Java Development

[gajariam]

Hello,

I've found that numerous apps aren't supported on BB7 and specifically all the BB7 devices (All Touch 9860 is a good example).

I'm was wondering if RIM has support specifically to get everyone's apps to the latest version of their OS?

Thanks,

gajariam

[simon_hain]

not that i know of.

most resources are currently into bb10, i guess.

feel free to ask any specific questions or point out problems you have with a touch conversion, i did not have to change anything in my projects.

[gajariam]

Personally, I want to upgrade to OS7, but some of the apps I use aren't compatible.

http://mango.leetsoft.net/install-blackberry.php

Mango is a good example, as well as the NAMCO BANDAI games.

[peter_strange]

I'm not sure what porting is required.  Yes if your app requires a physical keyboard for some reason (not sure why), then it won't run on the full touchscreen devices, but this seems like a device issue rather than an OS level. 

So what are the incompatibilities that mean OS 6.0 compiled applications will not run on OS 7.0+?

You say numerous apps are not supported - have you asked the associated developers why they are not supported?

Like Simon, I have not had to change anything to get apps working.   . 

[gajariam]

I've emailed them, and haven't received a response.

At least in the case of Mango, the developer posted on his facebook page that he isn't getting signing keys from RIM for BB7 and that the documentation isnt that great.

https://www.facebook.com/MangoApp

[gajariam]

His exact post is below:

Mango App for SmartphonesI am indeed focusing on the Android version, simply because that's where the vast, vast majority of my users are. Nearly 99% of the people using the app are running it on Android or BlackBerry Playbook (which runs the Android build). It doesn't help that the development environment and tools for the legacy BlackBerry OS are spectacularly awful, nor that RIM is abandoning the platform for BlackBerry 10.

Once I'm done with this latest Android update I will see what the issue is with Mango and BBOS7, and if I can fix it easily, I will (well, after RIM emails me my new code signing keys, since without those I can't actually release any updates). But otherwise further development on Mango for BlackBerry is almost certainly not going to happen until BlackBerry 10 is released, unfortunately.

[peter_strange · Accepted solution]

The signing keys for BBOS have not changed.  I use the same signing keys for OS 7 that I got for OS 3.7 (yes I go that far back....).  So this is an excuse for not doing anything, not a reason for not supporting OS 7.

The preferred development environment for OS 7 is Eclipse, which is the same as that used for Android.  So this doesn't really wash with me:

"It doesn't help that the development environment and tools for the legacy BlackBerry OS are spectacularly awful"

So the reasons the Mango developer is not doing development work on BB comes down:

1) 99% of the people using the app are running it on Android

2) RIM is abandoning the platform for BlackBerry 10.

Neither of these are OS 7 specific. 

[gajariam]

Based on what you've said, it doesn't seem like it's a big hassle to convert.

I haven't done any Java development, so I wasn't too sure.

I'll convey this thread to the developer.

Thanks,

gajariam