Web and WebWorks Development

[grahamzibar]

We here at BlackBerry Dev Rel want to know your thoughts on the current state of our WebWorks API/Extensions.
So, in this thread, if you could be so kind as to answer the following questions, you'll make my day and you'll help make the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK a bettet place to code! It's clearly a win-win situation.

1. Which APIs do you use most often? Please explain why
2. What are we doing right? Which APIs do you like the best and why are they a pleasure to use?
3. Where could we do better? What have we provided that, well, just isn't quite there yet?
4. What are we missing? Is there anything you think is an absolutely MUST to include? Why??

And that's it! Your feedback will be compiled (by me) and then presented to our super awesome WebWorks team here at BlackBerry. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Happy coding!

[interfaSys]

Here is a first shot.

• I'm missing an application menu so that slide down works as well as in a native app. There is already a thread and a ticket about it. You don't plan on introducing that API.
• Speaking of slide down, it doesn't work well for me compared to the native event. Maybe it's a dev alpha issue, but I have to repeat the swipe movement several times sometimes, for it to work.
• I think we're all missing background services, but apparently it's far from being ready, even on the native side.
• Maybe a node.js extension could be useful for some background tasks?

I'm excluding all comments regarding frameworks support, design material, etc. as they're not directly API related.

[interfaSys]

Just thought of a couple of additional items that I'd like to find in the API

• Synchronous access to the filesystem would be great
• Workers support for complex data types 

[peardox]

Kalman (writing an ext right now) but that is a selfish requirement

As I see it the population at large needs the following

#1 Touch Gestures

#2 A working Sim / Fix Ripple

#3 Decent documentation

[peardox]

Oh - personallly, and I think this applies for many others

A Notepad++ build + install plugin

This one is #-1 million on mine, the single most important thing I see happening

The functionality should be...

1.1) Saves project

12) Creates Zip

1.3) Move Zip to deployment area

1.4) Gets last BuildId - adds 1

1.5) Compile

2.1) Install on device / sim on demand

2.1 is a nightmare

[The_Anomaly]

I find developing for Blackberry super simple.  I went with BBUI.js which allows me to develop the same look and feel across most BB devices with little change to each platform.  Thats a plus.

My gripes though are (numbers not linked to yours):

1. (Question 3/4) OS6+ has SMS and message API's but playbook and BB10 don't.  YET the functionality actually exists on device it's just not yet developed into a webworks API.  I'm sure there are some other missing API's between the webworks range.  It would be nice to make them all line up.  Don't think I need to answer why I need messaging and SMS on BB10.
2. (Question 2) You're doing the API documentation right, its easy to follow.  Github projects are working well.  I get responses from the emails I have for developers.  I try not to bother them but they always find the time to reply. Tx

[usr501]

SQLite/MYSQL databases created on device drive/sdcards for use with webworks apps.?

[miamon]

MUST to include 

1º SmartTag native app invokation for barcode scanning

2º An invokation calendar: now we can add Calendar events, but if we go to the calendar event directly could be interesting  that when we do a click on this event invoke our app. So calendar and our app could be 100% integrated.

Thanks