Introduction
If you’ve ever wondered where modern object-oriented programming (OOP) came from, you need to know about Smalltalk.
Smalltalk invented a lot of what we take for granted today—things like object-oriented programming, dynamic typing, and even the modern graphical user interface (GUI).
The History of Smalltalk
Smalltalk was created in the 1970s at Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center)—the same legendary lab that gave us the GUI, laser printers, and Ethernet.
Why Was Smalltalk Created?
- Alan Kay and his team wanted to build a language designed for humans, not machines.
- They needed a system where everything was an object, unlike procedural languages of the time.
- It became the first true object-oriented language, influencing Java, Python, Ruby, and even JavaScript.
💡 Fun Fact: Smalltalk was a major influence on Apple’s macOS and iOS development.
Further Reading:
Smalltalk’s Influence on Modern Languages
| Feature | Smalltalk | Modern Equivalent |
|---|
| Everything is an Object | ✅ Yes | ✅ Python, Ruby, Java |
| Dynamic Typing | ✅ Yes | ✅ Python, JavaScript |
| Message Passing | ✅ Yes (instead of function calls) | ✅ Java, C++ (methods) |
| Interactive Development | ✅ Yes (Live coding) | ✅ Python REPL, Lisp |
| Garbage Collection | ✅ Yes (early adopter) | ✅ Java, Python, C# |
💡 Verdict: If you’ve used Python, Ruby, or JavaScript, you’ve used concepts invented by Smalltalk!
Smalltalk Syntax Table
| Concept | Smalltalk Code | Equivalent in Python / Java | |
|---|
| Hello World | 'Hello, World!' print. | print("Hello, World!") / System.out.println("Hello, World!"); | |
| Variables | x := 42. | x = 42 / int x = 42; | |
| Loops | `1 to: 10 do: [:i | i print.]` | for i in range(1, 11): print(i) / for (int i=1; i<=10; i++) |
| Conditionals | x > 5 ifTrue: [ 'High' print ] | if x > 5: print('High') / if (x > 5) { System.out.println('High'); } | |
| Functions (Methods) | square: x ^ x * x. | def square(x): return x * x / int square(int x) { return x * x; } | |
| Classes | Object subclass: #Person. | class Person: / class Person {} | |
| Message Passing | 5 squared | 5**2 / Math.pow(5, 2) | |
| Blocks (Closures) | `[:x | x + 10] value: 5.` | lambda x: x + 10 |
10 Smalltalk Code Examples
1. Hello, World!
2. Declaring Variables
3. If-Else Statement
1
| x > 10 ifTrue: [ 'X is greater than 10' print ].
|
4. For Loop
1
| 1 to: 5 do: [:i | ('Iteration: ', i print) ].
|
5. Function Definition (Method)
6. Arrays
1
| myList := #(1 2 3 4 5).
|
7. Exception Handling
1
| [ 10 / 0 ] on: ZeroDivide do: [ :ex | 'Division by zero error!' print ].
|
8. Creating a Class
1
| Object subclass: #Person.
|
9. Using Blocks (Closures)
1
2
| myBlock := [:x | x + 10].
myBlock value: 5. "Returns 15"
|
10. Concurrency (Futures)
1
| future := [ 100 factorial ] fork.
|
Why is Smalltalk Still Important?
✅ It pioneered modern OOP concepts—without Smalltalk, Java, Python, and Ruby wouldn’t exist.
✅ It introduced live coding and interactive development environments (IDEs).
✅ It remains one of the most elegant and readable programming languages ever designed.
💡 Even though Smalltalk isn’t mainstream, it lives on through its influence in modern programming languages.
Want to Try Smalltalk? Check out these online interpreters:
Key Takeaways
- Smalltalk was the first true object-oriented language—influencing Java, Python, Ruby, and JavaScript.
- It introduced dynamic typing, garbage collection, and live coding long before they became standard.
- Its syntax is simple, elegant, and highly readable.
- Even today, Smalltalk is used in research, education, and some enterprise applications.
References
- Smalltalk Wikipedia
- The History of Smalltalk
- Squeak Smalltalk
- Pharo Smalltalk
