Built For BlackBerry

[DigitalMaestro]

My app Cashalyst (please click the link for the app details) was rejected by the B4BB program based on the following:

• Blackberry 10 UI
• Integration of one Blackberry Service

Frankly I have no quibbles with the rejection. I was attempting to hit the original deadlines for the B4BB program and with the approval process taking as long as it was I decided to finish what I could and try my luck.  Now that the heat of the 10K commitment has passed I want to raise the app to the B4BB level.

Firstly, my read of the B4BB guidelines leads me to the conclusion that I can satisfy the Service Integration requirement by making app an invoke target for the bank transaction files it handles (namely *.ofx and *.qfx files).  This would mean that Cashalyst would automatically be invoked when the user selected to download transactions from their bank's website and would automatically import the bank transactions.  Does this meet the requirement?  The guidelines claim that for the purpose of the Built for Blackberry program the Invocation framework would be accepted as meeting the Blackberry Service requirement. Comments?

Secondly, I know that the UI does not meet the UI Guidelines currently.   Cashalyst is a Webworks app built on the Sencha framework.  Until just a few weeks ago there was no official BB10 theme for the Sencha framework.  They have now built one and I am busily reworking the UI based on the official theme.  Notwithstanding that I will listen to any constructive comments you care to pass on the UI.

Thanks

DM

[JSanders Resident Expert]

Have you read this thread?

This program is a joke

[DigitalMaestro]

I did read the thread but I didn't see anything related to my query about the invocation framework. Of course, I may have missed a post or two....it's a long thread.

DM

[helex]

First of all, the most important thing is to deliver a native BB10 look and feel. I don't know if your framework is able to deliver this including the touch and peek stuff or if its only a theme which looks like the BB10 UI.

It will get very hard to make it pass the testing if you don't have a BB10 UI (except for games) including all animations and stuff the framework has built in.

Regarding the integration of BlackBerry Service your idea is good. But additionally it could be also useful to share a booking to a different target. You could also add the possibility to export a report to a PDF file and open this via a invocation target in the built in PDF viewer.

[BBSJdev]

Please bear in mind that with the program in a state of flux adding features suggested by others here on the forum is little better than our best guesses.

You would be better off making choices on how to improve your app not based on a non-existant criteria but on what you feel is needed or better still what feedback you have had from your users.

At a later date if and when B4BB is finalised you can revisit your app and judge if it is worth persuing.

[DigitalMaestro]

Thanks for the input BBSJDev and helex.  I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my post.  I'll keep your ideas in mind as I continue reworking the UI. 

BBSJDev - I will certainly be focusing on user needs and app benefit rather just trying to game the UI to pass B4BB.  I already see one area where there is  conflict between the BB10 UI guidelines and the layout that I believe is most efficient.

helex -The export idea is a good one.  A PDF of the summary expenses could certainly be useful.

Thanks

DM

[jtegen]

Technically, being a target will be correct for the services aspect, but it will be difficult for the reviewer to test because they would have no way in knowing this and therefore probably fail. There is no way to pass on notes to the reviewer. It is good to have this, but you should include the ability to call a target (share data) in some obvious way. I got rejected in doing this, but once I added sharing, it passed.

And yes, if you do not have a native looking GUI (other then games), it will not pass.