- Introduction
MIDP for Palm OS, 1.0 brings the Java platform to Palm OS devices. MIDP
for Palm OS is part of the JavaTM 2
Platform, Micro Edition (J2METM) family,
and is compliant with the MIDP
Specification 1.0.
MIDP for Palm OS, 1.0 provides a Java implementation for your Palm OS
device, along with a number of example Java applications that are ready to
be installed on your Palm OS device. In addition, because Java
applications are typically packaged as a JAR/JAD file pair, rather than a
Palm-ready PRC file, MIDP for Palm OS also contains a PRC Converter Tool.
The tool changes a Java application's JAR/JAD file pair into a file that
you can install on your Palm OS device.
Before you use MIDP for Palm OS 1.0, read the
User's Guide and the Example Overview, which are part of the
companion documentation bundle. The documentation bundle,
midp4palm-1_0-fcs-doc.zip, is available on the same page from
which you downloaded MIDP for Palm OS 1.0.
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- System Requirements
To use MIDP for Palm OS you need to have both a Palm OS device and a
desktop machine:
- The Palm OS device will run the MIDP for Palm OS implementation and any
Java applications written for MIDP that you install.
- The desktop machine will hold the initial download of the product, run
the synchronization software for your Palm OS device, and run a tool,
included with MIDP for Palm OS, that converts Java applications written for
MIDP into Palm OS applications that you can install on your Palm OS
device.
This section provides the requirements for both the Palm OS device and the desktop
machine.
MIDP for Palm OS runs on devices
that:
- Use the Palm OS 3.5.x operating system.
- Have at least 4 MB total memory. (Some Java applications might not run
properly if there is less memory.)
The MIDP for Palm OS implementation takes up roughly 590K of the Palm OS
device's storage. A typical Java application uses another 20 to 30K.
MIDP for Palm OS uses some of the Palm OS device's heap space. You can
control how much heap space it uses by setting a preference. See the User's Guide for more information. (Some runtime
problems, such as performance concerns, can be solved by adjusting the heap
size.)
The following devices are
supported:
- Palm Vx
- Palm VIIx
- Palm IIIc
- Handspring Visor Pro
MIDP for Palm OS should work on other devices that meet the system requirements, however only the supported
devices have been thoroughly tested.
MIDP for Palm OS also runs on a desktop computer using the Palm OS Emulator
(POSE).
The requirements for your Windows or Solaris desktop system are:
- Synchronization software for your Palm OS device, such as the software
from Palm Inc. that supports HotSync for Windows
computers.
- Approximately 1.6 MB of disk space to download and unzip MIDP for Palm
OS.
- Approximately 1.9 MB of disk space to download and unzip the MIDP for
Palm OS documentation.
- Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.3 or later.
(The JRE is
required only for the conversion tool.)
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- Release Contents
Installing MIDP for Palm OS 1.0 places the following folders and files
on your system, in a midp4palm1.0 directory:
- License and Copyright files:
license.html
copyright.txt
PRCfiles: This folder contains PRC files to install on your
Palm OS device. It includes the following file, which holds the MIDP
implementation. You must install this file on your device before
you can run any of the other Java applications:
MIDP.prc: The implementation of the Java platform,
which appears on your Palm OS device as JavaTM HQ.
The folder also has the following games and demonstration Java applications:
Demos.prc: This file holds the more technically
oriented examples: Colors, Properties, and HTTPView.
Games.prc: This file has the games TilePuzzle and
WormGame.
PushPuzzle.prc: This is a simple game.
StockMIDlet.prc: This Java application gets stock
quotes from a publicly available website, and does some stock
tracking.
TicketAuction.prc: This is a mockup of a ticket auction
service.
Developer.prc: Developers use this application, along
with MIDP.PRC, to run and test their Java
applications.
Converter: This folder holds the PRC Converter Tool, which
runs on your desktop system and enables you to convert the JAR/JAD files of
Java applications into PRC files that can be installed on your Palm OS
device. The files are:
Converter.jar
Converter.bat
Converter.ico
The folder also includes the JAR and JAD files for a sample application:
Worm.jar, Worm.jad: These files hold the WormGame
application.
readme.html: It is this file.
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- Installation
Instructions
This section contains brief instructions on how to install MIDP for Palm
OS 1.0. See the User's Guide for more
information.
- To install MIDP for Palm OS 1.0 on your Windows or Solaris desktop
computer:
Unzip the distribution bundle, midp4palm-1_0-fcs.zip into
any directory. There is no required destination name or location for this
directory, called your installDir.
Unzipping the bundle creates a directory in
installDir called midp4palm1.0, and puts
the MIDP for Palm OS files into it. The
MIDP for Palm OS implementation is in the file.
- To install the MIDP for Palm OS implementation on your Palm OS
device:
Download the
installDir\midp4palm1.0\PRCfiles\MIDP.prc
file to your Palm OS device with a synchronization program such as
HotSync.
Installing the MIDP for Palm OS implementation on your Palm OS device
adds a JavaTM HQ icon to your device's home screen. Do not
use this icon to launch Java applications. After you install a Java
application, launch the application by tapping its icon; your device will
use MIDP for Palm OS automatically.
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- Known Bugs and Issues
This section describes both software
limitations and known bugs in this
release.
Software Limitations
The StockMIDlet example is a networking demo but it does not use Palm.net
(inetlib). To successfully run the StockMIDlet example, you must use a
wireless modem or a product such as Mocha W32 PPP. Note that this is a
limitation of only this example application.
Software Bugs
| BUG ID |
DESCRIPTION |
| 4450859 |
Undesirable HotSync error message for anonymous midlets |
| 4459226 |
Excessive repaints for List and TextBox
when elements changed one-by-one |
| 4471320 |
Graffiti events (left/right/up/down/select) not implemented |
| 4474418 |
16-bit mode doesn't allow access to all colors |
| 4474997 |
Icons specified inside JAD file were not used in converted PRC
file |
| 4482083 |
When the TextField grows beyond the current screen,
scroll indicators not shown |
| 4482473 |
Thread-safe access to MIDP public APIs needs to be verified |
| 4483654 |
Menu system may return wrong result if screen is changed |
| 4484845 |
Italic font width may not be accurate |
| 4488684 |
ImageGraphics.drawXXX() methods do not need
synchronized block |
| 4490514 |
If user cancels network connection, don't show error dialog |
| 4492970 |
Changing text on a visible TextBox while the menu is
up could override the menu |
| 4494723 |
Program output should be backed up onto PC |
| 4494893 |
List screen init view does not always show current selection |
| 4494895 |
Http OutputStream.flush() causes problems with some
web proxy |
| 4495357 |
Form is not updated immediately after menu is
dismissed |
| 4495359 |
TextField cursor still active even if menu is
opened |
| 4505296 |
DateField shows screen garbage on Palm m105
3.5.2 |
| 4509486 |
Cannot run Gremlin test with consecutive test range |
| 4509820 |
Gremlin tests on MIDlets are interrupted in POSE 3.3 |
| 4511054 |
Error Code 1060 when converting JAR with MANIFEST at
the end to PRC |
|
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