Mds Studio

Welcome to The Next Level BlackBerry Technical Seminar 2007

MDS Studio Mark Sohm

Topics

Welcome to The Next Level BlackBerry Technical Seminar 2007

•What is BlackBerry MDS Studio? •Overview •MDS Application Framework Topology •Learning MDS Studio

•Parts of an MDS Runtime Application: •Data Components •Screen Components •Message Components

•Database Connector •Introducing the Database Connector •Working with the Database Connector

What is BlackBerry MDS Studio?

Welcome to The Next Level BlackBerry Technical Seminar 2007

What is BlackBerry MDS Studio?

What is BlackBerry MDS Studio?

Welcome to The Next Level BlackBerry Technical Seminar 2007

BlackBerry Mobile Data System Studio is a rapid application development environment to build applications for BlackBerry smart-phones

What is BlackBerry MDS Studio?

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MDS Studio creates MDS Runtime Applications MDS Runtime Applications are able to: •Connect to a Web Service •Connect to a Database Server MDS Runtime Applications are published to a BlackBerry Enterprise Server and available to users on that server. •Installable by Users •Pushed by Administrators

What is BlackBerry MDS Studio?

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The Mobile Data System provides an optimized application development framework for BlackBerry Three key components of the rapid application platform: •BlackBerry MDS Studio • Allows developers to efficiently design wireless applications connected to various data sources •BlackBerry MDS Runtime Environment • Provides a set of services to MDS Studio applications •BlackBerry MDS Services • Handles requests from BlackBerry MDS Studio applications and interfaces with enterprise data sources and systems

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Overview

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Overview

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MDS Application Framework Topology

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MDS Studio Application • Visa • Amex

design

publish Application Registry Smart-phones with BlackBerry MDS Runtime

BlackBerry MDS Studio

……. ……. …….

deploy Application Repository

analyze

Enterprise Applications and Data SAP Siebel

Internet MS .Net

BES and BlackBerry MDS Services

Oracle

No Java? No Problem.

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XML + JavaScript = MDS Runtime Applications Every step in the development, deployment and management process has been designed to be efficient and intuitive •Graphical screen editor •Built-in connectors for Database and Web Service integration •Visual Database Operation designer •Automated generation of data and messages •No complex middleware for simple applications •Abstracted services for persistence, user interface, messaging

What is the learning curve?

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MDS Studio development concepts and techniques are not difficult to learn The MDS platform introduces a new programming paradigm, however: •MDS Studio leverages well known techniques from familiar programming models and optimizes and simplifies them for Wireless (Does XML + Script sound familiar?) •Business logic and workflow can be extended using standard JavaScript •Integration with backend data sources leverages web service (WSDL) and database standards (SQL) •MDS Studio makes it very easy to build simple, prototype style applications which can be used as foundations for full-scale deployments

Where to start?

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MDS Studio design approaches range from fully generated to completely customized Quick Start approach •Great for rapid prototyping

Bottom Up approach

•Useful when working with a pre-existing data source •Data Source Update wizard manages change

Top Down approach

•Most versatile approach •Useful when building back-end in parallel with your MDS Studio application

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What is an MDS Studio Application?

BlackBerry Technical Seminar 2007

Data: Store persistent and transient application data on device Messages: Represent data sent or received from an external source Screens: Define the user interface of the application Data source bindings: Map inbound / outbound messages to data source operations Cross-component mappings: Define application workflow without explicit coding

Screens

Cross-component mappings

JavaScripts

Messages

Bindings Data Source

Workflow Data

kBerry MDS Studio Application components

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Data Components

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Data Components

Data Components

Welcome to The Next Level BlackBerry Technical Seminar 2007

BlackBerry MDS Studio Application data components •

Data can be used in the following ways: • Data updates the user interface • User interface updates the data • Application data is sent to the data source using outbound messages • Data source changes are sent to the application using inbound messages

Data Components

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BlackBerry MDS Studio Application data components •Use the following techniques to access a data component: • Pass the data component as a parameter to a screen or script • Create the data component in script • Find a data component in a script • Specify the data component as a nested field of another keyed or keyless data component • Declare a variable as a data component type and initialize the variable through a cross-component mapping

Data Components

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Keyed data components and data collections •

a keyed data component has a primary key

•

when an instance of a keyed data component is created, the data component becomes part of a data collection

•

BlackBerry MDS Studio allows database operations on a collection of keyed data components •

retrieve a keyed data component by the primary key

•

retrieve an array of keyed data components using a Where clause (one field condition only)

•

sort returned results from a data collection by any field

Data Components

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Keyless data components •

define the structural definition of data

•

do not have a primary key •

cannot be managed as data collections

Data Components

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Data storage modes •

•

two data storage modes available: •

transient

•

persistent

right-click and select one of these options to change the storage mode for a global variable: •

Make transient

•

Make persistent

Data Components

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Creating and managing data components •

Create a data component before any instances can be created

Data Components

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Viewing a data component •

The Data Editor displays the properties, fields, and relationships of a data component

•

Double-click a data component in the Navigator pane to open the Data Editor

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Data Components

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Viewing a data component •

Three basic actions available with the Data Editor:

Action Basic Properties Show Relationship Canvas Hide Relationship Canvas

Icon

Data Components

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Creating a data component •

Right-click Data > Definitions in the Navigator pane and select New Data Definition

Data Components

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Creating a data component field •

select the Fields tab in the Data Editor, click +, and configure: •

Name

•

Type

•

Array

•

Default Value

Data Components

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Creating an instance of a data component •

Created in a script or as a result of cross-component mappings

•

Instances created in the following circumstances: •

When an application script makes an explicit call

•

When an inbound message mapped to a data component arrives, the application creates a data component instance or updates the data component if the matching instance exists

•

When a user enters input in a screen control mapped to a screen local variable, the application instantiates the local variable based on the user input and creates a new data component instance

Data Components

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Remove an instance of a data component •

removed in script

•

removed by setting all references to a keyless data component to null

Data Components

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Creating and managing global variables •

available to any screen, data, or message component

•

useful for maintaining the state of an application and for simplifying application workflow

•

global variables can contain the following: •

primitive data types

•

enumerated values

•

keyed or keyless data components

•

arrays of primitive types

•

arrays of data components

Data Components

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Using built-in data components from BlackBerry device applications •

Use BlackBerry device application data by mapping screen controls and data components to built-in data components

•

Built-in data components available: •

Contact

•

Address

•

Event

•

Attendee

•

RepeatRule

•

Message

•

Task

•

DeviceInfo

Screen Components

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Screen Components

Screen Components

Welcome to The Next Level BlackBerry Technical Seminar 2007

Menu Pane

Control Palette Create screens by dropping controls on screen from the Control Palette

Screen Viewer

Create menus by dropping MenuItems onto the Menu Pane

Screen Components: Screen Viewer

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Menu Item Image Label Edit Box

Region with vertical layout

Choice Separator

Region with grid layout Button

Screen Components: Properties

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Initial Value and Mapping allow you to map data components to screen controls

Screen Components: Data Mapping

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User-interface controls support bi-directional mapping to data • Initial Value populates control with data • Output mapping populates data

Use screen parameters, Globals, or data collections to add dynamic content to screen controls

Screen Components: Data Mapping Revisited

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Use output mapping of control to automatically store value into underlying data component or global

Message Components

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Message Components

Message Components

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About application data messages •

•

Two supported types of application messages: •

Inbound messages

•

Outbound messages

Depending upon the features of the data source, a message can be any of the following: •

notification

•

request for information

•

response to a request

Message Components

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Inbound messages •

for inbound BlackBerry MDS Studio™ Application messages, the BlackBerry® device receives information from the data source •

request-response inbound message

•

notification inbound message

Message Components

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Outbound messages •

for outbound BlackBerry MDS Studio Application messages, the application sends information to the data source •

request-response outbound message

•

event outbound messages

Message Components

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About mapping application messages to data •

•

Used to specify •

the BlackBerry MDS Studio Application message definition

•

the interaction with the BlackBerry MDS Studio Application data model at runtime

Application messages can be mapped to the following types of data components: •

global variables

•

keyed data collections

Message Components

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Limitations •

There are some rules that apply to inbound and outbound message mappings based on message assignment type: •

•

Entire data structure •

map a message to an entire global variable

•

map a message to a data collection

Partial data structure •

map a message to one or more fields in a global variable

•

map a message to one or more fields in a data collection

Message Components

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Creating application messages •

messages can be mapped to data using two methods: •

using the New Message wizard

•

using script

Message Components

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Using the New Message wizard •

The wizard is used when: •

adding a message when using the top-down approach

•

adding a new message to a bottom-up application

Message Components

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Defining message properties •

Message properties that can be set from the Basic Properties tab of the Message Editor: •

rename the message

•

assign a security level to the message

•

assign a script to the message (inbound messages only)

Message Components

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Defining the message structure •

actions available to define the message structure: •

name the message field

•

select a data type for the field

•

set the data mapping for the field

•

set the message field to an array of the selected data type

•

set a default value for the message field

Message Components

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Creating an inbound message that updates application data •

Inbound messages may need to update data in one of the following ways: •

update a single data component, or update a field within a top-level data component

•

update a data component that is part of another data component

•

update the value of a global variable

Message Components

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Creating an inbound message that triggers an alert •

An alert attached to an inbound message informs the user that an event has taken place

•

Alert types can be combined with the default alert using the following options: •

Ribbon

•

Dialog

Message Components

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Receiving confirmation of sent messages •

Two strategies for delivering messages between BlackBerry MDS Studio applications and the BlackBerry MDS Services: •

best-effort •

•

no delivery and ordering guarantee

standard •

delivery and ordering guarantee

Message Components

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Flow control •

Queues five packets for delivery until time-out is reached

•

The default flow control time-out for BlackBerry MDS Services is 10 minutes

Time-out •

While these packets are queued for delivery, no further packets are pushed until the original five packets are acknowledged by the BlackBerry device

•

Subsequent push packets are also subject to a time-out period, and will be discarded after the time-out is reached

Database Connector

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Database Connector

Introducing the Database Connector Supported Database Servers Microsoft® SQL Server 2005 Oracle® 9i

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Introducing the Database Connector

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Database Connector Allows •MDS Studio models a database as a set of operations, messages and types •Concentrate on the business logic, workflow and user experience •Design the custom operations to access the database •Use pre-existing stored procedures or functions •Bind select operations to application messages •Application development procedure is similar to when using web services

Introducing the Database Connector Top 10 Database Connector Features • • • • • • • • • •

Add a database data source Access to stored procedures and functions Design new operations Support for database specific extensions Identity constraints Pagination support Built-in transaction control Automatic binding of operations Support for composite keys Table control

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Introducing the Database Connector

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3 Steps to create a Database Connector Application Step 1: Decide what data will be exposed wirelessly. Tables, Views Step 2: Determine what operations will be available to users. Stored procedures, Queries, Updates, Inserts, Deletes Step 3: Design screens around data and operations. Build workflows, add dynamic content, add images

Working with the Database Connector Creating a New Application •Use the same Wizard used when connecting to a web service • Select a Database Server to connect to.

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Working with the Database Connector Creating a New Application •Enter the database connection information

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Working with the Database Connector Creating a New Application •Bind the application to your database

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Working with the Database Connector Creating a New Application •Enter a Project Name to create your application

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Working with the Database Connector Database Operations •Database Operations are used to interact with your database •Similar to Message Components when using a web services •There are 2 design modes you can use to accomplish this • Visual Mode • Advanced Mode

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Working with the Database Connector Visual Design Mode •Provides a GUI designer to create your SQL query •Step 1: Choose the type of query to create: • SELECT • INSERT • UPDATE • DELETE

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Working with the Database Connector Visual Design Mode •Step 2: Choose the table you wish to query

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Working with the Database Connector Visual Design Mode •Step 3: Select the columns you want to query

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Working with the Database Connector Visual Design Mode Step 4: Define the criteria for your query • Predicates (WHERE clause criteria) • Order By criteria • Group By criteria

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Working with the Database Connector

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Visual Design Mode •Step 5: Test the query •You will not be able to advance until MDS Studio verifies that the query will execute • Changes can be rolled back • Useful for testing INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE queries •Result set is displayed •Enable Paging to reduce wireless traffic

Working with the Database Connector

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Advanced Design Mode •Allows a developer to manually enter the SQL query •Jumps straight to the query test screen (similar to Step 5 of the Visual design mode) •You will not be able to save the operation until MDS Studio verifies that the query will execute • Changes can be rolled back • Useful for testing INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE queries •Result set is displayed •Enable Paging to reduce wireless traffic

Working with the Database Connector Displaying Database Data •Data can be manipulated and shown to users in the following ways • Referenced by JavaScript • Shown in a standard screen component (Label, EditBox, etc...) • Displayed in a table  • Table is enabled for horizontal and vertical scrolling

Welcome to The Next Level BlackBerry Technical Seminar 2007

Welcome to The Next Level

MDS Studio

BlackBerry Technical Seminar 2007

Thank you!