Hands-On Object-Oriented Design & Programming with Smalltalk

Introduction

For many years the Smalltalk programming language had near-universal acknowledgement as the best language for teaching, practising and prototyping object-oriented designs and implementations even when it is unlikely to be the eventual implementation language. This course uses Smalltalk to provide a practical introduction to object-oriented programming and the principles of object-oriented design. Smalltalk has also become a serious and credible application development environment, and this course can also act as an introduction for Smalltalk programmers.

Duration and Construction

The course lasts three days. It is based on a cycle of theory-language-practice-review, with approximately two cycles per day. One non-trivial, practical case-study is developed during the course.

Each day will start at 09.00 and finish at 16.30.

Intended Audience

Participants will be practising software engineers who already know and use a high-level programming language--preferably a modern, block structured language. They will be wanting to understand and practice the correct use of object technology and might even be considering Smalltalk as their implementation technology. The course can be used as an introductory course and be followed by an object-oriented analysis and design course. It can also be taken after an analysis and design course as a way of solidifying and strengthening theoretical knowledge.

Aims

• To experience all the major insights that are necessary in order to obtain the maximum benefit from object technology
• To learn enough Smalltalk that the remaining details can be safely and quickly filled in by reading and experimentation
• To get to a position where object-oriented designs and implementations that are produced are truly object-oriented rather than just having an object-oriented facade
• To get to a position where a less elegant object-oriented language, such as C++, can be used safely and in a truly object-oriented fashion

Deliverables

• Lectures
• Facilitation of discussions
• Direction, assistance and feedback on exercises
• Proposed solutions to the exercises
• Copies of lecture slides, plus explanatory text and summaries
• Reference list of books and sources

Numbers

We recommend that there are no more than 10 participants, each working at his or her own machine.

Contents

• Objects and object technology
• Introduction to object-oriented design
• The Smalltalk language essentials
• The Smalltalk environment
• Case study
• Composition
• Inheritance
• Introduction to the Smalltalk class library
• Important design idioms for Smalltalk development

Site Requirements

• One PC with Smalltalk (IBM, or an open-source Smalltalk by arrangement), per participant (including one for the lecturer), preferably networked and with a printer
• Data projector of at least 1024 x 768 resolution, and suitable screen
• White-board, preferably not doubling up as the projector's screen; blackboard and chalk are acceptable
• Flip-chart and easel, with additional flip-chart paper

Contacting

Please contact John Deacon by telephone on +44 20 7498 3773; by fax on +44 20 7498 3747; by emailing  jdeacon@jdl.co.uk; or by visiting http://www.jdl.co.uk

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Last modified: Thursday, 08-Feb-2007.
Copyright © 2007 John Deacon. All rights reserved.