Editing Adele Goldberg (computer scientist) (section)

==Relevance Today==
While Smalltalk-80 itself is not as widely used today, its underlying principles continue to shape modern computing. The concepts of object-oriented programming, interactive development environments, and dynamic execution pioneered by Goldberg have been adopted by nearly all major programming languages and software engineering methodologies. The impact of her work extends beyond just programming languages—OOP has become the dominant paradigm for structuring complex software systems, making it easier for developers to design scalable, maintainable applications.

The influence of Smalltalk can be seen in major industry standards such as Java’s virtual machine-based execution, Python’s dynamic typing and flexibility, and C#’s emphasis on encapsulation and inheritance. Additionally, graphical user interfaces (GUIs), first developed in Smalltalk, remain integral to modern computing, from desktop applications to mobile interfaces. The proliferation of user-friendly software can be traced back to the innovations Goldberg helped pioneer at Xerox PARC.

Beyond software development, Goldberg’s work has also had an impact on education. Smalltalk was one of the first languages designed with learning and teaching in mind, and its influence can be seen in modern educational programming tools like Scratch, which introduces children to coding using a block-based approach inspired by Smalltalk’s visual and object-oriented principles. This legacy ensures that new generations of programmers continue to benefit from her work.

Finally, with the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning, object-oriented principles are more relevant than ever. AI frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch rely on modular, reusable code structures, mirroring the approach pioneered in Smalltalk. As software development continues to evolve, Goldberg’s contributions remain a foundational part of how we interact with and develop technology today.