Cool programming language, with games and other applications for H/PCs and Palm-size PCs.
Whether you are a programmer or simply aspire to be one, PocketC may quickly become your favorite handheld application. PocketC is a simplified version of the C programming language that lets you develop programs for, and on PC Companions. It's versatile, easy-to-learn, and provides seasoned professionals or novice programmers with the ability to quickly write applications directly on their Windows CE device.
Simple to install and use
PocketC installs from your desktop PC to your PC Companion via cable and Windows CE Services. Two major components are installed: PCeditor the development tool used to write and compile code; PCshell the run-time module used to execute applications created by PocketC. Install puts the PCshell component in the /Windows directory, and PCeditor in the /PocketC directory on your PC Companion. The entire installation takes about 385 kb of storage space and requires about 200 kb of memory to run.
To launch PCeditor on your H/PC, open H/PC Explorer, go to the /PocketC directory and click on PCeditor.exe (see Screen 1).
Palm-size PCs don't come with an Explorer application, so you need to install a third-party file Explorer on your Palm-size PC to launch PCeditor. (You can download the freeware program PalmExplorer from www.cemonster.com.)
Screen 1: PCeditor running on an H/PC. The Help feature gives you hints on using PCeditor to write PocketC code.
Programming in PocketC
PocketC is very similar to standard C in syntax, but has a different feature set. Most notably, there are no pointers, no structs, and no preprocessor. PocketC adds features such as a string data type and loose typing (the compiler transparently converts between all data types). The PocketC compiler produces a "pseudo-executable" file which run on all Windows CE platforms, no matter what processor is used. Most importantly, even a novice programmer is able to create simple applications without knowing anything about Windows programming.
PocketC contains several groups of built-in functions, including math, registry, file I/O, graphics, serial I/O, and window functions. There are commands which allow you to create very sophisticated, windows-like graphical user interface (GUI) elements; commands to show the Open File Dialog and Save File Dialogs; and much more.
PocketC hides complexity from users. For example, you can create a pop-up menu filled with menu items with one function called menupop(), and the user's feedback is returned by that function. Functions in PocketC are designed to allow programmers to write simpler code and less code.
One of the best examples of a PocketC application is Sketch CE by Interfox, a miniature CAD program (see Screen 2). Sketch CE allows a technician to pick up geometric data in the field and convert it to an accurate technical sketch. It is also compatible with DXF files. Other sample applications are shown in Screens 3 & 4.
Development Tools
Since PocketC's introduction in 1998 August, developers have generated numerous development tools to ease the programming effort. KrugSoft has created the Visual Form Buddy application that can be used to design graphical user interfaces with a few simple clicks on screen (see Screen 5).
Another developer wrote DelC, an integrated development environment for PocketC applications, allowing rapid application development on the desktop. It has its own form designer, event code editor, user function editor, property inspector, syntax checker, and more.
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