Chapter 1 - Introduction
Pocket Smalltalk is a Windows 95/NT application for writing Smalltalk
programs to run on the 3com PalmPilot handheld computer. You can use
the full power of the Smalltalk programming language and its
integrated development environment to write programs on your PC, then
create an "executable" .PRC file which can be HotSync'd to your
PalmPilot for execution and deployment.
Pocket Smalltalk's features include:
- Ability to create standalone executables.
- Tiny virtual machine size: 20k to 25k depending on included
features.
- Compact, yet complete, Smalltalk class library.
- Full access to the 800+ PalmOS API functions from within Smalltalk.
- Native widgets - Pocket Smalltalk applications use the built-in
PalmOS user interface.
- Ability to access PalmOS databases, including reading and writing
of Memo Pad entries.
- Extensible virtual machine.
- Runtime debugger to help pinpoint errors (can be removed
from deployed applications to save space).
- Automatic memory management via garbage collection.
- Full Smalltalk Behavior/Metaclass support, #doesNotUnderstand:,
proxy classes, #perform:, #isKindOf:, #become: and other
reflection methods,
- Extremely compact compiled code size.
Pocket Smalltalk has been used to create several
deployed applications and is a practical alternative to other
development environments.
Andrew Brault (ajb@tiac.net)