Developing for BlackBerry 10 – Tools and SDKs by Luca Filigheddu

Develop for BlackBerry 10 Approaches and Possibilities Luca Filigheddu –Developer Evangelist Developer Relations EMEA - BlackBerry @filos

Agenda

•  Why developing for BlackBerry •  Platform Overview •  Developer Ecosystem •  Technical Overview •  Q&A

Why developing for BlackBerry 10?

Storefront Reach

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Over 80 Million Subscribers 170 Markets Over 4 Billion Apps Downloaded Over 70.000 BB10 Apps Approved For Sale 100.000+ BB10 apps submitted for review 110.000+ apps for BBOS and older devices 54.000+ vendors

Money!

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More money for devs!

�  4% more than iOS developers (per App / month) �  >35% more than Android developers (per App /

month) �  Developing an app for iOS costs

�  21% more than Android �  81% more than BlackBerry

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Ok, now let’s talk about technology!

Acquisitions

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Social Calendaring App Distribution

Smartphone Security

Web Development

UX / UI Design

Navigation

Platform OS

Social Gaming

Social Contacts

Webkit Experts

Device Mgmt.

Encryption

Ripple!

Platform

�  Built on QNX Neutrino Real-time OS �  Microkernel based OS �  POSIX Compliant OS

�  (Portable Operating System Interface) �  Native C/C++ Applications

�  Direct OpenGL / HW Access �  Qt/Cascades for native development

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Transition

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Choices!

BlackBerry 10 SDKs

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ActionScript

Adobe AIR HTML5, CSS, JavaScript

WebWorks C/C++

Native SDK

Java

Android Runtime

What to choose?

�  Background and Skills �  Reuse of existing code, assets

�  Requirements �  Cross-portfolio, cross-platform, features

�  Platform Capabilities �  APIs, tooling, frameworks, constraints

�  Tools �  IDE, utilities, simulation, familiarity

�  Support �  Community, docs, samples

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BlackBerry Native SDK

Standard

•  STL and POSIX compliant libraries •  Screen and Windowing APIs •  Gestures library •  Input events library •  Imaging and Compression •  OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0 •  OpenAL 1.1 •  Freetype Font Rendering •  Math •  XML and SQLite Database library

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Cross-platform Libraries

•  Boost: portable C++ libraries •  Cocos2D-X: cross-platform 2D game framework •  Box2D: 2D physics engine •  Bullet : 3D physics engine •  GamePlay: cross-platform 3D gaming framework •  Lua: embeddable scripting language •  SFML/SDL: cross-platform multimedia library. •  Skia: Fast 2D rendering engine

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Gaming Platform

�  Scoreloop  SDK    �   Integrate  Social  Gaming  Features  �   Solid  Analy8cs    �   Cross-­‐pla<orm  presence  �   Billing  /  Mone8za8on  feature  

�  Payment  APIs  for  in-­‐Game  transac8ons  

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BlackBerry on GitHub

•  Open Source Development Community •  Port libraries and frameworks •  Create libraries and frameworks •  Collaborate and contribute •  Work directly with other BlackBerry Platform Developers

blackberry.github.com

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Game Engines

�  Unity  Technologies  �  Marmalade  SDK  �  ShiVa3D  Game  Engine  with  Development  tools  �  More  Coming!  

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Development tools

•  GCC and GDB based tool chain •  Momentics IDE - Eclipse based C/C++ Development

Tools •  In-built Application Debugging, Profiling and Memory

Analysis •  Microsoft Visual Studio plugin

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Visual Studio Plugin

�  You can use the BlackBerry Native Plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio to develop C and C++ applications for your BlackBerry 10 device or BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

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Links

�  BlackBerry  Na8ve  SDK  developer.blackberry.com/na2ve  -­‐>  “Download  the  Na-ve  SDK”  -­‐>  “Get  started  with  Na-ve  SDK”  

�  Blackberry  Open  Source    blackberry.github.com  

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Cascades

C++/Qt

What is Cascades?

�  Easy  to  use  framework  for  delivering  the  astonishing  user  experience  and  UI  �  Rich  set  of  core  UI  components  �  Built  in  signature  effects  �  Pre-­‐packaged  interac8on  design  �  Easy  data  binding  to  various  data  sources  (SQL/XML/JSON)  �  Ease  of  integra8on  with  pla<orm  services  �  C++  and/or  QML/JavaScript®  power  for  the  same  object  model  

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What is Cascades?

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Out-of-the-box Elegance

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Cascades and Qt

•  Mature C++ application framework •  Good APIs •  Signals and Slots •  Many help classes •  QML •  QtGui Cascades

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Cascades

Creating UIs

•  Creating UIs in C++ is a lot of fun, but there are easier and faster ways to describe UI.

•  QML •  declarative language to describe trees of Qt objects with

properties (typically user interface) •  Looks like JSON

•  Embed JavaScript as signal handlers •  A different view of the same object model that C++ offers

•  Easily mixed with C++ •  Preview your QML UI in Cascades Builder 28

Why Cascades?

•  For Qt Developers…. •  Cascades replaces Qt Quick, Qt GUI •  Cascades Builder replaces Qt Creator •  Slightly different QML syntax

•  So, why Cascades??? •  Cascades UI rendering NOT on the main thread •  BlackBerry10 Look and Feel •  Advanced placement management of components

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Cascades UI Framework

•  Rich collection of in-built controls •  Some 30+ fully customizable UI controls •  Action Bar

•  Navigation – Tabs & Back •  View specific actions

•  Context Menu •  Item specific actions

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Hello World in Cascades

import bb.cascades 1.0 Page { content: Label { text: "Hello World" } }

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Hello World in Qt

Page* root = new Page; Label* label = Label::create() .text("Hello World"); root->setContent(label); Application::instance()->setScene(root);

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Cascades IDE

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Component library (Drag and drop to QML)

QML design view

QML tree view, QML properties view

QML editor with syntax highlighting/ code completion

Links

�  BlackBerry Cascades �  developer.blackberry.com/cascades

�  Blackberry Open Source �  blackberry.github.com/cascades/samples.html

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BlackBerry WebWorks

HTML5

BlackBerry10 & HTML5

�  Unparalleled Standards Support

�  Incredible Performance

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HTML5 and WebWorks

�  Port your existing Webs to BlackBerry WebWorks

•  HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript

•  Leading in mobile browser benchmarks

•  Allows for cross-platform web development

•  Broadest portability, Native Look&Feel (BBUI.js), any IDE

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WebWorks for BB10

•  The SDK has been re-written for BlackBerry 10 –  No longer based on Java or Adobe AIR –  It is now based on JavaScript with a C/C++ back end –  The packaging process uses node.js

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Why HTML5 and WebWorks?

Decision guidance �  Utilize your existing Web experience

�  Re-use lots of cross platform code �  Extend with BlackBerry® WebWorks™ platform

to securely access native level functionality �  Provides the best of both worlds

�  Rich hardware accelerated UI �  BB10 apps built with BlackBerry® WebWorks™ behave

like native apps

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BlackBerry Web Platform

§  Driven by strong Web standards support §  Powered by WebKit §  HTML5 and CSS3 §  Flash 11 and WebGL §  WebWorks and Cordova

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What can you do?

•  Geolocation •  Offline mode •  Storage •  Audio / Video •  2D Graphics •  Advanced forms •  Invoke •  Web Workers •  Notifications 41

How do I get there?

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Web  Assets   WebWorks  Tools   BlackBerry  Applica8ons  

Custom WebWorks API

•  Build your own APIs –  Access native layer functionality –  More powerful than just HTML5

–  E.g. NFC, Clipboard, Barcode, Analytics

•  JavaScript interface for platform code –  BlackBerry OS = Java

–  Tablet OS = AIR –  BlackBerry 10 = C/C++

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HTML5 Emulator - Ripple

•  A multi-platform mobile emulator for testing –  Chrome Extension –  Render Web content similar to a web browser –  Emulate device-specific APIs and capabilities –  Web inspector debugging & profiling –  Package and sign BlackBerry applications

•  Supported APIs: –  WebWorks, WebWorks for Tablet OS –  WebWorks for BlackBerry 10 –  PhoneGap

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Ripple Extension

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Web Platform Extras

§  AliceJS library §  CSS3 hardware acceleration

§  WebGL §  3D Graphics, OpenGL ES 2.0

§  Community frameworks

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bbui.js

•  Designed for use with BlackBerry WebWorks •  A web framework that provides a BlackBerry Look

and Feel •  Framework goals

•  Follows BlackBerry 10 UI guidelines •  Efficient screen management •  Focused on performance and memory optimization •  Open source and collaborative •  Community driven, not officially from BlackBerry

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bbui.js - Cases

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Links

�  SDK + Simulators �  http://developer.blackberry.com/html5

�  GitHub �  https://github.com/blackberry/BB10-WebWorks-Samples

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Android Runtime and Packager

BlackBerry Runtime for Android™

�  Enable Android software stack running on the BlackBerry 10, including �  Application framework �  Dalvik Virtual machine �  Graphics and media �  Structured data storage, e.g. SQLite®

�  Device access, e.g. GPS, accelerometer, compass, etc. �  Run at full speed directly on the OS kernel

�  Optimized performance; NOT virtualized �  Tightly integrated with the underlying OS

�  Currently based on Android 2.3.3 (aka Gingerbread) 51

Target Developers

•  Android App Developer •  Only here because it is another avenue to sell their application •  Heard that BlackBerry had an Android Runtime and thought they

would check it out

•  BlackBerry Java Developer •  Decided to invest in Android Java to hit both BlackBerry and

Android devices •  Their Java App does not use many/any BlackBerry APIs •  Frustrated that we do not support Java runtime on BlackBerry

anymore 52

Compatibility and Limitations

�  About 65-70% of all Android apps are compatible today �  Not all Android APIs are supported

•  Hardware and OS limitations

�  Currently major unsupported features include: •  Bluetooth •  Google Maps (workarounds available) •  NFC •  Native Android Code

�  Android Apps are limited to the personal perimeter �  Full compatibility list: developer.blackberry.com/android/apisupport/ 53

Porting Existing Apps

�  4 Tool options to use •  Online Conversion Tool – quickest way to get app converted •  Eclipse Plug-in – For most Android developers •  Command-line Tools – For advanced developers •  Graphical AID – very easy to use

For more information: http://developer.blackberry.com/android/tool/

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Success stories

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Links

�  Where to start �  http://developer.blackberry.com/android

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Adobe AIR

Developing with Adobe AIR

�  Easily  adapt  and  deploy  exis8ng  content  �  Na2ve  BlackBerry®  PlayBook™  tablet  and  BlackBerry  10  

component  set  look  and  feel  �  Can  create  hybrid  apps  �  Access  to  na8ve  (C/C++)API’s  with  Adobe®  AIR®  Na8ve  

Extensions  (ANE)  �  Lots  of  great  community  support  �  Lots  of  open-­‐source  frameworks  

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Tools and getting started

�  Flash Builder 4.6 and 4.7 Powerflasher FDT (Eclipse based) �  Adobe AIR SDK with Adobe ActionScript and Adobe Flex

APIs create an engaging user experience �  unique UI components and predefined skins �  listeners for events that are specific to BlackBerry devices

�  access the features that are unique to mobile devices �  Accelerometer �  Geolocation

�  you can create AIR Native Extensions (ANE) 59

BlackBerry 10 UI

�  QNXSkins.ane stores the assets for the skins �  Device deployed ANE �  Correctly sized assets are stored on the device �  Reduces application file size

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Support

�  Currently, Adobe AIR 3.1 is supported �  Adobe AIR 3.4 and Stage 3D will be supported soon

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Links

�  SDK + Simulators �  http://developer.blackberry.com/air

�  GitHub �  https://github.com/blackberry/Samples-for-AIR

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Q&A

THANK YOU Luca Filigheddu – Developer Evangelist Developer Relations EMEA – BlackBerry @filos