This chapter describes the resource tools that you can use to build user interfaces for Palm OS® applications.
- "Defining Resource for Palm OS Applications" provides an overview on how you use XML to create user interface resources for your Palm OS application.
- "Understanding Palm OS Resource Tools" provides an overview of each of the Palm OS resource tools:
Defining Resource for Palm OS Applications
The source code for application resources is stored in a platform independent text file format. This file format is called an XML resource description file, or XRD file. This XRD file is an XML implementation for defining application resources.
The Palm OS resource tools operate on this XRD file format rather than the Macintosh resource binary format (RSRC) that was used in earlier Palm OS versions.
To learn more about the XRD file format, see the book Palm OS Resource File Formats.
Understanding Palm OS Resource Tools
Palm OS resource tools fall into the following categories:
PalmSource's toolset provides resource tools in each of these categories, as described in the following overview.
Figure 1.1 Basic Resource Tools

GenerateXRD: Resource Migration Tool
Migration tools are a one-way conversion from existing resource files to the new resource file format. If you currently have resources in Macintosh RSRC files, you can convert them to the new XRD format without loss of information. You can also "de-compile" resources from PRC files into the XRD resource file format. The tool you use to migrate these existing formats to the XRD format is called GenerateXRD
.
To learn more about GenerateXRD
, see Chapter 2, "Converting Existing Resources into XML Resource Files,".
Palm OS Resource Editor: Resource Editing Tool
Editing tools allow you to view, edit, and change Palm OS resource files (XRD files). The tool you can use to edit XRD files is called Palm OS Resource Editor. With Palm OS Resource Editor, you can edit XML tags directly, or you can use a graphical form editor, dragging and dropping user interface controls from a catalog of user interface elements.
To learn more about Palm OS Resource Editor, see Palm OS Resource Editor Guide.
PalmRC and PRCMerge: Resource Building Tools
Build tools are resource file compilers and linkers that build resources into Palm OS applications (PRC files). The resource file compiler is called PalmRC
; the linker is called PRCMerge
.
To learn more about PalmRC
, see Chapter 3, "Compiling XML Resource Files,".
To learn more about PRCMerge
, see Chapter 4, "Building a Palm OS Application,".
PRCCompare: Resource Utility Tool
Utility tools provide additional functions that can help you develop and debug Palm OS applications. PRCCompare
is a utility tool that shows you the difference between two Palm OS binary resource database files.
To learn more about PRCCompare
, see Chapter 5, "Comparing Palm OS Resource Database Files,".
hOverlay: Application Localization Tool
Localization tools allow you to create locale-specific versions of your Palm OS application. hOverlay
is a tool that helps you create overlay PRCs with national language strings that work with your original base PRC.
To learn more about hOverlay
, see Chapter 6, "Localizing a Palm OS Application,".
PRCSign and PRCCert: Application Security Tools
Security tools provide a way for securing and authenticating a Palm OS application. You use PRCSign
and PRCCert
to create and embed a digital signature and associated certificates in your Palm OS application (PRC file).
To learn more about PRCSign
and PRCCert
, see Chapter 7, "Securing a Palm OS Application,".