Squeak 6.1 "Vanessa"

Announcement: As the Squeak ecosystem approaches its $30^{th}$ anniversary, we are thrilled to unveil the latest evolution of the system: Squeak 6.1.

These notes are specifically designed for internal viewing within Squeak to take advantage of interactive demonstrations. While the browser-based SqueakJS allows for quick access, it possesses certain limitations. For the definitive experience, we recommend downloading the full Squeak installation.

[Download Squeak] | [Try SqueakJS in Browser]

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🚀 Release Overview

This update represents a massive leap forward. Since the previous release four years ago, the development team has integrated a staggering amount of work:

Key Highlights

• New Tree Browser: A modernized way to navigate categories and classes using updated hierarchical morphs.
• The Return of Objectland: The "Worlds of Squeak" are back, providing a vibrant gallery of Squeak's capabilities.
• Kernel Infrastructure: Critical updates to process scheduling, unwinding, simulation, and class reshaping.
• Tooling Enhancements: Refined interfaces for debugging, profiling, version control, and inspection.

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🛠 Detailed Improvements

🎨 GUI Frameworks: Morphic

(Updated through Morphic-ct.2218 / MorphicTests-ct.97)

🌳 Tree Morph Overhaul

The tree system has received a significant upgrade to improve both aesthetics and usability:

• Navigation: Enhanced color schemes and refined keyboard/mouse shortcuts.
• Filtering:
  • Implemented a "type-to-filter" system (similar to lists) that highlights search terms.
  • Users can now isolate single columns using the [TAB] key.
  • New Filter Modes: Choose between searching the current selection, visible nodes, or the entire tree.
• Search: Added recursive "find" and "find next" functionality via [CMD] + [F] and [CMD] + [G].
• Interactivity: Nodes now automatically expand after a one-second hover during drag-and-drop operations.
• Performance: General stability and speed boosts for rendering, event handling, and layouting.

🌍 World & Window Management

• Drag-and-Drop: You can now drop class references, method/system categories, or explorer/inspector fields directly into the world to spawn them in a new widget.
• Customization: New preferences allow users to tweak drag thresholds and double-click timing.
• Docking Bar: A new menu option allows for the collapsing of windows.
• Workspace: Finding the workspace is now more intuitive; if the window is collapsed, it will automatically expand upon selection.

✍️ Text Editors & API

• Visuals: Links are now underlined during hover, improving the experience of clicking and selecting text.
• Smart Quotes: When wrapping text in single or double quotes, the system now manually $\rightarrow$ automatically handles the escaping and unescaping of nested quotes.
• Morphic API:
  • Morphs can now ignore specific halo events.
  • Balloon text can be defined via a block rather than a simple selector.
• Menu Logic:
  • New tools for creating item groups and shifting action targets.
  • The #addList method now recognizes backslashes (\) as line breaks in help tuples.

"Example of the new #addList behavior"
#addList: #('First Line\Second Line' 'Help text here')

🐞 Debugging & UI Stability

• Debug Menus: Added shortcuts for the time-profiler on buttons and improved access to tree/list contents. "Debug action" and "browse action" commands are now more robust.
• Preferences: Morphic openAsTool now correctly respects the "Open Tools Attached to Mouse Cursor" setting.
• High-DPI Support: Significant visual improvements for:
  • Scroll panes, sliders, and buttons.
  • Multi-selection lists, trees, and menus.
  • The scratch pad and keyboard exerciser.
• Bug Fixes:
  • Swallowed user events during code profiling.
  • Incorrect yellow-button menu triggers on lists and buttons.
  • Memory leaks associated with collapsed windows and UI theme application.
  • macOS Singleton Warning: Fixed the error occurring when using external devices or CLI arguments.
  • Incorrect rendering of polygons, transform morphs, and animated GIFs.

⚙️ Core Logic & Performance

• Stability: Improved backward compatibility when loading morphs from disk.
• Text Handling: Fixed issues with text container construction and the conversion of paragraphs into texts.
• Logic: Fixed "browse senders" for nil, true, and false.
• Workspace: Improved access to workspace bindings during accept-it operations and strengthened editor history.

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🌟 MorphicExtras

(Updated through MorphicExtras-ct.360)

The most exciting addition here is the rebirth of Objectland. This is a complete reconstruction of the "Worlds of Squeak" (originally from 2003). It serves as a vivid, interactive gallery showcasing the diverse power of the Squeak environment.

• Classic Returns: The legendary Etoys race car example is back.
• New Content: Several fresh examples have been added to demonstrate modern capabilities.

After 18 years of spot... [Content ends here]