Advanced BlackBerry Development

BlackBerry devices and applications are selling by the millions. As a BlackBerry developer, you need an advanced skill set to successfully exploit the most compelling features of the platform. This book will help you develop that skill set and teach you how to create the most sophisticated BlackBerry programs possible. With Advanced BlackBerry Development , you’ll learn you how to take advantage of BlackBerry media capabilities, including the camera and video playback. The book also shows you how to send and receive text and multimedia messages, use powerful cryptography libraries, and connect with the user’s personal and business contacts and calendar. Not only will you be learning how to use these application programming interfaces, but you’ll also be building a program that takes full advantage of them: a wireless media-sharing app. Each chapter’s lessons will be applied by enhancing the app from a prototype to a fully polished program. Along the way, yo’ll learn how to differentiate your product from other downloads by fully integrating with the operating system. Your app will run in the browser and within device menus, just like software that comes with the phone. Once you are comfortable with writing apps, this book will show you how to take them to the next level. You’ll learn how to move from running on one phone to running on all phones, and from one country to all countries. You’ll additionally learn how to support your users with updates. No other resource compares for mastering the techniques needed for expert development on this mobile platform. What you’ll learn How to write sophisticated BlackBerry applications All about integrating with the device so your program behaves like a native app When to leverage advanced Java specification requests (JSRs) for cryptography, media capture, messaging, and more How to tie into the device contact list, calendar, and tasks Understanding the Research In Motion (RIM) security model and complex security processes How to quickly and easily port to many device types How to work with multiple devices across multiple countries Who this book is for The ideal reader will approach this book after completing Beginning BlackBerry Development , but intermediate-level programmers may start directly with this book. Readers are expected to have some previous experience with programming for mobile phones, optimally the BlackBerry, but they need not be experts. Readers will include both hobbyists and professional developers; they may be motivated by curiosity, a desire to solve a particular problem, or the enhancement their skill sets and careers. Table of Contents Getting Started Media Capture Media Playback Wireless Messaging Cryptography Personal Information Browser Digging in Deep RIM Security Porting Your App Advanced Build Techniques Conclusion Apress - Advanced BlackBerry Development (December 2009) (ATTiCA)......Page 1 Books for Professionals......Page 2 Contents at a Glance......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 About the Author......Page 12 The Book’s Anatomy......Page 14 How to Read This Book......Page 15 Your Media App......Page 16 The Trailhead......Page 17 Advanced APIs......Page 18 Initial Setup......Page 20 Application Types......Page 27 MIDlet UI......Page 28 A MIDlet Example......Page 29 Running a MIDlet......Page 32 MIDlet Evaluation......Page 33 CLDC Behavior......Page 34 A CLDC Example......Page 35 CLDC Evaluation......Page 37 Library Functions......Page 38 Connecting to Files and Networks......Page 40 Access......Page 42 Streams......Page 43 Other Operations......Page 44 Types of Connections......Page 45 HTTP Requests......Page 46 App: Media Grabber......Page 47 Excelsior......Page 56 BlackBerry vs. Sun APIs......Page 58 Creating a MediaPlayer......Page 65 Controlling Output......Page 66 Recording Audio......Page 68 Using the Camera......Page 70 Video Capture......Page 72 Invoking the RIM Alternative......Page 73 App: Media Grabber......Page 76 Excelsior......Page 86 How to Use......Page 88 An Example......Page 89 When to Use......Page 90 When to Use......Page 91 How to Use......Page 92 When to Use......Page 93 An Example......Page 94 When to Use......Page 96 An Example......Page 97 Playing Audio......Page 98 Containers and Content......Page 104 Codec Support......Page 105 Displaying Images......Page 110 Invoking Native Apps......Page 118 App: Media Reviewer......Page 120 Excelsior......Page 130 The Messaging Quiver......Page 132 Cons......Page 134 Pros......Page 137 Cons......Page 138 Pros......Page 139 Cons......Page 140 Pros......Page 141 Cons......Page 142 Sending Text Messages......Page 143 Sending Multimedia Messages......Page 149 Plugging In to Email......Page 152 Receiving Text Messages......Page 162 Receiving MMS Messages......Page 167 Reading Email......Page 169 PIN Messaging......Page 172 App: Sending and Receiving Media Messages......Page 173 Excelsior......Page 178 Is It Secret? Is It Safe?......Page 180 SATSA......Page 184 Bouncy Castle......Page 185 RIM Crypto Classes......Page 190 Using the Certicom Classes......Page 195 Other Encryption Choices......Page 197 App: Securing MediaGrabber......Page 200 Excelsior......Page 207 Device Integration......Page 209 Address Book......Page 211 PIM and Lists......Page 212 Categories......Page 214 Items......Page 215 Fields......Page 216 Representing a Contact......Page 218 A BlackBerry Contact......Page 219 Adding Contacts......Page 222 Editing Strings......Page 223 Editing Dates......Page 224 Editing Binary......Page 225 Saving Contacts......Page 228 Searching for Contacts......Page 229 Reading Contact Data......Page 233 Deleting Contacts......Page 234 Invoking the Native Address Book......Page 235 The BlackBerry Calendar......Page 237 Using BlackBerry Calendar Events......Page 242 Showing Calendars......Page 244 I Have A ToDo List?......Page 247 Take a Memo......Page 249 Personal Changes......Page 250 App: Selecting Recipients......Page 252 Excelsior......Page 255 Browser Types......Page 257 Web Development or App Development?......Page 263 Launching the Browser......Page 265 Embedding a Browser in Your App......Page 269 RenderingApplication......Page 270 Event......Page 271 Embedding Your App in a Browser......Page 280 App: Friend Tracker......Page 285 Excelsior......Page 291 A Content Handling System......Page 293 Invocation......Page 296 ActionNameMap......Page 302 ContentHandler......Page 303 ContentHandlerServer......Page 304 Registry......Page 307 Iconic......Page 314 Native Menus......Page 320 Static Registration......Page 324 Listening for and Handling Requests......Page 325 Excelsior......Page 332 Going Pro......Page 333 The Ownership Question......Page 335 Security Policies: ‘‘You Can’t Do That!’’......Page 336 Device Security Policy Examples......Page 337 Application Control Policy Examples......Page 339 User Permissions: ‘‘May I Do This?’’......Page 342 ApplicationPermissions......Page 347 ApplicationPermissionsManager......Page 350 APIs with Customized Prompts......Page 352 Firewall: ‘‘Don’t Go There’’......Page 353 MIDlet Permissions: ‘‘I Will Do These Things’’......Page 356 App: Ask for Permissions......Page 359 Excelsior......Page 363 Understanding Hardware Differences......Page 365 GSM......Page 366 Dual Band......Page 367 Wi-Fi......Page 368 Keyboard Profiles......Page 369 Detecting Keyboards......Page 371 Changing Keyboards......Page 372 Determining by Model Number......Page 373 Determining by API......Page 374 Porting Impact......Page 375 Determining the Version......Page 376 Version Effects......Page 377 Multiple Builds......Page 378 Understanding Language Differences......Page 379 Defining Resource Files......Page 380 Understanding Bundles......Page 382 Testing Languages......Page 383 One Bundle, Single Implementor......Page 384 Locale-aware Formatting......Page 385 Dynamic Localization......Page 386 Understanding Platform Differences......Page 387 App: Localized Text......Page 389 Excelsior......Page 394 Moving Beyond Eclipse......Page 395 rapc......Page 396 SignatureTool......Page 397 Build Options......Page 398 Versioning Strategies......Page 399 Files......Page 401 RMS......Page 402 Debugging and Logging......Page 403 Other Build Issues......Page 405 App: Logging, Building, and Updating......Page 408 Excelsior......Page 411 Parting Shots......Page 412 Resources......Page 413 Summit......Page 414 Codec Support......Page 416 Notes......Page 421 A......Page 424 B......Page 425 C......Page 427 D......Page 429 E......Page 430 G......Page 432 I......Page 433 J......Page 434 L......Page 435 M......Page 436 N......Page 438 P......Page 439 R......Page 441 S......Page 442 U......Page 445 V......Page 446 Y......Page 447 Annotation BlackBerry devices and applications are selling by the millions. As a BlackBerry developer, you need an advanced skill set to successfully exploit the most compelling features of the platform. This book will help you develop that skill set and teach you how to create the most sophisticated BlackBerry programs possible. With Advanced BlackBerry Development , youll learn you how to take advantage of BlackBerry media capabilities, including the camera and video playback. The book also shows you how to send and receive text and multimedia messages, use powerful cryptography libraries, and connect with the users personal and business contacts and calendar. Not only will you be learning how to use these application programming interfaces, but youll also be building a program that takes full advantage of them: a wireless media-sharing app. Each chapters lessons will be applied by enhancing the app from a prototype to a fully polished program. Along the way, yoll learn how to differentiate your product from other downloads by fully integrating with the operating system. Your app will run in the browser and within device menus, just like software that comes with the phone. Once you are comfortable with writing apps, this book will show you how to take them to the next level. Youll learn how to move from running on one phone to running on all phones, and from one country to all countries. Youll additionally learn how to support your users with updates. No other resource compares for mastering the techniques needed for expert development on this mobile platform. What youll learn How to write sophisticated BlackBerry applications All about integrating with the device so your program behaves like a native app When to leverage advanced Java specification requests (JSRs)for cryptography, media capture, messaging, and more How to tie into the device contact list, calendar, and tasks Understanding theResearch In Motion (RIM)security model and complex security processes How to quickly and easily port to many device types How to work with multiple devices across multiple countries Who this book is for The ideal reader will approach this book after completing Beginning BlackBerry Development , but intermediate-level programmers may start directly with this book. Readers are expected to have some previous experience with programming for mobile phones, optimally the BlackBerry, but they need not be experts. Readers will include both hobbyists and professional developers; they may be motivated by curiosity, a desire to solve a particular problem, or the enhancement their skill sets and careers. Table of Contents Getting Started Media Capture Media Playback Wireless Messaging Cryptography Personal Information Browser Digging in Deep RIM Security Porting Your App Advanced Build Techniques Conclusion