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Another thought about globals
by Igor Stasenko Dec. 15, 2013

Dec. 15, 2013

As you may know, smalltalk global dictionary contain all symbols defined globally, so you can access them directly in any piece of code i.e. when you write: Object new it actually means 'send message #new to object, associated with #Object name in globals dictionary. Most of globals are classes, but some of them , like Transcript, World, Display etc are not. And i was always thinking there's something wrong with these globals (actually there's multiple 'wrongs'), but finally, i think i can answer myself, what is most basic wrong with them: they miss any form of declaration. Most of variables in smalltalk require declaration, such as temps, method arguments, instance variables , class variables, pool variables, but not globals. Even classes, from formal point of view do not require declaration, because actually the usual: Object subclass: #Collection instanceVariableNames: '' classVariableNames: 'MutexForPicking RandomForPicking' poolDictionaries: '' category: 'Collections-Abstract' is _definition_ but not declaration: Collection definition => 'Object subclass: #Collection instanceVariableNames: '''' classVariableNames: ''MutexForPicking RandomForPicking'' poolDictionaries: '''' category: ''Collections-Abstract''' in fact, it is just a message sent to 'Object' variable (at some moment in the past) , and there's nothing in language which enforces the rule that evaluating such expression must declare new global, named Collection, except from environment we're working in. The absence of declaration for globals leads to following problems: since declaration point is not defined, all tools (including compiler) assume that given name always been there, and always accessible. Which leads to bootstrap problems. There's no way to determine if given piece of code (which uses some global) will keep functioning properly, once you unload certain package. No way to determine dependencies (and as consequence the order of code loading during bootstrapping). Also, it is hard to determine, to which package certain global belongs. While it is easy to tell for classes since they having category, for globals like Transcript, Display etc, there's no way to tell anything. Piece of cake, you can say: since Display is instance of DisplayScreen class, then such variable must belong to same package as DisplayScreen, right? Wrong! Just for example, imagine i create variable named MyWindowMousePosition, which will contain an instance of Point. Does it means that such variable should belong to same package as Point class? I guess not. So, to sum up, i think we should really think how to introduce a way to declare globals in package-based ecosystem, where each global belongs to certain package, and then since packages form dependency hierarchy, you can easily detect whether you allowed to use certain global in given context or not, to prevent forming dependency loops. But even if we will weaken contract and allow having dependency loops, even in such case declarations can help us to clearly tell which pieces of code will stop functioning properly, if package which declares given variable are not present in system. The last aspect of bootstrapping problem is order of initialization, because declaring variable doesn't means you can use it right away, since it may be not properly initialized yet (otherwise we will be forced to always use lazy initialization pattern). >From this perspective, IMO package should not only have unordered list of classes/symbols it declares/defines, but also contain information in which order they must be initialized while loaded. >From other side, i don't really like introducing too much formalism and rules, and keep them as minimal as possible, following smalltalk spirit. What you think? -- Best regards, Igor Stasenko.

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methodDict versus methodDictionary
by StÃ©phane Ducasse Dec. 15, 2013

Dec. 15, 2013

Hi I do not understand why we deprecate methodDictionary and not methodDict (What a really bad name) I hate this inconsistent and lame name like methodDict and Marcus you mention on the bug entry nobody should access methodDict directly -> so why have a "nice" accessor for something not to be used? but I have 103 send of methodDict in my image So I do not get it and personally I would not deprecate methodDictionary and I would remove methodDict because it sucks! In the same bad style instSize or instSpec looks like the guy was lazy to type instanceSize and instanceSpec So let me know because I want to understand the story behind methodDict the ugly. Stef

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[pharo-project/pharo-core] ad29ad: 30645
by GitHub Dec. 15, 2013

Dec. 15, 2013

Branch: refs/heads/3.0 Home: https://github.com/pharo-project/pharo-core Commit: ad29adb38aacff04fe1b5ab6e9b6a1854d744eca https://github.com/pharo-project/pharo-core/commit/ad29adb38aacff04fe1b5ab6… Author: Jenkins Build Server <board(a)pharo-project.org> Date: 2013-12-15 (Sun, 15 Dec 2013) Changed paths: A ScriptLoader30.package/ScriptLoader.class/instance/pharo - scripts/script298.st A ScriptLoader30.package/ScriptLoader.class/instance/pharo - updates/update30645.st M ScriptLoader30.package/ScriptLoader.class/instance/public/commentForCurrentUpdate.st A Spec-Inspector.package/extension/SmallDictionary/class/inspectorClass.st R Spec-Inspector.package/extension/SmallDictionary/instance/inspectorClass.st A Transcript.package/ThreadSafeTranscript.class/class/declare/installThreadSafeAsSTranscript.st Log Message: ----------- 30645 12395 ThreadSafeTranscript examples do not work due to a missing method https://pharo.fogbugz.com/f/cases/12395 12428 Error while printing element https://pharo.fogbugz.com/f/cases/12428 http://files.pharo.org/image/30/30645.zip

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[pharo-project/pharo-core]
by GitHub Dec. 15, 2013

Dec. 15, 2013

Branch: refs/tags/30645 Home: https://github.com/pharo-project/pharo-core

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[pharo-project/pharo-core]
by GitHub Dec. 15, 2013

Dec. 15, 2013

Branch: refs/tags/30644 Home: https://github.com/pharo-project/pharo-core

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[pharo-project/pharo-core] 5bca99: 30644
by GitHub Dec. 15, 2013

Dec. 15, 2013

Branch: refs/heads/3.0 Home: https://github.com/pharo-project/pharo-core Commit: 5bca99a63da818c2369bdbead2ccf51144b48875 https://github.com/pharo-project/pharo-core/commit/5bca99a63da818c2369bdbea… Author: Jenkins Build Server <board(a)pharo-project.org> Date: 2013-12-15 (Sun, 15 Dec 2013) Changed paths: M KernelTests.package/BlockClosureTest.class/instance/tests - on-fork/testOnForkErrorTakesLessThanOneSecond.st R KernelTests.package/SizeInMemoryTest.class/instance/tests/testSizeInMemoryClasses.st R Komitter.package/Komitter.class/class/icon/iconData.st M Komitter.package/Komitter.class/class/icon/taskbarIcon.st M Komitter.package/KomitterUI.class/class/icons/historyIcon.st A Komitter.package/extension/EclipseUIThemeIcons/instance/historyIcon.st A Komitter.package/extension/EclipseUIThemeIcons/instance/historyIconContents.st A Komitter.package/extension/EclipseUIThemeIcons/instance/komitterIcon.st A Komitter.package/extension/EclipseUIThemeIcons/instance/komitterIconContents.st A Komitter.package/extension/ThemeIcons/instance/historyIcon.st A Komitter.package/extension/ThemeIcons/instance/komitterIcon.st A ScriptLoader30.package/ScriptLoader.class/instance/pharo - scripts/script297.st A ScriptLoader30.package/ScriptLoader.class/instance/pharo - updates/update30644.st M ScriptLoader30.package/ScriptLoader.class/instance/public/commentForCurrentUpdate.st Log Message: ----------- 30644 11983 testOnForkErrorTakesLessThanOneSecond failing https://pharo.fogbugz.com/f/cases/11983 12424 testSizeInMemoryClasses is buggy https://pharo.fogbugz.com/f/cases/12424 12422 move icons from komitter to theme icons class https://pharo.fogbugz.com/f/cases/12422 http://files.pharo.org/image/30/30644.zip

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[pharo-project/pharo-core] e439a6: 30643
by GitHub Dec. 15, 2013

Dec. 15, 2013

Branch: refs/heads/3.0 Home: https://github.com/pharo-project/pharo-core Commit: e439a622234c592a87f897d7e5d0a7bcc79a1609 https://github.com/pharo-project/pharo-core/commit/e439a622234c592a87f897d7… Author: Jenkins Build Server <board(a)pharo-project.org> Date: 2013-12-15 (Sun, 15 Dec 2013) Changed paths: M Kernel.package/UndefinedObject.class/instance/class hierarchy/subclass_instanceVariableNames_classVariableNames_poolDictionaries_category_.st M KernelTests.package/DateAndTimeTest.class/instance/tests - under design/testNotSymmetricWithString.st A ScriptLoader30.package/ScriptLoader.class/instance/pharo - scripts/script296.st A ScriptLoader30.package/ScriptLoader.class/instance/pharo - updates/update30641.st A ScriptLoader30.package/ScriptLoader.class/instance/pharo - updates/update30642.st A ScriptLoader30.package/ScriptLoader.class/instance/pharo - updates/update30643.st M ScriptLoader30.package/ScriptLoader.class/instance/public/commentForCurrentUpdate.st M Spec-Examples.package/DynamicSpecExample.class/instance/accessing/object.st M Spec-Examples.package/DynamicSpecExample.class/instance/accessing/object_.st M Spec-Examples.package/DynamicSpecExample.class/instance/protocol/open.st M Spec-Examples.package/DynamicSpecExample.class/instance/protocol/openOnInteger.st M Spec-Examples.package/DynamicSpecExample.class/instance/protocol/openOnString.st R Tests.package/ReleaseTest.class/instance/testing/testObsoleteBehaviors.st Log Message: ----------- 30643 12421 Fix DateAndTimeTest >> #testNotSymmetricWithString https://pharo.fogbugz.com/f/cases/12421 12420 DynamicSpecExample uses deprecated messages https://pharo.fogbugz.com/f/cases/12420 12423 Subclass of undefined classes should be subclasses of Object and not ProtoObject https://pharo.fogbugz.com/f/cases/12423 12165 #testObsoleteBehaviors failing after running native boost tests https://pharo.fogbugz.com/f/cases/12165 http://files.pharo.org/image/30/30643.zip

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[pharo-project/pharo-core]
by GitHub Dec. 15, 2013

Dec. 15, 2013

Branch: refs/tags/30643 Home: https://github.com/pharo-project/pharo-core

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NBOpenGL commit permissions
by Ronie Salgado Dec. 15, 2013

Dec. 15, 2013

Hello, I would like to request commit privileges to the PharoExtra/NBOpenGL smalltalk hub project, so that I can commit improvements made for Roassal 3D, but useful for anyone. My SmalltalkHub username is 'ronsaldo'. Greetings, Ronie Salgado

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Are all SLICEs self-contained?
by HernÃ¡n Morales Durand Dec. 14, 2013

Dec. 14, 2013

If not, how do I know if a SLICE depends on other SLICEs? For example loading https://pharo.fogbugz.com/f/cases/edit/11282/Removal-DependentFields-refere… using Monticello hangs the image and cannot interrupt with Alt+. Do I need to load another SLICE before? Cheers, HernÃ¡n

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