Symbian OS C++ for Mobile Phones (Symbian Press) [Paperback]

Richard Harrison (Editor), Mark Shackman (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470066415 | ISBN-13: 978-0470066416 | Publication Date: August 28, 2007 | Edition: 1

Richard Harrison’s existing books are the bestsellers in the Symbian Press Portfolio.  His latest book, co-written with Mark Shackman is the successor to "Symbian OS C++ for Mobile Phones" Volumes One and Two. Written in the same style as the two previous volumes, this is set to be another gem in the series. 

The existing material from the volumes will be combined, with explanations and example code updated to reflect the introduction of Symbian OS v9.  New and simplified example application will be introduced, which will be used throughout the book.  The reference and theory section in particular sets this book apart from the competition and complements other books being proposed at this time.

Anyone looking for a thorough insight into Symbian OS C++ before moving onto specialize on particular Symbian OS phones need this book!  It will not teach people how to program in C++, but it will reinforce the techniques behind developing applications in Symbian OS C++, and more.

This innovative new book covers Symbian OS fundamentals, core concepts and UI.

Key highlights include:

• A quick guide to Kernel
• Platform security
• Publishing Applications
• View Architecture
• Multi-User games

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...close to a 'must read'..." (CVu, June 2003) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

This latest edition provides you with the tools to become an effective Symbian OS developer and offers a deep understanding o the fundamental principles upon which Symbian OS is based. The text is also complemented with a suite of examples.

Symbian OS C++ for Mobile Phones Volume 3 includes:

• An introduction to Symbian C++, with descriptions of the basic building blocks and usage patters.
• Examples that are fully compatible with the latest Carbide.++ Symbain IDEs guide the reader through increasingly complex aspects of Symbian C++.
• The core concepts, resources and programming idioms that you need to create, test and publish a non-trivial GUI (graphical user interface) application.
• An introduction to some of the most significant Symbian OS system services: extensibility and the use of plug-ins and practical descriptions of the communications, multimedia and database services.
• Advice on the available range of graphics APIs and help to ensure that your application code is as device-independent as possible.

As it is targeted at the high-growth area where computers and mobile communications converge, Symbian OS gives you unparalleled opportunities in mass-market, enterprise and system programming.

If you've programmed in C++ at any level, and wish to develop software for mobile phones, this book is essential.

Symbian OS C++ for Mobile Phones Volume 3 draws on the experience of Symbian's own engineers to provide you with a thorough grounding in writing C++ applications for mobile phones using the latest version of Symbian OS and beyond.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 834 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470066415
• ISBN-13: 978-0470066416
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 1.8 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,333,664 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Should've been titled - Programming the Symbian UIQ platform, June 20, 2003

By 

"marcelol240" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Symbian OS C++ for Mobile Phones: Volume 1: Professional Development on Constrained Devices (Symbian Press) (Paperback)

If you were looking for a deeper discussion of Symbian for Mobile Phones than the "Programming the Series 60 platform and Symbian OS", you've come to the wrong place. "Different" would be a more accurate word. Part of the problem is that it was put together by agglomerating works from various ( 18 !) authors. The writing style shifts from first to third person and back a lot.

The book rather briefly mentions Series 60 ( still the predominant UI among symbian-based smartphones ) and Series 80 ( Nokia Communicators ), and then moves on. All sample code provided by the authors ( downloadable from the books website ), is targeted strictly towards UIQ.

While the number of subjects covered( UI, file system, memory handling, Bluetooth, communications ) serve their purpose, the book just seems too haphazardly composed to be easily digestable. At least they did provide a few small applets which demonstrate some of the subjects ( strings, simple drawing ) covered, before they present their version of the classic Battleship game ( which in it's favor does implement a communication stack for multiplayer use ).

My ONE strong suggestion to the authors would've been not to ignore the Series 60 platform altogether. The last book for Series 60 left a lot of room for the authors of this book, to have tied the loose ends that the SDK leaves open, together.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Starting Point, December 30, 2003

By 

J. Puopolo (Sudbury, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Symbian OS C++ for Mobile Phones: Volume 1: Professional Development on Constrained Devices (Symbian Press) (Paperback)

Having written software for 15 years for UNIX and Windows platforms, my move to the mobile space has been educational and humbling. Trying to learn to program for Symbian using the SDK and publicly available docs is daunting at best. The SDK docs are sparse, poorly written and provide a terrible search experience.

In contrast, Symbian OS C++ for Mobile Phones provides a solid foundation for learning to program this relatively new breed of devices. It covers a lot of material in a fair amount of depth and will help newbies to ascend the steep learning curve. Without this book, those new to Symbian programming will need to scour the SDK docs, trawl the newsgroups, and rely on kind souls from the UK to help with their inevitable programming questions.

I would have given this book 4 stars had it not been for several disappointing characteristics. First, there are too many authors. The writing style changes and information is repeated unnecessarily and in jarring ways. Second, the book sometimes repeats what's in the SDK docs, albeit in a consolidated form, without adding pragmatic insight and value. Third, it does not delve into some real-world, complex topics in any meaningful way. For example, the text quickly discusses messaging (SMS/MMS) but does not provide a digestible example of programmatically constructing an MMS. Fourth, it does not include Series 60 information, which is a shame given that the Series 60 is a very popular platform.

All in all, this is a good book that provides relevant, helpful information that will flatten the learning curve considerably.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good base for UIQ, April 7, 2004

By 

"chaussette" (Paris, FRANCE) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Symbian OS C++ for Mobile Phones: Volume 1: Professional Development on Constrained Devices (Symbian Press) (Paperback)

I ordered this book because I was new to Symbian/UIQ. I found it easier and more convenient to use than the SDK on-line doc.
I appreciate the battleship case-study used to illustrate the basic and intermediate Symbian/UIQ concepts. It helped me a great deal. This book also focuses on UIQ application framework. But surprisingly, I found it very scarce (as much as the SDK) on some aspects of the application framework: embedded application programming, command-line parameters processing.
However still good to have it close at hand for when I need a quick info.