Visual Smalltalk Enterprise
Encyclopedia
Visual Smalltalk Enterprise (VSE) is a Smalltalk
dialect that runs only on Microsoft Windows, and is the last in a long line of Smalltalk implementations first produced by Digitalk and now available through Cincom.
VSE is now only available as a version called VSE 2000, and only to licensed users of previous VSE versions.
In reality, before Smalltalk/V, there was a product, the first one from Digitalk, named Methods. The windowing interface was not graphically based - instead it drew its windows using special symbols stored in a character format. Further, it predated the use of a mouse to drive the interface.
There are also been versions of Smalltalk/V for the MAC and for the OS/2 operating systems. A version for OS/2 was also available for VSE.
Although the PARTS Workbench allows very easy development of small systems (somewhat after the style of Visual Basic) it is argued that it encourages fragmentary development. The natural style of using this system tends to lead to lots of links and scripts - it is not based around the idea of 'model' (as used in 'Model View Controller' approaches common in many Smalltalks as well as in other languages). However, as an 'HCI' for programmers, the PARTS Workbench has many features that are not in modern Smalltalks. It has an immediacy that makes it very good for introductory teaching and for rapidly implementing programs with visual interfaces.
The situation with the most recent release (VSE 2000) is:
Smalltalk
Smalltalk is an object-oriented, dynamically typed, reflective programming language. Smalltalk was created as the language to underpin the "new world" of computing exemplified by "human–computer symbiosis." It was designed and created in part for educational use, more so for constructionist...
dialect that runs only on Microsoft Windows, and is the last in a long line of Smalltalk implementations first produced by Digitalk and now available through Cincom.
VSE is now only available as a version called VSE 2000, and only to licensed users of previous VSE versions.
History
VSE has had a complicated history which starts with a product called Digitalk Smalltalk/V that ran from a DOS prompt and provided a windowing environment.- Smalltalk/V
- Smalltalk/V 286
- Smalltalk/V PM
- Smalltalk/V Win
- Visual Smalltalk Enterprise (VSE)
In reality, before Smalltalk/V, there was a product, the first one from Digitalk, named Methods. The windowing interface was not graphically based - instead it drew its windows using special symbols stored in a character format. Further, it predated the use of a mouse to drive the interface.
There are also been versions of Smalltalk/V for the MAC and for the OS/2 operating systems. A version for OS/2 was also available for VSE.
PARTS Workbench
Visual Smalltalk Enterprise usually comes with another sub-system called the PARTS Workbench. This system allows the layout of components, which can then be connected using a visual representation of event-message links. Programmers can add scripts to particular components and build nested-components. They can also enhance the functionality of the main VSE Smalltalk system and use that within the PARTS Workbench.Although the PARTS Workbench allows very easy development of small systems (somewhat after the style of Visual Basic) it is argued that it encourages fragmentary development. The natural style of using this system tends to lead to lots of links and scripts - it is not based around the idea of 'model' (as used in 'Model View Controller' approaches common in many Smalltalks as well as in other languages). However, as an 'HCI' for programmers, the PARTS Workbench has many features that are not in modern Smalltalks. It has an immediacy that makes it very good for introductory teaching and for rapidly implementing programs with visual interfaces.
Copyrights, licensing
A result of the complex history is that the copyright and licensing situation is unclear. A typical recent VSE development environment is made up of many elements many of which were developed by third parties and sold separately but are now included with the distribution.The situation with the most recent release (VSE 2000) is:
| Element | Copyright Holder | License |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual machine | Seagull | Seagull owns VSE. Cincom has the right to sell it and provide support. |
| Base Classes | Unknown | Unknown |
| ObjectShare Classes | Cincom | Includes WindowBuilder, various WidgetKits, GF/ST, etc. As such, Cincom can (almost?) do anything it wants with those products (keeping mind the OEM DLL issues affecting two of the WidgetKits). |
| Profile/V | Kent Beck Kent Beck Kent Beck is an American software engineer and the creator of the Extreme Programming and Test Driven Development software development methodologies. Beck was one of the 17 original signatories of the Agile Manifesto in 2001.... |
Open Source, under the CPL 1.0 license (Though donations are appreciated). A performance profiler. Not actually part of the VSE distribution. |
People
An impartial list of people that worked at Digitalk/ParcPlace on VSE:| Person | Comments |
|---|---|
| George Bosworth | Co-founder of Digitalk and co-creator of Smalltalk/V. Inventor of Ephemeron Ephemeron In computer science, finalization occurs when a garbage collector informs an application that an object is "almost collectable." It is used to help an application maintain its invariants. To make finalization more useful, "almost collectable" is defined in terms of a new class of objects, called... s. Worked later on the garbage collector in the Microsoft .Net. |
| Jim Anderson Jim Anderson Jim Anderson may refer to:* Jim Anderson , Wyoming politician* Jim Anderson , New South Wales politician* Jim Anderson , former Major League Baseball player... |
Co-founder of Digitalk and co-creator of Smalltalk/V. |
| Mike Teng | Co-founder of Digitalk and co-creator of Smalltalk/V. |
| Barbara Noparstak | Co-founder of Digitalk. |
| Lee Breisacher | Early employee of Digitalk and significant contributor to Smalltalk/V Win and PM and VSE. |
| Allen Wirfs-Brock | Chief scientist at Digitalk-ParcPlace. Currently works for Mozilla Mozilla Mozilla is a term used in a number of ways in relation to the Mozilla.org project and the Mozilla Foundation, their defunct commercial predecessor Netscape Communications Corporation, and their related application software.... . |
| Eric Clayberg | Creator of WindowBuilder toolkit. Vice President of Development at Digitalk-ParcPlace. http://www.smalltalksystems.com/clayberg/resume.htm. Currently Vice President of Product Development at Instantiations http://www.smalltalksystems.com/clayberg/. |
| Stephan B. Wessels | Digitalk Professional Services, frameworks development. http://www.preeminent.org/steve/, http://www.preeminent.org/steve/pages/resume/Smalltalk-experience.html. |
| Suzanne Fortman | Digitalk Marketing. Came back to Cincom Cincom Cincom Systems is a privately held, multinational, computer technology corporation founded in 1968 by Tom Nies, Tom Richley and Claude Bogardus.... as Smalltalk Program Director. |
| Gary Gregory | Worked on VSE, PARTS, the VM and database interfaces. Now works at Seagull Software http://www.seagullsoftware.com. |
| Dan Rubel | Worked on Subpanes/V. Is CTO of Instantiations http://www.instantiations.com/company/staff.html |
| Roxie Rochat | Worked on Subpanes/V. Now works for Stoaks Software.http://stoaks-software.com/Staff/Roxie/Resume.pdf |
| Bart Weller | Worked on Subpanes/V. |
| Ken Cooper | Worked on Subpanes/V. Got hired by Microsoft in 1997. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1997/jun97/coopet.mspx |
| Ted Peters | Worked on Subpanes/V. Also got hired by Microsoft in 1997. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1997/jun97/coopet.mspx |
| Mike Taylor | Was Vice President of Professional Services at Digitalk. Now he is CEO and president of Instantiations.http://www.instantiations.com/company/staff.html |
| Tim Rowledge | Worked on a lot of Smalltalk Stuff at ParcPlace Systems Inc. Now works on Squeak Squeak The Squeak programming language is a Smalltalk implementation. It is object-oriented, class-based and reflective.It was derived directly from Smalltalk-80 by a group at Apple Computer that included some of the original Smalltalk-80 developers... . |
External links
- The VSE Mailing List: VSWE-L
- Seagull Software Systems, Inc.
- Cincom Page about VSE:http://www.cincomsmalltalk.com/userblogs/cincom/blogView?content=vse
- Threads of discussion about copyright and licensing:
- Smalltalk web ring Smalltalk products and services.
- http://vse-wiki.apis.de Welcome to the VSE (Visual Smalltalk Enterprise) wiki!
- http://www.smalltalking.net/Goodies/VisualSmalltalk/index.htm Goodies at http://www.smalltalking.net Smalltalking web site.
- http://www.totallyobjects.com/vsfree.htm Goodies at Totally Objects.