--On 23 August 2001 19:23 -0500 Richard Burmeister <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> API == Application Programming Interface. Normally, that is a set of
> functions that you can directly call to make an application perform some
> task for you.
Yes, like get phone number entry number X from record Y, or get surname
entry from record Y.
> The only entry to a normal Palm app is PilotMain(), so
> there is only one function that you can call directly. What you seem to
> be asking is for Palm either to:
>
> 1. Rewrite the built-in apps so the UInt16 cmd, MemPtr cmdPBP, and UInt16
> launchFlags parameters are used to pass in data to and call the various
> database functions within the app, or
OK... I might be tired, but what has the above got to do with writing a
couple of library functions?
> 2. Rewrite the built-in apps so they use functions in a static library to
> access their own databases, thereby allowing you to use the same library
> for whatever you want.
Well, if the applications are built-in then one would expect that the
associate databases would provide unified storage for records of some type.
Thus, if a third party wanted to store similar type of data, then it could
be done in 'centralised' storage, so that other apps could access that same
data.
> Option 2 makes some sense, but since Palm has already published the
> complete source code for these apps, it doesn't seem too likely.
In other words, we give you source code and if you can figure out how it
works then use it, and there is no 100% guarantee that it would work.
[ANCHOR 1 START]
> It would only make sense to do so if Palm concluded that there were *many*
> third party apps that needed to make modifications to the built-in apps'
> DBs.
[ANCHOR 1 END]
Or access data stored in them, not especially for modification purposes?
> I think if you take a look at most of the 3rd party software, you'll see
> that that isn't what they're doing.
Well, if it's a game then obviously not... Or what are you trying to say?
>> Incidently, is there any description of the address book record
>> structure, if so where?
>
> The address book record structure is completely described in the source
> code. Also, search for "Address Book Integration" in the archives and
> you'll find some info that will help you make sense of it.
Surely what you just said implies that there is a demand for ability to
provide some generalised means to access data used by buit-in apps, and
would this not qualify as a good enough reason for what you said in [ANCHOR
1]?
IM :-)
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