com32-create powerful enterprise-ready widgets

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COM32 - Create Powerful Enterprise-readyBlackBerry Widgets

Dennis Reumer

COM32

September 29, 2010


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Session Surveys

Remember to complete your breakoutsession evaluation in one of two ways:

On your BlackBerry smartphone use the

DEVCON 2010 mobile guide, from Pyxis

Login to My Scheduler at one of the

Cyber Zone locations or on your PC


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Challenges for the Enterprise

More types of end-user devices with different capabilities.

Smart-Phones

Tablets

More OSes used on end-user devices

Windows, Linux, OSX, iOS, BlackBerry OS, Android, etc..

Managing security to all end-user devices

Large legacy systems with legacy interfaces (like older MQseries)


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Strategy for the Enterprise

Enterprise Strategy Standardizing Application development on WEB based standards(WEB

Interface (HTML) and Web Services (HTTP))

Transform the current Enterprise BUS (MQ Series) to use WEB services

Create an Authentication Platform for WEB services

Promote contextualization made possible through Web Services.

Goal

Provide Services through an agnostic back-end and middle-ware to

support any accessing device, which supports WEB standards to

deliver superior applications through end-to-end integration.


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What are BlackBerry Widgets ?

Based off of the W3C widget specification

Standalone applications entirely created with standard web

technology (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)

BlackBerry Widgets leverage BlackBerry APIs in a secure

manageable container

Same distribution/management model as native applications

and can be distributed through BlackBerry App World

storefront

Available in BlackBerry Device Software 5.0 and above


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BlackBerry Widget Model


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How do Widgets fit in ?page 1

Agnostic of Platform Widgets available on multiple mobile

platforms Develop once use multiple times

JIL Widgets, Android Widgets, Nokia, Opera Widgets.

No changes required to existing applications

Easy leverage existing Web (services) based applications

Provide point functionality within few days/week time

Same Security as with Java Applications


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How do Widgets fit in ?page 2

OTA distribution

No or minimal Java development needed. Integrate with Mail, Contacts, Calendar

User Interface Centric design

Can be used for Internal Enterprise applications or external

Enterprise applications / products.


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Widget or Java ?

Benefits of Widgets over Java

WEB development is UI centric using well known techniques of HTML,

CSS and JavaScript

Allows for faster development and prototyping

Can be easily reused to deploy on other platforms/screen sizes

Through JavaScript extensions it can basically do the same as a Mobile

Java Application, with the exception of certain UI elements.


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Widget Development Process

Align with the relevant line of Business

Decide on the key functionality from the existing application(s)

Get acquainted with the original application and interfaces

(hopefully through existing documentation)

Outline the Widget UI and Functionality

Define the elements you want from the original application

Make the handheld JS, CSS, HTML (and/or Java extensions)

Create the widget and package

End-user testing

Deploy to all relevant users through the BAS


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Methods for DevelopmentPage scrubbing

Page scrubbing (copy over HTML)

Pros:

Almost just a copy-paste action, using slightly modified script libraries and

style sheets.

Cons:

Only works with relatively simple web applications. If the original

application changes the widget might become obsolete.


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Methods for DevelopmentReparsing

Reparsing - Using JavaScript or Java to reparse the original Web

pages or specific elements of the pages.

Pros:

Leaves the original application intact. You just reparse the content

elements you need.

Allows the original application to change slightly.

Cons:

Context /session handling might be tricky at times.

With complex DOM, the parsing might be prone to errors.


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Methods of developmentAJAX

AJAX using existing background calls

Pros:

Build your own application and functionality fast and independent of the

existing application

Cons:

Existing application must have AJAX capabilities.


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Methods of developmentWeb Services

Web Services Build directly on existing Services

Pros:

This allows to build robust applications with rich functionality and

integration on backend systems

The existing application of web front-end on the desktop is of no concern.

Using SQL Web Services allows direct access to a database.

Cons:

Extending Web Services require Java development skills to create the

JavaScript Extensions for the Web Services*

* If you have access to the server side, you might create simpler web services, which you can also

call straight from JavaScript using XMLHTTPrequest and JSON parsers.


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Demo Page ScrubbingStandard user request

Aim: Allow users to submit a standard user request and check

the status.

Pulled the pages of the website

Created the HTML

Defined the posts

Used XMHTTPRequest to search for open requests statuses


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STANDARD USER REQUESTSUse page scrubbing to create a simple widget


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Demo AJAXUser Directory

AIM: Open up the company user directory on the BlackBerry

Used the available backend elements of the web application to create

the mobilized version of the companies user directory.

Add the ability:

To create a contact on the BlackBerry

Send an email

Make a call to the user.


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COMPANY USER DIRECTORYUse AJAX to create Widget


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Demo Web ServicesMobile interface for BRAMBLE Front Office

Aim: Create a mobile interface to Bramble Front Office*

Created the Web Services stubs for the backend using the Sun

Wireless Toolkit.

Created the JavaScript extensions to the Web Services stubs

Setup Push notification to inform users on their order status changes.

Build the web application

* BRAMBLE Front Office is a self-service portal for users to order/manage/cancel their IT services,

build on JBOSS J2EE and a Web Services interface.


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MOBILE INTERFACE FOR PORTALExtend Web Services through Java-Script extensions and use push

notifications.


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Q&A

Questions ? and Answers


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For More Information

Reparsing:

http://jquery.com/

http://www.prototypejs.org/

Java Mobile Widgets (For BlackBerry, Android, etc.)

http://www.jil.org/web/jil
http://jquery.com/http://www.prototypejs.org/http://www.jil.org/web/jilhttp://www.jil.org/web/jilhttp://www.prototypejs.org/http://jquery.com/


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Resources

BlackBerry Developers Zone: http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/

Widget Documentation

http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/subcategories/?userType=

21&category=BlackBerry+Widgets&subCategory=BlackBerry+Widget+Sample+Applications

Developer Support Forums

http://supportforums.blackberry.com/rim/?category.id=BlackBerryDev

elopment

Widget Web Services:

http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Web-Development/How-

quot-I-quot-would-call-a-web-service-from-a-Widget-Example/td-

p/519745
http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/subcategories/?userType=21&category=BlackBerry+Widgets&subCategory=BlackBerry+Widget+Sample+Applicationshttp://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/subcategories/?userType=21&category=BlackBerry+Widgets&subCategory=BlackBerry+Widget+Sample+Applicationshttp://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/subcategories/?userType=21&category=BlackBerry+Widgets&subCategory=BlackBerry+Widget+Sample+Applicationshttp://supportforums.blackberry.com/rim/?category.id=BlackBerryDevelopmenthttp://supportforums.blackberry.com/rim/?category.id=BlackBerryDevelopmenthttp://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Web-Development/How-quot-I-quot-would-call-a-web-service-from-a-Widget-Example/td-p/519745http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Web-Development/How-quot-I-quot-would-call-a-web-service-from-a-Widget-Example/td-p/519745http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Web-Development/How-quot-I-quot-would-call-a-web-service-from-a-Widget-Example/td-p/519745http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Web-Development/How-quot-I-quot-would-call-a-web-service-from-a-Widget-Example/td-p/519745http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Web-Development/How-quot-I-quot-would-call-a-web-service-from-a-Widget-Example/td-p/519745http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Web-Development/How-quot-I-quot-would-call-a-web-service-from-a-Widget-Example/td-p/519745http://supportforums.blackberry.com/rim/?category.id=BlackBerryDevelopmenthttp://supportforums.blackberry.com/rim/?category.id=BlackBerryDevelopmenthttp://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/subcategories/?userType=21&category=BlackBerry+Widgets&subCategory=BlackBerry+Widget+Sample+Applicationshttp://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/subcategories/?userType=21&category=BlackBerry+Widgets&subCategory=BlackBerry+Widget+Sample+Applicationshttp://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/subcategories/?userType=21&category=BlackBerry+Widgets&subCategory=BlackBerry+Widget+Sample+Applicationshttp://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/


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Resources

General Java Mobile Edition development en Web ServicesStub creation:

WTK 2.5.2 Toolkit (has default Stub builder)

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/download-135801.html

Java ME 3.0 SDK (Has a JSR172 demo with stub builder)

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javame/downloads/sdk30-

jsp-139759.html

Java ME general page

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javame/downloads/index.html
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/download-135801.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javame/downloads/sdk30-jsp-139759.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javame/downloads/sdk30-jsp-139759.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javame/downloads/index.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javame/downloads/index.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javame/downloads/index.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javame/downloads/index.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javame/downloads/sdk30-jsp-139759.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javame/downloads/sdk30-jsp-139759.htmlhttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/download-135801.html


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Thank You

Dennis Reumer

COM32 - Create Powerful Enterprise-ready BlackBerry Widgets

September 29, 2010

com32-create powerful enterprise-ready widgets

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