[Piink]

Hi,

I know it's silly Q. but, I couldn't find clear answer anywhere.
I'm into app development for blackberry but don't know what to choose Webworks or Java or Native SDK>?

Thanks
M

[jeroen_13]

Okay, the best thing you can do is choose the SDK that is too understand. I listed below some good/bad things for every SDK

Webworks.
Easy platform to develop on, cross-platform and native look with BBUI.js . But; it is only for content display and simple apps. Not for high-graphics apps.

Java.
If you choose to develop in Java, you'll make an Android app. The android player has it own restrictions and people don't always appreciate Android (ported) apps.


Native.
Cascades UI, smooth and responsive, but only for BB10. (Webworks apps can be backported to Playbook & Os7 or lower). 3D graphics and C++ extensions.


Marmalade SDK
Basically a 2D game creator (for games like Angry birds). Only for developing games

I recommend you to start with checking out the demos first (of every language) to see which coding language you like to most.

[Flip4Bytes]

I HIGHLY recommend using Native Cascades.. I started by using WebWorks, and shortly after switched to Cascades.. After seeing the performance upgrade you get, its a no brainer. Don't waste your time! If you're serious about it, make it native!

[Piink]

Thanks, I will go with Cascade!

[BlackQtCoder]

If you are familiar with HTML, follow Webworks route.
If you are familiar with C++, follow Cascades/Native route.

[Flip4Bytes]

If you are familiar with HTML, follow Webworks route.
If you are familiar with C++, follow Cascades/Native route.

Not necessarily true.. i know no C++, you don't need to know C++ to go the Cascades route..

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[TheMarco]

Flip4Bytes is _mostly_ right. I am mostly a HTML5 guy but I succesfully ported most of the UI of Screamager and Scientific RPN Calculator to Cascades. Working with Cascade's QML is great and extremely easy to learn. I did enter a bunch of hard challenges making the HTML5 bits talk to the Cascades bits back and forth. The only way to do it right now is by posting messages from JS inside WebViews to JS inside Cascade QML. It required some serious hacking at times. But: doable. My apps prove that anyway

That said, you can NOT always avoid having to use C++ when you go the Cascades route. Recently I added BBM invite, social sharing and copy to clipboard to my apps and I found myself forced to use C++ to make this happen. It was a bit painful but I got it done.

That said, the advantages of going with Cascades are obvious. You get that signature super slick performing BlackBerry 10 look and feel which makes your apps get much more of a 'premium' feel than using HTML5 WebWorks.

[TheMarco]

Oh yeah, like others have indicated, WebWorks does have a native LOOK if you use BBui but the performance of real Cascades UI is way smoother.

[Flip4Bytes]

Flip4Bytes is _mostly_ right. I am mostly a HTML5 guy but I succesfully ported most of the UI of Screamager and Scientific RPN Calculator to Cascades. Working with Cascade's QML is great and extremely easy to learn. I did enter a bunch of hard challenges making the HTML5 bits talk to the Cascades bits back and forth. The only way to do it right now is by posting messages from JS inside WebViews to JS inside Cascade QML. It required some serious hacking at times. But: doable. My apps prove that anyway

That said, you can NOT always avoid having to use C++ when you go the Cascades route. Recently I added BBM invite, social sharing and copy to clipboard to my apps and I found myself forced to use C++ to make this happen. It was a bit painful but I got it done.

That said, the advantages of going with Cascades are obvious. You get that signature super slick performing BlackBerry 10 look and feel which makes your apps get much more of a 'premium' feel than using HTML5 WebWorks.

Yep, adding BBM integration you need C++ but actually adding social, you don't.. There is a really simple QML code that takes less lines of code and does the exact same thing with no C++.. It's a shame that so much of the documentation runs towards C++ even when there are easier ways to do it with QML. I'm not on my computer right now, but lemme know if you want me to grab the code and post it on here, it's quite useful. (:

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[TheMarco]

I'm definitely interested in seeing that. My solution (C++) is here:

Adding Social Sharing through Invocation to your BlackBerry 10 Cascades app - A post from TheMarco - Forrst

If you can do the exact same thing through QML I'd love to hear about it. I tried that route myself first but it's not working right so I reverted to C++.

[jeroen_13]

I started with WebWorks, but i moved to Cascades now.

[Flip4Bytes]

I'm definitely interested in seeing that. My solution (C++) is here:

Adding Social Sharing through Invocation to your BlackBerry 10 Cascades app - A post from TheMarco - Forrst

If you can do the exact same thing through QML I'd love to hear about it. I tried that route myself first but it's not working right so I reverted to C++.

EDIT: here ya go, it's this easy:

Just throw this in

actions [
    InvokeActionItem {
        id: invokeShare
        ActionBar.placement: ActionBarPlacement.OnBar
        query {
            mimeType: "text/plain"
            invokeActionId: "bb.action.SHARE"
        }
        onTriggered: {
            data = webview.title + " | " + webview.url + " via @WDCSApp"
        }
    }
]

(The "onTriggered" part grabs the webview title, the URL, and it posts them in that order with "via @WDCSApp" at the end)

Not positive if you can use this in other ways.. This is for sharing a web URL within your app, you might need C++ to do other sharing options come to think of it, my buddy was doing this exact same thing using all C++ though and he was relieved to see this so hopefully it helps. I mean you can change the "webview.title" and "webview.url" to other generic terms within your app that call out to different parts like if you have a description or something, so I think you can just modify it to work how you want it, not totally sure though, have only used this for sharing websites within my app.

[TheMarco]

Hmmm. I tried that and it didn't work... I know it's supposed to but it didn't...

[Flip4Bytes]

Hmmm. I tried that and it didn't work... I know it's supposed to but it didn't...

Weird.. I don't think I have any special C++ that is making it work, although I may? Not sure.. my buddy just showed me this way so I used it, all I put in was that code so I'm not sure.

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[TheMarco]

Oh wait sorry, this does work. But only in an ActionItem context. I needed it on a button and there was no way to make that work through QML. I think another developer already filed a bug / issue in JIRA about it. At the moment you can only do that with C++.

[Flip4Bytes]

Oh wait sorry, this does work. But only in an ActionItem context. I needed it on a button and there was no way to make that work through QML. I think another developer already filed a bug / issue in JIRA about it. At the moment you can only do that with C++.

Oh my bad! Had no idea you meant in a button.. have only seen the share icon used in the context menu or on the action bar in apps, so I just assumed! My bad! Glad to hear it works fine tho hope they fix it to work as a button, no reason for it not to..

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