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VAST Platform Version History

Features introduced in each release are listed below since the original VAST Platform (VA Smalltalk) v7.0.0.

Versions tagged as RECOMMENDED provide modern development functionality and meet recent OS and security standards. We ensure these tags are maintained to reflect changes in technology as they occur.
When a version of VAST is no longer recommended, it should be updated to the latest version. Staying up-to-date will provide the best experience and help keep applications/systems running smoothly for years to come.
For future release plans, see the VAST Platform Product Roadmap
RECOMMENDED
VAST icon

VAST Platform 2024 — 13.0.0  (Released March 7, 2024)

Language & Runtime

  • Performance improvements with SIMD
  • Significant JIT performance improvements on ARM

Core Libraries

  • Unicode fixes and enhancements
  • Compression updates: ZStandard (v1.5.5), Brotli (v1.1.0), LZ4 (v1.9.4), zlib (v1.3)

Development Tools

  • Richer Unicode support for inspectors
  • Code editor updated to latest Scintillar

User Interface & Visuals

  • Windows Table Widget available in Composition Editor
  • CommonWidgets corrections

Communications & Web Dev

  • WebView2 support
  • Unicode integration for Seaside

Databases

  • Unicode integration for databases: DB2, Oracle, PostgreSQL, SQLite and ODBC
  • Unicode integration for GLORP
  • Improvements to databases and GLORP

Additional Libraries

  • Grease separated from Seaside
RECOMMENDED
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VAST Platform 2023 — 12.0.1  (Released May 22, 2023)

Language & Runtime

  • Timezone database currency

Core Libraries

  • Code page converter performance increase
  • ObjectLoader fixes for 64-bit

Development Tools

  • "Safe Remove" fix for refactoring browser

User Interface & Visuals

  • Windows table widget common control - continuing improvements
  • Icon support added within menus

Communications & Web Dev

  • Seaside for VAST implementation updates
  • Server Smalltalk (SST) corrections
  • MQTT credential validation fixes

Databases

  • DB2 sequences enhancements
  • ODBC connectivity fixes for Linux
  • GLORP updates

Version Control

  • Corrected Tonel tools unloading behavior

Additional Libraries

  • Grease corrections affecting Seaside-REST and proper unloading behavior
  • NeoCSV updated to latest version
  • Corrected unloading behavior affecting cryptographic support
  • More robust XML support
VAST icon

VAST Platform 2023 — 12.0.0  (Released February 16, 2023)

Language & Runtime

  • Windows 11 ARM processor support

Core Libraries

  • Deeper Unicode integration
  • Unicode, version 15

Development Tools

  • 3-Way diff and profiler improvement
  • SUnit enhancements

User Interface & Visuals

  • Continued development on Windows table widget common control
  • Hi-DPI improvements

Communications & Web Dev

  • MQTT client, v3 and v5
  • New LDAP capabilities

Security

  • Secure LDAP (LDAPS) support

Version Control

  • Tonel Tools framework expanded and improved

Additional Libraries

  • NeoCSV, NeoJSON, STON updates
RECOMMENDED
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VAST Platform 2022 — 11.0.1  (Released July 11, 2022)

Core Libraries

  • Unicode and code page converter library improvements
  • Asynchronous library fixes
  • Compression updates: ZStandard (v1.5.2), zlib (GZIP and ZIP, v1.12.0)

Development Tools

  • Code assist improvements
  • Development browser corrections

User Interface & Visuals

  • Windows table widget common control enhancements
  • Multi-monitor awareness fixes
  • "Interrupt" button customization

Deployment

  • Packaging more performant with better logging and stats
  • Various packaging fixes
VAST icon

VAST Platform 2022 — 11.0.0  (Released April 29, 2022)

Language & Runtime

  • ARM v7, v8 processor support (32 & 64-bit) with JIT compilation

Core Libraries

  • Unicode support library (Unicode Standard, Version 14)
  • Asynchronous streams & zones
  • CRC32C (Castagnoli algorithm)
  • Compression updates : ZStandard (v1.5.0), Brotli (v1.0.9), LZ4 (v1.9.3)

Development Tools

  • Encoding-aware workspaces (UTF-8 / CodePage)
  • New Unicode object inspectors
  • Enhanced Scintilla editor with support for full-color emoji
  • Transcript log text-to-file output

User Interface & Visuals

  • Windows table widget common control
  • Multi-monitor awareness

Communications & Web Dev

  • Seaside updated to v3.4.5
  • Streamed HTTP content retrieval (with async support)
  • FTP/FTPS client

Databases

  • SQLite update to v3.36.0

Security

  • OpenSSL 3.0 cryptography and SSL enhancements (with FIPS)

Version Control

  • Tonel Tools framework expanded and improved (v1.5.3)

Deployment

  • Automated build support (ABS)
  • Packaging and XD improvements

VAST Installation

  • Windows 11, Server 2022 official support
RECOMMENDED
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VAST Platform 2021 — 10.0.2  (Released June 15, 2021)

Platform

  • JIT memory usage improvements
  • Server runtime enhancements for Linux
  • Improved large Smalltalk image handling

Core Libraries

  • Packaging of strings improved
  • Enhancements to integer representations in VAST

Communications

  • Server Smalltalk job scheduler fixes for Daylight Saving Time
  • Database memory usage updates for Oracle and DB2

Development Tools

  • Enhancements to walkback generator
  • General minor tooling improvements
  • WindowBuilder Pro map loading fixes

Look and Feel

  • Scrolling list improvements
  • Font fixes for browsers and code panes
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VAST Platform 2021 — 10.0.1  (Released April 14, 2021)

Platform

  • Significant performance improvements and corrections to just-in-time compiler
  • Enhancements to FFI to support SELinux

Communications

  • Remote PostgreSQL database connection support
  • Socket corrections

Development Tools

  • Enhanced return type analysis for simple message sends
  • Class definition compiler considers proposed superclass shape
  • Fixed packaging of methods that include pragmas
  • Optimized packaging instructions for mail support
  • Optimized packaging instructions for OsStructures

Installers

  • Corrections to Red Hat 64-bit installer trying to install 32-bit libraries

Documentation

  • Added link to online documentation under 'Help' on System Transcript
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VAST Platform 2021 — 10.0.0  (Released March 1, 2021)

Platform

  • Migration to LLVM 10 compiler toolchain
  • Asynchronous call-ins

Core Libraries

  • Cross-platform OsProcess framework
  • Futures/promises asynchronous framework
  • High-resolution timer
  • Secure RNG stream
  • Swapper performance increase
  • Enhanced walkback generator

Communications

  • IBM MQ Series SSL/TLS support and 64-bit updates
  • Improved SMTP handling
  • Socket fixes and enhancements

Version Control

  • Git/Tonel tooling

Development Tools

  • Brace array syntax
  • Method type annotations

Look and Feel

  • Hi-DPI fixes and enhancements
  • Product branding and other visual updates

Documentation

  • Lightweight/mobile-friendly documentation
VA Smalltalk 9.2 - 9.2.1 - 9.2.2 icon

VA Smalltalk 9.2.2  (Released June 11, 2020)

Platform

  • Performance improvements and corrections to object serialization framework
  • String matching improvements
  • Windows® binaries signed with updated Digicert code signing certificate

Graphics

  • HiDPI improvements across the VAST Platform

Communications

  • LDAP corrections for 64-bit
  • Socket framework API fixes

Security/Cryptography

  • Enhanced default keys for XTS disk encryption mode
  • DSA, HKDF and RSAPSS accessor fixes (OpenSSL)

Emsrv

  • Windows 64-bit API updates

Development Tools

  • Code assist enhancements and fixes for improved productivity
VA Smalltalk 9.2 - 9.2.1 - 9.2.2 icon

VA Smalltalk 9.2.1  (Released March 10, 2020)

Platform

  • 64-bit object hash quality improved to further increase virtual machine performance
  • Just-in-time compiler updated to better handle some rare and hard-to-duplicate edge cases

Graphics

  • HiDPI improvements across the VAST Platform
  • Fixes and enhancements to the Scintilla-based editor

Communications

  • SMTP mail framework enhanced to support a wider range of standard and non-standard servers
  • Socket framework resource usage optimizations and stability improvements

Development Tools

  • 64-bit support added for stack dump snapshots

Documentation

  • Updated Migration Guide
VA Smalltalk 9.2 - 9.2.1 - 9.2.2 icon

VA Smalltalk 9.2.0  (Released November 22, 2019)

Major performance increase with all new just-in-time (JIT) compiler for 32 and 64-bit virtual machines!

Platform

  • AArch64 joins the ARM family lineup*
  • Major FFI performance increases
  • Support for returning struct-by-value in FFI
  • Transitioned to latest Clang compiler for Windows
  • Updated LLVM code generator
  • Walkback generator provides more useful information and pluggability
  • Updated virtual machine C-interface

Base Libraries

  • CSV support
  • STON support
  • Many APIs added for dialect portability

Graphics

  • Full HiDPI support on Windows
  • Scintilla editor fonts use DirectWrite (GPU-accelerated rendering) by default
  • 20x speedup in PNG reading
  • PNG interlaced frame handling support
  • Updated look-and-feel of the Windows application icon, Environments banner, and splash screens

Unicode

  • Kernel-level EsCodePageUtilities with enhanced Unicode conversion
  • Seaside Unicode updates
  • Grease UTF-8 enhancements
  • Iconv updates for Unix
  • Zip streams UTF-8 support for file names and comments

Compression

  • Brotli compression streams
  • ZStandard compression streams

Communications

  • New IMAP client
  • New SMTP client
  • SASL authentication framework
  • Mail examples
  • SstHttpClient support for HTTP requests (PUT, DELETE...)
  • Absolute/relative redirect support for SstHttpClient
  • SNI support for SstHttpClient
  • Seaside improvements

Security

  • LibreSSL compatibility
  • Probabilistic Signature Schemes (RSA-PSS)
  • Server name indication support

Databases

  • Native PostgreSQL driver
  • PostgreSQL database abstraction layer integration
  • GLORP updates

Development Tools

  • Cross-development enhancements (XD)
  • SstDebugger now supports reading .sdf files
  • MonticelloImporter loading enhancements
  • SUnit enhancements

EMSRV

  • Improvements to PAM authentication

Deployment

  • Dynamic packaging rules using static code analysis for warning reduction
  • Significant reduction of packaging warnings on shipped apps
  • Seaside packaging works out-of-the-box

VAST Environments Launcher

  • Copy installations to new location
  • Move Environments to a new location
  • Default editor/file explorer identifier for Linux

Documentation

  • Seaside headless packaging examples in server guide
  • Stack dumping and remote debugging with Seaside documentation
  • Updated migration guide

Research/Development and Open Source Projects

  • TensorFlow machine learning for VAST (tensorflow-vast on Github)
  • Git support for VAST with Tonel interchange (tonel-vast on Github)
  • Git/Tonel examples (tonel-demos on Github)
  • Docker examples (docker-examples on Github)
  • Pigpio bindings for VAST (pigpio-vast on Github)
  • Pharo to VAST porting tool (pharo2va on Github)
  • Eclipse MQTT Paho client for VAST (paho-mqtt-vast on Github)

*Beta feature: contact us for more details

Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 9.1.0  (Released July 24, 2018)

All new, standards-based 32 & 64-bit virtual machines for Linux platforms

Platform

  • 32 & 64-bit Smalltalk Images

Unicode

  • Enhanced UTF-8 Handling

New Core Libraries

  • Regular Expressions
  • JSON
  • UUID (v3, v4, v5)

Compression

  • LZ4 Streams
  • Zip Archive Stream (Zip64)

Communications

  • LDAP

Deployment

  • 32 & 64-bit Linux Packagers

Installation

  • 32 & 64-bit Linux Installers

Security

  • OpenSSL 1.1.1 Compatibility

GUI Look and Feel

  • Enhanced Linux IDE experience

Development Tools

  • Enhanced Monticello Importer

Documentation

  •  64-bit Linux Updates
  • Updated Migration Guide
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 9.0.0  (Released September 28, 2017)

All new, standards-based 32 and 64-bit virtual machines

Platform

  • 32 & 64-bit Smalltalk Images
  • Garbage Collection Enhancements

Deployment

  • 32 & 64-bit Windows Packagers

Security

  • Elliptic Curve Cryptography

Installation

  • 32 & 64-bit Windows Installers

GUI Look and Feel

  • Scintilla Version Update

Development Tools

  • New Workspace Languages
  • Collapsed Comment Indicators

Documentation

  • Updated Migration Guide
  • 64-bit Updates
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 8.6.3  (Released December 12, 2016)

Communications

  • IPV6 Support

Middleware

  • SQLite 3

Security

  • OpenSSL 1.1 Compatibility
  • Cryptographic Support

Native Interface Support Enhancements

  • Long Datatype Support

Installation

  • Headless Windows Installer
  • Solaris PKG Installer
  • Headless Importer

Updated OS Platforms

  • Ubuntu 16.10
  • Fedora 24
  • Red Hat Enterprise 7

Documentation

  • Updated Migration Guide
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 8.6.2  (Released November 30, 2015)

GUI Look-and-Feel

  • New PNG Support

Base

  • Inflate/deflate

Development Tools

  • Multi-lingual Workspace Support
  • Workspace performance optimization

Middleware

  • SQLite 3
  • Glorp 8.1-7
  • SqlLite3/GLORP integration

Cryptographic Support

  • OpenSSL 1.0.0

Web Interface

  • Grease 1.2/Seaside 3.2.0
  • Seaside REST
  • Seaside HTTPS

Native Interface Support Enhancements

  • 32/64-bit OSObject framework

Installation

  • AIX RPM installers
  • Documentation in separate install on AIX
  • Multi-installation support in Environments

Platforms

  • Windows 10
  • Ubuntu 15.04
  • Fedora 22
  • Server 2003 no longer supported
  • XP no longer supported

Documentation

  • On-line version of ENVY/QA
  • Updated Migration Guide
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 8.6.1  (Released November 13, 2014)

GUI Look-and-Feel

  • Scintilla performance improvements
  • Dead key support

Development Tools

  • Many Code Assist enhancements
    • Interactive refactoring
    • Interactive Lint Checker
  • EMSRV 2GB Linux file size limit removed
  • Improved TabbedBrowser visual feedback
  • Expanded Scintilla capability
  • Monticello Importer on all platforms

Middleware

  • Full SQLite3 support on all platforms
  • GLORP 7.10.1-3
  • Improved HostVariable Support

Web Interface

  • Grease 1.1.6/Seaside 3.1.1
  • SOAP 1.2
  • Seaside packaging support
  • Seaside-REST support

Installation

  • Linux .DEB/.RPM installers
  • Windows Installer Improvements
  • Environments image setup tool supports environment cloning

Platforms

  • Ubuntu 14.04
  • Fedora Core 20

Documentation

  • Rewritten/expanded Getting Started book
  • Updated Migration Guide
  • CwScintillaEditor examples and documentation

Infrastructure

  • Full .zip/.gz support on all platforms
  • Portable Color class
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 8.6.0  (Released September 6, 2013)

Development Tools

  • GLORP XD feature
  • Seaside XD feature
  • Scintilla-based browsers (Windows only)
  • Multi Undo/Redo (Windows only)
  • One-Shot Breakpoints

Infrastructure

  • TimeZone Support

GUI Look-and-Feel

  • Scintilla Text Editor Widget (Windows only)
  • DateAndTimePicker Windows CommonControl enhanced

Middleware

  • GLORP currency (7.9.1-4)
  • GLORP HostVar support

Platforms

  • Windows 8.1
  • Ubuntu 13.04, Fedora Core 19

Web Interface

  • Seaside 3.0.8 / Grease 1.0.7
  • SST Servlet multipart forms

Installation

  • InstallShield installer on Windows compatible with UAC
  • Documentation is separate install
  • Integrated install, uninstall, repair on windows

Environments image setup/management tool

Platforms

  • Windows 8.1
  • Fedora 19
  • Ubuntu 13
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 8.5.2  (Released September 18, 2012)

Development Tools

  • Code Assist improvements
  • IC Packaging Instructions for Seaside
  • Monticello Importer tool

Infrastructure

  • Time Zone Support

GUI Look-and-Feel

  • Rebar Windows CommonControl improvements

Middleware

  • GLORP currency 0.4.190

Platforms

  • Windows 8
  • Ubuntu 12

Performance and Scalability

  • Faster VA Assist browser WAN performance

Support

  • Documentation and FAQs searchable with Google
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 8.5.1  (Released March 16, 2012)

Development Tools

  • Code Assist Improvements
  • SUnit Expected Failures

Infrastructure

  • Logging Framework Improvements
  • Preference Settings Framework Improvements

Graphics and Windowing

  • Windows Control for Date and time picking
  • Full featured Windows Progress Bar

Web Interface

  • Support for Seaside v3.0.6+
  • Grease 1.0.6+

Platforms

  • Fedora Core 16
  • Ubuntu 11
  • OpenSUSE 12.1

Middleware

  • Glorp 0.3.182+

Performance and Scalability

  • SST Lightweight Marshaling Improvements

Support

  • 60+ bug fixes and minor enhancements
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 8.5.0  (Released August 26, 2011)

Development Tools

  • Code Assist (auto-completion)

Infrastructure

  • Logging Framework (based on log4j)
  • Preference Settings Framework
  • Deprecation Exception

Graphics and Windowing

  • Windows Rebar Control
  • TIFF CCITT T.4 bi-level encoding

Web Interface

  • Support for Seaside v3.0.5+
  • Grease 1.0.5+
  • HTTP Chunked Transfer Encoding

Platforms

  • Windows 2000 no longer supported

Support

  • 60+ bug fixes and minor enhancements
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 8.0.3  (Released January 31, 2011)

Web Interface

  • Support for Seaside v3.0.2
  • Improved WSDL schema import diagnostic

Graphical User Interface

  • Added CwMultiLineTexttPrompter

Development Tools

  • NLS Application Enabler Tool
  • NLS Catalog (.CAT) Editor
  • Browser performance improvements

Platform Interface

  • Added TzSpecificLocalTimeToSystemTime PlatformFunction on Windows
  • All Windows .EXE and .DLL files have function-specific descriptions
  • Improved error diagnostics for memory allocation errors (written to log file)

VM Interfaces

  • EsIsString, EsStringToCString, EsCStringToString APIs

Platforms

  • Ubuntu 10.10
  • Fedora Core 14

Documentation

  • New VA Assist, Widget/Kit Controls, and GF/ST online documentation

Support

  • 40+ bug fixes
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 8.0.2  (Released May 26, 2010)

  • Support for Seaside v3.0 pre-beta1
  • All Windows executables are digitally signed to enhance security and meet Windows Logo Certification requirements
  • GLORP support for reading and writing objects from relational databases (level 0.3.178 + fixes)
  • Further improvements to HTML documentation
  • Currency with respect to operating systems and databases; support added for Ubuntu 9 (32/64-bit) and Oracle 11g (compatibility)
  • Power management events supported on Windows GUI applications
  • Added support for method pragmas, allowing you to annotate methods with user- defined processing information
  • Ability to call Oracle functions and Execute anonymous blocks
  • Instance-based exceptions are now polymorphic with class-based exceptions, providing clearer and more efficient handling of errors
  • SUnit 4.0, including support for Just-in-Time Resource Management, and other enhancements, supports creating powerful Smalltalk unit tests
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 8.0.1  (Released November 18, 2009)

  • Support for Seaside 3.0 alpha5
  • Continued web services enhancements
  • Additional enhancements for tabbed browsers
  • Support for Windows 7 (32/64 bit)
  • Support for cdecl calling convention on Windows
  • Improved error diagnostics for memory allocation
  • Enhanced SST resource management for faster execution using less memory
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 8.0.0  (Released April 21, 2009)

  • Seaside 2.9 alpha3
  • Enhanced browsers and inspectors
  • Extensions to web services
  • Upgraded online documentation
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 7.5.2  (Released August 22, 2007)

  • Support Smalltalk on 64-bit systems
    (Windows Vista, Linux & Ubuntu)
  • Support Solaris 10
  • Transcript Help menu update
  • Modifiable splash screen
For documentation, please refer to materials shipped with the product.
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 7.5.1  (Released April 16, 2007)

  • Configuration Map Browser enhancements
  • Quick form support for DateAndTime
For documentation, please refer to materials shipped with the product.
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 7.5.0  (Released January 31, 2007)

Tools and frameworks shipped with the product:

    • ENVY QA
    • Refactoring Browser
    • SUnit framework and browser
    • Mastering ENVY Developer tools

  • Support for Windows Vista (32-bit)
  • Support for SuSE Linux Enterprise 10
  • Upgrade Oracle support to v10s
For documentation, please refer to materials shipped with the product.
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 7.0.1  (Released November 3, 2006)

  • Support for Red Hat Linux 4.3
For documentation, please refer to materials shipped with the product.
Original VA Smalltalk icon

VA Smalltalk 7.0.0  (Shipped August 2005)

[ Initial offering from Instantiations ]

  • Integrated VA Assist to modernize VAST IDE
  • Included WidgetKit/Controls to allow customers to build more sophisticated UIs
  • Include GF/ST as a "goodie" to allow customers to build more sophisticated UIs
For documentation, please refer to materials shipped with the product.

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