Java Development

[darkberry]

Hi.

It has been a while since RIM announced Java API won't be supported in BB10. Since then, they have released SDKs for:

• Native SDK (C/C++) and Cascades (C++/Qt)
• HTML5 Webworks
• Adobe AIR
• Android Runtime

So what would be the most similar platform to current Java API for BB10? I'm thinking on things like:

• Camera
• NFC
• Bluetooth
• SQLite
• A GUI framework (screens, components, etc)
• Auto-run on startup, background applications
• GPS (listeners, geofencing)

Thanks in advance.

[simon_hain]

camera, nfc etc is (or will be) in the ndk api, and in the webworks api as well. as the api is still under development some parts can be unfinished.

the gui framework is cascades (for c/c++).

[mreed · Accepted solution]

RIM seems focused on the main platform being the NDK+Cascades.

Adobe Air seems to be the red headed stepchild that will be left behind.

Android is the popular kid they keep around to look cooler.

Webworks seems to be more of a side project.

So yea, go with the NDK.

[RexDoug]

There are two successor platforms, I believe:

1. iOS

2. Android

[fsellanes]

agree

[newton53]

>> Adobe Air seems to be the red headed stepchild that will be left behind.

>> Android is the popular kid they keep around to look cooler.

I coughed up my coffee all over the keyboard. Probably the most accurate description I've read so far.


@OP - yeah, go with NDK. Not all things are possible on AIR or WebWorks or Android.

Also, so far as I recall, auto-run on startup isn't there in BB10, or maybe I missed something out?

[darkberry]

---

RexDoug wrote:

There are two successor platforms, I believe:

1. iOS

2. Android

---

LOL, very true.

I think at the end the NDK would be the only survivor (if there are survivors at all... time will tell). However, having to cope with C++ is a step backwards, its one of the most complex PL out there. Personally, I'd have drooled at BB10 had they go for Python or C#. IMHO they chose the language because they already have a large C++ codebase in QNX, and they need to release it as fast as they can or else disappear.

Webworks, looks OK for unpretentious form-based apps, and also attracts web developers to BlackBerry, but as it uses a toy scripting language as JavaScript, I guess it is going to be just a transitional platform.

[simon_hain]

python is possible on BB10 (and playbook), the only hindrance atm is that there is no official support, so the runtime has to be included in each app, bloating it a lot.
you can check with peter9477 who gave some talks (in the user-to-user sessions) about it, very interesting.

webworks will have the same API as the NDK i think, but i still have doubt about the performance there.
Javascript is not a toy language, some people wrote a java runtime in it and it is turing complete - but if it is the best tool for the job is another question.