Pharo vs Smalltalk: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Pharo and Smalltalk

1. Development Environment: Pharo provides a more modern and streamlined development environment compared to Smalltalk, with features like an integrated debugger and code completion tools. Smalltalk, on the other hand, might require additional tools and setups for efficient development.

2. Community Support: Pharo has a more active and vibrant community compared to Smalltalk, with regular updates, tutorials, and support forums available. Smalltalk, being an older language, may have a smaller community with limited resources for assistance and collaboration.

3. Package Management: Pharo has a built-in package management system that makes it easier to manage dependencies and external libraries for a project. Smalltalk might rely on third-party tools or manual setups for package management, which can be more cumbersome and time-consuming.

4. Modern Language Features: Pharo incorporates modern language features and improvements that might not be available in traditional Smalltalk implementations. These features include better support for concurrency, improved syntax, and enhanced performance optimizations.

5. Tooling Integration: Pharo has better integration with modern development tools and practices, such as version control systems like Git and continuous integration pipelines. Smalltalk, due to its legacy nature, might require more effort to integrate with these tools and workflows.

6. Cross-platform Compatibility: Pharo is actively maintained and updated to ensure cross-platform compatibility, supporting a wide range of operating systems and environments. Smalltalk implementations may not always provide the same level of compatibility and require additional configurations for different platforms.

In Summary, Pharo offers a more modern and feature-rich development experience compared to Smalltalk, with better community support, package management, and tooling integration.