Deltatalk: An Empirically and Aesthetically Motivated Simplification of the Smalltalk-80 Language

Authors: Alan Borning and Tim O'Shea

Proceedings of the European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming, Paris, June 1987, pages 3-12.


Abstract

The Smalltalk-80 system offers a language with a small and elegant conceptual core, and a highly interactive programming environment. We believe, however, that it could be made more learnable and usable by a relatively small set of changes. In this paper, we present the results of a series of empirical studies on learnability, and also some informal studies of large implementation projects. Based on these studies, we suggest a number of changes to the Smalltalk-80 language and system.


full paper: postscript; pdf

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