Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk
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From: aland@servio.slc.com (Alan Darlington)
Subject: Re: Dolphin / Smalltalk/V : 2 questions !
Message-ID: <1996Jul22.190824.28620@gemstone.com>
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References: <31F0093B.183F@univ-lille1.fr> <31EFC881.6187@terracom.net>
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 1996 19:08:24 GMT
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Dave Smith <daves@terracom.net> writes:
> Jean-Claude TARBY wrote:
> > 
> > I'd like to know :
> > 1. if Dolphin and Smalltalk/V are compatible ? If no, why and what is the
> > percentage of compliance ?
> 
> No. Strictly speaking there is no such thing as "compatable" smalltalk
> from one company to another. There never has been. There is nothing to
> "comply" to except perhaps the Blue book specs. For some people Visual
> Works represents a kind of "ad hoc" spec, since there is so much VW code
> laying around. You +can+ buy converters that will translate source from
> one well known version (e.g., Visual Works) to another. BTW, SmalltalkV
> code is not even upwardly compatible with VisualSmalltalk 3.0 (the next
> version up) let alone some other company's version. 
<snip> 

There are two levels of compatibility:  (1) the language syntax and
semantics, and (2) the class library.  The first is completely
compatible (alright - there are a _few_ minor exceptions here and
there :-).

The second is what causes porting problems.  Base classes (Integers,
Arrays, etc.) are usually pretty compatible.  But when it comes to
UI stuff, you might as well throw away the old stuff and start from
scratch.  :-(

  Cheers,
  Alan
    (standard disclaimer)


P.S.  I work with VA (professional and standard), VS, and VW.  We
      support both ENVY and non-ENVY versions of each.  I have seen
      _lots_ of porting problems.  Not fun!

