Gorm is also a RAD application that allows one to create user interfaces and various application object models in very intuitive way, benefiting from highly dynamic features of the Objective-C language and runtime. Flash videos can be seen here. More information can be found on this blog.
Interesting is, that the application could never be done in C++, check out why.
Exactly what is there that you can't do on a non windows box?
Non-US accounting, CAD (well, you can do this one, however, many local plug-ins are Windows-only), computer aided translation, production controll,...
Perhaps I am just not so informed, so if you or anyone else knows about those proffesional or business oriented applications for linux, I would gladly learn something about them...
I am using Linux exlusively for my personal work and I am missing nothing there. However, for (small and middle) businesses, linux is missing lots of applications that are available only for windows. Many, if not all, local software development companies that sell ready software packages/solutons develop for Windows only...I doubt they will change that any time soon:-/
I agree with you completely. However, I was thinking why Smalltalk is not in so wide use today. Largest problem of Smalltalk is, that it is too ahead, even at this time... People do not understand it, because it does not fit into "mainstream" technologies.
I believe that Smalltalk or Smalltalk-like technology will emerge once again...
Btw. GNUstep is trying to bring back Smalltalk in other form than a whole stand-alone environment. It uses Smalltalk as a scripting language that glues objects together and creates not real, but illusion of single object environment. The Smalltalk thingy is included in the StepTalk scripting framework.
More information about Smalltalk based scripting can be found here and on a blog here
...understanding the concept and usefullnes of open colaboration
Well, this is the biggest problem. While your idea is great, I have to, unfortunately, disappoint you. You are too wise and you are too far away from "standard employee's/person's" way of thinking. The Wiki does not work so simply. I have tried it (in a quite large company), so I know what I am talking about.
If only people wanted to colaborate, it would be much easier, but they do not see any benefints of it. Why? Simply they expect immediate pay-off from their contributions. For me and you, it is obvious, that that they will not get it until the collaboration produces critical amount of results. They give up long before that, and they stop collaborating.
I am afraid, that before people will understand benefits of collaboration and synergy, they will not understand benefits of Open Source (or more generic "open idea designs").
Yes, Wiki can help, however you have to overcome that great barier in people's minds and make them contribute. And it is sad that I have to say, that the best way how to make them contribute is to force them by order of a superor. If you have a better way, let me know...
Conclusion? Before one starts explaining Open Soruce, he has to make sure that the listener understands collaboration. There are not so many who do.
Smalltalk wannabies. They wanted to create an illusion of persistent development environment where application is being developed and live at the same time. That already existed in Smalltalk since its very beginning.
A very strong visual debugger, with useful features like DataTips.
Existed in Smalltalk before.
Integrated source browser
Integrated class browser
Existed in Smalltalk before. It is more than 25 years old.
Remote debugging over tcp/ip
I am not quite sure, but I am afraid, that this was available in debuggers on other OSs for several years. Correct me if I am wrong.
Sure. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding. I thought that you were refering to the reason of ObjC existence as NeXT release only, not any current live usage.
Remember that gcc has Objective-C support only because NeXT was forced to abide by the GNU GPL.
Have you heard about a GNU project called GNUstep? Or have you heard about one of the largest open-source simulation environments called Swarm? They are quite large projects and both are based on Objective-C. And there are several other projects too.
Just to note, that similar mechanism is available on *NIX (Linux) too if you use GNUstep (http://www.gnustep.org). Applications and frameworks (libraries + include files) are bundles that are much easier to handle than many files from single package distributed through the a system.
Interesting contest, however, why is there a need for a splash screen? Would not it be better to change the application, so the startup sequence will be very short and the application will be immediately useable?
What about lazy initialisation/lazy loading of modules? I doubt that for common tasks you are going to use all modules/scripts/filters whatever. I think that it would be sufficient just to load list of modules and necessary information (such as icons or descriptions...). Then load module on first use.
Same can be used for other applications (OpenOffice?).
I do not believe that a modular application with good design can not be changed to use lazy initialisation/lazy loading. Perhaps I am wrong...
I do not understand, how this one was rated as Insightful. The problem with menus does not belong to X at all. Moreover, it is a problem of current application packaging in the *nix world. There is no such thing as application, instead of that there is a program, set of libs and resources scattered arount the filesystem.
Ever looked at how GNUstep/OSX does it with applications? No need for special menus/tools to find applications. Why? Because every one knows, where applications are stored, and besides stadard places apps can be stored anywhere you like. And even, the application is nothing more than a directory with.app extension (called application bundle) it is presented to the user as... as an "application file" that can be run just by doubleclicking it in workspace manager. This allows one to manage application directory structure to suit ones taste. And allows more freedom of application placement without prescribed set of categories.
No menus needed at all... just a simple solution: application, even as directory bundle, is treated as executable file to the user.
Slashdot Mirror
Gorm is also a RAD application that allows one to create user interfaces and various application object models in very intuitive way, benefiting from highly dynamic features of the Objective-C language and runtime. Flash videos can be seen here. More information can be found on this blog. Interesting is, that the application could never be done in C++, check out why.
Exactly what is there that you can't do on a non windows box?
Non-US accounting, CAD (well, you can do this one, however, many local plug-ins are Windows-only), computer aided translation, production controll, ...
Perhaps I am just not so informed, so if you or anyone else knows about those proffesional or business oriented applications for linux, I would gladly learn something about them...
I am using Linux exlusively for my personal work and I am missing nothing there. However, for (small and middle) businesses, linux is missing lots of applications that are available only for windows. Many, if not all, local software development companies that sell ready software packages/solutons develop for Windows only...I doubt they will change that any time soon :-/
Sometimes I see it as a vicious circle...
I agree with you completely. However, I was thinking why Smalltalk is not in so wide use today. Largest problem of Smalltalk is, that it is too ahead, even at this time... People do not understand it, because it does not fit into "mainstream" technologies. I believe that Smalltalk or Smalltalk-like technology will emerge once again...
Btw. GNUstep is trying to bring back Smalltalk in other form than a whole stand-alone environment. It uses Smalltalk as a scripting language that glues objects together and creates not real, but illusion of single object environment. The Smalltalk thingy is included in the StepTalk scripting framework.
More information about Smalltalk based scripting can be found here and on a blog here
Well, this is the biggest problem. While your idea is great, I have to, unfortunately, disappoint you. You are too wise and you are too far away from "standard employee's/person's" way of thinking. The Wiki does not work so simply. I have tried it (in a quite large company), so I know what I am talking about.
If only people wanted to colaborate, it would be much easier, but they do not see any benefints of it. Why? Simply they expect immediate pay-off from their contributions. For me and you, it is obvious, that that they will not get it until the collaboration produces critical amount of results. They give up long before that, and they stop collaborating.
I am afraid, that before people will understand benefits of collaboration and synergy, they will not understand benefits of Open Source (or more generic "open idea designs").
Yes, Wiki can help, however you have to overcome that great barier in people's minds and make them contribute. And it is sad that I have to say, that the best way how to make them contribute is to force them by order of a superor. If you have a better way, let me know...
Conclusion? Before one starts explaining Open Soruce, he has to make sure that the listener understands collaboration. There are not so many who do.
Innovation is move from horse transportation to automobiles. It is not having better saddles or adding lights to the horse's head...
Today is innovation almost everything...even adding ribbons to the horse's tail would be called innovation.
- Incremental compilation
- Incremental linking
Smalltalk wannabies. They wanted to create an illusion of persistent development environment where application is being developed and live at the same time. That already existed in Smalltalk since its very beginning.- A very strong visual debugger, with useful features like DataTips.
Existed in Smalltalk before.- Integrated source browser
- Integrated class browser
Existed in Smalltalk before. It is more than 25 years old.- Remote debugging over tcp/ip
I am not quite sure, but I am afraid, that this was available in debuggers on other OSs for several years. Correct me if I am wrong.- Intellisense (auto-completion)
Should this be called an innovation?Sure. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding. I thought that you were refering to the reason of ObjC existence as NeXT release only, not any current live usage.
If I understand it correctly, then it is like patenting that only I can tell or write science-fiction stories in the Slovak language?
Give me OS X/ X86 or I'm gonna club this here baby seal! .app bundles are cool. code/library/config/resources scattered all over the hard drive is not.
.framework bundles for libs and header files) on many OSes, including Linux. See http://www.gnustep.org/
GNUstep does that (.app bundles for apps or
Just to note, that similar mechanism is available on *NIX (Linux) too if you use GNUstep (http://www.gnustep.org). Applications and frameworks (libraries + include files) are bundles that are much easier to handle than many files from single package distributed through the a system.
Because Adobe Photoshop takes long time to load, does the GIMP to copy that 'feature' too? Why not be better?
And why users do not bitch? Because, as usual, they do not know that it should be different and take it as "it is how it should be with computers".
What I wanted to say was that a splash screen is just a patch to a bug.
Interesting contest, however, why is there a need for a splash screen? Would not it be better to change the application, so the startup sequence will be very short and the application will be immediately useable?
What about lazy initialisation/lazy loading of modules? I doubt that for common tasks you are going to use all modules/scripts/filters whatever. I think that it would be sufficient just to load list of modules and necessary information (such as icons or descriptions...). Then load module on first use.
Same can be used for other applications (OpenOffice?).
I do not believe that a modular application with good design can not be changed to use lazy initialisation/lazy loading. Perhaps I am wrong...
What do others think?
For those interested, here are GNUstep links:
Official GNUstep web site
'Live' wiki pages
Or you can talk directly to the GNUstep people at
the GNUstep IRC channel #gnustep at irc.freenode.net
I do not understand, how this one was rated as Insightful. The problem with menus does not belong to X at all. Moreover, it is a problem of current application packaging in the *nix world. There is no such thing as application, instead of that there is a program, set of libs and resources scattered arount the filesystem.
.app extension (called application bundle) it is presented to the user as ... as an "application file" that can be run just by doubleclicking it in workspace manager. This allows one to manage application directory structure to suit ones taste. And allows more freedom of application placement without prescribed set of categories.
... just a simple solution: application, even as directory bundle, is treated as executable file to the user.
Ever looked at how GNUstep/OSX does it with applications? No need for special menus/tools to find applications. Why? Because every one knows, where applications are stored, and besides stadard places apps can be stored anywhere you like. And even, the application is nothing more than a directory with
No menus needed at all