Symbian OS Explained: Effective C++ Programming for Smartphones (Symbian Press)

When I started working for Psion Software in 1997 there was very little official documentation about how to write good C++ for the EPOC32 Operating System, as it was then known. There were, however, a number of experienced developers in the company and, having just achieved the impressive feat of releasing the Psion Series 5, their knowledge was invaluable.

I was lucky enough to work with some of the people who designed and wrote the core OS. In addition, I could learn from others by reading Lotus Notes discussion database postings which traced the evolution of the operating system from design to the present (and continue to do so to this day).

Fast-forward six years to 2003, during which time there were many changes. The operating system advanced almost beyond recognition, changing its name along the way to Symbian OS to reflect the name of the collaborative company that now owned it. The number of developers working with Symbian OS grew along the way, and Symbian responded with more extensive Software Developer Kits and documentation, including the formation of a partnership publishing imprint, ‘Symbian Press'.

While much had changed, a number of the key concepts of the operating system remained in place. Descriptors, active objects, leaves and client-server programming had been features I had found complex to use at first, and I wanted to pass on some of the advice I was given as a beginner. The Symbian Press titles available in 2003 allowed developers access to some of this knowledge, but I felt there was room for a book like Scott Meyers' “Effective C++”, which I had found invaluable when learning good C++ style.

So I set out to write a similar book to explain how to work most effectively with Symbian OS (though emulating Scott Meyers style was difficult because he is such an accomplished author). I concentrated on the core of the operating system, and tried to explain the fundamental concepts, best practice and the most commonly made mistakes. The book is intended to be light, readable and focussed on a few key features, since other books in the Symbian Press series discuss how to write applications, work with multimedia or comms APIs and set up development tools and SDKs.

My book, Symbian OS Explained, was published recently, in October 2004. I would have loved to have called it “Effective EPOC”, but the “Effective” programming series belongs to another publisher. Like Scott Meyers' book, I split the text into short items, 21 in all, each of which explores a specific aspect of Symbian OS in depth. The items are cross-referenced extensively, and use a number of code samples, diagrams and footnotes to illustrate each topic.

The book aims to be a base of information for all levels of developer to refer to, and I've tried to organise the content so it can be read cover-to-cover or dipped into for reference when needed. Some of the Symbian OS concepts included are as follows: · descriptors and dynamic containers · leaves, cleanup stack and 2-phase construction · active objects, threads and processes · client-server architecture · thin templates · good API design · memory optimisation · debug and test macros · the ECOM plug-in framework · panics and assertions

Symbian OS Explained took a year to write and, in doing so, I learnt a lot more about the way the operating system is designed and why some of the more frustrating or complex concepts are as they are. The book tries to communicate my learning and to share the experience and knowledge of the developers that pioneered EPOC32, and those that have helped it evolve to Symbian OS as we know it today.

Information about the author, Jo Stichbury

Jo joined Psion Software in 1997, when Symbian OS was still known fondly as EPOC32. She has worked with the operating system ever since, within the Base, Connectivity and Security teams of Symbian, and also for Advansys in Sydney, Australia and for Sony Ericsson and Nokia.

Some internet links that may be of interest

Symbian Press website (includes a link to the book where you can read a sample chapter and follow a link to buy from Amazon.com) http://www.symbian.com/books/index.html

Scott Meyers' book (published by Addison-Wesley) http://www.awprofessional.com/titles/0-201-92488-9/

Scott Meyers website http://www.aristeia.com/

Jo Stichbury's website (still under development) http://www.whoshavesthebarber.com/