Blackbe;rry JAVA DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT - - FEATURE AND... Installation guide

BlackBerry Java Development Environment
Version: 4.7.0
Feature and Technical Overview

SWD-552026-1212113555-001

Contents
1 Overview....................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
2Key features.................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
3 New in this release...................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Screen and UI.................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Touch screen user input......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Touch screen keyboard.......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Accelerometer......................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Screen display direction........................................................................................................................................................ 6
Home screen background image.......................................................................................................................................... 6
Multimedia....................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Image and video handling..................................................................................................................................................... 7
Video recorder integration.................................................................................................................................................... 7
Digital rights management................................................................................................................................................... 7
4Related resources........................................................................................................................................................................ 8
5System Requirements................................................................................................................................................................. 9
6Glossary......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
7 Provide feedback......................................................................................................................................................................... 11
8 Legal notice.................................................................................................................................................................................. 12

Overview 1
The BlackBerry® Java® Development Environment is a Java® development environment for creating applications for
BlackBerry® devices. You can use MIDP APIs, CLDC APIs to build a Java® Platform Micro Edition application or use the BlackBerry
APIs to create a custom application that uses the features a BlackBerry device. These features include GPS and location-based
services, multimedia, calendar and email access, a customizable UI, and interaction with a trackwheel or touch screen. You can
also create an application that interacts with the components of the BlackBerry solution including the BlackBerry® Enterprise
Server, push email, BlackBerry® Device Software applications, and server-side resources.
The BlackBerry JDE includes a suite of tools for creating, testing, packaging, and distributing applications. These tools include a
BlackBerry® Smartphone Simulator, a code signing tool for using protected APIs, support for communication protocols, and
integration with other development environments such as NetBeans™.
Feature and Technical Overview Overview
2

Key features 2
Feature Description
simulation tools You can use the BlackBerry® simulators to test a BlackBerry device application on
a desktop computer, simulate sending and receiving data with a BlackBerry®
Enterprise Server, and send messages between the BlackBerry® Smartphone
Simulator and either a messaging application, such as Microsoft® Outlook®, or
POP3 and SMTP servers.
customizable UI You can use the BlackBerry APIs to create a BlackBerry device application UI with
the same features and layout as the UI of many BlackBerry® Device Software
applications.
tools for building client applications You can create a BlackBerry device application that is standalone or connects to
resources on the Internet or an organization's intranet.
integration with BlackBerry solutions
and device features
You can use the BlackBerry APIs to create a BlackBerry device application that uses
key features of the BlackBerry solution such as email, phone, instant messaging,
the Internet, and SMS. You can also let a BlackBerry device applicaton use key
features of a BlackBerry device such as GPS and location-based services, video
playback, and the trackball.
multilanguage support You can create a BlackBerry device application that can automatically display
information in a language specific to a geographic region.
data storage You can create a BlackBerry device application that stores data in persistent storage
on a BlackBerry device or a microSD card.
support for multiple development
environments
You can integrate a BlackBerry device application with Java® development
environments including Eclipse™ or NetBeans™.
support for development tools You can use a full set of development, optimization, and debugging tools including
windows with breakpoints, locks, memory profiling, and an objects analyser, to
create a BlackBerry device application.
support for Java Platform Micro Edition
technology
You can create a BlackBerry device application that uses standard Java®
specification requests.
use of protocol and programming
language support
You can create a BlackBerry device application that communicates with server-side
applications written in a variety of programming languages and using standard
protocols and data formats such as HTTPs, TCP/IP and XML.
Feature and Technical Overview Key features
3

Feature Description
push content support You can make sure that your customers are connected to communication and
corporate data by actively sending them data.
security You can create a BlackBerry device application that uses security features such as
AES or Triple DES encryption to transfer data.
Feature and Technical Overview Key features
4

New in this release 3
Screen and UI
Enhancements to the BlackBerry® Screen and UI APIs let you create a BlackBerry device application that works with the new UI
features of the BlackBerry® Storm smartphone. These features include a clickable touch screen, a touch screen keyboard, an
accelerometer for sensing the orientation and acceleration of the BlackBerry device, and the ability to allow or prevent the
BlackBerry device from changing the display direction of the screen.
Touch screen user input
The BlackBerry® UI APIs now let a BlackBerry device application receive events when a BlackBerry device user touches the screen
of the BlackBerry® Storm smartphone.
A BlackBerry device application can use the net.rim.device.api.ui.TouchEvent class and the
net.rim.device.api.ui.TouchGesture class to receive and respond when a BlackBerry device user performs an
action, like a tap, click, or swipe, on the device screen.
AtoucheventcorrespondstoanactionaBlackBerryuserperformsonthetouchscreensuchasaclick.Atouchgesturecorresponds
to a combination of touch events that a BlackBerry user generates when they touch the touch screen such as a slide across the
screen.
A MIDlet can extend the net.rim.device.api.lcdui.BlackBerryCanvas class, the
net.rim.device.api.lcdui.game.BlackBerryGameCanvas class, the
net.rim.device.api.lcdui.BlackBerryCustomItem class, or the pointer methods in the
javax.microedition.lcdui.Canvas classtoreceiveandrespondwhenaBlackBerrydeviceuser performs an action
on the device screen.
Touch screen keyboard
The BlackBerry® UI APIs now let a BlackBerry device application interact with the touch screen keyboard.
A BlackBerry device application can use the net.rim.device.api.ui.Screen. getVirtualKeyboard()
method to access the touch screen keyboard for the current application screen.
A BlackBerry device application can use the setVisibility(int) method of the
net.rim.device.api.ui .VirtualKeyboard class to display or hide the touch screen keyboard.
Feature and Technical Overview New in this release
5

Accelerometer
The BlackBerry® Storm device includes an acclerometer that senses the orientation and acceleration of the device. When a
BlackBerry device user moves the device, the accelerometer senses the movement in 3-D space along the x, y, and z axis. A
BlackBerrydeviceuser can change theorientationof the device whichcanchange the display directionofa screen for aBlackBerry
device application between portrait and landscape.
The Accelerometer APIs in the net.rim.device.api.system package let a BlackBerry device application respond to
the orientation and acceleration of a BlackBerry device. For example, you can manipulate a game application to change the
direction and speed of a moving object on the screen as a BlackBerry device user moves and rotates the BlackBerry device at
different speeds.
Screen display direction
When the orientation of the BlackBerry® Storm device changes, the display direction of the screen of a BlackBerry device
application can also change. The display direction refers to the top of the drawing area of the screen relative to the location of
the BlackBerry logo on the BlackBerry device. The display direction of an application screen can be north, south, east, west,
landscape, or portrait.
The BlackBerry® UI APIs now let a BlackBerry device application retrieve the display direction of the screen and prevent a
BlackBerry device from changing the display direction of the screen.
A BlackBerry device application can use the net.rim.device.api.system.Display.getOrientation()
method to retrieve the display direction of the screen. A BlackBerry device application can use
the net.rim.device.api.ui.UiEngineInstance .setAcceptableDirections(int) method to
set the screen to only display in certain directions when a BlackBerry device user changes the orientation of the BlackBerry Storm
device. For example, an application that displays a document could set the screen to always display in landscape mode.
Home screen background image
The BlackBerry® UI APIs now let a BlackBerry device application set the image that appears as the background of the Home
screen on a BlackBerry device.
A BlackBerry device application can use net.rim.blackberry.api.homescreen.HomeScreen.
setBackgroundImage(String uri) with an image file that resides in flash memory or a microSD Card to set the
background image. A typical format for the URI is "file:///store/home/user/pictures/file.jpg." Invoking
net.rim.blackberry.api.homescreen.HomeScreen. setBackgroundImage(String uri) will
override images that other applications have set.
Feature and Technical Overview Screen and UI
6

Multimedia
Enhancements to the BlackBerry® APIs let you create a BlackBerry device application that can receive image files and video files
from the camera application, video recorder application, and the file explorer. You can also create a BlackBerry device application
that can launch the video recorder application and record video.
Image and video handling
The BlackBerry® APIs now add menu items to the camera application and video recorder that let a BlackBerry device user send
media files to a BlackBerry device application.
A BlackBerry device application uses the javax.microedition.content.ContentHandler API to register as
a content handler. After registration, when a BlackBerry device user takes a picture or records a video, menu items appear in the
camera application, the video recorder, and the file explorer. A BlackBerry device user can use the menu items to send an image
file or video file to the BlackBerry device application.
Video recorder integration
The BlackBerry® APIs now let a BlackBerry device application start the video recorder application.
A BlackBerry device application can use the net.rim.blackberry.api.invoke.Invoke.APP_
TYPE_CAMERA field and the net.rim.blackberry.api.invoke. CameraArguments.
ARG_VIDEO_RECORDER field as arguments to the net.rim.blackberry.api.invoke.
Invoke.invokeApplication method to invoke the video recorder in the camera application and record video.
Digital rights management
The BlackBerry® APIs now let a BlackBerry device application install and use digital rights management licenses for media on a
BlackBerry device.
ABlackBerry device application can usethe net.rim.device.api.drm.DRMManager class tolet a BlackBerrydevice
user play media protected by digital rights management technology on a BlackBerry device.
Each BlackBerry device has one net.rim.device.api.drm.DRMManager and applies the least restrictive license
to media.
Feature and Technical Overview Multimedia
7

Related resources 4
To download the BlackBerry® Java® Development Environment, visit www.blackberry.com/developers.
For documentation for developers, visit www.na.blackberry.com/eng/support/docs.
For more information about APIs, see the API Reference for the BlackBerry Java Development Environment.
Feature and Technical Overview Related resources
8