Is Sony 320x480 just like T3 320x480?

[JulianL]

If a software developer creates a 320x480 version of their application for a Tungsten T3, should the same code run on Sony 320x480 (in particular a TH55)? I'm just curious because the developer of one of the apps I use a lot has just got a T3 so he says he will be doing 320x480 soon. I'd like to know if I need to persuade him to do anything special to also support the TH55 or whether it should just work? Are there any gotchas that he needs to look out for?

- Julian.

P.S. The application is Meteor by Mathieu Routhier.

[Sharkk717]

Sony does support the Standard Palm APIs for Hi-Res+ (although i'm not sure to what extent), so it should work fine with your TH. CliePet might make a post here clearing this up, i'm just doing a quick reply.

[JulianL]

i'm just doing a quick reply
Thanks.... and good (re the "quick" bit) :) . I'd hate to think that I was distracting you from your SharkButton development, I might end up with a lynch mob at my virtual door, and I'd deserve it.

- Julian

[Sharkk717]

Julian- always glad to help! After a brief Private Message with CliePet yesterday, I'm actually reworking a bunch of my code for SharkButton (nearly a ground up rewrite), to improve speed and performance as well as customizing it. In the meantime though, i'm doing a new version of that ROMHide app. Not to mention i'm still answering messages in the forums lol!

[Joel]

Just checked out Meteor and it's a nice application. A hires+ should work well with the TH55.

The new ToDo does the same thing as Meteor, right?

[JulianL]

The new ToDo does the same thing as Meteor, right?

I'm not sure. Sorry for being thick, but what application are you refering to?

- Julian

[Joel]

I'm referring to the new ToDo application that comes with Clie Organizer on a TH55. :)

[CliePet]

> If a software developer creates a 320x480 version of their application for a Tungsten T3, should the same code run on Sony 320x480 (in particular a TH55)?

Unfortunately no.
Remember that Sony came out with these features before the official PalmSource APIs (which the PalmOne T3 uses)
Also there are some additional complications (like the user switching the screen between landscape/portrait) that only occur on some devices (T3, Tapwave Zodiac)

---
There are two APIs for accessing the hires screen (the old Sony one, and the new PalmSource one). Fortunately, the programmer can ignore the Sony one [only essential if you want to write programs for the Palm OS 4 NR models]
----
They harder part is dealing with the extra area for writing.
The "Virtual Silkscreen" (what Sony calls it) or "Dynamic Input Area" (what PalmSource/PalmOne calls it). For full 320x480, this must be closed completely. In general, programs should only use 320x450, leaving the status bar on the bottom. In Landscape mode there are similar issues (480x320 or better 450x320)

The APIs for controlling this is a historical mess. Sony has several API version that came out before the official one. The official API is the DIA API, and future CLIE models will support it (the current Palm OS 5 and Palm OS 5.2 CLIEs do not)

So my advice to your developer friend is for them to look at a sample app written by the PalmSource guys. It has several abstracted "DIA"-like handler routines
It has two versions, one using the general DIA (T3/Tapwave) and another that is CLIE specific (NX/NZ/TH/UX). You can glue them together if you like.

http://www.cliedeveloper.com/file/SampleCollapse_R2.zip
From:
http://www.cliedeveloper.com/develop_tool/index.html
"Cross Platform DIA(September 19, 2003) - Courtesy of PalmSource, Inc "

[Sharkk717]

>"Cross Platform DIA(September 19, 2003) - Courtesy of PalmSource, Inc "

That was what i was talking about. Great, informative reply as usual CP!