S60 SDKs: General Features

Each S60 SDK provides a powerful and comprehensive environment for the development and testing of S60 applications. Combined with your favourite development tools, the SDKs enable development and testing on a PC.
This page provides details of the key features of the S60 SDKs that benefit all developers. Once you’ve reviewed these features, you can find details of the features for your chosen runtime on the following pages:

S60 SDKs: Features for Symbian C++ and Open C/C++ developers
S60 SDKs: Features for Java™ developers
S60 SDKs: Features for web and Web Runtime developers

System requirements for S60 platform and device SDKs

The following minimum hardware and software configuration and software privileges are required for running the S60 5th Edition SDK for Symbian OS:

• Microsoft Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2.
• 1 GB of RAM.
• 1-GHz Pentium-class processor.
• 2 GB of free disk space.
• A display capable of 16-bit colour at 1,024 x 768-pixel resolution.
• Java™ runtime environment (JRE) 1.6 or later.
• ActivePerl 5.6.1 build 635.
• Local administrator rights for installation and removal of the SDK.

The system requirements for earlier versions of the SDK can be found in each version's release notes, available on the download page.

What’s new in the Nokia N97 SDK?

The Nokia N97 SDK offers the following new features:

Nokia N97 mobile-computer emulation Features specific to the Nokia N97 mobile computer are available in the SDK emulator, including: The look and feel of a Nokia N97 mobile computer, including a QWERTY keyboard and four-way rocker navigation key. The Nokia N97 device’s home screen, including support for home screen Web Runtime (WRT) widgets and native applications.

Key features of the S60 platform and device SDKs

Microsoft Windows Vista Business support
The S60 3rd Edition SDK for Symbian OS, Feature Pack 2 can be used by developers running Microsoft Windows Vista Business. However, because an ARMV5 compiler is not yet available for Microsoft Windows Vista, device target builds can be created only with the GCCE compiler.

Symbian C++ and Open C development
Full support is provided for developers creating applications using Symbian C++ or Open C/C++. For more information, see the Features for Symbian C++ and Open C/C++ developers page »

Java™ development
Full support is provided for developers using Java™ MIDP to create applications. For more information, see the Features for Java developers page »

Web and widget development
Full support is provided for web developers with implementations of the Web Browser for S60 and Web Runtime (WRT). For more information, see the Features for web and Web Runtime developers page »

Python development
Python developers can install the Python for S60 SDK plug-in into the SDK. This plug-in makes it possible to run and test Python applications without using devices. For more information, see the Python for S60 developers page ».

	Customisable emulator startup
	The S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 and later SDKs provide the emulator with two startup modes, enabling developers to choose between fast emulator loading and full S60 emulation. The modes offered are:
	Partial mode (default). This mode improves the emulator startup time by excluding features not commonly required for development, such as the TimeZone Server, Hardware Resource Management Server, voice commands, and screen saver. Full mode, which runs all the standard S60 startup features.

Startup indication
A new blinking indicator shows that the emulator is loading. This indicator is displayed in the task bar whenever the emulator is minimised. This feature enables developers to switch to other tasks while the emulator loads.

Emulator configuration
An emulator configuration tool allows for modification of the emulator's debugging and security features, memory capacity, and parameters for network, Bluetooth, and IrDA connections. It also allows for setting of a preferred startup-screen resolution.

	Emulator diagnostics
	A diagnostics tool supplied with the emulator allows developers to:
	Observe the HTTP traffic to and from the emulator in real time. See the system output from the emulator or direct output to a file. Monitor emulator tasks, including activity related to applications, drives, CPU, and memory.

	UI transition effects
	The emulators for S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 and later implement the transition effects available to applications at their start, switch, and exit. This enables developers to use PCs to fully evaluate the visual impact of these effects.

Screen resolution
The latest emulator supports 240 x 320-pixel Quarter Video Graphics Array (QVGA) and 360 x 640-pixel nHD screens in portrait and landscape modes.

Touchscreen
The S60 5th Edition SDK emulator provides support for touchscreen interaction, using the PC mouse pointer, on QHD screens. Tactile feedback is simulated using audio.

Middle softkey
Support for the enhanced middle-softkey labelling — introduced in S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 — is provided, enabling full testing of applications on the emulator.

5th Edition touchscreen softkeys
The standard three (left, right, and middle) softkeys are available in the emulator’s keypad-off touchscreen display. This enables developers to use all available key and keypad configurations to test applications in the emulator.

Emulator TCP/IP connectivity
TCP/IP-connectivity support uses a PC Ethernet card to access the LAN, providing the emulator with access to IP networks. This allows for application testing with the native Symbian IP stack.

Always-on emulator
The emulator can be opened and left running, so developers can start applications in existing emulator instances for improved development productivity.

	Bluetooth connectivity
	The emulator supports Bluetooth connectivity with any Bluetooth card that supports the BlueCore Serial Protocol (BCSP) and H4 protocols. Bluetooth support has been tested with the following hardware:
	Most commonly available USB dongles. Casira development system for Bluetooth. Brainboxes PCMCIA Bluetooth card, BL-500.

	Infrared connectivity
	The emulator provides support for infrared communications using:
	ACTiSYS IR220L, IR220L+, and IR220Li IrDA COM port serial adapters. iFoundry IFSYS-8001A IrDA PC Adapter. Extended Systems, Inc. Jeteye pods ESI 9680-7201, ESI 9680-7401, and ESI 9680-7501.

Message simulation
The emulator supports file-based sending and receiving of SMS and MMS messages. Messaging support also enables the exchange of messages between multiple instances of the emulator. (Message exchange between emulator instances is not supported in the S60 5th Edition SDK.)

	Push-content simulation
	Command-line tools are available to simulate pushing content to the emulator, enabling developers to check the installation or launch of Push content on PCs.

Location-based testing
The emulator includes the SimPSY tool, which enables the simulation of an absolute position or the creation of routing data. This feature makes it possible for developers to test location-based applications on PCs and provide simulated location-based data to applications running on S60 3rd Edition or 5th Edition devices.

Event simulation
The emulator can simulate various device, alarm, and messaging events. Event simulation enables developers to test application behaviours when these events occur.

	SVG-to-SVGT Converter
	The SDK includes a tool that can convert graphics in Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) format to SVG Tiny (SVGT) format for use in S60 applications.

Multi-bitmap-file viewer
Symbian OS uses multi-bitmap (.mbm) files to optimise bitmap performance. The multi-bitmap-file viewer allows for visual review of the multi-bitmap content.

Languages Support for the development of Simplified Chinese-language applications is provided. Plug-ins are available that add development support for the Arabic and Urdu languages to the S60 5th Edition and S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 SDKs. For more information, see the Language Plug-ins for S60 SDKs for Symbian OS page » The additional language support enables developers to use PCs to test applications for markets in which these languages are used.

Where can I get more information on the S60 platform and device SDKs contents?

For more information on the features of the S60 SDKs for specific runtimes, please see the following pages:
S60 SDKs: Features for Symbian C++ and Open C/C++ developers; S60 SDKs: Features for Java™ developers; and S60 SDKs: Features for web and Web Runtime developers.

For more information on the features of SDKs earlier than the S60 5th Edition SDK, download and read the:

• S60 3rd Edition SDK for Symbian OS, Feature Pack 2 data sheet »
  
• S60 SDKs for Symbian OS, for Java™ data sheet »

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