MIght seem like and odd question

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> ok folks here goes,

Welcome

> I was a C/C++/Prolog programmer, became disabled thougtht I would thrown
> myself @ smalltalk!!

A good decision.  If nothing else it should show you how a good OO language
works and even help you with using the languages you already use - if only
by exposing their deficiencies :-).

> so far so good, but am I 2 set in my ways to assume smalltalk works
> backwards a little?

I'm not sure how someone who knows Prolog can accuse other languages of
being backwards :).   I liked Prolog when I used it (a long time ago now)
but I can't say I ever fully understood what was going on.

Smalltalk appears different, mainly because of three factors

- Syntax. There is not really much to the underlying syntax but what there
is can seem strange compared to C/C++
- Environment. Working with browsers and a library that implements most of
the language (and browsers) itself can take some getting used to.
- ObjectOrientation. Unlike C++ Smalltalk works _with_ Objects so it helps
if you can "Think objectively" rather than just "How do I rewrite this C
code in Smalltalk"

You can get into some languages by learning the syntax and then just moving
your existing techniques over to the new language.   You can, just about, do
that in Smalltalk but to fully "get" it, and benefit from it's advantages,
you really need to forget a lot of what you already know and try to approach
it from a different angle.  It can take a bit of doing, the famous
"Smalltalk learning curve" but it is worth it in the end.

Feel free to post again (preferably using plain test rather than HTML
please) with any specific questions - we are quite a friendly bunch in this
USENET outpost, so you should get some helpful replies.

Ian