# Chapter 1 - Introduction

Pocket Smalltalk is a Windows 95/NT application for writing Smalltalk programs to run on the 3com PalmPilot handheld computer. You can use the full power of the Smalltalk programming language and its integrated development environment to write programs on your PC, then create an "executable" .PRC file which can be HotSync'd to your PalmPilot for execution and deployment.

Pocket Smalltalk's features include:

- Ability to create standalone executables.
- Tiny virtual machine size: 20k to 25k depending on included features.
- Compact, yet complete, Smalltalk class library.
- Full access to the 800+ PalmOS API functions from within Smalltalk.
- Native widgets - Pocket Smalltalk applications use the built-in PalmOS user interface.
- Ability to access PalmOS databases, including reading and writing of Memo Pad entries.
- Extensible virtual machine.
- Runtime debugger to help pinpoint errors (can be removed from deployed applications to save space).
- Automatic memory management via garbage collection.
- Full Smalltalk Behavior/Metaclass support, #doesNotUnderstand:, proxy classes, #perform:, #isKindOf:, #become: and other reflection methods,
- Extremely compact compiled code size.

Pocket Smalltalk has been used to create several deployed applications and is a practical alternative to other development environments.

Andrew Brault (ajb@tiac.net)