NewtonScript

NewtonScript is a prototype-based programming language created to write programs for the Apple Newton platform. A team headed by Walter R. Smith developed it after Self and Dylan were set aside as too immature for the device, taking its object model from Self and its dynamic character from Smalltalk, but trimming the engine to fit a handheld that had only about 128 KB reserved for the operating system. Its differential inheritance let a button instance in RAM store only the values it changed, while default fonts and code stayed in ROM, which saved scarce memory. Programs were written on a desktop computer with the Toolkit, compiled, and downloaded to the device. All objects are frames made of named slots, and garbage collection is automatic. Development stopped when Apple cancelled the Newton project in 1998, but its prototype model echoes in JavaScript and Io.