smalltalk-implementation-finder

What problem does it solve?

This Skill simplifies the process of understanding how methods are implemented across Smalltalk's dynamic class hierarchies. It helps developers quickly find concrete implementations of abstract methods, learn common coding idioms, assess the impact of code changes, and identify refactoring opportunities, saving significant time in code exploration and maintenance.

Core Features & Use Cases

• Abstract Method Analysis: Trace how abstract methods (subclassResponsibility) are implemented in subclasses.
• Idiom Discovery: Learn common Smalltalk coding patterns (e.g., hash methods using bitXor:, initialize calling super).
• Impact Assessment: Evaluate the scope of changes by identifying all implementors and callers of a method before modifying its signature.
• Refactoring Identification: Pinpoint duplicate or similar implementations that can be consolidated for cleaner code.
• Use Case: A developer needs to implement a printOn: method for a new class. This skill can show examples from Array and Dictionary, revealing the common pattern of using printOn: recursively for elements and separators, guiding the developer to an idiomatic solution.

Quick Start

Show me how the 'hash' method is typically implemented in Smalltalk classes.