[Bitpim-devel] News updates December 2003

[Roger B. <ro...@ro...>]

[This information is also available in at http://bitpim.sf.net]

I would love to improve the packaging of BitPim on the Mac. If you are
a Mac developer type, know how to build packages (I think you use 
bundlebuilder) and can also build shared libraries, then please contact 
ro...@us.... 

Work on BitPim 0.7 is progressing well. There should be a test release 
in the next few weeks. There are several improvements: 

- Support for more phones 
- The phonebook editor is drastically better 
- Import from CSV with pre-defined profiles for Palm Desktop, Mozilla, 
  Windows Address Book. (There is also incomplete code for Vcard import 
  which may make the release) 
- The protocols are all decoded and encoded based on description files, 
  as opposed to hand written code in prior releases. This makes the code 
  more robust and reliable, as well as easier to extend. There is even a 
  protocol analyser builtin for the curious. 
- Direct USB support for Linux (and Mac if anyone helps) 

I have found a usb library that can be used on Windows, Linux and Mac. It 
allows bypassing the drivers (if any) and talking straight to the device. 
Initial tests on Windows and Linux went well, although I still have to do 
a full blown session. Unfortunately the Windows version of the library is 
still a little too rough to use in a production version of BitPim at the 
moment.

BitPim 0.7 will also work on more phones (ie phonebook, calendar, 
wallpapers, ringtones etc): 

- LG XV-6000. RPI Wireless have been a huge assistance by loaning me the 
  phone and one of their combined data/charge cables. You can thank them 
  for supporting BitPim in this way by ordering stuff from their site at 
  www.rpiwireless.com. Don't forget to tell them BitPim sent you :-)
  
- Sanyo SCP 4900 and SCP 8100 

Roger