Developing Android Apps for BlackBerry 10. JAM854 Mike Zhou- Developer Evangelist, APAC Nov 30, 2012

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Developing Android Apps for

BlackBerry 10

JAM854

Mike Zhou- Developer Evangelist, APAC Nov 30, 2012

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Overview

 What is the BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps?  Releases and Features

 New Features Demo  Development Basics

 Converting Existing Android Apps

 Signing and Publishing to BlackBerry World

 Q&A

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What is the Android Runtime?

5 Minute Overview

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What is the Android Runtime?

Overview

• Android open source version 2.3.3 aka “Gingerbread” application framework running on top of BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry 10 OS

• Enables ported Android apps to be installed and operate on BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0+ and BlackBerry 10

• Deep integration with BlackBerry native framework with the objective to make Android apps indistinguishable from native applications

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What is the Android Runtime?

Compatibility & Limitations

• About 65-70% of all Android apps are compatible today • Not all Android APIs are supported

► Hardware and OS limitations

• Android Apps are limited to the personal perimeter • Full compatibility list see:

► http://developer.blackberry.com/android/apisupport

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Why should you repackage?

 65% of the existing Android applications require no change

• Monetize on BlackBerry platform

 BlackBerry apps are downloaded 43% more often than the same

app on Apple App Store and 48% than on Android Market

 Developers selling apps through BlackBerry World make

significant more money than other app stores.

 13% BlackBerry developers have made over US $100,000

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Releases and Features

BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry 10

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Native Integration

 Graphics

 Hardware accelerated OpenGL ES and screen composition

 Media Framework  Multi-touch

 Sensors

 Accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, etc.

 Networking

 Virtual Keyboard  UX / Home Screen

 Application Launching/Minimizing/Thumbnail, Notifications, etc

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Native Integration (Cont’)

 Implicit Intents with launching applications

 Email, Camera, Photo Gallery, Video Recorder, Settings, etc.

 Implicit Intents with launching file viewers

 .pdf, .doc, .xls, .ppt, .png, .jpg, .gif, audio, video, etc.

 Shared storage for public data

 /sdcard/ -> /accounts/1000/shared/misc/android/

 Accessible by other native applications and through USB

 Installation

 Android application is packaged as a BlackBerry Archive (BAR)  Deploy through BlackBerry World like other BlackBerry 10 apps

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Releases and Features

BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps

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Releases and Features

BlackBerry 10

 Improved Usability

 Integration with new virtual keyboard

 Multi-Window support

 Support for notifications

 Intents invoke core BlackBerry 10 apps

 Compose email, Contacts, Calendar, Browser

 Improved Compatibility

 Camera API

 In-app Payments

 Telephony APIs

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 Support for location based intents to display maps  Use WebView + web services (Google, Bing, etc.) to

display map content within apps

 More details on mapping support can be found on the API Support Page

 http://developer.blackberry.com/android/apisupport

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Releases and Features

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@Override

public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

setContentView(R.layout.main);

WebView webView = (WebView) findViewById(R.id.mywebview); webView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);

webView.loadUrl("http://maps.google.com/?ll=36.97,-122&lci=bike&z=13&t=p");

}

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Releases and Features

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Demo

New features: Multi-Window, Camera, Mail, Calendar

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Development Basics

Convert, Sign and Submit!

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 Tools

 Online Conversion Tool - Quickest way to get apps converted  Eclipse Plug-in - For most Android developers

 Command-line Tools - Advanced development options  Simulators - BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry 10

 Basic concepts

 Code Signing

 Development Debug Tokens

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Development Basics

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Converting Existing Apps

Online Conversion Tool

17 ► Select the location of your APK file ► Select the location of your Android SDK folder

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Converting Existing Apps

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Converting Existing Apps

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► Warnings range

from mild (level 1) to severe (level 5)

► Apps that receive

warnings less than level 2 are considered compatible

► Apps which receive

warnings of level 2 or higher are generally considered to be incompatible

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• ADT Plug-in for Eclipse + BlackBerry Plug-in for ADT

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Converting Existing Apps

Eclipse Plug-in for Android

► PlayBook and BlackBerry

10 are just another device target for your existing Android project

► Debugging applications on

BlackBerry just like on other Android devices

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UX Consideration

 Resize your application icon to 86x86/114x114

 _{Requirement for icons in the PlayBook/BlackBerry 10 home}

screen

 Default (natural) orientation  Screen size and density

 _{1024x600/1280x768/720x720}

 Check for new update

 _{Bad UX for prompting users for update or to launch Android}

Market

 _{Let BlackBerry World do the update check for you}

 About and Version

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Repackage your APK to a BAR file in 4 easy steps… 1) Check your APK for compatibility

apk2barVerifier

2) Repackage your APK file as a BAR apk2bar

3) Sign your application batchbar-signer 4) Deploy your application

blackberry-deploy 22 C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\bin> apk2barVerifier HelloWorld.apk C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\bin> apk2bar HelloWorld.apk C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\bin> batchbar-signer HelloWorld.bar author.p12 p12password rdkpassword

C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\bin> blackberry-deploy –installApp –device 169.254.0.1 –package HelloWorld.bar –password devicepassword

Development Basics

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 A code signing key is required to test your app and to publish your app to BlackBerry World

 They can also be used to generate a debug token for your BlackBerry PlayBook or BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha  Request code signing keys here

 http://developer.blackberry.com/android/signingkey

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Development Basics

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 Global marketplace

 FREE to register as a vendor  FREE to submit apps and

upgrades

 70/30 revenue share

 Credit card, PayPal, carrier billing

 Free and paid apps catalog  Integrated barcode scanning

Development Basics

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Success Stories

• PineLake Communications on Porting Cubifice to BlackBerry 10

 Ported existing OpenGL

Android application

 Porting process took 1 hour

 25x more downloads in

App World versus Google Play

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For More Information…

 BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps homepage

 http://developer.blackberry.com/android/

 BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps Roadmap

 http://developer.blackberry.com/android/tools/roadmap/

 Repackaging and Development Tools

 http://developer.blackberry.com/android/tools/

 Getting started tutorial

 http://developer.blackberry.com/android/documentation/gettingstarted.html

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… And a few Quick Notes

 Download the Code Hunt App at the desk in the Social Media Lounge and join the NFC scavenger hunt!!

 Have more questions? Visit Ask the Experts at noon today by the coding lounge in the Jam Space.

 Don’t forget to fill out the Conference Survey at the Registration Desk to claim a free gift!

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THANK YOU

JAM854

Mike Zhou- Developer Evangelist, APAC Nov 30, 2012