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From: aland@servio.slc.com (Alan Darlington)
Subject: Re: Evaluating code at runtime (is it possible?)
Message-ID: <1996Feb26.185718.22139@slc.com>
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References: <4fqudv$35n@zip.io.org> <DMtAxp.JAD@discus.technion.ac.il> <4gbd6u$26p@news1.io.org>
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 18:57:18 GMT
Lines: 34

slugboy@io.org (Trevor Gimbel) writes:
> zviki@tx.technion.ac.il (Cohen Zviki) wrote:
> >Trevor Gimbel (slugboy@zip.io.org) wrote:
> >: Is it possible to evaluate and execute smalltalk code at runtime?
> >: I'm using VisualAge for Windows 3.0.
> 
> >It's easy. IBM Smalltalk has a variable called 'Compiler' which is used
> >for that purpose (among other things).  ...
<snip>
> I've talked to VisualAge support at IBM and they've told me that it
> can't be done.  Their packager will not allow the compiler to packaged
> into a runtime image.

This is one of my biggest complaints against most Smalltalk vendors.
Ripping out the compiler from a run-time image causes all kinds of
problems.  The biggest ones are

  (1)  No dynamic class creation (alright - you _can_ create a class,
       but what good is it without any methods?).  This is not a
       frequent requirement, but if you need it, there is usually no
       other way around the problem.

  (2)  No easy way to fix bugs in the field.  I would rather send a 500
       byte source fix than a 12 MB image!  (By the way, this also
       requires the ability to save a run-time image - another
       frequently disabled feature!)

I think vendors are overly paranoid about their run-time images.
Stripping out browsers is enough to make an image unusable for
Smalltalk development (IMHO).

  Grumblingly,
  Alan
    (standard disclaimer)
