MobileFirst Studio overview
IBM MobileFirst Platform Studio is an Eclipse-based IDE. We can use MobileFirst Studio to create mobile applications for various mobile operating systems, and to integrate applications with existing services. We can use a Rational Team Concert plug-in to control the source code, track changes, and create daily builds. We can build server applications, and applications for different mobile device operating systems, from a single IDE.
If we use non-Latin characters in the application, make sure the Eclipse editor uses UTF-8 encoding:
- In MobileFirst Studio, go to Window > Preferences > General > Workspace.
- In Text file encoding, select Other, and select UTF-8 from the list.
Native and web development technologies
MobileFirst Studio supports native and web development technologies:
- Develop mobile applications with pure HTML5.
- Use a JavaScript framework, such as jQuery Mobile, Dojo Mobile, or Sencha Touch. Use the user interface widgets and functions provided by these frameworks.
- Use Apache Cordova for mobile application access to native device functionality. To access a special device module, such as one for near field communication (NFC), develop a native extension exposed to JavaScript through an Apache Cordova plug-in, which is a small native-to-JavaScript wrapper.
Shell development
MobileFirst provides a default hybrid shell for using web and native technologies.:
- Separate native-component implementation from web-based implementation, and split this work between different developers. For example, create a custom shell, add third-party native libraries, implement custom security, or provide extended features specific to our company.
- Use shells to restrict or enforce specific corporate guidelines, such as design or security rules. For example, use a shell to add a default style to the mobile application, or to disable the camera of the device.
Runtime skinning
With MobileFirst Studio, use a common environment as a basic development point. All environments can share base code. Then create a version of this environment specific to a device, for example an iPad, by creating a variant of the base and implementing only the required changes. At run time, an extra function called runtime skinning makes the mobile application switch between different sets of customization.
Integration of device-specific SDKs
Each vendor of mobile devices supplies its own development environment as part of a SDK. MobileFirst Studio generates a project for each supported SDK, such as Xcode for iOS development. Some vendors require using their SDK for specific tasks, such as building the binary application. The integration of device-specific SDKs within MobileFirst Studio links your MobileFirst Studio project with the native development environment (such as Xcode). Then switch between a native development environment and MobileFirst Studio. Any change in the native development environment is reflected to the MobileFirst Studio project, which reduces manual copying steps.
Third-party library integration
Depending on the programming approach, the mobile application can include several JavaScript frameworks, such as Sencha Touch, jQuery Mobile, or Dojo Mobile. This third-party library integration facilitates code reuse. For shell projects, several types of compatible native code or libraries can be included.
Integrated build engine
The build chain of MobileFirst Studio combines common implementation code, used on all target platforms, with platform-unique implementation code, used on a specific target platform. At build-time, the integrated build engine combines these implementations into a complete mobile application. Then use a single, common implementation for as much of the mobile application function as possible, instead of a unique implementation for every supported platform.
Integrated development tools
We can extend the Eclipse IDE with custom plug-ins, and use MobileFirst Studio to develop all components of the application from within the same development environment. These components include the mobile application and the integration code, which is called MobileFirst adapters. With integrated development tools, develop and test these MobileFirst adapters within MobileFirst Studio.
Mobile Browser Simulator
MobileFirst Studio includes a Mobile Browser Simulator we can use during the development cycle. Use the Mobile Browser Simulator to test mobile web and hybrid applications that are displayed in a desktop browser. This Mobile Browser Simulator support cross-platform browser testing for mobile devices.
Many desktop browsers and mobile browsers use the WebKit engine as their underlying core technology, which provides a common platform for developing applications that support HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. If we use a desktop browser based on WebKit, such as Chrome or Safari, to host the Mobile Browser Simulator, we can validate the behavior of the application in the browser before you deploy it on the device. When we test the application on the device or mobile emulator, we can verify that the core WebKit engine provides the same consistent user experience that you verify when you test with the browser.
The Mobile Browser Simulator also provides default implementations of the various Apache Cordova APIs. Then use these default implementations to test hybrid applications that leverage the device features, without having to run the applications on the actual device.
Ant tasks
MobileFirst Studio provides a set of Ant tasks we can use to run a mobile application build for various platforms. For example, we can distribute build tasks to various build machines that run Apple OS X (for an Apple iOS binary file), or Microsoft Windows (for a Microsoft Windows Phone 8 binary file). If we use this mechanism, you do not need to access multiple build machines to create several builds for specific mobile platforms.
Startup behavior
Every project has an associated WAR file. In MobileFirst Studio, you deploy the WAR file to MobileFirst Development Server during standard development activities. MobileFirst Studio remembers the last deployed project to the server. When MobileFirst Studio restarts, all deployed MobileFirst WAR applications are deleted from the server, except from the last one. The behavior is to avoid a Timeout error with the MobileFirst Development Server during server startup in case there are many WAR applications deployed.
We can inhibit this behavior and make it work exactly like IBM Worklight v6.1 using the following steps:
- Close MobileFirst Studio.
- Go to the following path: /<workspace_path>/.metadata/.plugins/org.eclipse.core.runtime/.settings
- Open com.worklight.studio.plugin.prefs file with a text editor.
- Add com.worklight.studio.plugin.avoidServerCleanup=true.
- Save the file and restart MobileFirst Studio.
Parent topic: Develop MobileFirst applications