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5.7.5.2. LearningWorks

LearningWorks (http://learningworks.neometron.com) is a limited version of the VisualWorks product. It is intended for learning and research and includes a restricted set of tools rather than the full-blown development environment. Adele Goldberg started working on this project while she was at ParcPlace with the goal of creating a tool that provides progressively more classes and methods in the Smalltalk class hierarchy. This tool is intended to assist people learning the language and libraries by presenting the basics first and providing progressively more exposure to classes and methods as the learner progresses. LearningWorks runs on a number of platforms, including Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX flavors.

5.7.5.3. ObjectShare: SmalltalkExpress

In SmalltalkExpress a souped-up version of an older Digitalk product is combined with a GUI builder. This product is free on the Web (http://www.objectshare.com) and also has documentation available online. It runs as a 16-bit application under Windows.

5.7.5.4. Little Smalltalk

Little Smalltalk is a simplified Smalltalk, created by students led by Dr. Timothy Budd. Little Smalltalk is discussed in Budd’s book (Budd, 1987), and the original command-line version has been enhanced with a GUI for Windows and Macintosh. Full source code is available from ftp://ftp.cs.orst.edu/pub/budd/little/readme.html.

5.7.5.5. GNU Smalltalk

GNU Smalltalk is a simple, command-line version of Smalltalk that is slowly being worked on as a volunteer effort. As part of GNU, it includes full source code and can be used for simple projects as well as to learn the internal workings of a virtual machine.

5.8. Projects That Use Smalltalk

Many types of projects have been deployed successfully using Smalltalk as the development tool. These projects vary greatly in scope, but most are not trivial. The majority of Smalltalk applications tend to be complex applications that do more than just provide a GUI to a database or an old mainframe system. They often incorporate complex rules, behaviors, and interfaces to external systems. Many industry groups are creating reusable object-oriented components for use in Smalltalk and other object-oriented languages.

5.8.1. Smalltalk as a Web Server

A premiere information provider was one of the first to develop Internet commerce using Smalltalk as the vehicle. An application was built that provides an interface to customers on the Web, takes credit card orders, gathers information from mainframe systems, and provides the reports to the customers. Other organizations have developed intranet applications for purposes such as scheduling meetings and information dissemination. One great advantage that Smalltalk has here is that all the clients (Web browsers) require less RAM and CPU than Smalltalk clients, so they can run on existing, inexpensive PCs. The Smalltalk application serves many clients as it runs on a high-end PC or workstation.

5.8.2. Trading in Smalltalk

Wall Street was another early adopter of Smalltalk, modeling complex, constantly changing financial algorithms in Smalltalk. The financial sector made use of the quick turn-around time on changes to the application to tune financial forecasting and tracking tools to provide better return on investment to customers.

5.8.3. Banking in Smalltalk

Banks of all types have also used Smalltalk to interface to their numerous back-end systems. In many cases, Smalltalk developers have had to code to mainframe “CICS” transactions for the financial institution to maintain their high level of data integrity.

5.8.4. Insurance and Smalltalk

The insurance industry has a large number of companies developing applications in Smalltalk. These applications cover all aspects of the insurance business, including underwriting tools, policy issuance systems, rating systems, accounting systems, decision support systems, and claims systems. Many applications interface to their existing mainframe applications, legacy data stores, and desktop applications. The insurance companies are beginning to work together to create industry-standard solutions built in Smalltalk.

5.8.5. Telecommunications and Smalltalk

Telecommunications applications in Smalltalk have varied from real-time Smalltalk systems for switching and teleconferences to order entry systems for telephony products, service, and equipment. A complex compensation system was written in Smalltalk at one of the largest telecommunications companies. Television networks are also using Smalltalk to develop their internal information systems technology, as well as to coordinate their network feeds through Smalltalk-powered communications equipment.

5.8.6. Manufacturing, Utility, Pharmaceuticals, and Transportation with Smalltalk

Some of the larger Smalltalk development efforts have gone on in the United States, Canada, and Europe for manufacturing support systems. Utilities have created massive information management systems using Smalltalk and object databases such as Gemstone (which uses Smalltalk as its query language). Pharmaceutical companies are starting to use Smalltalk in limited ways as well, and airlines have also used Smalltalk to develop their internal applications. Furthermore, electronic test equipment has been created using Smalltalk as the development language. The “Network Vehicle” that appeared at the COMDEX conference in 1997 was a highly computerized minivan that featured Smalltalk for its command and control system.

5.8.7. The Government and Smalltalk

The government has been an early and quiet consumer of the Smalltalk technology. Information-processing applications and rapid development of custom applications have been accomplished in various government agencies. Some of the early Smalltalk-developed technologies, including the Analyst product from Xerox, have been deployed in the U.S. government. More recently, the U.S. Department of Defense selected Smalltalk for the production phase of the Joint Warfare System (JWARS).


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