Why yet another Object-Browser ?

LSW-DNRB is a Smalltalk-like Browser for Microsoft .NET.

Smalltalk the OO-Oldie comes with a very nice System-Browser. "Object-Browsers" which are shipped with traditional development environments can be seen as a very weak  form of what  Smalltalk has  now  since more that 30 years: A Code Browser which displays Source-code which is available for use by the developer.

Now with LSW-DNRB Smalltalk's way of  browsing is available for .NET.

But LSW-DNRB is more than a Smalltalk System-Browser:

•  A deep integrated Decompiler-Addon is available which allows you to view Source-code
•  it has much more cross-refrencing possibliities - which works also much  faster
•  it has a build in Documentation-View
•  it has a Navigation-History

File-Based Development Environments and Image-Based Development enironments are much different. Anyone worked with an Image-based development environment will very fast see its advantages and will not like to switch back to the file-based environments.

Examples for Image-Based Development Environments

•  Almost every Smalltalk-Development Environment:
  • Dolphin-Smalltalk
  • VisualWorks
  • Smalltalk-MT
  • Smalltalk/X
  • IBM-VisualAge Smalltalk

        and of course our LSW Vision-Smalltalk

•  IBM VisualAge for Java
•  Eclipse

Examples for File-Based Development Environments

Microsoft Visual Studio

Borland Delphi

LSW-DNRB will evolve over the time into a full Smalltalk-like development system for .NET. ( LSW DotNet-Lab) Currently it fullfills all requirements of an advanced Smalltalk-System Browser.

Features of a full Smalltalk-like Image-Based development System for .NET:

•  Edit Source-code
•  Instant Compilation
•  Create and inspect Objects
•  Debug execution  in "Edit & Continue"  mode

Because we target a far more advanced development environment it makes no sense to integrate the Browser back into a File-Based environment.