Transport Interface

Using the Transport Interface

Using the Transport Interface

22

This section describes how to use the Transport interface to perform these
specific tasks:

create a new transport object

create a routing information template, for use by the In/Out Box

control the built-in status template, if you need to provide status information to
the user

create a routing slip template, if your transport sends data

create a transport preferences template, if your transport has user-
configurable options

Providing a Transport Object

22

To make a new transport object, create a frame with a prototype of

protoTransport

.

Transports are not built as applications, but are built as auto parts. This means that
when installed, they add their services to the system but do not add an application
to the Extras Drawer. (They are represented by an icon in the Extras Drawer, but
you can't tap it to open it like you can an application icon.)

For a complete description of the

protoTransport

object, see "protoTransport"

(page 19-2) in Newton Programmer's Reference.

The following subsections describe operations that a transport can perform, and
the methods that you must supply or call in your transport object to support
these operations.

Installing the Transport

22

To install a new transport in the system, call the

RegTransport

function from the

InstallScript

function of your transport part and pass it the transport

appSymbol

and transport template. The

RegTransport

function additionally

sends your transport object the

InstallScript

message; this message is

unrelated to the

InstallScript

function used by package parts. The

InstallScript

message sent to your transport object lets the transport perform

initialization operations when it is installed.