[missing_K-W]

Any info on when TAT Cascade's will be added to the NDK?

Have any Devs had access to the beta? Any app's in development? Anything?

[peter9477]

It is expected to be released in beta, but quite possibly initially a closed beta, any day now. Last time they mentioned a final release date (at DevCon) it was "April", but that means little. An open beta would surely occur before then, and apps would be released based on the beta anyway so final release is irrelevant to most.

[greatwiseone]

That's what I recall from Alec Saunders' tweets last month...

[Rob Robertson]

Non-developer person here. Just wanted to know what makes Cascades so special. I know it's made by TAT and app developers are excited about it but what do cascades do exactly?

[xsacha]

You're meant to be able to make TAT style apps with it.

[app_Developer]

Non-developer person here. Just wanted to know what makes Cascades so special. I know it's made by TAT and app developers are excited about it but what do cascades do exactly?

It means we can make native apps that aren't immersive openGL games.

The vast majority of business and utility apps (including social media) and even a fair number of smaller games use the native UI toolkits on Android and iOS. (in other words, the vast majority of apps available for those platforms)

I have a couple apps I can do quickly myself once they ship this thing. This is a key piece to the puzzle of getting developer support.

[app_Developer]

BTW, even if they would just tell us what the API will look like (a high level overview) then we can start planning resources and thinking about levels of effort and which developers would be a good fit.

[peter9477]

I asked if they would at least write some sort of overview or architectural article which we could read while we waited, and apparently that idea reached "the top" and is under consideration. Fingers crossed, since there's nothing else we could usefully do before a beta shows up except twiddle our fingers and gripe.

[app_Developer]

I asked if they would at least write some sort of overview or architectural article which we could read while we waited, and apparently that idea reached "the top" and is under consideration. Fingers crossed, since there's nothing else we could usefully do before a beta shows up except twiddle our fingers and gripe.

At this point if they would send over the headers, I'd right the paper myself!

Apple gave us 3 full months to test and evaluate their frameworks and give them feedback before even one app was submitted. And mind you, this was after they had already been using the frameworks internally for 2 full years! (not counting the parts that had been around for 20 years)

Google gave us a full 6 months. Palm walked around SV interviewing developers and working with us on sample apps.

The fact that Cascades is to closed and so last minute (the OS ships next month?) is very disconcerting.

A UI framework is a HUUUUGE project. Only a few original UI frameworks really have been made in 20-30 years of computing. To me it's just flabbergasting that they have a design firm and some graduates from a small CS school trying to do this with so little outside input and so last minute.

[peter9477]

At this point if they would send over the headers, I'd right the paper myself!

I made exactly that offer. :-)

The fact that Cascades is to closed and so last minute (the OS ships next month?) is very disconcerting.

A UI framework is a HUUUUGE project. Only a few original UI frameworks really have been made in 20-30 years of computing. To me it's just flabbergasting that they have a design firm and some graduates from a small CS school trying to do this with so little outside input and so last minute.

I can't really disagree with that. I'm much more agile and open about this stuff, but RIM has a huge cultural/mental block to overcome before they can get to the point they'd do the sort of thing you described for the others.

I take solace only in the fact that they've been working on this for a solid year, and more than a few people have been involved, and the team includes more than just a few co-op students and recent grads. Since there's nothing else for us to do except worry, I'm trying to keep my mind on other things and avoid biting my nails too much...

[Wolfgan]

The fact that Cascades is to closed and so last minute (the OS ships next month?) is very disconcerting.

What's promised for Feb is PlayBook OS2 (UI mainly based on AIR). My understanding is that Cascades will make it for BB10 (later in the year), which according to the rumors will be showcased/previewed in MWC next month (so I won't be surprised if Cascades beta is opened at the same time).
Wolf

[Jean-luc_Picard]

The fact that Cascades is to closed and so last minute (the OS ships next month?) is very disconcerting.

A UI framework is a HUUUUGE project. Only a few original UI frameworks really have been made in 20-30 years of computing. To me it's just flabbergasting that they have a design firm and some graduates from a small CS school trying to do this with so little outside input and so last minute.

Something to keep in mind though is that (if I remember correctly) this has basically been TAT's goal for years. I'd assume that if they really wanted to create a UI framework for years that at some point they'd have done some basic work on it to the point where they would have already had beta v1 or higher before RIM even bought them...

[peter9477]

Something to keep in mind though is that (if I remember correctly) this has basically been TAT's goal for years. I'd assume that if they really wanted to create a UI framework for years that at some point they'd have done some basic work on it to the point where they would have already had beta v1 or higher before RIM even bought them...

Well, back in May 2011 they showed off a nice little demo that maybe lots of people here missed: BlackBerry PlayBook TAT Cascades User Interface Engine and Native SDK on Video! - BerryReview

There's one somewhere showing the same stuff, but taken at a different time and with 720P resolution... ah, here it is: http://crackberry.com/first-look-how...e-3rd-party-de