Developing apps
There are a number of important steps you should follow to develop an app.
You can think of it as a basic workflow for developing apps. Certainly, you will follow an optimal workflow that aligns with your development processes (such as Agile), and business processes that you use.
- Create the app
- You can use the QNX Momentics IDE to set up the project and required files or create one manually using the command line.
- Use libraries
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After you create the project, you can decide on the libraries to use. You can add libraries to your project any time during the development process but it makes it easier to code if you know ahead of time what to include in your project. Several libraries come installed with the BlackBerry 10 Native SDK. If you require a library not available with the native SDK, there are a vast number of open source libraries that are available that you can use. You may even have libraries of your own that you can use or create. If your libraries use POSIX-standard C/C++ calls and compile using the GNU C/C++ compiler, it is probable that it can be easily ported for use with the BlackBerry 10 OS.
- Add resources and permissions to the app
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You must create or edit an existing BAR application descriptor file. You add assets (icons, images, additional libraries) and set up permissions for your app using the application descriptor file. In addition, you can configure the name of your app, title for the app, etc. using the file.
- Write the code
- You should have a good understanding of the fundamentals before you start
but this is where the real work (and fun!) begins. A basic application
contains code that:
- initializes resources, such as data/graphics
- controls a main loop that handles events, modifies the application state, and renders graphics
- cleans up resources upon exiting
- Compile the app
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While you code, you will do this frequently, but compiling your code may require that you specify additional options or parameters. You can specify them in managed projects using the QNX Momentics IDE or modify a makefile in a Makefile project. Ideally, you should test that libraries that you add can be compiled with your app.
- Package and deploy the app
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Once your app compiles, you package the app and deploy it. During the packaging process, your compiled app is packaged into a BAR file. The BAR file is deployed on a device or simulator. This process can be completed using a launch configuration from the QNX Momentics IDE or using a series of steps from the command line.
- Test and debug the app
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After you deploy your app, you can start testing! Early in development, you may find issues with your code that you need to resolve, but eventually, you will have an app that's ready. During the testing phase, you may find issues that require that you modify your code. As you fix your code, it is necessary to repackage and deploy your code. When your apps become larger, the packaging and deployment process might be cumbersome and time-consuming, therefore, you can perform incremental updates to your deployed app to help reduce the time. After you are satisfied with your app, you can deploy using BlackBerry World.