Developing Software for Symbian OS: A Beginner's Guide to Creating Symbian OS v9 Smartphone Applications in C++

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Book description

Many problems encountered by engineers developing code for specialized Symbian subsystems boil down to a lack of understanding of the core Symbian programming concepts. Developing Software for Symbian OS remedies this problem as it provides a comprehensive coverage of all the key concepts. Numerous examples and descriptions are also included, which focus on the concepts the author has seen developers struggle with the most. The book covers development ranging from low-level system programming to end user GUI applications. It also covers the development and packaging tools, as well as providing some detailed reference and examples for key APIs. The new edition includes a completely new chapter on platform security.

The overall goal of the book is to provide introductory coverage of Symbian OS v9 and help developers with little or no knowledge of Symbian OS to develop as quickly as possible. There are few people with long Symbian development experience compared to demand, due to the rapid growth of Symbian in recent years, and developing software for new generation wireless devices requires knowledge and experience of OS concepts. This book will use many comparisons between Symbian OS and other OSes to help in that transition.

Get yourself ahead with the perfect introduction to developing software for Symbian OS.

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Copyright
Foreword
Foreword1
Biography
Author Acknowledgments
Symbian Press Acknowledgments
Symbian OS Code Conventions and Notations Used in the Book
1. Capitalization
2. Prefixes
3. Suffixes
4. Underscores
5. Code Layout
1. 1.1. Notes on this New Edition
2. 1.2. Smartphone Concepts
3. 1.3. Smartphone Features
  1. 1.3.1. How Smartphones Communicate
    1. 1.3.1.1. Generations of mobile communication
    2. 1.3.1.2. GSM
    3. 1.3.1.3. CDMA
    4. 1.3.1.4. CSD
    5. 1.3.1.5. GPRS
    6. 1.3.1.6. HSCSD
    7. 1.3.1.7. EDGE
    8. 1.3.1.8. UMTS
    9. 1.3.1.9. HSDPA
    10. 1.3.1.10. Wi-Fi
    1. 1.3.2.1. SMS
    2. 1.3.2.2. MMS
    3. 1.3.2.3. Email
    4. 1.3.2.4. Fax
    1. 1.3.3.1. WAP
    2. 1.3.3.2. HTML
    1. 1.3.4.1. USB/Serial cable connection
    2. 1.3.4.2. Infrared (IR)
    3. 1.3.4.3. Bluetooth technology
    1. 1.4.1. What Makes a Good Smartphone OS?
    1. 1.5.1. Symbian OS Overview
    2. 1.5.2. One OS, Various Flavors
    1. 1.6.1. Sony Ericsson P990i
    2. 1.6.2. Nokia N95
    3. 1.6.3. Nokia 9300i Communicator
    1. 1.7.1. Windows Mobile
    2. 1.7.2. BlackBerry
    3. 1.7.3. Palm OS
    4. 1.7.4. Linux
    1. 2.1. What Do You Need to Get Started?
      1. 2.1.1. Build Tools Overview
      2. 2.1.2. What is the Symbian OS Emulator?
      3. 2.1.3. Getting the Symbian OS SDK
      4. 2.1.4. Some Example SDKs
      5. 2.1.5. Getting a Windows Development Package
      6. 2.1.6. More on Carbide.c++
      7. 2.1.7. Carbide.vs
      8. 2.1.8. Is Windows the Only Development Operating System Supported?
      1. 2.2.1. Quick Test of the Emulator
      2. 2.2.2. Quick Test Drive of Carbide.c++
      3. 2.2.3. Build Some Examples
        
        2.2.3.1. Building a S60 example
        
        2.2.3.2. Building a UIQ example
        
        2.2.3.3. Building examples using Carbide.c++
        
        2.2.3.4. Library freezing
        
        2.3.1. Application Components
        
        2.3.2. Overview of SimpleEx
        
        2.3.3. Header Files
        
        2.3.4. Resource File
        
        2.3.4.1. SimpleEx.hrh
        
        2.3.4.2. SimpleEx_reg.rss
        
        2.3.5.1. SimpleEx.cpp
        
        2.3.5.2. SimpleEx_App.cpp
        
        2.3.5.3. SimpleEx_Doc.cpp
        
        2.3.5.4. SimpleEx_UI.cpp
        
        2.3.5.5. SimpleEx_View.cpp
        
        2.3.6.1. Creating the SimpleEx.mmp project definition file
        
        2.3.6.2. Creating the bld.inf file
        
        3.1. Components in Symbian OS
        
        3.2. Multitasking in Symbian OS
        
        3.2.1. Threads
        
        3.2.2. Processes
        
        3.3.1. Static Interface Libraries
        
        3.3.2. Polymorphic DLLs
        
        3.3.3. ECOM Framework
        
        3.3.4. Static Data in DLLs
        
        3.5.1. How Memory is Addressed
        
        3.5.2. Chunks in Symbian OS
        
        3.5.3. A Process in Memory
        
        3.5.4. Virtual Memory Map in Symbian OS
        
        3.5.5. Switching Processes — Detailed Example
        
        3.5.6. Protecting Processes from Each Other
        
        3.5.7. Performance in Switching Processes
        
        3.5.8. Fixed Processes
        
        3.6.1. Symbian OS Kernels: EKA2 and EKA1
        
        3.6.2. Kernel Architecture
        
        3.6.2.1. Abstracting the hardware
        
        3.6.2.2. User library
        
        3.6.2.3. Nanokernel
        
        3.6.3.1. Two-processor smartphone model
        
        3.6.3.2. One processor using the real-time nanokernel
        
        3.8.1. Customizing the UI
        
        3.8.2. Introducing the GUI Framework
        
        4.1. Use of C++ in Symbian OS
        
        4.2. Non-standard C++ Characteristics
        
        4.3. Basic Data Types
        
        4.4. Symbian OS Classes
        
        4.4.1. Data Type Classes: T classes
        
        4.4.2. Heap Classes: C classes
        
        4.4.3. Resource Classes: R classes
        
        4.4.4. Interface Classes: M classes
        
        4.5.1. Error Handling via Return Codes
        
        4.5.2. Leaves and TRAP Harnesses
        
        4.5.3. The TRAP and TRAPD Macros
        
        4.5.4. Leave Functions
        
        4.5.5. What Does the 'L' Suffix Mean?
        
        4.5.6. Cleanup Stack
        
        4.5.7. Object Types and the Cleanup Stack
        
        4.5.8. More Complex Cleanup
        
        4.5.9. Other Cleanup Functions
        
        4.5.9.1. CleanupClosePushL(T& obj)
        
        4.5.9.2. CleanupReleasePushL (T& obj)
        
        4.5.9.3. CleanupDeletePushL (T *obj)
        
        4.6.1. Creating a Library
        
        4.6.2. Import Libraries
        
        4.6.3. RLibrary API
        
        4.6.4. Polymorphic DLLs
        
        4.6.5. Static Data in DLLs
        
        4.8.1.
        
        4.8.1.1. Class names
        
        4.8.1.2. Variable names
        
        4.8.1.3. Constants
        
        4.8.1.4. Enumerations
        
        4.8.1.5. Macros
        
        4.8.1.6. Function names
        
        5.1. SDK Directory Structure
        
        5.1.1. The epoC32 Directory
        
        5.1.1.1. epoc32\nclude
        
        5.1.1.2. epoc32\build
        
        5.1.1.3. epoc32\tools
        
        5.1.1.4. epoc32\release
        
        5.1.1.5. epoc32\data\z
        
        5.1.1.6. epoc32\winscw
        
        5.3.1. A Closer Look at abld.bat
        
        5.3.2. The MMP File
        
        5.4.1. Emulator Build Targets
        
        5.4.2. Native Build Targets
        
        5.4.2.1. Application binary interface (ABI)
        
        5.4.2.2. Import libraries for native builds
        
        5.4.2.3. LIB and DSO files
        
        5.4.2.4. ARM and THUMB instruction set
        
        5.5.1. Getting a UID
        
        5.5.2. Vendor ID
        
        5.6.1. Emulator Configuration
        
        5.6.1.1. Virtual drives
        
        5.6.1.2. Customizing virtual drives
        
        5.6.1.3. Memory capacity
        
        5.6.1.4. Other emulator configurations
        
        5.7.1. MMP File for Shared Library
        
        5.7.2. Referencing Functions by Ordinal
        
        5.7.3. RLibrary API Class
        
        5.8.1.
        
        5.8.1.1. Why is DLL freezing important?
        
        5.8.1.2. Disabling interface freezing
        
        5.8.1.3. Enabling interface freezing
        
        5.8.1.4. What does the abld freeze command do?
        
        5.8.1.5. How is the DEF file used?
        
        5.8.1.6. First build of a DLL
        
        5.8.1.7. Sample DEF file
        
        5.8.1.8. Inserting a new function
        
        5.8.1.9. Interface violation
        
        5.8.1.10. Unfreezing a DLL
        
        5.9.1. Where Do I Put My Files?
        
        5.9.2. Format of the PKG File
        
        5.9.2.1. Package file comments
        
        5.9.2.2. Package header
        
        5.9.2.3. Package options
        
        5.9.2.4. Package type
        
        5.9.2.5. Product target
        
        5.9.2.6. Specifying files to install
        
        5.9.3.1. Text notices
        
        5.9.3.2. Removing runtime-generated files
        
        5.9.3.3. Embedding SIS files
        
        5.9.3.4. Running executables on install or uninstall
        
        5.9.3.5. Requisite lines
        
        5.9.4.1. How does makesis use the language information?
        
        5.9.4.2. Language-dependent files
        
        5.9.4.3. Other language-dependent statements
        
        6.1. Introducing the Text Console
        
        6.2. Descriptors for Strings and Binary Data
        
        6.2.1. Strings versus Binary Data
        
        6.2.2. Preventing Memory Overruns
        
        6.2.3. Simple Descriptor Example
        
        6.3.1.
        
        6.3.1.1. 16-Bit default for Unicode
        
        6.3.1.2. Descriptor class hierarchy
        
        6.3.6.1. HBufC descriptor
        
        6.3.6.2. Modifying HBufC data
        
        6.3.6.3. Creating a HBufC descriptor from another descriptor
        
        6.3.6.4. RBuf descriptor
        
        6.3.6.5. Using RBuf::CleanupClosePushL()
        
        6.3.6.6. Creating RBuf from another descriptor
        
        6.3.6.7. Taking ownership of preallocated buffers
        
        6.3.6.8. Multiple RBuf assignments
        
        6.3.6.9. Resizing buffers
        
        6.4.1. Non-modifying Methods
        
        6.4.1.1. Comparing descriptor data
        
        6.4.1.2. Finding substrings within a descriptor
        
        6.4.1.3. Extracting substrings from descriptors
        
        6.4.2.1. Copying data to a descriptor
        
        6.4.2.2. Appending data to a descriptor
        
        6.4.2.3. Formatting descriptor data
        
        6.4.2.4. Changing the case of a descriptor string
        
        6.4.2.5. Deleting data from a descriptor
        
        6.4.2.6. Converting to NULL-terminated strings
        
        6.4.2.7. Setting the descriptor size
        
        6.6.1. When Should I Use Dynamic Buffers?
        
        6.6.2. Flat and Segmented Buffers
        
        6.6.3. Dynamic Buffer Methods
        
        6.6.3.1. Reading and writing a dynamic buffer
        
        6.6.3.2. Inserting and deleting data
        
        6.6.3.3. Manually changing the size of a dynamic buffer
        
        6.6.3.4. Getting a pointer to an area in a dynamic buffer
        
        6.8.1. Fixed Arrays
        
        6.8.2. Descriptor Arrays
        
        6.8.3. Dynamic Arrays
        
        6.8.3.1. RArray
        
        6.8.3.2. Inserting and appending array data
        
        6.8.3.3. Finding data in an array
        
        6.8.3.4. Sorting an array
        
        6.8.3.5. Miscellaneous array functions
        
        6.8.3.6. An example using RArray
        
        6.8.3.7. RPointerArray
        
        6.9.1. Linked Lists
        
        6.9.2. Circular Buffers
        
        7.1. What is Platform Security?
        
        7.2. What Platform Security is Not
        
        7.3. What this Means to a Developer
        
        7.4. Capabilities for API Security
        
        7.4.1. Basic Capabilities
        
        7.4.1.1. LocalServices
        
        7.4.1.2. Location
        
        7.4.1.3. NetworkServices
        
        7.4.1.4. ReadUserData
        
        7.4.1.5. WriteUserData
        
        7.4.1.6. UserEnvironment
        
        7.4.1.7. User granting basic capabilities
        
        7.4.1.8. Symbian Signing and basic capabilities
        
        7.4.2.1. PowerMgmt
        
        7.4.2.2. ProtServ
        
        7.4.2.3. ReadDeviceData
        
        7.4.2.4. WriteDeviceData
        
        7.4.2.5. SurroundingsDD
        
        7.4.2.6. SwEvent
        
        7.4.2.7. TrustedUI
        
        7.4.3.1. AllFiles
        
        7.4.3.2. CommDD
        
        7.4.3.3. DiskAdmin
        
        7.4.3.4. MultiMediaDD
        
        7.4.3.5. NetworkControl
        
        7.4.3.6. Drm
        
        7.4.3.7. Tcb
        
        7.4.5.1. PlatSecEnforcement
        
        7.4.5.2. PlatSecDisableCaps
        
        7.4.5.3. PlatSecDiagnostics
        
        7.4.8.1. \sys directory
        
        7.4.8.2. \resource directory
        
        7.4.8.3. \private directory
        
        7.5.1. Digital Signing Overview
        
        7.5.2. Application Signing
        
        7.5.2.1. Unsigned
        
        7.5.2.2. Self-signing
        
        7.5.2.3. Trusted and untrusted certificates
        
        7.5.2.4. Symbian Signed
        
        7.5.2.5. Installation errors related to signing
        
        7.5.2.6. UIDs, SIDs, and application signing
        
        7.6.1. Test Criteria
        
        7.6.2. Symbian Signed Process Options
        
        7.6.2.1. Freeware signing
        
        7.6.2.2. Publisher certifier signing
        
        7.6.3.1. Getting a Publisher ID
        
        7.6.3.2. Sign your application with the Publisher ID
        
        7.6.3.3. Submit your application to Symbian Signed
        
        7.6.3.4. Support the test house as needed
        
        7.6.3.5. Receiving your Symbian Signed application
        
        7.6.3.6. If you require phone manufacturer capabilities
        
        7.7.1. What is a Developer Certificate?
        
        7.7.1.1. Developer certificate
        
        7.7.1.2. Phone manufacturer certificate
        
        7.7.2.1. Download the DevCertRequest tool
        
        7.7.2.2. Create the CSR request file using DevCertRequest
        
        7.7.2.3. Upload the request file
        
        7.7.2.4. Download the certificate
        
        8.1. Asynchronous Functions
        
        8.2. Introducing Active Objects
        
        8.2.1. The Non-Pre-Emptive Multitasking Model
        
        8.2.2. Creating an Active Object Class
        
        8.2.2.1. Constructing an active object
        
        8.2.2.2. Adding an active object to the active scheduler
        
        8.2.2.3. Implementing requestor functions
        
        8.2.2.4. Implementing RunL()
        
        8.2.2.5. Implementing a DoCancel() function
        
        8.2.2.6. Overriding the RunError() method
        
        8.3.1. Installing and Starting an Active Scheduler
        
        8.3.2. Background Information
        
        8.3.3. CActiveScheduler Methods
        
        8.3.4. Customizing the Active Scheduler
        
        8.8.1. CCountdown Active Object
        
        8.8.2. Modifications to SimpleEx
        
        8.9.1. Do Not Block in an Active Object
        
        8.9.2. Avoid Stray-Signal Panics
        
        8.9.3. Have One Outstanding Event at a Time
        
        8.10.1. CTimer
        
        9.1. Processes
        
        9.1.1. An Example Process
        
        9.1.2. Launching a Process
        
        9.1.3. Setting and Retrieving Process Arguments
        
        9.1.4. Communicating with Other Processes
        
        9.1.5. Process Names
        
        9.1.6. Querying the Phone's Running Processes
        
        9.1.7. Process Priority
        
        9.1.8. Terminating a Process
        
        9.1.9. Checking the Status of a Process
        
        9.1.10. Signaling when a Process Ends
        
        9.1.11. Other Symbian OS Process Facts
        
        9.2.1. Creating a Thread
        
        9.2.2. Opening an Existing Thread
        
        9.2.3. Thread Priorities
        
        9.2.4. Terminating a Thread
        
        9.2.5. Waiting for a Thread to End
        
        9.4.1. Local Memory Chunks
        
        9.5.1. Using Semaphores
        
        9.5.2. Creating and Opening Semaphores
        
        9.5.3. The Use of Semaphores in Symbian OS
        
        9.5.4. Mutexes
        
        9.5.5. Critical Sections
        
        9.5.6. Using Rendezvous()
        
        10.1. Client–Server Overview
        
        10.2. A Look at the Client–Server Classes
        
        10.3. Client–Server Example
        
        10.3.1. Client-Side Class
        
        10.3.1.1. Connecting to the server
        
        10.3.1.2. Invoking the server's services
        
        10.3.2.1. Processing messages from the client
        
        10.3.2.2. Transferring data between the client and server
        
        11.1. Introduction to TCP/IP
        
        11.1.1. IP Addresses and Ports
        
        11.1.2. Client– Server Network Model
        
        11.1.3. Well-Known Server-Side Port Addresses
        
        11.1.4. Client-Side Port Addresses
        
        11.2.1. Client–Server Socket Flow
        
        11.2.1.1. Client-side code
        
        11.2.1.2. Server-side code
        
        11.2.3.1. Creating the socket
        
        11.2.3.2. Converting domain names to IP addresses
        
        11.2.3.3. Connecting the socket
        
        11.2.3.4. Sending data
        
        11.2.3.5. Receiving data
        
        11.2.3.6. Cleaning up the connection
        
        11.3.1. Socket API Classes
        
        11.3.2. HTTP Example Using Symbian OS Socket API
        
        11.3.2.1. Connecting to the socket server
        
        11.3.2.2. Creating the socket
        
        11.3.2.3. Setting the destination address
        
        11.3.2.4. Connection to the remote server
        
        11.3.2.5. Sending a packet
        
        11.3.2.6. Receiving packets
        
        11.3.2.7. Closing the socket and socket server
        
        11.4.1. wunderground.com
        
        11.4.2. Adding this Code to SimpleEx
        
        11.5.1. Establishing a Connection for a Program
        
        12.1. Symbian OS User Interfaces
        
        12.1.1. UIQ 3 Phones
        
        12.1.1.1. User input
        
        12.1.1.2. UIQ paper metaphor
        
        12.1.1.3. UIQ dialogs
        
        12.1.2.1. User input
        
        12.1.2.2. S60 dialogs
        
        12.3.1. E32Main() Entrypoint and NewApplication()
        
        12.3.2. Examining the GUI Application Classes
        
        12.3.2.1. The application class
        
        12.3.2.2. The document class
        
        12.3.2.3. The application UI class
        
        12.3.2.4. The application view class
        
        12.4.1. Resource File Format
        
        12.4.2. SimpleEx's Resource File
        
        12.4.2.1. UIQ SimpleEx resource
        
        12.4.2.2. S60 SimpleEx resource
        
        12.5.1. Creating a Basic UIQ Dialog
        
        12.5.1.1. Launching the dialog
        
        12.5.3.1. Dialogs common to all UI platforms
        
        12.5.3.2. UIQ stock dialogs
        
        12.5.3.3. S60 predefined dialogs
        
        12.5.3.4. Confirmation query dialog
        
        12.5.3.5. Text query
        
        12.6.1. Types of Control
        
        12.6.1.1. Edit controls
        
        12.6.1.2. List boxes
        
        12.6.1.3. Progress bars
        
        12.6.1.4. Option buttons
        
        12.6.1.5. Check boxes
        
        12.6.1.6. Choice list
        
        12.6.1.7. Combo box
        
        12.8.1. Creating the Icon Bitmaps
        
        12.8.2. Creating the Localized Application Information Resource
        
        12.8.3. Building Information File and Bitmaps
        
        Online References
        
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        Product information
        
        Title: Developing Software for Symbian OS: A Beginner's Guide to Creating Symbian OS v9 Smartphone Applications in C++
        
        Author(s): Steve Babin
        
        Release date: December 2007
        
        Publisher(s): Wiley
        
        ISBN: 9780470725702