Benefits and Drawbacks
Visualworks allows for very fast application development, as individual methods can be compiled even while the program to be developed is runnining. Compiling a smalltalk method typically takes about a second, while doing the same for a C++ project often takes a minute or more. Also, the various code browsers of Visualworks help the developer to quickly locate a class or method of interest.
Execution performance in terms of CPU time and memory consumption of Smalltalk programs is generally not as good as that of statically typed and binary-compiled languages such as C++, Fortran, Pascal or Ada. See the Language Shootout. Also, the Smalltalk-inherent Garbage Collection makes Smalltalk not suitable for applications with hard realtime requirements, as the garbage collection process can start any time and will block execution for (typically) between a second and ten seconds.
Read more about this topic: VisualWorks
Famous quotes containing the words benefits and/or drawbacks:
“I do seriously believe that if we can measure among the States the benefits resulting from the preservation of the Union, the rebellious States have the larger share. It destroyed an institution that was their destruction. It opened the way for a commercial life that, if they will only embrace it and face the light, means to them a development that shall rival the best attainments of the greatest of our States.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)
“France has neither winter nor summer nor morals—apart from these drawbacks it is a fine country.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)