When ENVY Applications are loaded into a passive image, their loaded and initializeAfterLoad code is not run until the VA Smalltalk code is run on the target platform. That is, objects are not initialized in the passive image. Initialization is deferred until, on the workstation, the packaged application is run in the target server environment.

The fact that the loaded and initializeAfterLoad code runs after packaging has consequences for application porting. Traditionally, loaded code runs prior to packaging in the VA Smalltalk development environment. Applications that are to be ported to the cross development environment might need to have their initialization redesigned, especially if the application must function properly in both the development image and on a target platform.

The loaded and initializeAfterLoad methods act like startUp methods when they are used in the cross development environment.