This book provides reference information about the C/C++ language and runtime libraries used with the Palm OS® compiler tools. The audience for this book is application developers creating Palm OS Protein ARM-native applications and shared libraries using either the C or C++ programming languages for ARM-based handheld devices.
This book assumes you're already familiar with the C and C++ programming languages. Its goal is to familiarize you with the specific capabilities of the compiler provided as part of the Palm OS Developer Suite.
If you're unfamiliar with C or C++, or need a good reference for these languages, we recommend the following two books, which are the defacto standard references for the languages:
- The C Programming Language, 2nd Edition by Brian W. Kernighan, Dennis Ritchie, and Dennis M. Ritchie. ISBN 0131103628.
- The C++ Programming Language, Special 3rd Edition by Bjarne Stroustrup. ISBN 0201700735.
How This Book Is Organized
This book is divided into two parts, a language reference and a library reference.
Part I, "C/C++ Compiler Language Reference," has the following organization:
- Chapter 1, "Language Overview," describes the technical requirements, language extensions, and limitations of the Palm OS compiler.
- Chapter 2, "Language Elements," describes the Palm OS compiler's C/C++ language differences, as compared to the ANSI standard.
Part II, "C/C++ Compiler Library Reference," has the following organization:
- Chapter 3, "STLport/iostream," describes the STLport implementation of the C++ standard template library.
- Chapter 4, "Palm OS-Specific Libraries," describes general library information.
- Chapter 5, "Runtime Library Functions," describes the supported and unsupported runtime functions.
- The chapters that follow, beginning with Chapter 6, "assert.h," each describe a specific header file and the supported structures, runtime functions, and macros defined within that header file.
Palm OS Developer Suite Documentation
The following tools books are part of the Palm OS Developer Suite:
Additional Resources
- Documentation
PalmSource publishes its latest versions of this and other documents for Palm OS developers at
- Training
PalmSource and its partners host training classes for Palm OS developers. For topics and schedules, check
- Knowledge Base
The Knowledge Base is a fast, web-based database of technical information. Search for frequently asked questions (FAQs), sample code, white papers, and development documentation at