Posted on July 28, 2009, at 9:45 am .
RIM have announced new and improved tools for developing web applications for BlackBerry. The new tools include the BlackBerry Web Development Plug-in for Eclipse and the BlackBerry Plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio version 1.2.
The BlackBerry Web Development Plug-in for Eclipse, will allow developers to create web applications and content more easily and in a familiar Eclipse 3.4 environment. This plug-in opens up more rich internet applications using AJAX, Silverlight, PHP, ASP, Ruby on Rails, JSP, and Python.
The BlackBerry Plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio version 1.2, allows developers to create web apps and content whithin Visual Studio 2008. This is another tool that is going to bring more developers into the fold, allowing them to make apps running AJAX and ASP.Net.
With these tools we’ll hopefully see an increase in the number of web apps in App World. Web apps are a great way to experience content that you regularly visit on the web, but you want easy access to on your device. Get coding developers!
For more information, visit the BlackBerry Developer Zone.
Posted on July 16, 2009, at 10:42 am .
How to write a BlackBerry application – Lesson 3: Open a webpage, system-wide menu Item, adding an icon and yes/no dialog
This is lesson 3 in a series of BlackBerry application development lessons. These lessons are intended to bring someone with no experience in developing applications for BlackBerry, up to speed with the latest development techniques. It’s easier than you think so try it out!
Before starting, this lesson, make sure you have read Lesson 1 and Lesson 2.
1. Go into the folder where your BlackBerry Lections.jdw file is
2. Create a folder there called Lection 3
3. Open up your JDE and open the Workspace called Lections.jdw
4. Right-Click on Lections.jdw
5. Select Create new Project
6. Name the Project Lection_3 and save it to the Folder \Lection 3
7. Copy the two files HelloWorld.java and Lesson3Screen.java into the \Lection 3 folder
8. In the JDE right-click on Lection_3 and add the two files HelloWorld.java and Lesson3Screen.java into the project
Click through for Lesson 3 of Fabian’s BlackBerry development series
Posted on July 14, 2009, at 12:22 pm .
Rhomobile is a company building an open source framework for business mobility solutions. This framework provides a new approach to mobile application development, that offers a comprehensive, modern, highly adaptable, and low cost solution for today’s smartphone app developer.
Tomorrow, Rhomobile will be announcing Rhodes 1.2 with support for push data on BlackBerry (and iPhone). The news is thanks to RIM making the push API’s available to developers, thereby imbuing BlackBerry applications with the power to instantly synchronize data.
Rhodes Features:
- Allows developers to write apps in HTML and simultaneously build as native apps for all smartphones
- Supports iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Android
- Makes developers five times more productive for even a single smartphone OS
- Support for Push Synchronized Data on iPhone and BlackBerry
- Full access to device capabilities: GPS, PIM contacts, camera
- Allows users to work with synced local data for rapid access and ease of operation when disconnected or offline
One of the complaints I hear from developers in the BlackBerry space, is that the BlackBerry development platform has fallen behind its competitors, in its ability to develop applications fast and with minimal overhead. While this is true in the consumer space, the development platform also provides a framework to develop robust applications that can service the most complicated of enterprise needs. Rhomobile could be just the framework needed to bring consumer application development up to par with the rest of the industry, while also giving enterprise a much needed boost of productivity.
The Rhodes framework is available at a flexible pricing range suitable for a variety of smartphone application efforts.
Posted on June 16, 2009, at 11:40 am .
How to write your second BlackBerry application – Lesson 2: Mail API, Invoke API, Menu
In the first tutorial you learned how to set up the BlackBerry JDK (Java Development Kit) and how to create a simple User Interface with Buttons, Labels and Edit Fields.
In this lesson, you’ll learn how one can program, create and compose email messages as well as how to add a MenuItem to your application.
1. You open up the JDE (Java Development Environment) and load your Workspace file. Go to File -> Recent Workspaces to load up the Lections.jdw file.
2. Now right-click on Lections.jdw and select Create new Project
3. Name it Lection_2
4. Now right-click on Lection_2 and select Add file to Project
5. Select both files HelloWorld.java and Lesson2Screen.java to import them into the project
6. You now have the project set up and are ready to jump into the code
Continue reading Lesson 2 of this BlackBerry development series
Posted on June 8, 2009, at 7:21 am .
Recently, BlackBerry Cool wrote about a product called NetworkAcc, which claims to speed up your mobile network. A lot of BlackBerry sites have published their skepticism about the product, and rightly so.
NetworkAcc seems like a very cool concept that would certainly be of use to many. Unfortunately, none of what they claim to do is currently possible to the publicly exposed APIs.
The limitations of 3rd party access to API’s
Third party applications are fairly limited in what they can achieve in terms of network manipulation. For the most part, much of this is handled by the underlying framework, and most of it is handled at the OS layer. It is important to understand the overall architecture of the software on the device. At a high level, it looks something like this:
Operating System: Written in C++, this layer handles hardware interaction networking, process management and memory. Code written at this layer is compiled into machine code and run directly off the processor.
Virtual Machine: Also written in C++, the virtual machine is what runs all of the Java software on the phone. It sits just above the OS, and handles all Java related tasks, like interpreting byte code, managing program memory and all the other fun tasks that programmers would much rather ignore.
Keep reading about how a BlackBerry application is developed and what it can do
Posted on June 5, 2009, at 7:46 am .
This article is the first in a series of articles about BlackBerry development. With App World, third party software vendors and the web, there are a ton of opportunities for an independent developer to make money.
BlackBerry Development in Java – Lection 1: Basic fields in the User Interface
Let’s get right into it. Download the JDE (Java Development Environment) from the BlackBerry website. I personally used the JDE 4.3 for this project but you can also download a newer JDE. For advanced functions like using the BlackBerry Storm accelerometer or touch screen, you have to install JDE 4.7.
For advanced features and other APIs you may want to use, you need code-signing keys from RIM. You can purchase signing keys here. The keys cost $20 which is a bargain considering you can use the keys forever, and they’re going to help you make a great BlackBerry application. Make sure to read more about the keys because they’re an important part of BlackBerry development.
For this introductory application, you don’t need signature keys and the compiled *.cod file can be run on the device (and not only on the simulator).
Continue reading this walkthrough for developing your first BlackBerry application
Posted on May 28, 2009, at 10:50 am .
The BlackBerry Java Development Environment (JDE) is now in version 5.0 beta. With OS 5.0 on the way, and many new features being opened up to developers, we can expect a surge in interesting new applications. For example, with OS 5.0, I’ve heard that the video API’s will be opened up to developers, allowing apps to use the video camera. Think about all the fun applications you can use with access to video.
The BlackBerry Java Development Environment provides developers with:
- New APIs and enhanced capabilities
- Simplified wireless connectivity to the Internet or corporate intranets
- Easy to customize user interfaces
- Client-side logic
- Support for push content
- Local integration with email, Personal Information Management (PIM), multimedia and BlackBerry
- Location-based services
The latest version of JDE will:
- Increase productivity
- Simplify application development
- Provide end-to-end tools and enhanced Java APIs
- Communicate with most programming languages, protocols and data formats
Posted on May 22, 2009, at 12:30 pm .
Image courtesy of Simon Sage
As a BlackBerry developer, I have my own ideas about what makes a great BlackBerry application. I took the time to develop a list of concepts that I believe are important in the development process.
1. The User Interface (UI)
It’s vital to choose an appealing and not too over-done and crowded user interface. For the user it is essential to know from only looking at the interface what he has to do and how he sets the options in the application. Give your fields, check boxes and radio buttons appropriate titles or subjects. Short, descriptive words are a must.
I have already seen some utility apps where the UI is awfully crowded in the main screen. You look at all the options and feel like de-installing it because you will never know what all those buttons and checkbox do. Match similar options and put them into a separate screen with an appropriate title. Think about the novice BlackBerry-user, they don’t know all those settings and what they will do when you select them.
Even though I talked about an appealing and nicely looking UI, you cannot compare the iPhone user interface of applications to the rather sober-looking interface of BlackBerry apps. The BlackBerry OS is not aimed at fancy looking UI-Applications; it keeps the business factor. Personally, I love it!
Continue reading a BlackBerry developer’s perspective on what makes a great app
Posted on May 20, 2009, at 4:31 pm .
Rhomobile has officially announced RhoHub, the world’s first Development-as-a-Service for Mobile, providing a web-based service for both smartphone app development and hosting of mobile applications, making native mobile applications easier to build, deploy and run on all smartphones.
RhoHub Features:
- Hosted editing and development of native applications
- Hosted build capabilities for all smartphones
- Optional OTA provisioning service
- Optional hosted sync server
- Makes developers five times more productive for even a single smartphone OS
- Allows developers to write apps using Rhodes in HTML and simultaneously build for all smartphones
- Supports BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Android, Symbian and iPhone
The RhoHub public beta is currently available at no charge.
Once out of beta, RhoHub will be available to developers for a monthly fee that is dependent on the number of users and size of the app.
Posted on April 7, 2009, at 11:20 am .
Rhomobile has announced details around the ‘Mobile Application Development Challenge’ they are hosting, including an extension on the deadline. The contest promotes Rhomobile’s Rhodes framework, which allows developers to write once to create native apps for all leading smartphones including iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Android, and features a $10,000 grand prize.
Click through to read more details about this great mobile development contest
