Neto Marin's Blog: May 2007 Archive

Until few days ago I used to develop my applications with Eclipse, mainly by your excellent code editor and great re-factor stuff thats made faster the code re usability. But, at last Sun Tech Days I was very surprised with the examples using NetBeans 5.5 and since that I´m using NetBeans in some personal projects.
What I can say is, if you are getting start with JME development, maybe NetBeans could be the better choice because it´s allow you to create an entire application without enter a single code line, and also allow you to go directly to the source and make the code like you want!! :-)

But, to start using NetBeans 5.5 to mobile development you´ll need to install also the "Mobility Pack". The responsible to give to NetBeans the "power" of Mobile Development! ;-) Both can be found at:

NetBeans 5.5: http://www.netbeans.org/
Mobility Pack: http://www.netbeans.org/products/mobility/

MIDlet

Well, after this all "bla bla bla" let´s go to the "entrance door" of you JME applcation. :-)
It´s through the MIDlet that your JME application is started and over it your application will make important actions and because it will have at least one class that extends from MIDlet. For example, is from the MIDlet that you´ll be able to get the Display instance for your application.

The life-cycle of a MIDlet is something like the picture:

Taking a look to the picture, we can feel that we´ll hat to develop at minimum 3 methods: startApp, pauseApp and destroyApp. By the own name of the methods, you can suppose the method´s purpose: start, pause and the end of the application, respectably.
An important observation to do is about the startApp method. How we can observe at the picture, this method is called ever when the application goes from paused to active status, and because this you should not create new objects or program this method like it´s called just once per execution. You should program it like a "re-start" method, let the objects creations and attribution to the MIDlet constructor.

User Interface

Now, you already know from where start you JME development, so it´s time to make the user interface and handle the commands that the user will use. On this point the better thing to do is visit the article: MIDP GUI Programming: Programming the Phone Interface thats describes very well the UI development to mobile phones. ;-)

Scenes from next chapter !! :D

On the next post I´ll talk a little about the GCF (Generic Connection Framework) thats allow you to connect your mobile application to the Internet or send a SMS message. Also, I´ll write something about how to distribute and deploy your JME application. It´s just wait!!! ;-)

Cya
[]s
Neto Marin

Getting started with JME - Part I / III

Posted by netomarin on May 04, 2007 at 01:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Are you one of those that are very interesting on developing something to mobile devices? Or, Are your boss pushing you to show THAT report on his phone ? And so, you decided to visit some sites and mailing lists about, but you found just a "letter soup" like CLDC, CDC, MIDP and others ?????

Oh yeah, I´ve already done the same... and because this I´m going to show you the "stones path": What you have to do to know how this platform works (configurations, profiles, life-cycle, etc). And, for not be a large post, I´ll write divided in 3 parts. ;-)

Part I

The Platform

First, to understand this platform lets look to the above picture:

As you can see, the bars are separated by the kind of device you wanna run your application. Because, with this you will be able to know witch APIs will be available to develop you application. And of course, it´s a good idea read your device specification to know witch optional API will be available too.

My objective today is show you the path to find the best resource of documentation. In this case, the best option is to visit http://java.sun.com/javame/reference/apis.jsp .
There you can read a lot about CLDC, CDC, MIDP and others documentations and APIs, and so, you will know exactly what you´ll have available to develop your application.

Downloads

Yet on Sun´s site, you can find at http://java.sun.com/javame/downloads/index.jsp the oficial toolkit to different JME configuration and profiles.
At this point, probably, you´ve already choose the bar (on the JME Platform image) where you going to run your application and so you can make the choice: Sun Java Wireless ToolKit to CLDC or CDC! ;-)

And now ?!?!?! :/

Well, now you probably have the minimum necessary to start a JME application development for the device you´ve choose. On the next post I going to write about the application life-cycle and with what you must care when going to start you application development.
Also, I´ll write about the IDE that we are going to use to develop our example - a JME applcation that connects on Internet by HTTP ! ;-)

Any doubt? I forgot something? Wrote something wrong?
Let me know!! Send an e-mail to netomarin@gmail.com or do your comment here !! ;-)

Cya!!

[]s
Neto Marin

Introducing myself !

Posted by netomarin on May 01, 2007 at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Hi all!

From now on, you´ll find here my little contribution about JME discussion. I´ll post news, articles, codes examples, how-to... well, I´ll try to help you at the JME techonology path! :-)

But, before start blogging, I´d like to introduce myself.
My name is Antonio Marin Neto, but to my friends, just Neto Marin ;-)
I´m a JME programmer since 2005 and I´m started on this world creating a multi-player game plattaform. And today I´m envolved in makes JME community in Brazil grows up and still working with personal mobile projects, like JME Brasil (http://www.jmebrasil.org)

If you´re looking for something about JME, let me know writing your sugesttion to netomarin@gmail.com and I´ll do the possible to write about what you wanna know ! ;-)

Now, is just wait my nex post! ;-)
Cya!!

[]s
Neto Marin

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