6.2 Areas Covered by the MIDP Specification
The Mobile Information Device Profile Specification extends the functionality defined by the Connected, Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) Specification. The MIDP Specification defines a set of APIs that add a minimum set of capabilities that are common to various kinds of mobile information devices. The MIDP Specification version 2.0 extends the capabilities of the original MIDP Specification version 1.0 while retaining full backward compatibility. As already summarized earlier in Section 3.5.2, "Scope of MIDP," the specific areas covered by the MIDP Specification version 2.0 include:
application model (that is, defining the semantics of a MIDP application and how the application is controlled), user interface support (Limited Capability Device User Interface, LCDUI), networking support (based on the HTTP protocol and the Generic Connection framework introduced by CLDC), persistent storage support (Record Management System, RMS), sounds, 2D games, end-to-end security through HTTPS and secure sockets, MIDlet signing model for added security, application delivery and installation, and miscellaneous classes such as timers and exceptions.
In addition to these areas, the MIDP Specification defines an extension of the CLDC application model that allows for the execution and communication of applications called MIDlets. A MIDlet is the basic unit of execution in MIDP. One or more MIDlets packaged together are called a MIDlet suite. The MIDP application model and each of the areas mentioned above are discussed in detail in the subsequent chapters of this book. The concept of a MIDlet suite is discussed in detail in Section 19.1, "MIDlet Suites."
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