bar-descriptor configuration file

The BAR application descriptor file, named the bar-descriptor.xml file, specifies the parameters for identifying, installing, and launching Adobe AIR apps on BlackBerry 10 OS.

The application descriptor file is an XML file with a structure defined by the Document Type Definition (DTD) for the application descriptor file. The root element in the application descriptor file is <qnx>. You nest all other XML elements within the <qnx> element.

All app projects require an application descriptor file. You can use the application descriptor file to configure things such as the:

  • appearance and behavior of your application on the BlackBerry 10 OS
  • application name, author, and other descriptive information required for your application
  • debug token to run on BlackBerry 10 devices
  • assets to include in the package for the application, such as icons, libraries, and images
  • permissions required for the application, such as access to the internet, camera, or shared files

If you are using Adobe Flash Builder or PowerFlasher FDT, the bar-descriptor file is created when you create a new project and will be automatically included when you compile your application.

If you package your application from the command line, specify the bar-descriptor.xml file when you run the blackberry-airpackager tool.

Sample bar-descriptor configuration file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<qnx>
   <initialWindow>
      <systemChrome>none</systemChrome>
      <transparent>false</transparent>
   </initialWindow>

   <!--  Name of author which is used for signing. Must match the developer
         name of your development certificate -->
   <author>Author Name</author>

   <!--  Unique author ID assigned by signing authority. Required if using
         debug tokens -->
   <authorId>gXXXxXXx##XxXxXxxxXxXX#xxx</authorId>

   <!--  The category where the application appear. Either core.games or
         core.media-->
   <category>core.games</category>

   <!--  The icon for the application which should be 86x86 -->
   <icon><image>icon.png</image></icon>

   <!--  The splashscreen that will appear when your application is launching.
         Should be 1024x600. -->
   <splashscreen>helloworld-splash.png</splashscreen>

   <!--  The permissions requested by your application. -->
   <permission>read_geolocation</permission>
   <permission>use_camera</permission>

   <!--  Fourth digit segment of the package version. First three segments are
         taken from app description versionNumber tag. 
         Must be an integer from 0 to 2^16-1 -->
   <buildId>1</buildId>
</qnx>