Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!newsfeed.pitt.edu!gatech!newsfeed.internetmci.com!newsxfer2.itd.umich.edu!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!qiclab.scn.rain.com!gemstone.com!servio!servio!aland
From: aland@servio.slc.com (Alan Darlington)
Subject: Re: Advantages of Smalltalk over Java
Message-ID: <1996Mar13.205217.25094@slc.com>
Sender: news@slc.com (USENET News)
Nntp-Posting-Host: servio
Organization: GemStone Systems, Inc., Beaverton OR, USA
References: <1996Mar1.192910.5007@slc.com> <4hfm06$hnl@newsbf02.news.aol.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 20:52:17 GMT
Lines: 24

davidsutra@aol.com (DavidSutra) writes:
> Alan writes:
> >>
> Smalltalk doesn't have pointers either (i.e. all pointers are internal
> to the interpreter, and a user cannot monkey with them).  Definitely a
> plus for any language, IMO.  :-)
> <<
> 
> Huh-huh. Alan, if you have STV/VS, take a look at class WinAddress.
> "WinAddresses" are pointers.
> 
> Regards,
> DS

True, but these (and other things like them, such as file handles) are
external to Smalltalk.  While you might be able to mess these up, you
cannot crash Smalltalk by doing so!  (You might be able to crash
windows, though... :-)

My point was that C/C++ (for example) give you access to pointers to
things in memory, which you may then modify and (mis)use.

  Cheers,
  Alan
