuff. However, although I am an experienced Smalltalk programmer (VisualAge Smalltalk continuously since 1995), I am a complete newb when it comes to Pharo and Squeak, it's hard to find my way around, and it's going to take me some time to get up to speed. > > > > > > I'm working on a small improvement to the testing framework, using ideas that I have found to be very useful in my daily job over the past 15 years. Note that I am doing this from scratch, so that I don't accidentally steal anything that I've done in my work, but I know how it all works in VisualAge, so I feel sure that I'll eventually be able to find the corresponding classes and methods in Pharo. > > > > > > What I would like are a few hints, clues and nudges in the right direction for scenarios and questions that I will describe in this thread. What I *don't* want are full-blown solutions, because then I won't learn anything. I hope that some kind souls will be able to give me a little help in the beginning that will eventually bring me up to speed and let me be productive. > > > > > So to start with, one scenario and one question: > 1) I want to find or write a method on Process that will print a stack trace onto a supplied Stream. Ideally I'd like to be able to decide the start and stop depth of the trace, so for example if I know that the top 4 stack frames will always be uninteresting, I would want to be able to write something like this: > > > Â Â Â Â Processor activeProcess printStackFrom: 5 to: 15 on: aStream. > 2) What *exactly* is "thisContext"? It appears to be a reserved word in Pharo, just like the familiar "self", "super", "true", "false", "nil" that are always reserved in Smalltalk. I'd also like to get an idea of what it's good for, and if anyone can describe it in terms of something that is in VisualAge, that would be nice too :-) > > > BTW, if this is not the appropriate place for a thread like this, then please tell me where I should put it (politely, of course :-p) > -- > Cheers, > Peter > >

April 21, 2010