S60 Open to new features

When we first released Carbide we quickly learned from users that the concept of a "launch configuration" was pretty obscure to most folks. A UI evaluation team even came in and looked at us really weird when we brought the concept up. Carbide inherited the concept from Eclipse and we been refining it ever since. Basically, its a set of external data not required by the program but essential in setting the conditions so Carbide can launch and debug it. It contains information like which emulator to launch, which COM port ID to use, and other information.

In Carbide 1.2 we introduced the New Launch Configuration Wizard for on-device TRK debugging, JTAG debugging, and attaching to processes. In Carbide 1.3.1 we've gone back, reevaluated the entire launch configuration wizard process and refined it a bit to make it more useful to all users. Basically, unless your program has special customization requirements, you really should never have to go to the Debug window again.

Here's another screencast... By Tim Kelly, a Forum Nokia Champion and a developer on our team. In the screencast, Tim showcases the build system options and operation. The new build system is quite significantly different than the one used in Carbide.c++ 1.1, and I think you'll find it easy to use and intuitive. If not, let me know!

View the screencast here (Finally, in Flash!). English captions are provided!

I've also updated the MMP editor screencast to run on Flash. It also has english captions. Download it here.

 I'm a new at this so be gentle -- but I've just created a short (~7 minute) screencast on Carbide.c++ 1.2 that highlights one of the new features in this release, the MMP. The MMP editor provides a visual editor into the actual MMP file, and simplifies some of the management tasks associated with working with MMPs. I'm hoping it'll be a great way for new developers to learn the MMP model, and that experienced developers will enjoy having less hassle to deal with. Let me know what you think!

Download the screencast here (It's Windows Media Video - WMV).

Update: The screencast is now easier on the eyes (Flash format, not WMV), and has English subtitles. Download it here.

Just a quick note to update on our status in platform security tooling: The capability scanner is currently under development here at Nokia, and the certificate manager will be developed by Symbian. We're currently anticipating getting the capability scanner into beta around Christmas; final product to be available first as a plug-in for Carbide.c++ 1.1 in February, and then integrated into Carbide.c++ 1.2 in May. I haven't received any commitment from Symbian on the certificate manager, but I trust it'll be ready during Q1 as well. After that, platform security should be a little less annoying...

Our only remaining problem is the quality of the API-Capability documentation that is used as a the basis for the capability scanning. Apparently, Symbian's documentation on the subject is in pretty good shape, but our SDK documentation on the topic is a little shaky and needs improvement before we can call it a day. However, I think everyone in Nokia is feeling the platform security headache, so roadblocks are quickly being reduced.