Palm OS Network Programming

Preface

Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise, see what they sought.

——Basho

Palm OS-based handhelds are becoming ever more connected as wireless networking technologies evolve and proliferate. More connected devices need networking applications. Developing network applications requires an understanding of Palm’s support for networking, and of the handheld platform itself. Those with an understanding of handheld application development will be in great demand.

The electronic networks and applications that use them are the infrastructure for the next century, just as the interstate highway network was the infrastructure for the last century and the railroad network was the infrastructure for the one before that. Network application developers have a to create high-quality infrastructure and efficient, stable applications. The next economy depends on it.

This book is for developers who want to create quality network applications for the Palm OS platform—applications that run efficiently on the device and on the network, and applications that conserve processor and bandwidth resources.

This book has three objectives:

1. Introduce the reader to the principles of Palm network applications. This includes the handheld environment, network architectures, communication and application protocols, and programming techniques. Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and Chapter 3 provide an overview of these issues. We explore the specifics of Palm network application development in Chapter 6 through ...