VA Smalltalk Features

Development Tools

• A rich set of configurable development tools in VA Smalltalk includes a debugger, browsers, inspectors, application builders, deprecation framework and a performance monitor.
• Packager creates a runtime image including only necessary classes resulting in a smaller footprint.
• Reports feature enables the creation of hard copy and/or screen reports on any object that can be used in the VA Smalltalk environment, including parts provided in the Database and Communications features (Windows only).
• SUnit 4.0 - Just in Time Resources facilitates creation of Smalltalk unit tests.
• Logging Framework (based on log4j) - facilitates recording of application events during development or at runtime with flexible filters

Seaside

Seaside provides a framework and tools for quickly building highly interactive and sophisticated web applications. Includes Seaside Core, jQuery, Scriptaculous and RSS.

Web Services

A self-contained, modular framework for accessing and hosting Web Services with tools for creating and deploying them.

Custom Controls

Highlights of support for Custom Controls include:

• Popular WidgetKit technology
• Columnar List boxes, table widgets and hierarchical lists
• Customizable image buttons, toggles and value sets
• Vertical, horizontal and circular gauges
• Data-aware spin buttons
• Windows Notebook
• Split-bar widget
• Windows Rebar

Database

Database support includes:

• GLORP support lets you easily read and write Smalltalk objects from relational databases
• High performance, robust support for DB2 and Oracle
• Support for any database which supports the ODBC interface

Ergonomic Enhancements to Development Tools

Enhancements to VA Smalltalk development tools for improved ergonomics feature award-winning VA Assist™ technology.

• Abbreviation Expansion
• Auto-Spell Correction
• Class History/Find
• Code Synchronization
• Code Completion
• Color Code Syntax (Windows only)
• Customizable Toolbars
• Dynamic & Batch-Oriented Spell Checking
• Enhanced Composition Editor
• Enhanced Debugger
• Enhanced Inspectors
• Locate Applications and Dependents
• Powerful change propagation tools
• Release All Latest
• Tabbed Browsers
• Version Graph Tab
• Version Templates
• Universal Drag/Drop

Communications

Rich communications support includes:

• A set of parts supports communication with other computers using MQ series transactions.
• A set of parts supports communication with other computers using TCP/IP protocols.
• Socket Communications Interface is an API providing full support for TCP/IP protocols, as well as secure communications using SSL. The API uses OpenSSL, an implementation of SSL/TLS.

Server Smalltalk

Server Smalltalk (SST) provides a client/server framework flexible enough to accommodate various distributed architectures.

Server Workbench

Server Workbench is a cross-development environment used in developing distributed processing, web hosting, and other server applications. Target deployment environments include all VA Smalltalk platforms and z/OS using IBM’s VisualAge Smalltalk Server for OS/390 and z/OS.

External Interface Support

Elements of support for external interfaces to VA Smalltalk include:

• XML Support enables XML–Smalltalk object mapping, includes a server interface via XML request handlers and reading of remote resources via TCP sockets using HTTP requests
• OLE Support enables an application to use OLE clients and custom control services.
• Domino Connection allows an application to retrieve and work with Domino documents as well as access Notes mail system
• AsyncCallout, an extension of the platform function API, allows developers to make a platform function call in a separate operating system thread