Smalltalk/X consists of both an integrated environment for program
development AND a standalone smalltalk compiler (*),
generating true machine code.
The programming environment includes editors, browsers, compiler and debugger
and a large library of ready to use building blocks for application
writers.
The standalone compiler generates true machine code from smalltalk source
files - and can be used in a batch environment for production/delivery.
Although static compiled machine code leads to bigger executables, the main advantage (beside faster execution) is the deterministic runtime behavior, which cannot always be guaranteed, if bytecodes are compiled dynamically at execution time.
Big applications benefit from static compilation by the sharability of this compiled code among multiple applications, if shared libraries and/or shared text segments are supported by the operating system.
Applications can (and do) use a mix of precompiled machine code classes and interpreted bytecode classes - this is transparent to the program or programmer.
If supported by the operating system (***), machine compiled modules can be dynamically added and removed from the running system.
Packaging and distribution is performed by
independent distibutors.
A free (somewhat stripped down)
version for educational use is available via FTP from various sites
(ftp.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de, sunsite and others - ask archie).
Copyright © 1996 Claus Gittinger Development & Consulting
Copyright © 1996 eXept Software AG
<info@exept.de>