Unlike most Smalltalk class libraries that were developed in the absence of standards, IBM Smalltalk was developed based on existing industry software and hardware standards. The use of these standards is a major benefit to development teams because it means that Smalltalk developers can use the same terminology and application protocols used in other languages. This reduces the need for vendor-specific Smalltalk documentation and training for the base class libraries, window systems, file systems, and graphics and process models. It also leverages a corporation's investment in standards training and documentation.
IBM Smalltalk is based on the following industry standards:
The following table lists the subsystems and the standards upon which they
are based.
IBM Smalltalk Subsystem | Based on These Industry Standards |
---|---|
Common Language Data Types | Smalltalk-80 Blue Book and IBM Red Book |
Common Language Implementation | Smalltalk-80 Blue Book and IBM Red Book |
Common Process Model | Smalltalk-80 Blue Book |
Common File System | POSIX.1 and Smalltalk-80 Blue Book |
Common Graphics | X Window System |
Common Widgets | OSF/Motif |
Common Printing | X Window System |
Although not essential, familiarity with the above standard interfaces is helpful to understanding and using the IBM Smalltalk subsystems.