Palm OS Programming Bible (With CD-ROM) [Paperback]

Lonnon R. Foster (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764546767 | ISBN-13: 978-0764546761 | Publication Date: November 15, 2000

With complete coverage of the new Palm wireless and Web capabilities, this one-step reference shows programmers how to create next-generation applications for Palm OS devices using all the latest development platforms and tools. The author has tested the many code samples against all Palm OS versions right up to the new OS 3.5. The value-packed CD-ROM includes development tools, demos, and sample code.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

If the Palm OS(r) can do it, you can do it too... Leverage the power and versatility of the Palm OS with this comprehensive guide! Whether you're a corporate developer looking for new ways to distribute information to your mobile workers or a programmer interested in maximizing the capabilities of Palm OS devices, this book will help you get there. Your guided tour begins with solid explanations of the Palm OS, which powers Palm handhelds, the Handspring(TM) Visor(TM), and the new Sony(r) Cli?(TM), among other devices. You then get step-by-step instructions on writing applications, including detailed tips on everything from using the latest development tools for streamlining your programming to making the most of the hot new wireless Web features. Inside, you'll find complete coverage of Palm OS programming
* Customize your user interface with alerts, pop-up triggers, and more
* Build forms and menus with Constructor
* Master compiling and linking in CodeWarrior(r) or with GNU tools
* Sync apps with desktop computers through conduits
* Create, retrieve, and modify database information
* Maximize Palm OS power usage and memory
* Transfer data by beaming, using a serial port, or accessing the Internet
* Develop Web clipping apps
Bonus CD-ROM includes:
* Trial versions of Satellite Forms and Pendragon(TM) Forms
* PocketC Compiler 3.5
* Symbol Palm Terminal Software Development Kit
* Demo version of CASL
* LispMe
* Plus author-created code and examples from the book
Shareware programs are fully functional, free trial versions of copyrighted programs. If you like particular programs, register with their authors for a nominal fee and receive licenses, enhanced versions, and technical support. Freeware programs are free, copyrighted games, applications, and utilities. You can copy them to as many PCs as you like-free-but they have no technical support. www.hungryminds.com System Requirements: PC running Windows(r) 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT; CD-ROM drive

About the Author

About the Author Lonnon R. Foster is a freelance programmer who has spent the past seven years creating desktop applications, database front ends, Web sites, communications software, technical documentation, and handheld applications. He has been developing Palm OS applications almost as long as the platform has existed, starting with his first Pilot 5000. Lonnon fills his sparse free time with tactical tabletop gaming, recreational Perl coding, and reading everything he can get his hands on.

Product Details

• Paperback: 893 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (November 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764546767
• ISBN-13: 978-0764546761
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.7 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,382,801 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on the subject by an order of magnitude, January 13, 2001

By 

Michael Bilow (Providence, RI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Palm OS Programming Bible (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

While large, this book does not waste space. It covers pretty much everything PalmOS, starting with an overview of the system architecture, moving on to the basics of development such as forms, menus, resources, the event loop, the core API, database access, and common conventions, and then touching upon advanced topics such as beaming, synchronization, conduits, networking, Palm.Net-style wireless connectivity, and color extensions.

What this book most emphatically does NOT do is teach the C programming language. Substantial competence in C programming is simply assumed, and some experience in another event-driven programming environment (such as Microsoft Windows or IBM OS/2 Presentation Manager) would be undeniably helpful. The ideal reader for this book would be a Windows programmer used to C and C++ who is looking to do work on Palm OS, but who has no knowledge of PalmOS beyond operating the date book, address book, and memo pad.

What especially distinguishes and recommends this book is that it seems to be the only one which takes seriously the freeware tools for PalmOS development, the PRC-Tools for GNU C and the PilRC resource compiler. Probably 95% of real development uses the freeware tools, for obvious reasons, and their quality is regarded as so high that they are officially supported by Palm Computing. And, while PilRC is an excellent quality product in itself, there is no getting around the fact that its documentation could be greatly improved, so this book fills a crying need.

The CD which comes with the book is probably no more useless than the usual CD which comes with a book like this. I doubt there is anything on it which could not simply be downloaded from the Internet, but the inclusion of PRC-Tools, an 8MB compressed installer for the Windows version, makes it somewhat worthwhile. Of the 88MB on the CD, a great deal of it is taken up by rather unexciting things such as Unix and Windows distributions of Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader (15MB combined), a trial copy of WinZip (1.3MB), SDKs for truly obscure pieces of hardware such as SPT bar code scanners (19MB), the TRGpro (1.5MB), the Qualcomm/Kyocera pdQ cellular telephone (0.5MB), and so on. Much of the rest of what is on the disk consists of easily downloaded time-limited or crippled evaluation versions of PalmOS development tools or aids. Unforgiveable, however, is the apparent omission (contrary to the text of the book) of the PilRC freeware resource compiler; fortunately, this is easy to download from the Internet and quite small (about 0.3MB). The inclusion of the freeware POSE emulator would also have been a good idea, but it is missing also.

Much of the back of the book is devoted to references to the PalmOS API and other information to which a programmer would repeatedly refer, and this is valuable because, as far as I know, Palm distributes this information only in PDF electronic form. Some people like PDF and other people hate it, but having it on hardcopy in book form makes it easier for me. Indeed, a significant amount of this book trods the same ground as some of the more important PDF documents from Palm, most notably the "Palm OS Companion" (2.5MB) and "Palm OS Reference" (8.3MB) -- both of which should have been on the companion CD but are not.

Overall, the wide scope of this book makes it the top choice for the experienced C or C++ developer who is starting at absolute square one with PalmOS. There are alternative languages discussed and a few evaluation versions of compilers and interpreters for other languages on the CD, but the fact is that nearly all serious PalmOS development is done in C/C++, the best tools are all available for C/C++, and the book assumes you are working in C/C++. Although the thoroughness and clarity of the writing would make this book useful even to someone working in a language other than C/C++, probably half of the book would be incomprehensible to a programmer unfamiliar with C/C++. If C/C++ implies "expert" or, even worse, "above my head" to you, then this book probably would be a mistake. On the other hand, if you know C/C++, and especially if you know it in the context of Windows programming, then this is by far the best book for you.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best book available for Palm programming, May 11, 2001

By 

JavaBarista (Encinitas, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Palm OS Programming Bible (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

I don't know how to review this book other than to say that I'd rate it a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 and the best of the other Palm programming books would get a 6. If you already know how to program in C and you have either CodeWarrior or the Palm GCC tools (the book does a good job of covering both, despite what the previous review said), this is the only book you'll need to buy. Why? Plenty of explanations, lots of sample code, and an easy-to-read writing style make this book not only useful, but enjoyable as well. It's not perfect (the author fails to mention, for example, that an Edit menu with ID of 10000 will be automatically handled for you by the OS...instead he writes his own Edit menu handler) but the faults are few and far between. The bottom line? If you're serious about Palm programming, this book is an excellent, must-have investment.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of information. Good as a reference, not as a tutorial., December 15, 2000

By 

Alan C. Viars (Morgantown, WV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Palm OS Programming Bible (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

This book has a great deal of info and is a gfreat reference but it is too large to be used as a tutorial. It covers conduit programming in depth and is the first book that I've seen with clear explanations of the free development tools such as PILRC and GCC. It also explains Code Warrior. I own several Palm programming books and this one has come in useful as a reference. I used this one several times to look this up with good results. Its worth buying. "Palm OS from the Ground UP" makes a good tutorial book.