Foursquare: Blackberry Development Best Practices

BlackBerry Development Overview, Complexities & Opportunities Peter Nofelt [email_address] @pcnofelt

Platform Overview

Blackberry Device Overview
Among the 8000 & 9000 series phones there exists:
23 unique devices.
6 different screen sizes.
8 current API versions.
Develop for 4.2.1 & 4.7.0.

Blackberry Platform Overview
Supports Java 1.1, you’re programming in the previous century.
Supports J2ME and its own blend of java UI controls.
No separation of UI and business logic.

Technical Benefits
Background applications – can even startup on OS start.
Tight integration with BB’s communication stack like SMS, email and contacts.
Able to inject your apps actions across app boundaries.
Opportunity for self distribution.

Technical Discussion Peter Nofelt [email_address] @pcnofelt

Location & Data Connection Roadblocks
Java Supports JSR-179 as its location implementation.
Quality of location dependent on carrier and device configuration.
Making a data connection is unnecessarily complex.
Approximately 5 ways to make a connection and and not all equal.
Only 5 open connections allowed.

Managing Threads and Background Tasks
Hard limit on the number of threads allowed.
16 per app domain.
128 threads total per OS.
Having your app run in the background is both trivial and complex.
Close vs Exit.
Memory/Battery concerns.

Benefits of developing for the BlackBerry
User engagement and stickiness.
RIM’s new focus to support individual developers.
Upcoming push and improved location technologies.
Push 8k of anything!
Expanded support of cell tower/wifi location support.

Recommended Resources
UI reference – Dev Sushi http://devsushi.com/2007/12/02/blackberry-jde-api-user-interface-field-reference/
BlackBerry 4.2.1 API reference http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/4.2.1api/index.html
BlackBerry Dev Tools http:// na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/javaappdev/devtools.jsp
BlackBerry Documentation http:// na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/javaappdev/devtools.jsp

Questions? Peter Nofelt [email_address] @pcnofelt

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Foursquare: Blackberry Development Best Practices

by Jon Steinberg on Mar 19, 2010

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Foursquare: Blackberry Development Best Practices — Presentation Transcript