Alan Kay On Smalltalk

"We aim to make simple things simple and complex things possible"

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The original SmalltalkLanguage team didn't completely achieve this goal but to my mind it was the raison d'être of the language and the environment. Isn't this aspiration now carried forward most effectively in mainstream development

• not by any single software tool
• not by "objects", a term first popularized by Kay but not used to his liking for some years - see AlanKayOnObjects
• but by the patterns movement and ExtremeProgramming?

This should I believe lead to a real sense of responsibility and to the right blend of ExtremeHumility and unashamed pride in this great heritage.

-- RichardDrake

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This is also one of the repeated refrains of Perl.

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See also CouldExtremeProgrammingHaveArisenWithoutSmalltalk and JoshuaSusser who also gives this quote, having worked, like KentBeck, with Kay personally.

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CategoryQuote CategorySmalltalk