- Pharo-users - lists.pharo.org

Re: [Pharo-users] Accessing DLLs in Smalltalk/V

by stepharo

Hi joachim could you spend some time and helping us to write a documentation on nativeboost? Else it will always stay the same. I cannot systematically try to write documentation on things I do not have expertise because it is killing me. For igor everything is obvious :) but we spent some afternoons improving the x11 tutorial. Stef On 30/5/14 08:50, Joachim Geidel wrote: > Hello ClÃ©ment, > > Am 29.05.2014 um 17:23 schrieb ClÃ©ment Bera <bera.clement(a)gmail.com > <mailto:bera.clement@gmail.com>>: >> NativeBoost is clearly the best option because it is the fastest, it >> is mostly implemented in the image so you can look at the code and it >> is by default in the image. >> >> FFI from the VM typically manages much better callbacks, so if you >> plan to extensively use callbacks you should look at it, by loading >> the package of Aliens (It does not rely any more on the old >> implementation of aliens but still have the same image side API and >> library). Alternatively you can improve NativeBoost so it manages >> better call back, this is "easy" as it is mostly implemented in the >> image. > > Could you explain why FFI is better at managing callbacks? I have used > NativeBoost or implementing JNIPort, and callbacks were one of the > easier parts of the work I had to do. As far as I know, both FFI and > NativeBoost donât support callbacks from threads other than the thread > in which the Smalltalk code is executed, but thatâs a limitation of > both of them. > > As to improving NativeBoost: Thatâs not âeasyâ at all. Some parts of > it are quite cryptic if you are not familiar with x86 assembler code, > the documentation is still sparse, and I am under the impression that > there are some unfinished parts. It is practically impossible to add > something to NativeBoost if you are not Igor, and just want to use it > for your own project as opposed to spending many hours trying to > figure out how NativeBoost works. I was somewhat lucky that I found > everything I needed in the archives of the pharo-dev and pharo-users > mailing list., but i wouldnât call this documentation. > >> I explained how to compile and bind a dll with NativeBoost here >> (subsection Implementing the FFI calls) : >> http://clementbera.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/optimizing-pharo-to-c-speed-wit… >> It is a very basic but very simple example. > > Yes, this page helped, but as you wrote: basic and simple example - > the more involved stuff remains undocumented. When working on JNIPort, > I struggled with simple things like de-referencing a pointer to a > pointer to a struct etc. - I didnât find documentation for this, and > this is a basic feature in my opinion. > > Best regards, > Joachim Geidel > >> Additional examples can be found in the class NBBasicExamples in the >> package NativeBoost-Examples. >> There are also tests (For example NBFFICallbackTests>>#benchQSort) >> that you can look at, they work and show how to use NativeBoost. >> >> Else there is the chapter in Pharo for the entrerprise. Other people >> will give you a link. >> >

May 30, 2014

Re: [Pharo-users] Accessing DLLs in Smalltalk/V

by Joachim Geidel

Hello ClÃ©ment, Am 29.05.2014 um 17:23 schrieb ClÃ©ment Bera <bera.clement(a)gmail.com>: > NativeBoost is clearly the best option because it is the fastest, it is mostly implemented in the image so you can look at the code and it is by default in the image. > > FFI from the VM typically manages much better callbacks, so if you plan to extensively use callbacks you should look at it, by loading the package of Aliens (It does not rely any more on the old implementation of aliens but still have the same image side API and library). Alternatively you can improve NativeBoost so it manages better call back, this is "easy" as it is mostly implemented in the image. Could you explain why FFI is better at managing callbacks? I have used NativeBoost or implementing JNIPort, and callbacks were one of the easier parts of the work I had to do. As far as I know, both FFI and NativeBoost donât support callbacks from threads other than the thread in which the Smalltalk code is executed, but thatâs a limitation of both of them. As to improving NativeBoost: Thatâs not âeasyâ at all. Some parts of it are quite cryptic if you are not familiar with x86 assembler code, the documentation is still sparse, and I am under the impression that there are some unfinished parts. It is practically impossible to add something to NativeBoost if you are not Igor, and just want to use it for your own project as opposed to spending many hours trying to figure out how NativeBoost works. I was somewhat lucky that I found everything I needed in the archives of the pharo-dev and pharo-users mailing list., but i wouldnât call this documentation. > I explained how to compile and bind a dll with NativeBoost here (subsection Implementing the FFI calls) : > http://clementbera.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/optimizing-pharo-to-c-speed-wit… > It is a very basic but very simple example. Yes, this page helped, but as you wrote: basic and simple example - the more involved stuff remains undocumented. When working on JNIPort, I struggled with simple things like de-referencing a pointer to a pointer to a struct etc. - I didnât find documentation for this, and this is a basic feature in my opinion. Best regards, Joachim Geidel > Additional examples can be found in the class NBBasicExamples in the package NativeBoost-Examples. > There are also tests (For example NBFFICallbackTests>>#benchQSort) that you can look at, they work and show how to use NativeBoost. > > Else there is the chapter in Pharo for the entrerprise. Other people will give you a link. >

May 30, 2014

Re: [Pharo-users] Sending transactional emails from Pharo

by Esteban A. Maringolo

As promised... I tested it, and worked. Thank you again Norbert! I chose Mandrill over Postmark by two main reasons (other than better looking UI): * It doesn't require me to authenticate the from address (which is unexistant, because it is a no-reply address, and the domain doesn't even have a MX server). * It's pretty much free (though this is not a relevant factor ) Now about the strategy when sending emails from Pharo... Assuming you flag the transactions as "mailSent" or similar. How do you send the emails? 1.a. Right after the "transaction" (or other trigger/status) was performed? 1.b. Right after the transaction, but forking (#fork) the submission and returning immediately (to avoid waits on the client side) 2.a With a worker image with a loop and running indefinitely (checking mails in the database every n minutes) 2.b. Running a cron job that starts a Pharo image, does his jobs, and quits 3. Some real architecture involving some kind of live communication (sockets, MQ, etc.) between the image where the event was triggered and the worker image. 4. ? I was thinking in doing 2. Comments suggerences? Best regards!

May 30, 2014

Re: [Pharo-users] Wiki system for Pharo (smalltalk)?

by Esteban Lorenzano

as a wiki, marina need some work (is more a cms, nowâ¦ it needs something on top to make it cool). it you are willing to do it, we would welcome the work :) https://github.com/tide-framework/marina Esteban On 29 May 2014, at 18:37, Mircea <mircea(a)unom.ro> wrote: > Already knew about Pier CMS as it's used to write the Seaside and Pharo book. > > Do you have a link for Marina? > > Pe 30.05.2014, la 00:23, stepharo <stepharo(a)free.fr> a scris: > >> you mean wiki implemented in Pharo? >> pier >> marina >> >> Stef >>> On 29/5/14 19:57, Mircea S. wrote: >>> What Wiki systems are still around for Pharo (smalltalk)? >>> >>> Thank you. >>> >>> >>> >> >> >

May 29, 2014

Re: [Pharo-users] Wiki system for Pharo (smalltalk)?

by Mircea

Already knew about Pier CMS as it's used to write the Seaside and Pharo book. Do you have a link for Marina? Pe 30.05.2014, la 00:23, stepharo <stepharo(a)free.fr> a scris: > you mean wiki implemented in Pharo? > pier > marina > > Stef >> On 29/5/14 19:57, Mircea S. wrote: >> What Wiki systems are still around for Pharo (smalltalk)? >> >> Thank you. >> >> >> > >

May 29, 2014

Re: [Pharo-users] Wiki system for Pharo (smalltalk)?

by stepharo

you mean wiki implemented in Pharo? pier marina Stef On 29/5/14 19:57, Mircea S. wrote: > What Wiki systems are still around for Pharo (smalltalk)? > > Thank you. > > >

May 29, 2014

Wiki system for Pharo (smalltalk)?

by Mircea S.

What Wiki systems are still around for Pharo (smalltalk)? Thank you.

May 29, 2014

Re: [Pharo-users] Sending transactional emails from Pharo

by Esteban A. Maringolo

2014-05-29 12:07 GMT-03:00 Norbert Hartl <norbert(a)hartl.name>: > > Am 29.05.2014 um 16:55 schrieb Esteban A. Maringolo <emaringolo(a)gmail.com>: > >> Looks very nice. >> >> How do you send the mails? >> >> Do you have a helper class you're willing to share? :) >> > I have some classes but as always I just started an implementation and didnât find much time to make something useful out of it. Anyway. I look into my code and send it to you. Takes half an hour or so (youâre lucky it is raining outside :) ). I plan to add those features tonight (GMT-3), so there is no rush. I'll try Postmark too. I added enough mess to the DNS records as to have a hell of a time trying to send a simple email :D Thank you!

May 29, 2014

Re: [Pharo-users] Accessing DLLs in Smalltalk/V

by ClÃ©ment Bera

Hello, To do what you want, there are 3 options: - using NativeBoost - using FFI from the VM - compiling your dll as part of the vm (VM plugin) NativeBoost is clearly the best option because it is the fastest, it is mostly implemented in the image so you can look at the code and it is by default in the image. FFI from the VM typically manages much better callbacks, so if you plan to extensively use callbacks you should look at it, by loading the package of Aliens (It does not rely any more on the old implementation of aliens but still have the same image side API and library). Alternatively you can improve NativeBoost so it manages better call back, this is "easy" as it is mostly implemented in the image. Compiling your dll as a VM plugin is usually not the best option, but it can be useful in some situation (uncommon OS or uncommon hardware for example). I explained how to compile and bind a dll with NativeBoost here (subsection Implementing the FFI calls) : http://clementbera.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/optimizing-pharo-to-c-speed-wit… It is a very basic but very simple example. Additional examples can be found in the class NBBasicExamples in the package NativeBoost-Examples. There are also tests (For example NBFFICallbackTests>>#benchQSort) that you can look at, they work and show how to use NativeBoost. Else there is the chapter in Pharo for the entrerprise. Other people will give you a link. 2014-05-29 16:15 GMT+02:00 Bob Williams <rwilliams19(a)cox.net>: > I found an old Smalltalk/V imagine from 2000 and tracked down how I was > able add calls to Windows DLLs and to add my own. It was in the class > DynamicLinkLibrary and its subclasses, e. g., a call to the GDIDLL to draw > a Bezier spline (which I believe I added) was: > > bezierTo: hDC lpPoints: anLPPOINT count: anInt > > <api: PolyBezierTo ulong struct ulong boolean> > > ^self invalidArgument > > > > I added by own DLL to do matrix transformations that was written in > ASSEMBLER to optimized the floating point processor pipelining (a start > operation every cycle while it took 3 cycles to complete) and it performed > about 15% better. > > I have not found anything similar in Pharo, but it must if external > libraries are used. NativeBoost seems to come close, but I cannot find any > documentation. Can someone point me to some documentation, code, anything? > It is greatly appreciated. > > bw >

May 29, 2014

Re: [Pharo-users] Sending transactional emails from Pharo

by Norbert Hartl

Am 29.05.2014 um 16:55 schrieb Esteban A. Maringolo <emaringolo(a)gmail.com>: > Looks very nice. > > How do you send the mails? > > Do you have a helper class you're willing to share? :) > I have some classes but as always I just started an implementation and didnât find much time to make something useful out of it. Anyway. I look into my code and send it to you. Takes half an hour or so (youâre lucky it is raining outside :) ). Norbert > Regards! > > Esteban A. Maringolo > > > 2014-05-29 11:40 GMT-03:00 Norbert Hartl <norbert(a)hartl.name>: >> >> Am 29.05.2014 um 15:10 schrieb Esteban A. Maringolo <emaringolo(a)gmail.com>: >> >> What is the simplest way we have in Pharo to send emails? >> >> We're going to send a bunch of "no-reply@mydomain" style mails >> confirming transactions and similars. ~3000 mails. >> >> Anybody already doing this? >> >> Yes. Iâm using Mandrill >> >> http://mandrill.com/ >> >> It is the service for autmated mail from mail chimp. >> >> Norbert >> >

May 29, 2014