Insight: BlackBerry10 and iOS app SDK/Platform Comparison!

1. BlackBerry 10 and iOS
app SDK/Platform comparison
Suavek Zajac
Developer Relations
Ranbijay Kumar

2. Key Takeaways:
Understand the similarities and difference between the
platforms
What’s different
What’s the same
Where differences matter
2

3. The Platforms
3
iOS (Kernel) & Drivers
Core Services
Graphics and Audio
Application Frameworks
[Maps, Message …]
UIKit
BB10 (QNX micro-kernel) &
Drivers
Core Services (/BPS)
Graphics and Audio
Application Frameworks
[Qt, Maps, PIM, Share …]
Cascades / QML
Posix
Webkit

4. Android Runtime, AIR
Types of Apps
4
Web Apps
Native with Webview
PhoneGap…
Native
(Objective C and Cocoa Touch
UIKit, OpenGL)
Web Apps
Native with Webview
WebWorks, PhoneGap…
Native
(C/C++, QML, Cascades,
OpenGL)

5. Objective C and C
5
#include <stdio.h>!
#include <stdlib.h>!
!
int !
main(int argc, char **argv)!
{!
fprintf(stdout, “Hello World!n”);!
return EXIT_SUCCESS;!
}!

6. C/C++
! C/C++ is used widely due to it’s portability. It’s a true
cross-platform language (combined with POSIX)
! Enables Lots of BB10 Open Source Frameworks
! iOS can also run C/C++ apps (Objective-C++). Developers are
starting to look into this option for cross-platform savings.
! Simple on iOS (just rename your .m file into .mm and add objective-C+
+)
6

7. Development Environment

8. Momentics IDE
8

9. XCode
9

10. Platform Services
10
! BB10 is playing catch-up to iOS in SDK features and
services
! Lots of similarities between key features …
! Differences to be discussed…

11. Thoughts…
! iOS
! Facebook/Twitter Connect APIs
! Background (/Headless) services
! VOIP
! Custom Navigation Apps
! Music / Downloads /Services
11

12. Cryptography*
! iOS and BB10 … similar features
! AES,DES,3DES…
! Key difference BB10 crypto algorithms are FIPS certified
! What the FIPS?
Only Modules validated as
conforming to FIPS 140-2 are
accepted by the Federal
Agencies of Canada/US for the
protection of sensitive
information.

13. Service similarities (Invoke)
13
I need to
open
this .doc file.
Anyone?
I can
open .doc
files
Invocation
Framework

14. Service Similarities (Viewers)
14

15. Similarities in UX
! Apple Says
! The Display Is Paramount
! Regardless of Its size
! Apps Respond to Gestures, Not Clicks
! RIM Says
! Content is King
! Apps must Flow
15

16. Notifications
16

17. BB10 Peek is more efficient
17
! Apple concept of page curl
! Not as universal

18. A key difference
! Apple Says
! People interact with One App at a Time
! RIM Says
! Extend/Connect
! BlackBerry people Multi-Task
! Combine that with Peek and Viewers/Cards
18

19. Application Behavior
Lifecycle and when to store your data
• Must respond correctly
to lifecycle events
• Can drain battery
• Must store data
efficiently
19
Start
Exit
Normal
(Active)
Thumbnail
(Active/Inactive)
Hidden
(Inactive)

20. iOS Lifecycle
20
! Long-Running Background Tasks
! Audio
! Location/Navigation
! VOIP
! Newsstand apps (downloads etc…)
! Accessory apps

21. Sample Project
Podcast App (Work in progress. Blog installments)

22. Starting: Development Tools
22

23. UI Design (iOS storyboards)
23

24. BB10 Qt/QML
24

25. Lists (ListView)
Container*{*
**..*
****ListView*{*
********dataModel:(XmlDataModel({*
************source:*"models/items.xml"*
********}*
********listItemComponents:*[*
***********(ListItemComponent({*
****************type:*"header”*
******************HeaderListItem*{*
********************>tleText:*ListItemData.>tle*
********************sub>tleText:*ListItemData.sub>tle*
****************}*
************},*
************ListItemComponent*{*
****************type:*"listItem”*
******************StandardListItem*{*
********************>tleText:*ListItemData.>tle*
********************descrip>onText:*ListItemData.sub>tle*
********************statusText:*ListItemData.status*
****************}}}}}}*

26. Lists
26
10 Lines of
QML!

27. Lists Summary
! iOS Storyboards are Visually appealing but … QML/Qt is
just as descriptive.
! Data binding to Lists is much easier in Cascades than on
iOS
27

28. Similar UI (notice subtle UX diff’s)
28

29. Navigation (Navigation Controller)
29

30. Navigation Pane
30

31. A closer look at applications

32. Navigation Bar / Action Bar
32

33. Settings / App Menu
33

34. Tab Bar
34

35. Tab Overflows (BB10 Sidebar)
35

36. Context Menu
36
toolbar
Custom buttons in the navigation bar

37. BB10 has an action bar overflow
37

38. TableView / ListView
38

39. WebView and WebView (webkit)
39

40. Action Sheets / Sheets
40

41. Cascades Sheets
A sheet breaks the current navigational flow. It contains a subflow that need to
be finished before the original application flow can be resumed.
Examples: Pickers, Forms
41

42. Cascades Controls

43. iOS Controls
43

44. Questions and Answers

45. Thank you
Suavek Zajac
Developer Relations