[ANN]Dolphin Smalltalk XP Set For May 3rd Release

Folks,

The new version of Dolphin Smalltalk will be released on May 3rd. This
includes many new features and hundreds of minor bug fixes and enhancements.
Since the new products include tools to aid with eXtreme Programming (agile
software development) we have chosen to name the new version, Dolphin
Smalltalk XP.

Dolphin XP 5.0 has been subjected to an extensive beta test programme over
the course of the last few months and we are confident that this is our best
version yet. For more details please follow this link:
http://www.object-arts.com/NewFeatures5.htm

DOLPHIN 3.x USERS PLEASE NOTE:
If you are still a Dolphin 3 user then we'd like to make you aware that
there will be no preferential upgrade path from this version up to Dolphin
XP once the latter is released. This will mean that you'll have to purchase
XP at the full price should you wish to move up at a later date. However, if
you choose to upgrade your current version to Dolphin 4 now then you will be
eligible for an automatic XP upgrade when the final software becomes
avaialble on May 3rd. You'll also be able to try out the Release Candidate
XP product right away.

As always, thank you for choosing Object Arts' software.

Best regards,

Andy Bower
Object Arts Ltd.
http://www.object-arts.com

"Not all addictions are bad for you"
http://www.object-arts.com/Addiction.htm

Any clues as to the cost in upgrading from D4 Professional?

David
"Andy Bower" <[hidden email]> wrote in message
news:aa6h99$8aqfe$[hidden email]...
> Folks,
>
> The new version of Dolphin Smalltalk will be released on May 3rd. This
> includes many new features and hundreds of minor bug fixes and
enhancements.
> Since the new products include tools to aid with eXtreme Programming
(agile
> software development) we have chosen to name the new version, Dolphin
> Smalltalk XP.
>
> Dolphin XP 5.0 has been subjected to an extensive beta test programme over
> the course of the last few months and we are confident that this is our
best
> version yet. For more details please follow this link:
> http://www.object-arts.com/NewFeatures5.htm
>
> DOLPHIN 3.x USERS PLEASE NOTE:
> If you are still a Dolphin 3 user then we'd like to make you aware that
> there will be no preferential upgrade path from this version up to Dolphin
> XP once the latter is released. This will mean that you'll have to
purchase
> XP at the full price should you wish to move up at a later date. However,
if
> you choose to upgrade your current version to Dolphin 4 now then you will
be

Object Arts,

Could you elaborate a little on the statement that

"Dolphin Smalltalk XP works with Windows™ 98, ME, NT4, 2000 or XP"?

It would be good to distinguish between development platform and
deployment platform.  I don't need to develop on Windows 95, but it
would be good to know if the users of the applications built with
Dolphin need to have at least Windows 98 as well.  Is there any
specification of which functions wouldn't work with Windows 95 so that
an application could be checked for compatibility?

Thank you.

Keith Alcock




Andy Bower wrote:
>
> Folks,
>
> The new version of Dolphin Smalltalk will be released on May 3rd. This
> includes many new features and hundreds of minor bug fixes and enhancements.
> Since the new products include tools to aid with eXtreme Programming (agile
> software development) we have chosen to name the new version, Dolphin
> Smalltalk XP.
>



Andy Bower wrote:
>
> Folks,
>
> The new version of Dolphin Smalltalk will be released on May 3rd. This
> includes many new features and hundreds of minor bug fixes and enhancements.
> Since the new products include tools to aid with eXtreme Programming (agile
> software development) we have chosen to name the new version, Dolphin
> Smalltalk XP.
>

On Wed, 24 Apr 2002 15:58:23 -0400,
Andy Bower <[hidden email]> wrote:
> Folks,
>
> ... For more details please follow this link:
> http://www.object-arts.com/NewFeatures5.htm

Where exactly is the "Buy your upgrade now,
since you have been sooooo patient" button?

:-)

s.

Andy Bower <[hidden email]> wrote in message
news:aa6h99$8aqfe$[hidden email]...
...
> DOLPHIN 3.x USERS PLEASE NOTE:
> If you are still a Dolphin 3 user then we'd like to make you aware that
> there will be no preferential upgrade path from this version up to Dolphin
> XP once the latter is released. This will mean that you'll have to
purchase
> XP at the full price should you wish to move up at a later date. However,
if
> you choose to upgrade your current version to Dolphin 4 now then you will
be
> eligible for an automatic XP upgrade when the final software becomes
> avaialble on May 3rd. You'll also be able to try out the Release Candidate
> XP product right away.
...

Since Dolphin 3.x users get to try out RC1 right away if they upgrade is
there any way for Dolphin Pro 4.x users to pay now and try out RC1 right
away as well?

Chris

Keith,

It is likely that both deployed applications and the IDE will run under
Win95 but we don't officially support it. Some of our beta testers have run
the development system under 95 without problems and, therefore, I would
assume that deployed apps will work okay too. Microsoft withdrew support for
Win95 in November 2001 so it seemed appropriate for us to follow suit to
relieve our testing and support commitments.

In short, we have not knowingly used any facilities in Dolphin XP that are
not available in Win95. However, users will have to take responsibility for
verification of compatibility themselves. There will eventually (although
not initially) be a trial version of Dolphin XP available to assist this.

Best regards,

Andy Bower
Dolphin Support
http://www.object-arts.com

---
Visit the Dolphin Smalltalk Wiki Web
http://www.object-arts.com/wiki/html/Dolphin/FrontPage.htm
---

Chris,

> Since Dolphin 3.x users get to try out RC1 right away if they upgrade is
> there any way for Dolphin Pro 4.x users to pay now and try out RC1 right
> away as well?

Unfortunately, no. Basically, the software is ready but we haven't had time
to implement the e-commerce changes to take payment for D5 yet. Since we're
at Smalltalk Solutions this week the changes will have to wait until we
return, hence the May 3rd release date. We're sorry if this seems unfair but
that's the reasoning behind it.

Best regards,

Andy Bower
Dolphin Support
http://www.object-arts.com

---
Visit the Dolphin Smalltalk Wiki Web
http://www.object-arts.com/wiki/html/Dolphin/FrontPage.htm
---

Andy Bower <[hidden email]> wrote in message
news:aa7g1b$8c8go$[hidden email]...
> Chris,
>
> > Since Dolphin 3.x users get to try out RC1 right away if they upgrade is
> > there any way for Dolphin Pro 4.x users to pay now and try out RC1 right
> > away as well?
>
> Unfortunately, no. Basically, the software is ready but we haven't had
time
> to implement the e-commerce changes to take payment for D5 yet. Since
we're
> at Smalltalk Solutions this week the changes will have to wait until we
> return, hence the May 3rd release date. We're sorry if this seems unfair
but
> that's the reasoning behind it.

OK, I guess I will just wait then.  Nobody ever said life was fair anyway.
;)  I am very eager to see D5 in action, from what I have read it looks like
an impressive upgrade with many performance enhancements.

Hurry back ;)

Chris

Christopher J. Demers <[hidden email]> wrote:
: OK, I guess I will just wait then.  Nobody ever said life was fair anyway.
: ;)  I am very eager to see D5 in action, from what I have read it looks like
: an impressive upgrade with many performance enhancements.

I didn't see any mention of particular performance enhancements.  Is it
execution speed improved?  In what ways?

Thanks,

-Carl
------------------------------------------------------------------
 Carl Gundel  [hidden email]  Shoptalk Systems
 author of Liberty BASIC, twice a PC Magazine Awards Finalist!
 http://www.libertybasic.com
------------------------------------------------------------------

Carl E Gundel <[hidden email]> wrote in message
news:[hidden email]...
> Christopher J. Demers <[hidden email]> wrote:
> : OK, I guess I will just wait then.  Nobody ever said life was fair
anyway.
> : ;)  I am very eager to see D5 in action, from what I have read it looks
like
> : an impressive upgrade with many performance enhancements.
>
> I didn't see any mention of particular performance enhancements.  Is it
> execution speed improved?  In what ways?

Doh!  Bad word choice on my part I think. ;)  I guess I meant the overall
"performance" of Dolphin as a development tool, not just speed.  I was
impressed by the development UI enhancements.  It sounds like the D5 UI is
moving closer to the way I would like to work.

While I did not see any specific claim for a speed improvement in Dolphin
5.0 I imagine that if one uses certain new features (forward only
recordsets) they might see some speed improvements.  Dolphin execution speed
has not thus far been an impediment for me, but I would not complain about
more speed either.

Chris

Christopher J. Demers <[hidden email]> wrote:
: Carl E Gundel <[hidden email]> wrote in message
:> : an impressive upgrade with many performance enhancements.
:>
:> I didn't see any mention of particular performance enhancements.  Is it
:> execution speed improved?  In what ways?

: Doh!  Bad word choice on my part I think. ;)  I guess I meant the overall
: "performance" of Dolphin as a development tool, not just speed.  I was
: impressed by the development UI enhancements.  It sounds like the D5 UI is
: moving closer to the way I would like to work.

Hey, great tools are what else?  Great!  ;-)

: While I did not see any specific claim for a speed improvement in Dolphin
: 5.0 I imagine that if one uses certain new features (forward only
: recordsets) they might see some speed improvements.  Dolphin execution speed
: has not thus far been an impediment for me, but I would not complain about
: more speed either.

I have an app on VisualSmalltalk that I'll eventually need to port to a
different dialect, and I can't afford to see it get slower.  A speedier
Dolphin would be very welcome.

-Carl
------------------------------------------------------------------
 Carl Gundel  [hidden email]  Shoptalk Systems
 author of Liberty BASIC, twice a PC Magazine Awards Finalist!
 http://www.libertybasic.com
------------------------------------------------------------------

Carl E Gundel <[hidden email]> wrote in message
news:[hidden email]...
...
> I have an app on VisualSmalltalk that I'll eventually need to port to a
> different dialect, and I can't afford to see it get slower.  A speedier
> Dolphin would be very welcome.
>

Do you think Dolphin is slower than VisualSmalltalk?  I used to use
VisualSmalltalk some time ago, mostly for research and prototype
applications.  I can't really comment on any speed differences between
VisualSmalltalk and Dolphin as I used IBM VAST in-between and never really
had cause to compare speeds.  However I found Dolphin to be an excellent
place to move from VisualSmalltalk as it seemed to embody many of the same
ideals but with improvements.  It was the right balance of simplicity and
power.  IBM VAST was nice, but in some ways I think it was more complex than
what we needed, and the cost (with add-ons required to make it look more
like Dolphin) would have been rather high.  I did not like the look and feel
of Visual Works' emulated Windows GUI at the time (in fairness I think they
have improved this since I last looked), and I did not care for their
royalty based licensing.  You might be interested in Smalltalk MT if you
need speed (though I have heard mixed comments about its speed).  I found
the development interface in Smalltalk MT to be a bit more primitive then
the Dolphin interface when I last looked (once again I think they may have
improved it).

I notice that your Liberty BASIC program supports OS/2.  That's cool.  I
used to be an OS/2 person (I even ran a Maximus/2 based BBS) until I had to
switch to Windows 95 (or maybe even Windows 3.11 w/ WIN32) for a job.  I
sometimes think it is too bad that IBM let MS win.

Chris

"Christopher J. Demers" <[hidden email]> wrote in message news:<aacqbs$9m7tt$[hidden email]>...
I just noticed something about Dolphin which might alleviate my
performance problem.  I didn't realize that the compiler can be
shipped with runtime apps.  This may allow me to use some tricks to
speed up Liberty BASIC, which is the app I was referring to earlier.
Hope springs eternal.  ;-)

-Carl

Carl Gundel <[hidden email]> wrote:
: I just noticed something about Dolphin which might alleviate my
: performance problem.  I didn't realize that the compiler can be
: shipped with runtime apps.  This may allow me to use some tricks to
: speed up Liberty BASIC, which is the app I was referring to earlier.
: Hope springs eternal.  ;-)

Okay, I've broken down and bought the Dolphin Smalltalk Companion.  Time
to learn DST!  :-)

-Carl
------------------------------------------------------------------
 Carl Gundel  [hidden email]  Shoptalk Systems
 author of Liberty BASIC, twice a PC Magazine Awards Finalist!
 http://www.libertybasic.com
------------------------------------------------------------------

Carl E Gundel <[hidden email]> wrote in message
news:[hidden email]...
>
> Okay, I've broken down and bought the Dolphin Smalltalk Companion.  Time
> to learn DST!  :-)

Welcome to the club! ;)  Ted's book is a good intro to Dolphin Smalltalk and
MVP (or as Ted calls it MPV), however you should see the on-line errata page
here http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ted.bracht/id21.htm to avoid some minor
frustration.  MVP will probably be one of the biggest differences between
VSE and Dolphin.  It is probably best to understand and learn MVP the long
way first.  After you understand the principal of MVP, and start to get
tired of typing you might want to take a look at my Presenter code generator
http://www.mitchellscientific.com/smalltalk/ .  It will generate some of the
presenter code based for you on the view.  I really find this tool quite
useful, but maybe I am just biased. ;)

Happy Dolphining,

Chris