Smalltalk flyer, now in english too

Hi,

I've updated the Smalltalk flyer:
https://svn.squeak.org/Advertisement/flyers/smalltalk/.

English version: http://damien.cassou.free.fr/smalltalk-flyer-en.pdf
French version: http://damien.cassou.free.fr/smalltalk-flyer-fr.pdf

Takeshi Mutoh is translating it to Japanese too.

Please tell me how it can be improved.

Thanks

--
Damien Cassou

On Mon, 2007-10-08 at 09:04 +0200, Damien Cassou wrote: In the section called keyword messages the last word in the first
paragraph should be colon instead of semicolon, right?

N.

The browser instance is fancier with your recent UI enhanced squeak-dev  
image :)

How about deselecting scrollBarsOnRight and putting a middot (=>  
CharacterTable) instead of Yen sign ;-)

Just my CHF 0.05

On Mon, 08 Oct 2007 09:04:14 +0200, Damien Cassou wrote:

2007/10/8, Norbert Hartl <[hidden email]>:
> In the section called keyword messages the last word in the first
> paragraph should be colon instead of semicolon, right?

Corrected, thank you.

--
Damien Cassou

On Oct 8, 2007, at 12:14 , Damien Cassou wrote:

> 2007/10/8, Norbert Hartl <[hidden email]>:
>> In the section called keyword messages the last word in the first
>> paragraph should be colon instead of semicolon, right?
>
> Corrected, thank you.

There is also an occurrence of "binray".

Maybe a native speaker could enhance the English version ...

- Bert -

Oh, forgot to mention: STIC's (The Vendor Neutral Smalltalk Organization)  
URL is

- http://www.stic.st/ :)

/Klaus

On Mon, 08 Oct 2007 11:10:49 +0200, me wrote:

On 08/10/2007, Damien Cassou <[hidden email]> wrote:
> English version: http://damien.cassou.free.fr/smalltalk-flyer-en.pdf
> Please tell me how it can be improved.

Hi Damien,
I think it generally reads well - just a number of small typo/grammar
points below.

Michael

*Important concepts*
dynamically types -> dynamically typed
It's -> Its
small amount -> small number

*Message sending*
All message send return an object -> All message sends return an object
All messages are sent to an objects -> All messages are sent to objects

*Keyword messages*
The first example call -> The first example calls

*Development Environment*
Most of the Smalltalk implementations comes -> Most of the Smalltalk
implementations come
permits the code evaluation -> permits code evaluation
immediately viewing -> immediately showing

*Visual works*
for a non-commercial - for non-commercial

*Image*
It contains -> This contains

*Reflexion* -> *Reflection*
A language is said reflexive -> A language is said to be reflective
(reflexion/reflexive are not widely used)

*Dynamic typing*
Some languages are forcing -> Some languages force
does not limit its -> does not limit the

*Actions* -> Activities -or- Events

*Internet*
add news.squeak.org? :-)

On 10/8/07, Michael Davies <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> It's -> Its

Its?  That would either be the contraction "It is" or possessive
"It's".  So I'm guessing "It is" no longer has an apostrophe to show
it's a contraction?

"Jason Johnson" <[hidden email]> wrote in message
news:[hidden email]...
> On 10/8/07, Michael Davies <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>> It's -> Its
>
> Its?  That would either be the contraction "It is" or possessive
> "It's".  So I'm guessing "It is" no longer has an apostrophe to show
> it's a contraction?

The text is "Its main advantage".

Tip: Pretend that the thing is a person and write "it" as he or his (or she
and her)
Then "its main advantage" would be "his main advantage".

On the other hand "it's very good" would be "he's really good" i.e. "he is
really good"

If there is an apostrophe in the "he" version, then there is also an
apostrophe in the "it" version.
If there is no apostrophe in the "he" version then there is no apostrophe in
the "it" version.

At least that is how I remember it.
Its [sic] easy :)

Cheers,
Andy

Jason Johnson wrote:

On 10/8/07, Michael Davies [hidden email] wrote:
  

It's -> Its
    

Its?  That would either be the contraction "It is" or possessive
"It's".  So I'm guessing "It is" no longer has an apostrophe to show
it's a contraction?

  

it's is the contraction of "it is"
its is the possessive form of "it"

Ah ok.  I was thinking:  "John's main advantage", but I guess names
are the only case where possessive has the apostrophe.

On 10/8/07, Andrew Tween <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hi Michael,

I've updated the flyer. Thank you very much for your corrections.

Bye

2007/10/8, Michael Davies <[hidden email]>:

--
Damien Cassou

Hi Klaus,

url added to both versions.

Thank you

2007/10/8, Klaus D. Witzel <[hidden email]>:

--
Damien Cassou

> > 2007/10/8, Norbert Hartl <[hidden email]>:
> >> In the section called keyword messages the last word in the first
> >> paragraph should be colon instead of semicolon, right?
> >
> > Corrected, thank you.
>
> There is also an occurrence of "binray".
>
> Maybe a native speaker could enhance the English version ...

  That would be good.  Now, one guy is working on the Japanese version
translated from the English version, and I'm helping him a bit, but I
found a lot of unusual English phrases that seem to be
literal-translation from French.  (like "industrial actors and
Smalltalk editors").

  Michael was taking some measure but it would be nice if he or
somebody goes "all the way" and make it really readable as natural
English.

-- Yoshiki

On 09/10/2007, Yoshiki Ohshima <[hidden email]> wrote:
>   Michael was taking some measure but it would be nice if he or
> somebody goes "all the way" and make it really readable as natural
> English.
>

If Damien's happy for me to do so, then I'd be willing to rework the
English version.

2007/10/9, Michael Davies <[hidden email]>:
> On 09/10/2007, Yoshiki Ohshima <[hidden email]> wrote:
> >   Michael was taking some measure but it would be nice if he or
> > somebody goes "all the way" and make it really readable as natural
> > English.
> >
>
> If Damien's happy for me to do so, then I'd be willing to rework the
> English version.

Sure :-). Just take the LaTeX files, modify them and send them back to
me. https://svn.squeak.org/Advertisement/flyers/smalltalk

Thank you for your help


--
Damien Cassou

Here are my comments on the most recent version.

Under "dynamic typing" in the glossary, "With dynamic typing, the
developer does not limit the variables to a given type" is true but
not what is important.  It should be something like "Dynamic typing
makes programs more reusable and easier to change".

Under "Smalltalk important concepts", "minimal syntax" should probably
be "simple syntax".  It is not really minimal.  It is small, simple,
and easy to learn.  But it could be made even smaller.

"coherent" should probably be "consistent".

"really small" should just be "small"

Under "message sending", "method call is done" should be "method is called"

Under "development environments", I think it should be "Most Smalltalk
implementations come with an integrated development environment that
allows for browsing of source code and interacting with objects.

The list of tools right now emphasises single person tools.  I think
"version control" would hint that Smalltalk is not just for single
person projects.

The list of applications is fine, but I would like to see some hint
that Smalltalk is used for commercial applications, as well.  Perhaps
a line like "Smalltalk has been used to develop best-of-breed
applications since the early 1980s.  Here are some current Smalltalk
applications that are advancing the state of software."

On 09/10/2007, Damien Cassou <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
> Sure :-). Just take the LaTeX files, modify them and send them back to
> me. https://svn.squeak.org/Advertisement/flyers/smalltalk
>
> Thank you for your help

No problem. I've downloaded a copy, and will see what I can do. I've
incorporated Ralph's suggestions already.

Cheers,
Michael

Thank you Ralph and Michael. Your changes has been pushed onto the repository.

Yoshiki and Takeshi, you now have an english-compliant flyer to work on.

The latest version can always be found in:
https://svn.squeak.org/Advertisement/flyers/smalltalk/

2007/10/9, Michael Davies <[hidden email]>:

--
Damien Cassou

  Damien,

> Thank you Ralph and Michael. Your changes has been pushed onto the repository.
>
> Yoshiki and Takeshi, you now have an english-compliant flyer to work on.
>
> The latest version can always be found in:
> https://svn.squeak.org/Advertisement/flyers/smalltalk/

  Thank you!  There are a few questions:

  - How terrible is it if we add references to Japanese Squeak books?
  - Again the same question, but I still have trouble to figure out
    who are "industrial actors and Smalltalk editors."  Smalltalk
    editors are Smalltalk developers?

-- Yoshiki