thisContext

Context 3 beta 1 released

Posted in Appsterdam, consulting, Context, Naiad, Smalltalk, Spoon with tags context, livecoding, objects, smalltalk, software, spoon, squeak on 12 September 2012 by Craig Latta

I’ve released Context 3 beta 1. This is another “ignition check” release. On the Mac, the intended sequence of events is:

You double-click on the app.
The app is an AppleScript which starts an embedded Context virtual machine, which resumes a web server. The AppleScript also opens a web browser on the web server’s welcome page.
The welcome page tells you what to do next (but it currently refers to things which don’t exist).

I’m working on the equivalent magic for Microsoft Windows and GNU/Linux for the next release; suggestions welcome.

Please let me know if the startup sequence works for you, and any questions or comments you have. This is an exciting release, because it’s the first one that could be the basis for a self-supporting community.

Thanks!

Craig

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screenshot of Context launcher website

Posted in Appsterdam, consulting, Context, Naiad, Smalltalk, Spoon with tags context on 30 August 2012 by Craig Latta

the Spoon launcher website

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Camp Smalltalk at ESUG 2012 in Gent, Belgium

Posted in Appsterdam, consulting, Smalltalk, Spoon on 25 August 2012 by Craig Latta

Huge thanks to yesplan.be for hosting Camp Smalltalk at ESUG 2012 in Gent, Belgium! I walked in and connected my computer to a humongous display and wireless keyboard/mouse, and connected myself to a humongous pile of speculoos, koffie, and Belgian chocolate. :) All while a charming street festival went on outside. This is the perfect recipe for classic code!

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A description of the default Context workflow.

Posted in Appsterdam, consulting, Context, Naiad, Spoon with tags context on 22 August 2012 by Craig Latta

Well, it took a while to evolve into clarity, but here it is…

You get Context by downloading a ZIP file from the net. You install Context by unzipping the ZIP file and putting the resulting all-in-one app folder where you want it to be. You start Context with a simple platform-dependent gesture (on Mac, you double-click the app).

This starts a history memory. This memory can…

…speak with web browsers. It presents a simple control interface for starting and stopping the other memories in the app (called “subject memories”), and discovering other memories on the net.
…speak with FTEs (Favorite Text Editors). It presents itself as a filesystem via a WebDAV server, so that a person can use their Favorite Text Editor to control the subject memories, edit classes and methods, and evaluate expressions.
…speak with the subject memories, to keep track of their development changes.
…speak with remote memories, to obtain their modules.

This is available in Context 3 alpha 5, which I plan to release in time for the Camp Smalltalk event in Gent, Belgium on 24 August 2012, ahead of the European Smalltalk Users Group conference the next week.

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new single: “innovate!”

Posted in Appsterdam, music on 19 August 2012 by Craig Latta

The disarmingly catchy soundtrack for our recent film on Appsterdam’s iOSDevCamp 2012 weekend…

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new single: “step”

Posted in Appsterdam, music on 19 August 2012 by Craig Latta

The radio-friendly version of “step”, my rearrangement of “Pulse” by Todd Rundgren.

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new loop: “slow pulse”

Posted in Appsterdam, music on 19 August 2012 by Craig Latta

Seven measures of “pulse” synchronized with the original arrangement, slowed to quarter-speed, and turned into an infinite seamless loop. Works great for sleep.