Research In Motion (RIM) has launched a set of enhanced tools for developing web applications for BlackBerry Smartphones. The tools include the BlackBerry Web Development Plug-in for Eclipse and the BlackBerry Plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio version 1.2. The tools are part of a portfolio of BlackBerry developer tools for web and Java development, and a set of APIs that enable developers to create a wide variety of mobile applications that connect BlackBerry users to the information they want.
The BlackBerry application platform also incorporates significant advantages, says RIM, including real-time push technology, unmatched security, and efficient data compression and network bandwidth utilisation, allowing developers to deliver optimised applications on the most powerful, secure and efficient platform in the industry.
The BlackBerry Web Development Plug-in for Eclipse is available here, and enables developers to create web applications and content for BlackBerry phones within the familiar Eclipse 3.4 environment. Using the plug-in, developers can debug and profile Internet/Intranet web pages displaying HTML and CSS content, in addition to more complex rich Internet applications using AJAX, Silverlight, PHP, ASP, Ruby on Rails, JSP, and Python.
BlackBerry Plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio version 1.2 is available here, and provides an all-in-one tool for developers to create web applications and content for BlackBerry phones within the Visual Studio 2008 environment. Using the plug-in, developers can create simple Internet/Intranet web pages, or more complex, rich Internet applications, using AJAX and ASP.Net.
Both tools feature BlackBerry smartphone simulators for testing and debugging projects, and web application profiling for visibility into data traffic, load time and use of web-based content, including elements such as images, CSS, JavaScript, HTML and objects.
The BlackBerry developer tools portfolio aims to bring together the best of Java and web development for the creation of web applications that are integrated with core BlackBerry Smartphone functions for a seamless, intuitive and robust user experience, says Alan Brenner, Senior Vice President, BlackBerry Platform Group at RIM. The evolving portfolio of web development tools for the BlackBerry platform allows developers to work in familiar development environments to create, debug, profile, test and optimise their web applications for BlackBerry smartphones.
Theres more information, at the Blackberry Developer Zone.