Palm OS Network Programming

Summary

On a handheld device where you are trying to minimize production costs and maximize battery life, you can’t afford to throw away processor cycles or resources. Network access brings its own challenges. As a rule, it is slow, unreliable, and complex. Fortunately, there are guidelines to create enlightened Palm Network applications. A Palm Network application should:

• Be self-explanatory

• Provide only the essential forms and features

• Be safe to explore

• Avoid user input wherever possible and provide assistance where user input cannot be avoided

• Walk lightly on the platform

• Avoid the network insofar as it is possible

• Minimize network traffic

• Yield to others

• Closely monitor network operations

• Never leave its partners hanging

It is not only a matter of responsiveness, although as resources are consumed and cycles wasted, responsiveness will suffer too. It’s a matter of working well on the application platform.