Python Framework for Symbian Series 60 phones

Today has been quite productive. I've searched in the poor documentation of the XML module we are using on the phone the methods we need for parsing a complete file. The result is quite satisfying. The XML module takes a little while to be loaded but after result is very fast.

So, we have a new method MParser inheriting from ElementTree added to MobiliiPuntariAPI.xml package able to:

• parse from url (fromurl())
• parse from file (fromfile())
• parse from string (fromstring())
• convert a tree object to a string (tostring())

Maybe an error handler could be added later if new issues are found. Tomorrow, I'll add the possibility to pass a callback method to extract and return only the information needed to a dictionary format.

Dear journal :)

After fighting 3 days with the XML libraries I found a solution. It uses cElementtree like previously mentioned. SIS package is available for versions up to S60 2nd edition. Read this thread for more info http://discussion.forum.nokia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90292.
Download SIS package is here. Or what I advice is to download the project package because it includes sources and different libraries used on the emulator.

To install cElementTree on the emulator (S60 2nd edition):

• unzip cElementTree-pys60-v1.0.5.zip
• copy binaries\wins\udeb\CELEMENTTREE.PYD to C:\Symbian\8.0a\S60_2nd_FP2\epoc32\release\wins\udeb\z\system\Libs
• copy "elementtree" folder to to C:\Symbian\8.0a\S60_2nd_FP2\epoc32\release\wins\udeb\z\system\Libs
• then test the installation with a little script like:

import cElementTree as et
e=et.fromstring("<hello>world</hello>")
print e.tag, e.text

• you should get:

...
Version 1.3.1 final
hello world

There is an *untested* alpha release for S60 3rd edition:

• Installation for 3rd ed: http://ssalmine.googlepages.com/pys6....20060925.sisx
• Source for 3rd ed: https://svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/...enttree/trunk/

I'm having a really bad suprise: NOKIA team kind of forgot to include XML utilities in PyS60 :'( So I've been through painfull researches and I found the following solutions:

• it is possible to install xmlproc. Advantage: pure python integration so 100% protable. Problem: because it is a pure python integration it will requires a lot of memory and will be very slow. I'm even scared to exceed the memory and freeze the phone. Second problem: I have difficulties to install it on the interpreter, there is no installtion package for the phone. So it makes difficult to port on the phone until I don't find a way to make it work if no other appropriate solution is found.

• second solution is to install pyexat that use a well known Expat C library (home page). Advantages: works like a dream until S60 2nd edition. Problem: no distribution for emulator which means debuggin everything on the phone and not compatible S60 3rd edition.

• one track: one guy from NOKIA Forum has ported http://effbot.org/zone/celementtree.htm to 3rd edition and try to release it soon. Questions: is there any built version for phone and emulator up to S60 2nd edition? I'm waiting for an answer but it seams that it would be the best solution to my eyes...

So i'm searching for a solution which could be portable to S60 1st, 2nd and 3rd edition but is it even possible???

I've been through difficulties to configure the sdk in order to have one compatible for Carbide and VS at the same time.
To list the divices and show the default one, in a command prompt type:

C:\>devices

To change the default device, in a command prompt type:

C:\>devices -setdefault @S60_2nd_FP2:com.nokia.Series60

Today we almost finished porting the SHA256 module for the phone. It consists in creating a polymorphic dll which as a .pyd extention. I'll put the source available as soon as it's finished.

Following the last meeting, I did some modifications to the documentation. It has now a tree view to make the navigation and a search engine. A compiled HTML version of the doc is also available now.

Last Friday I started with Jouni to look at the SHA-256 C source to port it to the phone. I had the wrong SDK installed on the desktop machine and Visual Studio was missing. So I installed the proper SDK, Visual Studio, Carbide .vs. I will be now able to compile a project.

I need now to finish declaring the Symbian project properly and try to compile it for the phone.

Today I have installed and configured quickly a website to keep my engineering journal and the members of the team informed of the thesis work state. Also source code and documentation are available for members of the team.