Squeak was all Smalltalk-80 when new, in 1996. It is still mostly an implementation of modified Smalltalk-80, but in some ways it is a somewhat different language, no longer an orthodox Smalltalk, and it is changing and evolving. In its first several years: 1) The code base was almost fully rewritten, parts of it several times. 2) Squeak's leaders have ceased work on the standard Smalltalk user interface, Model-View-Controller (MVC), which is used in other Smalltalks, and Java, and have moved to the Self language's display tree-based Morphic User Interface, which they are developing beyond what it was in Self. Squeak's leaders will work no more in or on MVC, but only in and on Morphic, or something better. So, Squeak's interface is now far more like Self than like normal Smalltalk. And Morphic is driving other, deeper changes in Squeak. 3) On Squeak's mail list, discussion occurs on how to create a new language model, to go beyond object orientation, and how to move Squeak to it. Some people want to experiment with prototype language features as in Self. And, Alan Kay himself says that using the term "objects" in the 1970s was an error. He says the REBOL language has some very good ideas. The new language model may focus on messaging instead of objects. New syntax and control structures will be added, some of which may replace long standing Smalltalk norms. These are big changes. 4) Squeak now has many standard features that no other Smalltalk has: two User Interface systems (Morphic, MVC), experimental handwriting recognition, MIDI and realtime high quality sound synthesis, Web browser, IRC client, Swiki, email client, Web server, several demos and games, two full VMs written in Squeak (a full Smalltalk-80 VM and a JIT compiler VM), means to output C source code directly from a VM and run a VM as a simulation atop itself, a full set of ST-80 classes, automated Internet-based updating, and e-toys. More is coming in the future.
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