Among a zillion other things (I do work at a gov't research lab -- which is still hiring, btw), I've done some Blackberry R&D. The Blackberry is a pretty closed architecture. They have moved away from C/C++ to a Java OS. All programs are written in Java (J2ME). There is no file system per se and all storage is done via the Blackberry database. I found it rather confining, but the main reason that BBs are so popular is their security. By design, they allow users to access sites/info both inside and outside of the corporate firewall. When you write an app for a BB (other than your own), it must be signed by a signing key that you must purchase from RIM for $100. Even so, there are security policies that may preclude users from downloading your app. Those policies are set by the user's company, but they do vary widely. That's important to know at the outset, because some users won't be able to load a non-standard reader app that you either build or download.
I found 2 books to be pretty helpful for learning the BB: - Blackberry Hacks by Dave Mabe - Professional Blackberry by Craig Johnston You can get both for ~$43 @ Amazon. I also just stumbled across this site (http://www.bachmannhandheldsolutions.com/hackingbb.htm) for a book that was released Nov 6th. There really isn't a lot of OSS for the Blackberry, although you will find some. Here are some sites that I found useful for learning 'non-standard' things about the BB: (www.blackberryforums.com) (www.pinstack.com) If you're interested in BB security issues, I can point you to more websites than you ever wanted to read. :) I can also answer questions regarding other handheld wireless devices, but as you've probably found, those platforms are very open for developing new apps. Hope this helps, Steve -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bill Pringle Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2006 9:22 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Ldsoss] Blackberry / Palm apps I created a reporting package that imports MLS data and creates CSV files, text files, and files formatted for MarkMyScriptures, that runs on Palm and CE. A number of people who used my program have switched over to Blackberries. The most popular option has been the MMS files, since I use the Book/Chapter scheme to index the files so that you can find entries quickly. Does anyone know if skimware is / will support Blackberry? Is anyone familiar with Blackberry that can give me some pointers on ways I can create files that can be imported by Blackberry? Hopefully something that will support some kind of index feature. I used google and found lots of database import tools, but I'm not sure what the typical user would have loaded on their Blackberry. Ideally, the import file would be for either a default application that would be on all units, or a freeware application that people could install. I looked at mobipocket, which looks like a good possibility, but it also sounded like it was a fairly new product. Does anyone have any experience with it? --- Bill Pringle work: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.unisysfsp.com http://www.unisys.com home/school: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.personal.psu.edu/~wrp103 http://CherylWheeler.com _______________________________________________ Ldsoss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ldsoss.org/mailman/listinfo/ldsoss _______________________________________________ Ldsoss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ldsoss.org/mailman/listinfo/ldsoss
