Developer looking for where to start

[kdn102]

I am a very experienced C programmer (been using it for around 15 years, 9 of those professionally).  I looked into PalmOS programming in the past and I remember starting off with a simple button/text field program.  That was just after the PalmIII came out *laugh*.  I know there are web pages with what you need and stuff, but if I remember from last time I went through this process, which was early last year, I was irked by some of the instructions that were not complete and left too many holes where the installer can choose this or that.

Does anyone know of where I can find a thorough explanation of how to install the tools and such needed to create a basic PalmOS app?  Such as a 160x160 B&W app.  I would also like to know if there is a detailed step by step proccess on writing a simple 320x320 16bit color app for the new PalmOS 5.0 api.

Oh yeah, and another thing...we need to fill this forum up!  I was quite surprised to be able to peruse the entire thing in 20 mins!

Developers post away!  Post your tips, tricks or just general good advice to others trying to develop!

Thanks in advance for your help!

[ThomasK]

If you have a little bit of time, wait for the Fast ARM Solutions Toolkit (FAST) from Palm (see http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=5318). You just have to buy the CodeWarrior Tool.
Maybe it makes the development for Palm/SONY a little bit easier.

[ayasin]

Originally posted by kdn102
I am a very experienced C programmer (been using it for around 15 years, 9 of those professionally).  I looked into PalmOS programming in the past and I remember starting off with a simple button/text field program.  That was just after the PalmIII came out *laugh*.  I know there are web pages with what you need and stuff, but if I remember from last time I went through this process, which was early last year, I was irked by some of the instructions that were not complete and left too many holes where the installer can choose this or that.
Welcome to the world of free/open source software :). If you purchase CodeWarrior or Falch.net the documentation is good. It just depends what's more valuable to you...money or time. Also ARM support in the GCC tool chain leaves something to be desired (in terms of compiler quality, feature lack)


Does anyone know of where I can find a thorough explanation of how to install the tools and such needed to create a basic PalmOS app?  Such as a 160x160 B&W app.  I would also like to know if there is a detailed step by step proccess on writing a simple 320x320 16bit color app for the new PalmOS 5.0 api.

www.Falch.net has some very good info. If you download their demo tool and generate a hello world app you can see in about 10 min exactly how to create them from scratch. They also host several (very active) PalmOS development related newsgroups. There is no double density standard forms API (grumble). There is a standard API call that you can use to get the native coord system and draw everything you want directly to the screen. It's documented in the PalmOS API docs.


Oh yeah, and another thing...we need to fill this forum up!  I was quite surprised to be able to peruse the entire thing in 20 mins!

Developers post away!  Post your tips, tricks or just general good advice to others trying to develop!

Thanks in advance for your help!

I competely agree!!!

[kdn102]

Originally posted by ayasin
...It just depends what's more valuable to you...money or time...

Money is always important!  I always want to get the best value for the dollar.  And since time is money...I don't mind paying a reasonable price for an IDE.  What bugs me is that MS has a developer package which includes the entire MSDN kit for $725, as long as you deploy a solution for an MS product (any OS, including Pocket PC) in under a year.

Does anyone have experience with either or both?  If so, can we get a quick list of plusses and minuses?  And maybe a preference factoring in the pretty major price difference between the two?  The regular edition of Falch is only $129.  The regular code warrior is a whopping $399.  Of course if you get Falch's "pro" verison it's $229, which apparently only adds in their Visual DB designer.

Has anyone used the Visual DB desginer?

Does anyone have experience with customer support with either?

In any event I will be downloading both demo's and I'll report my findings (may not be for several weeks, as I will be out of town starting the end of next week, and it would be silly to install the demo's while out of town!)

Oh and thanks for the input ayasin!

[ayasin]

Originally posted by kdn102
What bugs me is that MS has a developer package which includes the entire MSDN kit for $725, as long as you deploy a solution for an MS product (any OS, including Pocket PC) in under a year.
I have MSDN Universal (picked it up for $1000 on ebay :) ) and the nice thing about that is that you can use office for business and use the dev tools as long as you want even after it expires (of course you won't get upgrades if you let it lapse).


Does anyone have experience with either or both?  If so, can we get a quick list of plusses and minuses?

I have experience with Falch.net. I can say that it's an OK IDE. I demoed it and went back to VI and make files. I might have been willing to part with the money for it except that I didn't hear anything good about it in the newsgroups. 2.6 was a rock appearently, but 2.7 seems to be sandstone.


Does anyone have experience with customer support with either?

I called CodeWarrior support and they seemed somewhat knowledgeable. Of course I was talking to them through a sales person so the mistakes could have been his. Also the reason that CW is so much more expensive is that it's an honest to god IDE rather than just a front end on someone elses compiler/debugger.


In any event I will be downloading both demo's

Does CW have a demo for v9? Version 8 was not nearly as good from what I hear and does not support armlets.


Oh and thanks for the input ayasin!
Anytime :)