computer science

P.I.P.S.

P.I.P.S. is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand P.I.P.S. rather than just read about it. In short: P.I.P.S. is a set of software libraries on Symbian OS intended to help C language programmers in the migration of desktop and server middleware, applications to Symbian-based mobile smartphone devices. Software libraries The PIPS software libraries provides C and C++ application programming interfaces in standard C libraries such as POSIX libc – The "C Standard Library" with system APIs mapped to Symbian OS APIs for…

Key takeaways

P.I.P.S. belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect P.I.P.S. to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of P.I.P.S. from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Software libraries The PIPS software libraries provides C and C++ application programming interfaces in standard C libraries such as

POSIX libc – The "C Standard Library" with system APIs mapped to Symbian OS APIs for better performance libm – A mathematical library libpthread – Implements POSIX-style threading support in terms of the underlying Symbian OS thread support libdl – Implements POSIX-style dynamic linking which extends the dynamic loading model of Symbian OS LIBZ libz OpenSSL libcrypt libcrypto libssl GNOME libglib

Limitations The P.I.P.S. environment does not support true signalling. Basic signal support is emulated using threads.

Extensions and successors: Open C and Open C++ Open C and Open C++ are extensions by Nokia of P.I.P.S. In contrast to mere P.I.P.S., they were only for Series 60 phones.

Naming P.I.P.S. is a recursive acronym for "P.I.P.S. is POSIX on Symbian OS". The name was the result of an internal competition in the Symbian Developer Marketing department, organised by Bruce Carney (Developer Marketing) and Erik Jacobson (Product Manager). The full stops were inserted by Symbian's Legal department to ensure there were no trademark or copyright infringements.

See also POSIX POSIX Threads C POSIX library

References

Further reading Babin, Steve (2007). Developing Software for Symbian OS – A Beginner's Guide to Creating Symbian OS V9 Smartphone Applications in C++. Wiley. p. 460. ISBN 978-0470725702. Stichbury, Jo (2008). Games on Symbian OS – A Handbook for Mobile Development. Wiley. p. 400. ISBN 978-0470998144. Wilcox, Mark (2009). Porting to the Symbian Platform – Open Mobile Development in C/C++. Wiley. p. 442. ISBN 978-0470746172.

External links P.I.P.S. – Nokia Developer Wiki – page does not exist A Guide To P.I.P.S. – Nokia Developer Wiki – page does not exist

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with P.I.P.S.

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what P.I.P.S. claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to P.I.P.S. before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about P.I.P.S. ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of P.I.P.S.

In research: P.I.P.S. appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses P.I.P.S. in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: P.I.P.S. is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics IEEE standards, ISO standards, Mobile software stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for P.I.P.S. outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study P.I.P.S. in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what P.I.P.S. means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain P.I.P.S. out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is P.I.P.S. in simple terms?

P.I.P.S. is a set of software libraries on Symbian OS intended to help C language programmers in the migration of desktop and server middleware, applications to Symbian-based mobile smartphone devices. Software libraries The PIPS software libraries provides C and C++ application programming interfa…

Why does P.I.P.S. matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study P.I.P.S.?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on P.I.P.S..