Dolphin Smalltalk

Dolphin Smalltalk is an implementation of the Smalltalk programming language and integrated development environment designed specifically for the Microsoft Windows platform. Developed by the British company Object Arts, it was first released in 1998 and is distinguished by its tight integration with the native Windows API and its focus on providing a highly productive development experience. The environment combines a classic Smalltalk image-based workflow with native Windows application development capabilities, allowing developers to build fully featured graphical user interface applications.

History and development

The project was initiated by Andy Bower and Blair McGlashan of Object Arts, who sought to create a modern Smalltalk tailored for the dominant Microsoft Windows ecosystem of the late 1990s. The first public release emerged in 1998, with development heavily influenced by the design of earlier systems like IBM's VisualAge and the original Xerox PARC environment. A significant milestone was the release of version 5 in 2003, which introduced a new virtual machine and enhanced COM support. After version 7.1 in 2010, the core technology was transitioned to an open-source model under the MIT License, with community efforts continuing its evolution. The development trajectory reflects a consistent focus on leveraging Win32 and later .NET Framework interoperability while maintaining the interactive feel of traditional Smalltalk systems.

Features and architecture

Its architecture is built around a high-performance bytecode interpreter and virtual machine written primarily in Assembly language for the x86 architecture, ensuring efficient execution on Windows XP through Windows 10. Key features include deep integration with the Windows API, comprehensive support for Component Object Model and ActiveX controls, and a dual-mode system allowing both traditional image-based persistence and file-out source code management. The system includes a fully integrated refactoring browser, a package manager, and advanced dynamic software updating capabilities. Its object-oriented class library provides extensive wrappers for Win32 controls, GDI+ graphics, and ADO database connectivity, facilitating the creation of native-looking applications.

Development environment

The integrated development environment presents a unified workspace featuring a System Browser, Workspace windows, a Debugger, and a Visual Designer for constructing graphical user interfaces via direct manipulation. The Visual Designer allows for WYSIWYG layout of dialogs and windows, generating corresponding Smalltalk code that integrates seamlessly with the underlying Model-View-Controller framework. Tools like the Method Explorer and Class Hierarchy Browser support the exploratory programming style characteristic of Smalltalk-80 dialects. The environment itself is written in Dolphin Smalltalk and can be modified live, enabling profound metaprogramming and customization during a debugging session.

Community and adoption

While never achieving the widespread commercial use of platforms like Microsoft Visual Basic or Java, it cultivated a dedicated niche following, particularly among developers valuing rapid prototyping and agile software development methodologies within Microsoft Windows enterprises. The community, centered around the website of Object Arts and various online forums, contributed numerous open-source packages and extensions. After the move to an MIT License, stewardship partially shifted to community projects aiming to maintain compatibility with newer versions of Windows. Its adoption is noted in areas such as financial modeling, internal business tools, and educational contexts for teaching object-oriented programming.

Comparison with other Smalltalk implementations

Unlike portable virtual machine-based implementations like Squeak or Pharo, which prioritize cross-platform uniformity, it is exclusively optimized for the Microsoft Windows platform, offering superior native integration compared to the Morphic graphics framework. In contrast to the VisualWorks environment from Cincom, it provides a more lightweight and affordable entry point for Windows development. Compared to GNU Smalltalk, which emphasizes scriptability and Unix integration, it is fundamentally an interactive development environment. Its hybrid source-code and image model also differentiates it from pure image-based systems, offering developers familiar with Visual Studio a more recognizable project structure.

Category:Smalltalk programming language family Category:Integrated development environments Category:Programming tools for Windows Category:Object-oriented programming languages Category:Free integrated development environments