7: Mainline

Among the object-oriented programming languages, Smalltalk has attractive characteristics, such as the following:

• Smalltalk is object-oriented from the ground up, in contrast to other popular object-oriented languages, such as C++, which programmers created by pasting a veneer onto a preexisting language.
• Smalltalk programming is done in powerful development environments, which enable efficient program writing, editing, testing, debugging, and maintenance. Smalltalk development environments provide myriad built-in classes and methods.
• Smalltalk development environments encourage the development of gorgeous graphical user interfaces, liberally decorated with fancy graphical elements.