Author Description

Over 35 million mobile devices are powered by the Palm OS, and over 20,000 software titles are available, so today's application programmers must know how to program these tiny marvels in order to keep their competitive edge. Palm Application Programming begins with a general overview of the mobile device marketplace with respect to the Palm OS, describing the many available types of devices, Palm OS operating-system versions, and development tools. After this overview, the bulk of the book describes in detail how to program devices that use the Palm OS, including the new Cobalt operating system, with a concentration on Palm-branded PDAs. Developers will learn the basics of Palm programming using the new Palm OS Developer Suite and Metroworks Code Warrior, including user-interface elements and event-driven programming, before moving on to more advanced topics such as the extended Protein APIs. All topics are illustrated with plenty of source code, from snippets that show specific syntax examples and function usage all the way to full programs. These programs, including an address book, calendar application, and poker game, apply all the programming knowledge readers need to get started writing their own sophisticated Palm applications. In addition to a copy of Palm OS Developer Suite, the companion CD-ROM includes the source code and project files from the book.