Inching Forward

The Smalltalk language is deceptively simple. These two guides will get you started on the grammar:

I Can Read C++ and Java But I Can't Read Smalltalk
Reading Smalltalk

Syntax is just the tip of the iceberg, but you should have a feel of the flavor of the language after reading the above.

The purpose of this blog is to chronicle my learning experiences with Squeak and Seaside. I've been doing web development using Java for the last six years, and find Squeak + Seaside a breath of fresh air. Even though I've been involved in writing software for several years, I've only recently become a student of the game. It started with researching different languages to write personal projects in, taking detours through Python, Smalltalk, Ruby, Lisp and Haskell. Researching those languages uncovered several blogs and articles that opened my eyes to how little I've really known about my own profession (and how much I've been able to overachieve). I decided to settle on Squeak due to its roots of being focused as a learning tool, the turtles all the way down approach to the environment, its ability to do amazing simulations, and the Seaside web framework.

I plan to use this space to help others who want to learn Squeak and Seaside.