Squeak : Open Personal Computing and Multimedia

Written by the leading experts in the worldwide Squeak community, this book assembles a compelling vision of what programming can be. Squeak: Open Personal Computing and Multimedia is the only book on Squeak that addresses the advanced features for the student, researcher, multimedia developer, open source developer, hobbyist, and the professional. Developed for Smalltalk, it is for anyone that wants a powerful, cross-platform, and open alternative to the traditional multimedia and exploratory languages.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

• CD-ROM included: Contains the complete Squeak environment, which consists of the version 2.9 virtual image and complete sources, and the virtual machine ports for a wide range of processors and operating systems. Also, numerous tutorials and Squeak applications.
• Foreword by Alan Kay, Vice President of Research for Walt Disney Imagineering and the vision behind Squeak.
• THE authoritative guide, to the use of Squeak as a multimedia tool: Provides details on 3-D computer graphics, advanced UI, streaming audio, computer music, and other multimedia topics.
• Shows how Squeak supports the open source developer, from building and extending cross-platform software, to eXtreme Programming (XP).
• Illustrates how to use Squeak to create and extend virtual machines for multimedia or embedded systems, such as cable set-top boxes and video game consoles.

The only advanced book on Squeak, an important up-and-coming programming language, and includes an introductory chapter to help those who know programming but not Squeak. Squeak is the only tool that allows users to explore computer music, digital sound, advanced user interfaces, 3-D computer graphics, Flash animation, and virtual machine creation (such as for embedded systems) across Windows, Macintosh, and Linux. This book is the best documentation of Squeak for those purposes.

Provides details on 3-D Computer Graphics, Advanced UI, Streaming Audio, and other multimedia topics. Provides detailed tours of the architecture of a virtual machine (including tradeoffs), porting it to multiple platforms and extensions mechanisms. Includes description of the efforts of an Open Source Community.

Appropriate for all professionals in Advanced Object-Oriented Programming, Multimedia Systems and Developments, and Software Engineering Special-Topics: Open-Source, and Embedded Systems fields as an authoritative guide to the use of Squeak as a Multimedia Tool.

Booknews

A collection of 16 papers on the multimedia capabilities of the Squeak open programming language, and how to port and extend Squeak for applications and virtual machines. Written for experienced programmers familiar with object-oriented programming, the book covers the Squeak user interface environment, networking, the MathMorphs project, music and sound processing, streaming audio, and extreme programming. The CD-ROM contains the Squeak environment and tutorials. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Mark Guzdial is an Associate Professor with the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research focuses on learning sciences and technology, specifically, "collaborative Dynabooks," which are tools that support learning through collaborative multimedia construction.

Kim Rose is a member of the senior technical staff at Walt Disney Imagineering and part of Alan Kay's Media Research Croup. Kim is a media developer, media critic, and a cognitive scientist. Kim has been part of the "Squeak Central" development team from the time of Squeak's inception in 1996.