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From: dpeachey@vmark.co.uk (Dan)
Subject: Re: Word on the street is that ST is dead - Is it true?
Organization: VMark Software Ltd.
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 96 09:28:01 GMT
Message-ID: <1996Apr12.092801.14305@vmark.co.uk>
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Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.lang.smalltalk:37153 comp.lang.java:39539

david@odi.com.au wrote:

>Word on the street generally is that Smalltalk will be dead within one

>year as a development environment.

>As a new Smalltalker who loves the language better than life itself 
>I'm now wandering bewildered and lost wondering who killed me and 
>why...  

>Is Java so wonderful that ST is really dead yet but doesn't know it
>or can I bask in the safe knowledge that ST will grow as
>the analysts predicted ?

>Right at the moment I feel like I should be requesting my last
>cigarette as I'm the first guy with his back to the wall because
>the revolution's come.

Java is cool.  You can write those neat applets and do lots of stuff
that is very interesting.  A lot of people like it.
However, as far as being OO goes ,it sucks, in my opinion.  Smalltalk
is far purer.  ( example: Java allows you to send Class methods to
Instances.  Which is pretty bad if you ask me).

Java is also very immature,  there are lots of problems with it.
These should be fixed,  but it will take some time.  Smalltalk is far
more productive.

My opinion:  both langauges have there uses,  and I can see no reason
why Java will kill Smalltalk.  Java may be superior in its
portability, web support etc,  but as said before it's not as OO, and
Smalltalk blows it away here.

My advice: learn both languages :)

Dan

ObjectStudio Support

My opinions are my own and not those of my employers.

