Use the Plazmic CDK Composer to build and test your new themes for all types and sizes of BlackBerry - from the large-screen Bold to the candybar Pearl.
Developing for the BlackBerry isn't like developing for a PC. Different devices have different capabilities and you may need to develop different versions of your applications for each device you intend to support. A Pearl has a different screen to a Bold, and a Curve might have GPS or Wi-Fi, while only the Storm has a touchscreen and accelerometer.
The BlackBerry JDE version you use will define the BlackBerry OS level for which you are writing code. For example, JDE 4.6 will only support devices with OS 4.6 or higher. If you are planning on supporting a range of different BlackBerry handsets, you will need to use the JDE version that corresponds with the earliest OS version you have. This means you won't be able to use some of the more advanced features offered by later OS versions, so you may prefer to update the OS on all of your devices.
Each version of the JDE adds new Java functions. The latest, version 4.7, adds support for new classes that define how a BlackBerry responds to touch input. It also allows you to pop-up an on-screen keyboard whenever your applications need text input. But it's not just for the Storm - it also adds features that will soon be available on other BlackBerry devices, letting applications work with the camera, handling images and recording video (and audio).
All of the BlackBerry-specific Java classes are documented on the RIM developer website. It's an important resource and lets you quickly look up the methods and properties associated with every class and object, helping you to write better applications that take full advantage of the capabilities of each BlackBerry device.
The device development tools and libraries you can download from RIM are not the only SDKs you can use to build BlackBerry applications. RIM also offers tools to link your servers to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) and to design new user interfaces for the BlackBerry main-menu screens.
The Synchronisation Server SDK is a powerful tool, which lets you build your own database connections for BlackBerry applications, linking them right into the BES and MDS. Connectors are interfaces between applications and the BlackBerry synchronisation server. If information changes in the database, it device using XML transforms to map data between the two schema. You can use this as a tool to update contacts and calendar information from a CRM service or to push addresses from a field-service application. It can also be used to update application databases on your device - so you could use it to keep stock lists up to date and let your sales staff carry cheap BlackBerry devices rather than expensive laptops.
The Plazmic Content Developers Kit is what you would use to create new BlackBerry themes. It's a tool that gives designers free reign, turning the BlackBerry home screen into a canvas, and can be downloaded for free from www.plazmic.com.
The latest version, CDK 4.6, can build animated screens using SVG vector graphics language and can even convert Flash movies into SVG animations. There is also support for the external screen on the flip version of the Pearl.
Other CDK features let you create icons for links to web applications and control the text that is shown on the BlackBerry Today screen. It also contains a set of simulators so you can test how your themes work on various BlackBerry handsets - especially those with different screen sizes.
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