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== BlackBerry Development Environment for BlackBerry Applications Fundamentals using Java Eclipse IDE ==

<u>'''This is a practical introduction of steps for building a to build BlackBerry apps using Eclipse IDEapplications. '''</u> ''(modified based on Alan Wong - January 13, 2011 [https://www.blackberry.com/bdsc/?iid=bdsc_DevZoneLogin&lang=na#devcon (Alan Wong - January 13, 2011presentation)].''

| [[File:1bb.png|left|600px]] || The steps to install, configure and check your installation are defined at: [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Mobile/bb-feb11-install Install, Configuration, Check]section.

| [[File:2bb.png|left|600px]] || One can download the software for developing BlackBerry applications using Eclipse from: [http://us.blackberry.com/developers/javaappdev/javaplugin.jsp BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse]Note: ''You have to register as a developer prior to downloading process''

| [[File:3bb.png|left|600px]] || Goals The goals of the project Project is to create a Hello World Application basic Java code thathas the capabilities to:

| [[File:5bb.png|left|600px]] || [http://usThis class extends the UiApplication class, providing a graphical user interface.blackberry.com/developers/javaappdev/javaplugin.jsp BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse]

| [[File:6bb.png|left|600px]] || Goals [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/UiApplication.html UiApplication] Base class for all device applications that provide a user interface. * A UI application maintains a stack of Screen objects.As it pushes screens onto the stack, it draws them on top of any other screens already on the stack.When the application pops a screen off the stack,it redraws the underlying screens as necessary.Only the screen on the top of the stack receives input events. * Each screen may appear only once in the display stack.The application throws a runtime exceptionif you attempt to push a single screen onto the stack more than once. Note that a UI application must follow rules similarto those of traditional Swing applications. |} ---------- === Development Fundamentals === {| class="wikitable" border="0" cellpadding="6"! Steps !! Actions|-| [[File:7bb.png|left|600px]] || [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/index.html?net/rim/device/api/system/Application.html Package net.rim.device.api.ui ] Provides fundamental functionality for constructing the user interface of a RIM Device application. The members of this package are all abstract classes or interfaces They are not intended for direct instantiation. You should rather use (or extend) the classes in '''''net.rim.device.api.ui.component''''' and '''''net.rim.device.api.ui.container'''''.<source lang="java">import net.rim.device.api.ui.UiApplication; /** * This class extends the UiApplication class, providing a graphical user Application* interface. */public class HelloWorldDemo extends UiApplication { /**</source>|-|-| [[File:ui_basic_arch.png|left|300px]] || There are three main UI primitives:* [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/Field.html Field]* [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/Manager.html Manager]* run [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/Screen.html Screen] Screen class is the base class for all screens. Each UiEngine presents an interface to the user by pushing screens onto its display stack,and popping them off when interaction with the application managed fields on that screen is finished. Delegate managerEach screen object has a delegate manager, the single Manager object directly controlled by adding it the screento handle layout and scrolling for the entire screen. |-| [[File:8bb.png|left|600px]] || [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/index.html?net/rim/device/api/system/Application.html enterEventDispatcher] The thread that calls this method (typically the main thread in the application) becomes theevent-dispatching thread, which will execute all drawing and event dispatcher-handling code. Note: ''under normal circumstances this method does not return''.<source lang="java">public class HelloWorldDemo extends UiApplication { /** * Entry point for application * @param args Command line arguments (not used) * create / public static void main(String[] args) { // Create a Screen new instance of the application and push it onto make the currently // running thread the application's event dispatch thread. HelloWorldDemo theApp = new HelloWorldDemo(); theApp.enterEventDispatcher();</source> |-| [[File:9bb.png|left|600px]] || [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/index.html?net/rim/device/api/system/Application.html Class MainScreen] The MainScreen class defines the full screen providing features common to standard RIM device applications. <source lang="java">/** * A class extending the Screen stackMainScreen class, which provides default standard * behavior for BlackBerry GUI applications. */final class HelloWorldScreen extends MainScreen { </source>  |-| [[File:10bb.png|left|600px]] ||   Main screen objects could contain:* a title section,* a separator element,* and a main scrollable section.<source lang="java">final class HelloWorldScreen extends MainScreen { /** * Creates a new HelloWorldScreen object * specify / HelloWorldScreen() { // Set the displayed title of the screen setTitle("Eclipse Course"); </source>|} ---------- === Basic UI Elements - Package ''net.rim.device.api.ui.component'' === {| class="wikitable" border="0" cellpadding="6"! Class Name !! Description|-|+|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/ActiveAutoTextEditField.html ActiveAutoTextEditField] ||Field that uses a supplied set of string patterns to pick out 'active' regions.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/ActiveFieldContext.html ActiveFieldContext] ||An instance of this class is passed into factories that createActiveFieldCookie instances.|-|[http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/ActiveRichTextField.html ActiveRichTextField] ||Field that uses a supplied set of string patterns to scan through a simple text string and pick out "active" regions.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/AutoCompleteField.html AutoCompleteField] ||AutoCompleteField lets you create a text field that presents users with a changing list of words that are associated with the characters they have typed in the field.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/AutoTextEditField.html AutoTextEditField] ||An editable text field designed to provide autotext support.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/BasicEditField.html BasicEditField] ||An editable simple text field with no formatting.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/BitmapField.html BitmapField] ||Displays a bitmap.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/ButtonField.html ButtonField] ||Contains a button control.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/ButtonFieldFactory.html ButtonFieldFactory] ||Assists in creation of ButtonField instances using information contained within Command instances.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/CheckboxField.html CheckboxField] ||Contains a checkbox control.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/ChoiceField.html ChoiceField] ||Base implementation of a choice field.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/DateField.html DateField] ||Stores date and time values.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/Dialog.html Dialog] ||Provides a dialog box with predefined configurations.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/EditField.html EditField] ||An editable simple text field with no formatting.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/EmailAddressEditField.html EmailAddressEditField] ||An editable text field designed specifically to handle internet email addresses.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/GaugeField.html GaugeField] ||Displays a horizontal bar that you can use for numeric selection or as a progress indicator.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/KeywordFilterField.html KeywordFilterField] ||Consists of a single keyword input field and a list of selectable elements.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/LabelField.html LabelField] ||Contains a simple label.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/ListField.html ListField] ||Contains rows of selectable list items.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/Menu.html Menu] ||Provides a Menu.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/NullField.html NullField] ||A field of no size.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/NumericChoiceField.html NumericChoiceField] ||A choice field that supports choosing from a range of numeric values.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/ObjectChoiceField.html ObjectChoiceField] ||Choice field that supports a list of object choices.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/ObjectListField.html ObjectListField] ||List field to contain a list of objects.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/PasswordEditField.html PasswordEditField] ||An editable text field designed specifically to handle password input.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/RadioButtonField.html RadioButtonField] ||Field to provide a radio-button control.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/RadioButtonGroup.html RadioButtonGroup] ||Groups a set of related radio button fields.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/RichTextField.html RichTextField] ||Read-only field that supports richly formatted text.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/SeparatorField.html SeparatorField] ||A field which draws a horizontal line across its width.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/SpinBoxField.html SpinBoxField] ||A user interface component for selecting a single item from a list where the user can spin through the various choices.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/StandardTitleBar.html StandardTitleBar] ||Provides a standard title bar component with a standard set of optional title bar components and indicators.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/Status.html Status] ||Simple dialog to show ongoing status.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/TextField.html TextField] ||A simple editable text field.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/TextSpinBoxField.html TextSpinBoxField] ||A SpinBoxField that renders text.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/TitleBar.html TitleBar] ||Provides an abstract TitleBar component.|-| [http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/TreeField.html TreeField] ||A simple field to show a tree structure.|}  ---------- === Procedure to add UI Elements to Application === {| class="wikitable" border="0" cellpadding="6"! Steps !! Actions|-| [[File:12bb.png|left|600px]] || <source lang="java">/** * Creates a Screennew HelloWorldScreen object * display / HelloWorldScreen() { // Set the displayed title of the screen setTitle("Eclipse Course");  // Add a read only text on field (RichTextField) to the screen using . The // RichTextField is focusable by default. Here we provide a style // parameter to make the field non-focusable. add(new RichTextField("Welcome to BlackBerry World!", Field.NON_FOCUSABLE)); }  </source>|-|-| [[File:13bb.png|left|600px]] || '''[http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/ui/component/Dialog.html The Dialog Class]''' Provides a dialog box with predefined configurations. To get a standard, predefined dialog use* ''Dialog.alert(java.lang.String)''** This method creates an alert dialog typically used to notify the user of an event or some important information. The dialog uses a exclamation mark bitmap. * ''Dialog.ask(int)''** This method creates a standard inquiry dialog. The dialog uses a question mark bitmap.Creates a standard inquiry dialog. * ''Dialog.inform(java.lang.String)'' ** Creates a notification dialog with the specified message. This method creates a notification dialog displaying the specified message. The dialog uses the "information" bitmap.These pop up a predefined dialog and wait for user input. To get a more customized dialog, instantiate this class or extend it. Pressing ESCAPE returns Dialog.CANCEL, but only if it was one of the choices specified in the values array. |-| [[File:14bb.png|left|600px]] || <source lang="java">/* display * * Displays a dialog box to the user with the text "Goodbye!" when the user closes * application is closed. * * @see net.rim.device.api.ui.Screen#close() */ public void close() { // Display a farewell message before closing the application Dialog.alert("Goodbye!"); super.close(); }</source> |-| [[File:15bb.png|left|600px]] || <source lang="java"> public class HelloBlackBerry extends UiApplication { public static void main( String[] args ) { HelloBlackBerry theApp = new HelloBlackBerry(); theApp.enterEventDispatcher(); }  /** * Creates a new HelloBlackBerry object */ public HelloBlackBerry() { // Push a screen onto the UI stack for rendering. pushScreen( new HelloBlackBerryScreen() ); }</source>