CS2340 FAQ

Q: Where do I download X? (where X is "Squeak," "Boost," etc.)

Q: Why is CS2340 in Squeak rather than Java or C++?

• Marvin Minsky (one of the inventors of Artificial Intelligence) has said, "If you know something in only one way, you don't know it at all." Squeak is a very different model of objects and even of programming languages than the C, Java, C++ model. For a good CS education, it's a good idea to get a broader perspective.
• Squeak is based on Smalltalk, an old and established language. It's a good way to get an understanding of where our field is coming from and going to.
• Squeak is not mainly designed for commercial applications, though it's being used for some. Rather, it's designed for building personal dynamic media. It's a good idea to get a broader perspective of what computing is for. (It's going to change from whatever it is today – guaranteed.)
• Squeak is a terrific learning environment – it does almost everything itself (instead of relying on the OS), and all of the source code is there, and you can use the debugger to step through all of it. Want to see how garbage collection works? How a web browser or server works? How 3-D graphics are drawn? It's all there.

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• FAQ last edited on 25 September 2006 at 11:37 am by lawn-128-61-117-88.lawn.gatech.edu