HubHip - Squeak

DescriptionSqueak was all Smalltalk-80 when new, in 1996. It is still mostly an implementation of modified Smalltalk-80, but in some ways it is a somewhat different language, no longer an orthodox Smalltalk, and it is changing and evolving. In its first several years:

1) The code base was almost fully rewritten, parts of it several times.

2) Squeak's leaders have ceased work on the standard Smalltalk user interface, Model-View-Controller (MVC), which is used in other Smalltalks, and Java, and have moved to the Self language's display tree-based Morphic User Interface, which they are developing beyond what it was in Self. Squeak's leaders will work no more in or on MVC, but only in and on Morphic, or something better. So, Squeak's interface is now far more like Self than like normal Smalltalk. And Morphic is driving other, deeper changes in Squeak.

3) On Squeak's mail list, discussion occurs on how to create a new language model, to go beyond object orientation, and how to move Squeak to it. Some people want to experiment with prototype language features as in Self. And, Alan Kay himself says that using the term "objects" in the 1970s was an error. He says the REBOL language has some very good ideas. The new language model may focus on messaging instead of objects. New syntax and control structures will be added, some of which may replace long standing Smalltalk norms. These are big changes.

4) Squeak now has many standard features that no other Smalltalk has: two User Interface systems (Morphic, MVC), experimental handwriting recognition, MIDI and realtime high quality sound synthesis, Web browser, IRC client, Swiki, email client, Web server, several demos and games, two full VMs written in Squeak (a full Smalltalk-80 VM and a JIT compiler VM), means to output C source code directly from a VM and run a VM as a simulation atop itself, a full set of ST-80 classes, automated Internet-based updating, and e-toys. More is coming in the future.

Squeak

Squeaking (Site) - Information for novices on how to get up to speed in Smalltalk. Mostly a collection of prized mailing list notes, some small hacks.

Whisker: The O-O Stacking Browser (Site) - New object-oriented code browser for Squeak Smalltalk environment: gives simple, intuitive way to view contents of multiple classes/methods at once, uses screen space efficiently, needs little window moving/resizing, via introducing concept of subpane stacking. Principles may be used in browsers for other OO languages.

Squeak News Electronic Magazine (Site) - First, and so far only, E-zine on Squeak. Latest information as monthly free email, website, or full CD-ROM edition with software. Prominent gurus will regularly contribute.

Squeakland (Site) - More than any website so far, this one implements the largest piece of the original Xerox PARC Learning Research Group's vision for programming and education. Free downloads: run Squeak from in a Web browser (free plugin), software, program sharing/exchange areas, Alan Kay essays.

MailList: Squeak MailArchive (Site) - Searchable archive of the last 400 days of the main Squeak email list.

Squeak (Site) - Hans-Martin Mosner's Squeak resources.

Squeakersweb (Site) - New Georgia Tech Squeakers (students) describe their new projects, from multimedia authoring to advanced Swiki types; and staff list. Funders: National Science Foundation, Siemens, Al West Technology Fund.

Squeak Shares Soar (Site) - Handful of Squeak goodies (syntax coloring, Cream font, Units, XML parser, Palm OS tools), links, by Helge Horch.

FTP site: Germany, U of Karlsruhe (Site) - Get the 1 disk Squeak demo, like the famous QNX demo, in /demo directory.

Yahoo Groups: Squeak (Site) - Mail archive and discussion group.

ThingLab for Squeak (Site) - FTP listing of files and Squeak samples.

Swiki about Squeak (Site) - Squeak Wiki 2. Mark Guzdial's Squeak Wiki Server, written in Squeak; at Georgia Tech.

Squeak Everyday (Site) - Weblog on many related topics, by Takashi Yamamiya.

SqueakFoundation (Site) - Goal: to assist in the evolution of Squeak into its ultimate expression as an exquisite personal and collaborative computing environment that is open, well supported, and freely available across the great majority of modern platforms and operating systems.

Impara GmbH (Site) - Focus: playful learning; technology and products for media authoring, mainly for training, edutainment; involves learning environments, collaborations, computer games; multimedia tools for school and private use, needing no training or programming knowledge.

Squeakland Discussion Forum (Site) - See what users and developers write about Squeak.

Squeak.org (Site) - Free, open source, open research, super portable, new Smalltalk-80-based language, written in itself, by Smalltalk's inventors, the (nomadic) original Xerox PARC, Alan Kay team, now founding the Viewpoints Research Institute. Runs on 22+ platforms, hardware and OS. "Next to universal access, malleability is the prime figure of merit for Squeak. It is our intention for Squeak to evolve." Now hybridized with the Self language's Morphic User Interface Toolkit.

Squeak: The Great Return (Site) - Descriptions, free goodies, links, and the fascinating 'Squeak Scale: Let it Grow: Brief Comparison of Class Library'. English, Nihongo. By Satoshi Nishihara.

The Future of Squeak (Site) - By Dan Shafer, The WeTalk Network, Inc. Chapter from book; speculates on how the developers get from where Squeak was to Alan Kay's final Dynabook vision.

SqueakCMI.org (Site) - Squeak in education project. Swiki has over 1,100 scripted eToys. Begun by Kathleen Harness. Host: Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education (MSTE), College of Education, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Swikis on coweb.cc (Site) - List of over 40 Swikis at Georgia Tech, all run on Squeak Comanche Web server.

Squeak PBwiki (Site) - Information and projects, place to discuss Squeak, and eToys and Tweak scripting languages.

MathMorphs (Site) - New project where we combine Mathematics and Smalltalk. Our goal: explore and promote use of Squeak and Morphic as a major tool in mathematics work.

Swiki Swiki (Site) - Comanche an open-source web server for Squeak. Swiki is a popular implementation of Ward Cunningham's WikiWikiWeb (Squeak + Wiki = Swiki) that runs under Comanche. Both Comanche and Swiki are implemented by Mark Guzdial's Collaborative Software Laboratory at Georgia Tech. Swiki FAQ. List of Comanche Swikis.

Cetus Links: Squeak (Site) - Links on objects and components of the object-oriented language Squeak; information on tutorials, mailing lists, books, projects, compilers, interpreters.

Who's Who (Site) - Fast growing (over 160) list of Squeak's community.

MuSwiki (Site) - Swiki-like system using Morphic objects instead of HTML, pages look the same in any browser, content can contain arbitrary Smalltalk code behind the scenes.

FTP site: USA, UIUC Squeak goodies library (Site) - Many system extensions, applications.

OOPSLA 1999 trip report (Site) - Offers links on Java blues, VM workshop, Sqeak, world dominance and Smalltalk X.

Tweak (Site) - Experimental user interface, possible successor to Squeak Morphic user interface. Has asynchronous event architecture, mixes interface models: class- + prototype-based, MVC + Morphic. [Open Source]

OOPSLA 2000 Trip Report (Site) - Report by Squeaker John Macintosh includes coverage of Camp Smalltalk 3 (CS3).

The Hitchhiker's Guide to ... (Site) - Weblog on Squeak, Smalltalk, and related topics: Croquet, Plopp, Seaside, some Java, T-shirts. By Torsten Bergmann.