PlayBook and BB10 development question

Hi guys, can anyone tell me what I should be developing in if I wanted to make an app that works on both the PB and BB10 in future? The developer site provides info on the C/C++ NDK and C++/QT Cascades. Am I right to assume that cascades is only for BB10 and won't work on the PB?

Should I look to be developing in C++ with the native SDK so it will work on PB? I assume i would then have to modify it to work on BB10 devices? Or should I develop with Cascades (which I assume is easier to use?) for BB10 and just test in the simulator? Problem with that is i have to test in a simulator...

I'm a complete noob when it comes to phone development. Can anyone shed some light/answer these questions for me pleeeease? :confused:

The PB will run BB10. This has been said over and over again. Cascade away.

On testing, go to one of the Dev Jams and get yourself a Dev Alpha unit.

Originally Posted by TheAmazingHarold

Hi guys, can anyone tell me what I should be developing in if I wanted to make an app that works on both the PB and BB10 in future? The developer site provides info on the C/C++ NDK and C++/QT Cascades. Am I right to assume that cascades is only for BB10 and won't work on the PB?

Should I look to be developing in C++ with the native SDK so it will work on PB? I assume i would then have to modify it to work on BB10 devices? Or should I develop with Cascades (which I assume is easier to use?) for BB10 and just test in the simulator? Problem with that is i have to test in a simulator...

I'm a complete noob when it comes to phone development. Can anyone shed some light/answer these questions for me pleeeease? :confused:

The PlayBook has Cascades. Print To Go as well as the scrapbook are done in Cascades. Although apparently its not as easy to implement cascades now on the PlayBook because I heard something needs to be updated but yes its still possible. I believe its easier to implement cascades on the Dev Alpha but again if you really want it to work the PlayBook already has Cascades :)

Originally Posted by goku_vegeta

The PlayBook has Cascades. Print To Go as well as the scrapbook are done in Cascades. Although apparently its not as easy to implement cascades now on the PlayBook because I heard something needs to be updated but yes its still possible. I believe its easier to implement cascades on the Dev Alpha but again if you really want it to work the PlayBook already has Cascades :)

No, the Playbook doesn't "have" cascades. Cascades is a UI framework that is part of the BB10 SDK. The TAT apps on Playbook use a static snapshop of Cascades, but it is not supported for 3rd party devs since it's not part of the 2.1 SDK.

If you want to develop for Blackberry, go for C++ and Cascades. If you work fast, you could be to market in time for BB10.

Originally Posted by mikeo007

No, the Playbook doesn't "have" cascades. Cascades is a UI framework that is part of the BB10 SDK. The TAT apps on Playbook use a static snapshop of Cascades, but it is not supported for 3rd party devs since it's not part of the 2.1 SDK.

If you want to develop for Blackberry, go for C++ and Cascades. If you work fast, you could be to market in time for BB10.

Pacemaker is a third party app done with the Cascades framework.

Originally Posted by diegonei

The PB will run BB10. This has been said over and over again. Cascade away.

On testing, go to one of the Dev Jams and get yourself a Dev Alpha unit.

Keyword there being "will". I know it will eventually. Thanks though.

Cascades can be built into an app, or baked into an OS, the former is what is done on the Playbook, while the latter will fully arrive with BB10. Get a simulator or dev alpha and start testing!

Originally Posted by jamezalexander

Cascades can be built into an app, or baked into an OS, the former is what is done on the Playbook, while the latter will fully arrive with BB10. Get a simulator or dev alpha and start testing!

Yep :p

This is what I meant when I said the PlayBook "has" Cascades already. Well since BlackBerry 10 will make its way to the PlayBook, perhaps you can develop in regards to the Dev Alpha specifications and upscale?

Unless you're making a high performance app OP I think that might work out nicely.

Originally Posted by goku_vegeta

Pacemaker is a third party app done with the Cascades framework.

RIM said they will not be accepting cascades apps for anything but OS10. Has this changed, or is pacemaker just the exception to the rule? I know the beta used cascades, but are we sure the live version does? Most of the effects are pretty easy to replicate.

The developer forums would be a better place to discuss this:
Native Development - BlackBerry Support Community Forums and
Cascades Development - BlackBerry Support Community Forums

If you are a noob, I'd advise against Cascades. It is very much in beta, changes with each release and doesn't have much documentation, examples or expertise available. It also won't run on PlayBook until after BB10 has launched.

WebWorks and AIR are much easier to learn, and you can run them on your PC without having to use a simulator. You can also debug them on-device via USB or Wifi. WebWorks (= PhoneGap, more or less) can also run on Android, IOS, BB7 and many other devices, and AIR will work on Android and IOS if you use a cross-platform UI library such as Flex. WebWorks and AIR forums:

Web and WebWorks Development - BlackBerry Support Community Forums and
Adobe AIR Development - BlackBerry Support Community Forums

A plain C/C++ (NDK, non-Cascades) or even Qt app should run on both PB and BB10 as long as you handle the different resolution, and don't require any API's that are exclusive to either platform.

Originally Posted by Innovatology

The developer forums would be a better place to discuss this:
Native Development - BlackBerry Support Community Forums and
Cascades Development - BlackBerry Support Community Forums

If you are a noob, I'd advise against Cascades. It is very much in beta, changes with each release and doesn't have much documentation, examples or expertise available. It also won't run on PlayBook until after BB10 has launched.

WebWorks and AIR are much easier to learn, and you can run them on your PC without having to use a simulator. You can also debug them on-device via USB or Wifi. WebWorks and AIR forums: WebWorks (= PhoneGap, more or less) can also run on Android, IOS, BB7 and many other devices, and AIR will work on Android and IOS if you use a cross-platform UI library such as Flex.

Web and WebWorks Development - BlackBerry Support Community Forums and
Adobe AIR Development - BlackBerry Support Community Forums

A plain C/C++ (NDK, non-Cascades) or even Qt app should run on both PB and BB10 as long as you handle the different resolution, and don't require any API's that are exclusive to either platform.

Not a total dev noob but never developed for a mobile device and was confused by the multitude of different options available with BB. Thank you all for helping to clarify things a little! I'll have a look through the dev forums.

Originally Posted by mikeo007

RIM said they will not be accepting cascades apps for anything but OS10. Has this changed, or is pacemaker just the exception to the rule? I know the beta used cascades, but are we sure the live version does? Most of the effects are pretty easy to replicate.

Well to be honest I'm not sure if that was the only exception or not. I'm fairly certain that with all the apps in App World that there would be a few more done in Cascades. Interestingly enough we can submit webworks apps which use bbUI.js so it seems like RIM isn't being super strict and leaving all the BlackBerry 10 UI elements exclusively to Dev Alpha submissions at this point.

Originally Posted by goku_vegeta

Well to be honest I'm not sure if that was the only exception or not. I'm fairly certain that with all the apps in App World that there would be a few more done in Cascades. Interestingly enough we can submit webworks apps which use bbUI.js so it seems like RIM isn't being super strict and leaving all the BlackBerry 10 UI elements exclusively to Dev Alpha submissions at this point.

Pacemaker was built using the same internal SDKs that built Pictures/Calculator/Print to Go. Those SDKs will never be released to the public. Cascades for BB10 is Cascades 4, and it was a complete from-scratch rewrite. Those apps are using earlier Cascades versions. Cascades 4 will come to the PB when BB10 does, in Q1 2013. Unless you're a BlackBerry Alliance member and willing to use an obsolete version of Cascades then it's not currently for the PlayBook. As far as I know Pacemaker is the only non-RIM app using Cascades on PB.

Originally Posted by taylortbb

Pacemaker was built using the same internal SDKs that built Pictures/Calculator/Print to Go. Those SDKs will never be released to the public. Cascades for BB10 is Cascades 4, and it was a complete from-scratch rewrite. Those apps are using earlier Cascades versions. Cascades 4 will come to the PB when BB10 does, in Q1 2013. Unless you're a BlackBerry Alliance member and willing to use an obsolete version of Cascades then it's not currently for the PlayBook. As far as I know Pacemaker is the only non-RIM app using Cascades on PB.

Yes I did hear about the native apps on the PlayBook (some not all) being built up on an earlier version of Cascades.