Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk
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From: mckearney@bailey.com (Derek W. McKearney)
Subject: Re: Common misconceptions about Smalltalk
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Reply-To: mckearney@bailey.com
Organization: Bailey Controls
References: <bill.hyman.23.0007B157@bsis.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 1994 23:44:51 GMT
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In article 0007B157@bsis.com, bill.hyman@bsis.com (Bill Hyman) writes:
> In article <342siu$54j@ixnews1.ix.netcom.com> bhadra@ix.netcom.com (Donna McClure) writes:
> >My question for this usenet is what do some of you think are the main 
> misconceptions >about Smalltalk and what do believe to be the truth (can be a 
> range dependent on>products) for each?
> 
> >Steve McClure
> >smcclure@idcresearch.com
> 
> Misconceptions:
> ---------------
> 1. Unacceptably slow
> 2. Too hard to learn
> 3. Its a toy, how could a commercialized development systen be called Smalltalk
> 4. Only good for prototyping
> 5. It has lost the language wars to C++
> 6. Smalltalk is dead
> 
> Truths:
> -------
> 1. Slower than C++, but acceptable in most cases
> 2. No harder to learn than C++, but still provides OO capabilities

OO use of C++ is much harder to learn than smalltalk since much unlearning has to
take place.

> 3. Its not a toy
> 4. VB is better for "prototyping", Smalltalk is a better development tool
> 5. Language wars are not over. Once managers realize that most of their 
> developers are using C++ as a "better C" rather than an OO language, things 
> will really shake up.

Or worse that they have been mixing "better C" and OO concepts. This can turn product development/support concerns quickly into full blown nightmares.

> 6. Smalltalk has a growing market share, a small but growing set of bright and 
> talented developers, and a wonderful class hierarchy to use.
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> | Bill Hyman             |  Broadway & Seymour Consulting    |
> | bill.hyman@bsis.com    |  Charlotte, NC                    |
> --------------------------------------------------------------

- Derek W. McKearney
  Bailey Controls
  mckearney@bailey.com


