Style

Introduction

The subject of style is not absolute. Instead it is a creative area that allows for many diverse approaches, many of which are good at solving the problem of creating good Smalltalk applications. In this chapter, you will learn about some approaches to Smalltalk style. This chapter is not meant to dictate the way to write Smalltalk code, but to point out Smalltalk coding issues and possible solutions. You will learn about:

• Good ways to write Smalltalk Methods
• Good ways to organize classes
• How to subclass and partition a growing class
• How to aggregate functionality into a superclass
• Issues involved in making system class changes
• How to create dynamic messages
• Ways to document methods and classes

Let this chapter serve as a springboard for creating your own ideas on how to best create your Smalltalk applications with style and quality. You have already found that Smalltalk is superior in many ways to other languages, but don't forget that it is still possible to make the same mistakes in Smalltalk as other languages (and sometimes make them far worse!). It is only through understanding and exploration that you will discover your best ability in Smalltalk programming.


more to follow...