Overview

In this book, you will get acquainted with the basic concepts of VAST Platform (VA Smalltalk) and then get your hands dirty by actually building an application. If you choose, you can simply start by building a simple example and then fall back on the concepts if things become unclear, or you can start with the basic concepts and leave the nuts and bolts of how to actually use VAST Platform until you have mastered the concepts.

After reading this book, you will be able to

• launch VAST Platform

• save your work

• construct a simple application using written code using Smalltalk code editors and browsers

• construct single window and multi window applications using visual programming techniques and tools

• converse about the key concepts regarding visual programming, writing Smalltalk and working in teams

• deploy a simple visual application

For more information on packaging visual applications, see “Enhancing your applications > Packaging your visual application” in the Visual Programming User Guide)

Information about the tools available to deploy applications coded in Smalltalk is in “Packaging, unloading, and analyzing code” in the Smalltalk User Guide.

To help you become acquainted with the non-visual software components and programming tools in VAST Platform, the book includes the following sample applications:

• The Calculator application in A guided tour: Creating your first Smalltalk application, guides you through the basic steps of creating a sample application.

To help you become acquainted with the elemental functioning of the visual software components in VAST Platform , the book includes the following parts-based sample applications:

• The To-Do List application in Building your first visual application, guides you through the basic steps of creating a sample application.

• The Investment application in Constructing your second visual application, explains additional techniques for using the visual tools to create user interfaces and make connections between the parts of your application.

This book gives you an introduction the VAST Platform product. It concludes with suggestions of next steps to learn more about the product including a list of available documents and courses.

Last modified date: 02/24/2021