Python to Palm Pilot Port

The port of Python to the Palm Pilot was developed by Jeff Collins and Michael M. Gorlick of The Aerospace Corporation.

This port of Python 1.5.2+ was developed for PalmOS 3.0 or later.

Warning! This is an alpha release intended to stimulate interest in Python on small computing platforms. To reduce the size of the implementation, several features were eliminated from this distribution including: float and complex numbers, file IO (standard in, out, and error are simulated), documentation strings, the parser and compiler, Python library modules, and extension modules.

The Python interpreter occupies 173 KB and will execute the standard regression test suite in less than 64 KB of heap space.

There are several known bugs:

* sys.exit is not properly implemented

* sys.path does not exist

* abort() in libc is not properly implemented

Known deficiencies include:

* Many features are yet untested

* File I/O is woefully incomplete

* No interactive interface exists

We are presently working on:

* VM cleanup and housekeeping

* Introducing Stackless Python into the port

* Reducing heap space consumption

We would appreciate assistance with:

* Interfacing Python to the Palm OS resources such as the event loop and Palm OS graphics

* Supplying an interactive front end

Software

Disclamer: THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AEROSPACE CORPORATION BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

Jeff Collins collins@rush.aero.org
Michael M. Gorlick gorlick@aero.org

The Aerospace Corporation
El Segundo, CA

Acknowledgement

This material is based upon work sponsored by the Air Force Materiel Command, Rome Laboratory, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under Contract Number F30602-99-C-0174. The content of the information does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.

These pages are maintained at UCI by:

Yuzo Kanomata yuzok@ics.uci.edu