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0 pointse-topy1y ago0 comments

I only wanted to use Smalltalk as an example of a message oriented language. Even then, every IO and every message-based communication is non-blocking and async, therefore programs have much higher throughput (if designed correctly, the same could be said for C++, but the effort to do so is much, much lesser in languages like Elixir/Erlang than C++, and in most situation comes for free).

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igouy1y ago

>... Smalltalk ... every IO and every message-based communication is non-blocking and async

Only if you explicitly make that particular IO or message send async.

"When a block receives value, it waits to return until all of its expressions have been executed. For example, the following expression does not produce a value until all three clocks have been completely displayed.

    [EasternTime display. 
    MountainTime display. 
    PacificTime display] value

"When a block receives fork, it returns immediately, usually before its expressions have been executed.

    [EasternTime display. 
    MountainTime display. 
    PacificTime display] fork

page 252 "Smalltalk-80: The language and its implementation." 1983

https://rmod-files.lille.inria.fr/FreeBooks/BlueBook/Blueboo...

Also 2019 "GildaVM: a Non-Blocking I/O Architecture for the Cog VM" https://hal.science/hal-02379275

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