BlackBerry - Java - SDK Development - Guide 1239696 0730090812 001 6.0 US

BlackBerry Java SDK
UI and Navigation
Version: 6.0
Development Guide
Published: 2010-12-8
SWD-1239696-1208103942-001
Contents
1 Creating a UI that is consistent with standard BlackBerry UIs........................................................................................... 6
2 BlackBerry device user input and navigation.......................................................................................................................... 7

Touch screen.................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Trackball or trackpad...................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Trackball sensitivity................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Trackball movement............................................................................................................................................................... 9
Trackwheel....................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Keyboard.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Interaction methods on BlackBerry devices................................................................................................................................ 10
3 Screens.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Screen classes................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Manage a drawing area................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Creating a screen transition.......................................................................................................................................................... 13
Code sample: Creating a screen transition......................................................................................................................... 14
Specifying the orientation and direction of the screen.............................................................................................................. 15
Retrieve the orientation of the touch screen...................................................................................................................... 17
Restrict the touch screen direction...................................................................................................................................... 17
Receive notification when the size of the drawable area of the touch screen changes................................................ 17
4 Accelerometer.............................................................................................................................................................................. 19
Types of accelerometer data.......................................................................................................................................................... 19
Retrieving accelerometer data...................................................................................................................................................... 19
Retrieve accelerometer data at specific intervals....................................................................................................................... 20
Query the accelerometer when the application is in the foreground...................................................................................... 21
Query the accelerometer when the application is in the background..................................................................................... 21
Store accelerometer readings in a buffer..................................................................................................................................... 22
Retrieve accelerometer readings from a buffer........................................................................................................................... 23
Get the time a reading was taken from the accelerometer....................................................................................................... 23
5 Events............................................................................................................................................................................................ 24
Respond to navigation events....................................................................................................................................................... 24
Determine the type of input method............................................................................................................................................ 24
Touch screen interaction models.................................................................................................................................................. 25
Responding to touch screen events.............................................................................................................................................. 26
Respond to system events while the user touches the screen.......................................................................................... 27
Respond to a user sliding a finger up quickly on the screen............................................................................................. 27
Respond to a user sliding a finger down quickly on the screen........................................................................................ 28
Respond to a user sliding a finger to the left quickly on the screen................................................................................ 29
Respond to a user sliding a finger to the right quickly on the screen............................................................................. 29
Respond to a user clicking the screen................................................................................................................................. 30
Respond to a user touching the screen twice quickly........................................................................................................ 31
Respond to a user touching and dragging an item on the screen................................................................................... 31
Respond to a user touching the screen lightly................................................................................................................... 32
Respond to a scroll action..................................................................................................................................................... 32
Respond to a user touching the screen in two locations at the same time..................................................................... 33
Pinch gestures................................................................................................................................................................................. 34
Enable pinch gestures............................................................................................................................................................ 34
Swipe gestures with trackpads...................................................................................................................................................... 35
Enable swipe gestures that users make on the trackpad.................................................................................................. 36
Event injection................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
6 Command Framework API.......................................................................................................................................................... 38

Use a command with one UI component.................................................................................................................................... 39
Use a command in one or more applications.............................................................................................................................. 40
7 Arranging UI components.......................................................................................................................................................... 43
Arrange UI components................................................................................................................................................................. 44
Creating a grid layout..................................................................................................................................................................... 44
Create a grid layout................................................................................................................................................................ 46
Displaying fields on a temporary pair of managers.................................................................................................................... 48
Display a ButtonField and a LabelField temporarily on the top and bottom of the screen........................................... 49
Displaying a field at an absolute position on a screen............................................................................................................... 51
Display a label at an absolute position on the screen....................................................................................................... 51
Code sample: Displaying a label at an absolute position on the screen......................................................................... 52
8 UI components............................................................................................................................................................................. 54
Add a UI component to a screen.................................................................................................................................................. 54
Aligning a field to a line of text..................................................................................................................................................... 54
Buttons............................................................................................................................................................................................. 54
Best practice: Implementing buttons................................................................................................................................... 55
Create a button....................................................................................................................................................................... 55
Check boxes..................................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Best practice: Implementing check boxes........................................................................................................................... 56
Create a check box................................................................................................................................................................. 57
Create a bitmap............................................................................................................................................................................... 59
Create a custom field...................................................................................................................................................................... 59
Creating a field to display web content....................................................................................................................................... 62
Display HTML content in a browser field............................................................................................................................ 62
Display HTML content from a web page in a browser field.............................................................................................. 64
Display HTML content from a resource in your application.............................................................................................. 65
Configure a browser field...................................................................................................................................................... 67
Send form data to a web address in a browser field.......................................................................................................... 69
Dialog boxes.................................................................................................................................................................................... 71
Best practice: Implementing dialog boxes.......................................................................................................................... 72
Create a dialog box................................................................................................................................................................ 74
Drop-down lists............................................................................................................................................................................... 74
Best practice: Implementing drop-down lists..................................................................................................................... 75
Create a drop-down list......................................................................................................................................................... 75
Labels................................................................................................................................................................................................ 77
Best practice: Implementing labels...................................................................................................................................... 78
Create a text label.................................................................................................................................................................. 78
Lists and tables................................................................................................................................................................................ 78
Best practice: Implementing lists and tables...................................................................................................................... 81
Create a list box...................................................................................................................................................................... 81
Radio buttons.................................................................................................................................................................................. 83
Best practice: Implementing radio buttons......................................................................................................................... 84
Create a radio button............................................................................................................................................................. 84
Activity indicators and progress indicators.................................................................................................................................. 86
Best practice: Implementing activity indicators and progress indicators....................................................................... 87
Indicating activity or task progress...................................................................................................................................... 88
Pickers.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 96
Best practice: Implementing pickers.................................................................................................................................... 98
Create a date picker............................................................................................................................................................... 99
Create a file picker................................................................................................................................................................. 101
Search............................................................................................................................................................................................... 104
Best practice: Implementing search.................................................................................................................................... 105
Create a search field.............................................................................................................................................................. 106
Autocomplete text field......................................................................................................................................................... 108
Spin boxes........................................................................................................................................................................................ 114
Create a spin box.................................................................................................................................................................... 115
Best practice: Implementing spin boxes.............................................................................................................................. 118
Text fields......................................................................................................................................................................................... 118
Best practice: Implementing text fields............................................................................................................................... 119
Creating a text field................................................................................................................................................................ 120
Create a date field.................................................................................................................................................................. 121
Create a password field......................................................................................................................................................... 122
Tree views......................................................................................................................................................................................... 122
Best practice: Implementing tree views.............................................................................................................................. 123
Create a field to display a tree view..................................................................................................................................... 123
9 Images........................................................................................................................................................................................... 125
Using encoded images................................................................................................................................................................... 125
Access an encoded image through an input stream.......................................................................................................... 125
Encode an image.................................................................................................................................................................... 125
Display an encoded image.................................................................................................................................................... 126
Specify the display size of an encoded image.................................................................................................................... 126
Specify the decoding mode for an image............................................................................................................................ 126
Displaying an image for zooming and panning.......................................................................................................................... 126
Code sample: Displaying an image for zooming and panning......................................................................................... 127
Display an image for zooming and panning....................................................................................................................... 127
Displaying a row of images for scrolling...................................................................................................................................... 128
Code sample: Displaying a row of images for scrolling..................................................................................................... 128
Display a row of images for scrolling................................................................................................................................... 129
10 Menu items................................................................................................................................................................................... 132

Create a menu................................................................................................................................................................................. 132
Code sample: Creating a menu............................................................................................................................................ 133
Best practice: Implementing menus............................................................................................................................................. 134
Submenus........................................................................................................................................................................................ 134
Best practice: Implementing submenus.............................................................................................................................. 136
Create a submenu.................................................................................................................................................................. 137
Code sample: Creating a submenu...................................................................................................................................... 138
Pop-up menus................................................................................................................................................................................. 139
Best practice: Implementing pop-up menus....................................................................................................................... 140
About placing items in the pop-up menus.......................................................................................................................... 141
Support for legacy context menus........................................................................................................................................ 141
Creating a pop-up menu....................................................................................................................................................... 142
Adding a menu item to a BlackBerry Device Software application.......................................................................................... 147
Add a menu item to a BlackBerry Device Software application....................................................................................... 147
Changing the appearance of a menu........................................................................................................................................... 149
Change the appearance of a menu...................................................................................................................................... 149
Code sample: Changing the appearance of a menu.......................................................................................................... 150
11 Custom fonts................................................................................................................................................................................ 153

Install and use a custom font in a BlackBerry Java application................................................................................................ 153
Code sample: Installing and using a custom font in a BlackBerry Java application............................................................... 154
12 Spelling checker.......................................................................................................................................................................... 156

Add spell check functionality......................................................................................................................................................... 156
Listen for a spell check event........................................................................................................................................................ 157
13 Related resources........................................................................................................................................................................ 158
14 Glossary......................................................................................................................................................................................... 159
15 Provide feedback......................................................................................................................................................................... 160
16 Document revision history......................................................................................................................................................... 161
17 Legal notice.................................................................................................................................................................................. 164

Development Guide Creating a UI that is consistent with standard BlackBerry UIs
Creating a UI that is consistent with standard BlackBerry 1

UIs
You can use the standard MIDP APIs and the BlackBerry® UI APIs to create a BlackBerry® Java® Application UI.
The UI components in the BlackBerry UI APIs are designed to provide layouts and behaviors that are consistent with BlackBerry®
Device Software applications. Using these APIs not only allows you to use components that BlackBerry users are familiar with,
but it also saves you time since you don't have to create those components yourself.
• Screen components can provide a standard screen layout, a default menu, and standard behavior when a BlackBerry device
user presses the Escape key, clicks the trackpad, or touches the touch screen.
• Field components can provide the standard UI elements for date selection, option button, check box, list, text field, label,
and progress bar controls.
• Layout managers can provide an application with the ability to arrange the components on a BlackBerry device screen in
standard ways, such as horizontally, vertically, or in a left-to-right flow.
You can use the BlackBerry UI APIs to create a UI that includes tables, grids, and other specialized features. You can use a
standard Java event model to receive and respond to specific types of events. A BlackBerry device application can receive and
respond to user events, such as when the user clicks the trackpad or types on the keyboard, and to system events, such as global
alerts, clock changes, and USB port connections.
6
Development Guide BlackBerry device user input and navigation
BlackBerry device user input and navigation 2

BlackBerry® devices include a keyboard, a trackwheel, trackball, or trackpad, and an Escape key, for input and navigation. On
BlackBerry devices with a SurePress™ touch screen, clicking the screen is equivalent to clicking the trackball or trackwheel.
A BlackBerry® Java® Application should use the following input and navigation model as closely as possible.
• Clicking the trackwheel, trackball, trackpad, or touch screen typically invokes a menu.
• Pressing the Escape key cancels actions or returns to the previous screen. Pressing the Escape key repeatedly returns users
to the Home screen. Holding the Escape key closes the browser or media application.
By default, the BlackBerry screen objects provide this functionality without customization; however, you must add menu items
and additional UI and navigation logic.
Touch screen
On BlackBerry® devices with a SurePress™ touch screen, users use a finger to interact with the applications on the device. Users
type text and navigate screens by performing various actions on the touch screen.
Users can also perform actions by clicking icons on the shortcut bar or by pressing the Menu key.
On BlackBerry devices with a touch screen, users can perform the following actions:
Action Result
touch the screen lightly This action highlights an item.
In a text field, if users touch the screen near the cursor, an outlined box displays
around the cursor. This box helps users reposition the cursor more easily.
tap the screen In applications that support a full-screen view, such as BlackBerry® Maps and the
BlackBerry® Browser, this action hides and shows the shortcut bar.
tap the screen twice On a web page, map, picture, or presentation attachment, this action zooms in to
the web page, map, picture, or presentation attachment.
hold a finger on an item On the shortcut bar, this action displays a tooltip that describes the action that the
icon represents.
In a message list, if users hold a finger on the sender or subject of a message, the
BlackBerry device searches for the sender or subject.
7
Development Guide Touch screen
Action Result
touch and drag an item on the screen This action moves the content on the screen in the corresponding direction. For
example, when users touch and drag a menu item, the list of menu items moves in
the same direction.
In a text field, this action moves the outlined box and the cursor in the same direction.
touch the screen in two locations at the This action highlights the text or the list of items, such as messages, between the
same time two locations. To add or remove highlighted text or items, users can touch the screen
at another location.
click (press) the screen This action initiates an action. For example, when users click an item in a list, the
screen that is associated with the item appears. This action is equivalent to clicking
the trackwheel, trackball or trackpad.
On a map, picture, or presentation attachment, this action zooms in to the map,

picture, or presentation attachment. On a web page, this action zooms in to the
web page or follows a link.
In a text field, this action positions the cursor. If the field contains text, an outlined
box appears around the cursor.
slide a finger up or down quickly on the Quickly sliding a finger up displays the next screen. Quickly sliding a finger down
screen displays the previous screen.
When the keyboard appears, quickly sliding a finger down hides the keyboard and
displays the shortcut bar.
slide a finger to the left or right quickly This action displays the next or previous picture or message, or the next or previous
on the screen day, week, or month in a calendar.
slide a finger up or down on the screen In the camera, sliding a finger up zooms in to a subject. Sliding a finger down zooms
out from a subject.
slide a finger in any direction This action pans a map or web page. If users zoom in to a picture, this action also
pans a picture.
press the Escape key This action removes the highlight from text or a list of items.
On a web page, map, or picture, this action zooms out one level. Users can press
the Escape key twice to zoom back to the original view.
8
Development Guide Trackball or trackpad
Trackball or trackpad
On BlackBerry® devices with a trackball or trackpad, the trackball or trackpad is the primary control for user navigation. Users
can perform the following actions:
• Roll the trackball or slide a finger on the trackpad to move the cursor.
• Click the trackball or trackpad to perform default actions or open a context menu.
• Click the trackball or trackpad while pressing the Shift key to highlight text or highlight messages in a message list.
BlackBerry devices with a trackball or trackpad also include a Menu key that is located to the left of the trackball or trackpad.
Users can press the Menu key to open a full menu of available actions.
Trackball sensitivity
Trackball sensitivity refers to the amount of trackball movement that the system requires to identify the movement as a navigation
event, and to send a navigation event to the software layer. The BlackBerry® device hardware measures physical trackball
movement by using units called ticks. When the number of ticks along an axis surpasses the threshold of the system or a BlackBerry
device application, a navigation event is sent to the software layer, and the system resets the tick count to zero. Tick counts are
also reset to zero after a certain amount of idle time passes.
You can use the Trackball API to set the trackball sensitivity. High trackball sensitivity equates to a smaller tick threshold (a small
amount of trackball movement generates a navigation event). Low trackball sensitivity equates to a larger tick threshold (a larger
amount of trackball movement is required to generate a navigation event).
Trackball movement
You can use the Trackball API to filter the trackball movement data that the BlackBerry® device hardware sends to the software
layer. The Trackball API can filter out movement "noise" or unwanted movements.
You can also use the Trackball API to change settings such as trackball movement acceleration. Increasing the trackball movement
acceleration setting can result in the software layer identifying trackball movements as moving at a faster rate than the rate
detected by the BlackBerry device hardware, as long as the user continually rolls the trackball. The trackball sensitivity temporarily
increases as the user rolls the trackball without pausing.
Trackwheel
BlackBerry® devices that precede the BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8100 Series use a trackwheel as the primary control for user navigation.
The trackwheel is located on the right side of the BlackBerry® device.
Users can perform the following actions:
9
Development Guide Keyboard
• roll the trackwheel to move the cursor vertically

• roll the trackwheel while pressing the Alt key to move the cursor horizontally
• click the trackwheel to initiate an action or open the menu
Keyboard
Users use the keyboard primarily to type text. Character keys send a character to the BlackBerry® device. A modifier key alters
the functionality of character keys. Modifier keys include the Shift key and the Alt key. When users press a modifier key, a typing
mode indicator appears in the upper-right corner of the screen.
On BlackBerry devices without a touch screen, users can also use the keyboard to move around a screen (for example, to move
around a map). However, navigation using the keyboard should always be an alternative to navigation using the trackwheel,
trackball, or trackpad.
BlackBerry devices have either a full keyboard or a reduced keyboard. On BlackBerry devices with a SurePress™ touch screen, in
most cases, the full keyboard appears in landscape view and the reduced keyboard appears in portrait view.
Interaction methods on BlackBerry devices
BlackBerry device model Interaction method

BlackBerry® 7100 Series trackwheel
BlackBerry® 8700 Series trackwheel
BlackBerry® 8800 Series trackball
BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 smartphone trackball
BlackBerry® Bold™ 9650 smartphone trackpad
BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700 smartphone

BlackBerry® Curve™ 8300 Series trackball
BlackBerry® Curve™ 8500 Series trackpad
BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900 smartphone trackball
BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8100 Series trackball
BlackBerry® Pearl™ Flip 8200 Series trackball
BlackBerry® Storm™ 9500 Series touch screen
BlackBerry® Tour™ 9630 smartphone trackball
10
Development Guide Screens
Screens 3
The main component of a BlackBerry® device UI is the Screen object.
A BlackBerry device can have multiple screens open at the same time, but only one screen can be displayed at a time. The
BlackBerry® Java® Virtual Machine maintains an ordered set of Screen objects in a display stack. The screen on the top of the
stack is the active screen that the BlackBerry device user sees. When a BlackBerry device application displays a screen, it pushes
the screen on the top of the stack. When a BlackBerry device application closes a screen, it pushes the screen off the top of the
stack and displays the next screen on the stack, redrawing the screen as necessary.
Each screen can appear only once on the display stack. The BlackBerry JVM throws a runtime exception if a screen that the
BlackBerry device application pushes on the stack already exists. A BlackBerry device application must push a screen off the
display stack when the user finishes interacting with the screen so that the BlackBerry device application can use memory
efficiently. You should use only a few modal screens at one time, because each screen uses a separate thread.
The UI APIs initialize simple Screen objects. After you create a screen, you can add fields and a menu, and display the screen
to the user by pushing it on the display stack. You can change the BlackBerry device UI and implement new field types, as required.
You can also add custom navigation.
The Screen class does not implement disambiguation, which is required for complex input methods, such as international
keyboards. For the integration of the different input methods, you can extend the Field class or one of its subclasses. You
should not use Screen objects for typing text.
Screen classes
Class Description
Screen You can use the Screen class to create a screen and use a layout manager to lay
out the UI components on the screen. You can define a specific type of screen by
using the styles that the constants in the Field superclass define.
FullScreen You can use the FullScreen class to create an empty screen to which you can
add UI components in a standard vertical layout. If you want to use another layout
style, such as horizontal or diagonal, you can use the Screen class instead and add
a layout manager to it.
MainScreen You can use the MainScreen class to create a screen with the following standard
UI components:
• default screen title, with a SeparatorField after the title

• main scrollable section contained in a VerticalFieldManager
11
Development Guide Manage a drawing area
Class Description
• default menu with a Close menu item
• default close action that closes the screen when the BlackBerry® device user
clicks the Close menu item or presses the Escape key
You should consider using a MainScreen object for the first screen of your
BlackBerry device application to maintain consistency with other BlackBerry device
applications.
Manage a drawing area

The Graphics object represents the entire drawing surface that is available to the BlackBerry® device application. To limit this
area, divide it into XYRect objects. Each XYPoint represents a point on the screen, which is composed of an X co-ordinate
and a Y co-ordinate.
1. Import the following classes:

• net.rim.device.api.ui.Graphics
• net.rim.device.api.ui.XYRect
• net.rim.device.api.ui.XYPoint
2. Create XYPoint objects, to represent the top left and bottom right points of a rectangle. Create an XYRect object using
the XYPoint objects, to create a rectangular clipping region.
XYPoint bottomRight = new XYPoint(50, 50);
XYPoint topLeft = new XYPoint(10, 10);
XYRect rectangle = new XYRect(topLeft, bottomRight);
3. Invoke Graphics.pushContext() to make drawing calls that specify that the region origin should not adjust the
drawing offset. Invoke Graphics.pushContext() to push the rectangular clipping region to the context stack. Invoke
Graphics.drawRect() to draw a rectangle, and invoke Graphics.fillRect() to fill the rectangle. Invoke
Graphics.popContext() to pop the current context off of the context stack.
graphics.pushContext(rectangle, 0, 0);
graphics.fillRect(10, 10, 30, 30);
graphics.drawRect(15, 15, 30, 30);
graphics.popContext();
graphics.pushContext(rectangle, 0, 0);
12
Development Guide Creating a screen transition
4. Invoke pushRegion() and specify that the region origin should adjust the drawing offset. Invoke Graphics.drawRect
() to draw a rectangle and invoke Graphics.fillRect() to fill a rectangle. Invoke Graphics.popContext() to
pop the current context off of the context stack.
graphics.pushRegion(rectangle);
5. Specify the portion of the Graphics object to push onto the stack.
6. After you invoke pushContext() (or pushRegion()), provide the portion of the Graphics object to invert.
graphics.pushContext(rectangle);
graphics.invert(rectangle);
7. Invoke translate(). The XYRect is translated from its origin of (1, 1) to an origin of (20, 20). After translation, the
bottom portion of the XYRect object extends past the bounds of the graphics context and clips it.
XYRect rectangle = new XYRect(1, 1, 100, 100);
XYPoint newLocation = new XYPoint(20, 20);
rectangle.translate(newLocation);
Creating a screen transition

You can create a screen transition to apply a visual effect that appears when your application opens or closes a screen on a
BlackBerry® device. You can create the following types of screen transitions for your application by using the
net.rim.device.api.ui.TransitionContext class.
Transition Description
TRANSITION_FADE This transition reveals or removes a screen by fading it in or fading it out. This screen
transition creates a fading visual effect by changing the opacity of the screen.
TRANSITION_SLIDE This transition reveals or removes a screen by sliding it on or sliding it off the display
on the device. You can use attributes to specify that both the new screen and the
current screen slide, to create an effect where both screens appear to move, or that
the new screen slides over the current screen.
TRANSITION_WIPE This transition reveals or removes a screen by simulating wiping on or wiping off
the display on the device.
TRANSITION_ZOOM This transition reveals or removes a screen by zooming it in or zooming it out of the
display on the device.
TRANSITION_NONE No transition occurs.
13
Development Guide Creating a screen transition
Each type of screen transition has attributes that you can use to customize the visual effects of the screen transition. For example,
you can customize a sliding effect so that a screen slides from the bottom of the display on the device to the top of the display.
If you do not customize the screen transition, the application uses the default attributes. For more information on the default
attributes, see the API reference for the BlackBerry® Java® Development Environment.
After you create a screen transition, you must register it within your application by invoking
UiEngineInstance.setTransition() and specify the outgoing screen to remove and the incoming screen to reveal,
the events that cause the transition to occur, and the transition to display.
To download a sample application that demonstrates how to use screen transitions, visit www.blackberry.com/go/
screentransitionssample. For more information about screen transitions, see the API reference for the BlackBerry Java
Development Environment.
Note: The theme on the BlackBerry device controls the visual effects that display when a user opens an application. For more
information, see the BlackBerry Theme Studio User Guide.
Code sample: Creating a screen transition

The following code sample illustrates a slide transition and a fade transition. When the user opens the application, the first screen
appears on the BlackBerry® device and displays a button. When the user clicks the button, a second screen slides onto the display
from the right. The second screen automatically fades off of the display after two seconds.
import net.rim.device.api.ui.*;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.*;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.container.*;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.decor.*;
public class ScreenTransitionSample extends UiApplication implements

FieldChangeListener {
private Screen _secondaryScreen;
private Runnable _popRunnable;
public static void main(String[] args) {

ScreenTransitionSample theApp = new ScreenTransitionSample ();
theApp.enterEventDispatcher();
}
public ScreenTransitionSample () {
_secondaryScreen = new FullScreen();
_secondaryScreen.setBackground(
BackgroundFactory.createSolidBackground(Color.LIGHTBLUE) );
LabelField labelField = new LabelField("The screen closes automatically in

two seconds by using a fade transition");
_secondaryScreen.add(labelField);
TransitionContext transition = new

TransitionContext(TransitionContext.TRANSITION_SLIDE);
14
Development Guide Specifying the orientation and direction of the screen
transition.setIntAttribute(TransitionContext.ATTR_DURATION, 500);
transition.setIntAttribute(TransitionContext.ATTR_DIRECTION,
TransitionContext.DIRECTION_RIGHT);
transition.setIntAttribute(TransitionContext.ATTR_STYLE,
TransitionContext.STYLE_PUSH);
UiEngineInstance engine = Ui.getUiEngineInstance();

engine.setTransition(null, _secondaryScreen, UiEngineInstance.TRIGGER_PUSH,
transition);
transition = new TransitionContext(TransitionContext.TRANSITION_FADE);

transition.setIntAttribute(TransitionContext.ATTR_DURATION, 500);
transition.setIntAttribute(TransitionContext.ATTR_KIND,
TransitionContext.KIND_OUT);
engine.setTransition(_secondaryScreen, null, UiEngineInstance.TRIGGER_POP,
transition);
MainScreen baseScreen = new MainScreen();

baseScreen.setTitle("Screen Transition Sample");
ButtonField buttonField = new ButtonField("View Transition",

ButtonField.CONSUME_CLICK) ;
buttonField.setChangeListener(this);
baseScreen.add(buttonField);
pushScreen(baseScreen);
_popRunnable = new Runnable() {

public void run() {
popScreen(_secondaryScreen);
}
};
}
public void fieldChanged(Field field, int context)

{
pushScreen(_secondaryScreen);
invokeLater(_popRunnable, 2000, false);
}
}
Specifying the orientation and direction of the screen

In touch screen applications, you can take into account both the orientation and the direction of the screen. Orientation relates
to the screen's aspect ratio. Direction relates to the drawing area of the screen.
Orientation
15
The user of a BlackBerry® device with a touch screen can change the orientation of the screen by rotating the device. If a user
holds the BlackBerry device with the BlackBerry logo at the top, the screen is in portrait orientation. If the user rotates the device
90 degrees to the left or right, the screen is in landscape orientation.
You can use the net.rim.device.api.system.Display class to retrieve the orientation of the screen. The Display
class contains the constants that correspond to the orientations that the device with a touch screen can use to display information.
For example, the portrait, landscape, and square orientations correspond to the Display.ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT,
Display.ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE, and Display.ORIENTATION_SQUARE constants.
To retrieve the orientation of the screen, you can invoke the Display.getOrientation() method. This method returns an
integer that corresponds to one of the orientations that the BlackBerry device can use.
To detect orientation changes, you can override Screen.sublayout(). In that method, invoke super.sublayout() and
watch for changes in the width and height values.
Direction
A BlackBerry device with a touch screen can display information on the screen in different directions. Direction refers to the top
of the drawing area of the screen, which is relative to the location of the BlackBerry logo. The direction is north when the top of
the drawable area is the screen side closest to the BlackBerry logo; the direction is west when the top of the drawable area is to
the left of the BlackBerry logo; the direction is east when the top of the drawable area is to the right of the BlackBerry logo.
You can use the net.rim.device.api.system.Display class, the net.rim.device.api.ui.Ui class, and the
net.rim.device.api.ui.UiEngineInstance class to control the direction that the BlackBerry device uses to display
information on the screen. The Display class contains constants that correspond to the directions that the device can use to
display information. For example, the north, west, and east directions correspond to the Display.DIRECTION_NORTH,
Display.DIRECTION_WEST, and Display.DIRECTION_EAST constants.
You can create an object of the net.rim.device.api.ui.Ui class and invoke Ui.getUiEngineInstance() to
retrieve an object of the UiEngineInstance class. Invoking UiEngineInstance.setAcceptableDirections()
with one of the constants that correspond to directions from the Display class sets the direction that the BlackBerry device
can use to display information.
Code sample: Retrieving screen orientation

switch(Display.getOrientation())
{
case Display.ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE:
Dialog.alert("Screen orientation is landscape"); break;
case Display.ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT:
Dialog.alert("Screen orientation is portrait"); break;
case Display.ORIENTATION_SQUARE:
Dialog.alert("Screen orientation is square"); break;
default:
Dialog.alert("Screen orientation is not known"); break;
}
Code sample: Forcing portrait view in a BlackBerry API application
16
// Use code like this before invoking UiApplication.pushScreen()

int direction = Display.DIRECTION_NORTH;
Ui.getUiEngineInstance().setAcceptableDirections(direction);
Code sample: Forcing landscape view in a MIDlet application

// Use code like this before invoking Display.setCurrent() in the MIDlet constructor
DirectionControl dc =
(DirectionControl) ((Controllable) Display.getDisplay(this)).
getControl("net.rim.device.api.lcdui.control.DirectionControl");
int directions = DirectionControl.DIRECTION_EAST | DirectionControl.DIRECTION_WEST;
dc.setAcceptableScreenDirections(directions);
Retrieve the orientation of the touch screen

1. Import the net.rim.device.api.system.Display class.
2. Invoke net.rim.device.api.system.Display.getOrientation().
int orientation = Display.getOrientation();
Restrict the touch screen direction

• net.rim.device.api.ui.Ui
• net.rim.device.api.ui.UiEngineInstance
2. Invoke net.rim.device.api.ui.Ui.getUiEngineInstance().
UiEngineInstance _ue;
_ue = Ui.getUiEngineInstance();
3. Invoke net.rim.device.api.ui.UiEngineInstance.setAcceptableDirections(byte flags) and
pass the argument for the direction of the Screen.
_ue.setAcceptableDirections(Display.DIRECTION_WEST);
Receive notification when the size of the drawable area of the touch screen changes
• javax.microedition.lcdui.Canvas
• net.rim.device.api.ui.component.Dialog
2. Extend javax.microedition.lcdui.Canvas.
3. Override Canvas.sizeChanged(int, int).
17
protected void sizeChanged(int w, int h) {

Dialog.alert("The size of the Canvas has changed");
}
18
Development Guide Accelerometer
Accelerometer 4
A BlackBerry® device with a touch screen includes an accelerometer, which is designed to sense the orientation and acceleration
of the BlackBerry device. When a BlackBerry device user moves the BlackBerry device, the accelerometer can sense the movement
in 3-D space along the x, y, and z axis. A device user can change the orientation of the device which can change the display
direction of a screen for a BlackBerry device application between portrait and landscape.
You can use the Accelerometer APIs in the net.rim.device.api.system package to respond to the orientation and
acceleration of a BlackBerry device. For example, you can manipulate a game application to change the direction and speed of
a moving object on the screen as a user moves and rotates the BlackBerry device at different speeds.
To download a sample application that demonstrates how to use the accelerometer, visit www.blackberry.com/go/
accelerometersample. For more information about the sample application, visit www.blackberry.com/go/devguides to read the
Accelerometer Sample Application Overview.
Types of accelerometer data

A BlackBerry® device application can retrieve data from the accelerometer.
Data type Description

orientation The orientation of the BlackBerry device with respect to the ground.
acceleration The acceleration of the rotation of the BlackBerry device.
For more information about types of data from the accelerometer, see the API reference for the BlackBerry® Java® Development
Environment.
Retrieving accelerometer data

The accelerometer is designed to track the direction and speed of the movement along an x, y, and z axis when a BlackBerry®
device user moves the BlackBerry device. The x axis is parallel to the width of the BlackBerry device. The y axis is parallel to the
length of the BlackBerry device. The z axis is parallel to the depth (front to back) of the BlackBerry device. For more information
about the x, y, and z axes of the accelerometer, see the net.rim.device.api.system.AccelerometerSensor class
in the API reference for the BlackBerry® Java® Development Environment.
You can enable a BlackBerry device application to react to the acceleration of the BlackBerry device that includes an accelerometer.
For example, a BlackBerry device user could move the BlackBerry device to control the direction and speed of an object that
moves through a maze in a game application.
19
Development Guide Retrieve accelerometer data at specific intervals
You can use the Accelerometer APIs, in the net.rim.device.api.system package, to react to the acceleration of the
BlackBerry device. You must first determine whether the BlackBerry device supports an accelerometer by invoking
net.rim.device.api.system.AccelerometerSensor.isSupported(). If the method returns the value true,
the BlackBerry device supports an accelerometer.
You can use the AccelerometerData class to identify the direction the user moves the BlackBerry device. Invoking
AccelerometerData.getOrientation() returns one of the AccelerometerSensor class constants that
correspond to the direction of the BlackBerry device. For example, if AccelerometerData.getOrientation() returns
a value equal to AccelerometerSensor.ORIENTATION_LEFT_UP, the left side of the BlackBerry device is in an upward
direction.
You can use the AccelerometerSensor class to retrieve acceleration data from the BlackBerry device. Invoking
AccelerometerSensor.openRawDataChannel() returns an object of the
net.rim.device.api.system.AccelerometerSensor.Channel class. The
AccelerometerSensor.Channel class allows you to open a connection to the accelerometer. You can retrieve data from
the accelerometer by invoking AccelerometerSensor.Channel.getLastAccelerationData().
Maintaining a connection to the accelerometer uses power from the BlackBerry device battery. When the BlackBerry device
application no longer needs to retrieve data from the accelerometer, you should invoke
AccelerometerSensor.Channel.close() to close the connection.
Code sample: Retrieving data from the accelerometer

short[] xyz = new short[3];
while( running ) {
channel.getLastAccelerationData(xyz);
}
channel.close();
Retrieve accelerometer data at specific intervals

If a BlackBerry® device application opens a channel to the accelerometer when the application is in the foreground, when the
application is in the background, the channel pauses and the accelerometer is not queried. If a BlackBerry device application
invokes AccelerometerSensor.Channel. getLastAccelerationData(short[]) at close intervals or when the
BlackBerry device is not in motion, the method might return duplicate values.
• net.rim.device.api.system.AccelerometerSensor.Channel;
• net.rim.device.api.system.AccelerometerSensor;
2. Open a channel to the accelerometer. While a channel is open, the BlackBerry device application will query the accelerometer
for information.
Channel rawDataChannel = AccelerometerSensor.openRawDataChannel
( Application.getApplication() );
20
Development Guide Query the accelerometer when the application is in the foreground
3. Create an array to store the accelerometer data.

short[] xyz = new short[ 3 ];
4. Create a thread.
while( running ) {
5. Invoke Channel.getLastAccelerationData(short[]) to retrieve data from the accelerometer.
rawDataChannel.getLastAccelerationData( xyz );
6. Invoke Thread.sleep() to specify the interval between queries to the accelerometer, in milliseconds.
Thread.sleep( 500 );
7. Invoke Channel.close() to close the channel to the accelerometer.
rawDataChannel.close();
Query the accelerometer when the application is in the foreground

• net.rim.device.api.system.AccelerometerChannelConfig
• net.rim.device.api.system.AccelerometerSensor.Channel
2. Open a channel to retrieve acceleration data from the accelerometer.
Channel channel = AccelerometerSensor.openRawAccelerationChannel
( Application.getApplication());
while( running ) {
channel.getLastAccelerationData( xyz );
}
channel.close();
Query the accelerometer when the application is in the background

• net.rim.device.api.system.AccelerometerChannelConfig;
2. Create a configuration for a channel to the accelerometer.
21
Development Guide Store accelerometer readings in a buffer
AccelerometerChannelConfig channelConfig = new AccelerometerChannelConfig

( AccelerometerChannelConfig.TYPE_RAW );
3. Invoke AccelerometerChannelConfig.setBackgroundMode(Boolean), to specify support for an application
that is in the background.
channelConfig.setBackgroundMode( true );
4. Invoke AccelerometerSensor.openChannel(), to open a background channel to the accelerometer.
Channel channel = AccelerometerSensor.openChannel( Application.getApplication(),
channelConfig );
while( running ) {
channel.getLastAccelerationData( xyz );
}
channel.close();
Store accelerometer readings in a buffer

• net.rim.device.api.system.AccelerometerChannelConfig;
2. Create a configuration for a channel to the accelerometer.
AccelerometerChannelConfig channelConfig = new AccelerometerChannelConfig
( AccelerometerChannelConfig.TYPE_RAW );
3. Invoke AccelerometerChannelConfig.setSamplesCount(), to specify the number of acceleration readings to
store in the buffer. Each element in the buffer contains acceleration readings for the x, y, and z axes and data on when the
reading took place.
channelConfig.setSamplesCount( 500 );
4. Invoke AccelerometerSensor.openChannel() to open a channel to the accelerometer.
Channel bufferedChannel = AccelerometerSensor.openChannel
( Application.getApplication(), channelConfig );
22
Development Guide Retrieve accelerometer readings from a buffer
Retrieve accelerometer readings from a buffer

• net.rim.device.api.system.AccelerometerData;
2. Query the buffer for accelerometer data.
AccelerometerData accData = bufferedChannel.getAccelerometerData();
3. Invoke AccelerometerData.getNewBatchLength(), to get the number of readings retrieved since the last query.
int newBatchSize = accData.getNewBatchLength();
4. Invoke AccelerometerData.getXAccHistory(), AccelerometerData.getYAccHistory(), and
AccelerometerData.getZAccHistory() to retrieve accelerometer data from the buffer for each axis.
short[] xAccel = accData.getXAccHistory();
short[] yAccel = accData.getYAccHistory();
short[] zAccel = accData.getZAccHistory();
Get the time a reading was taken from the accelerometer

1. Import the net.rim.device.api.system.AccelerometerData class.
2. Query the buffer for accelerometer data.
AccelerometerData accData;
accData = bufferedChannel.getAccelerometerData();
3. Invoke AccelerometerData.getSampleTsHistory().
long[] queryTimestamps = accData.getSampleTsHistory();
23
Development Guide Events
Events 5
Respond to navigation events

You can use the Screen navigation methods to create a BlackBerry® device application. If your existing BlackBerry device
application implements the TrackwheelListener interface, update your BlackBerry device application to use the
Screen navigation methods.
1. Import the net.rim.device.api.ui.Screen class.
2. Manage navigation events by extending the net.rim.device.api.ui.Screen class (or one of its subclasses) and
overriding the following navigation methods:
navigationClick(int status, int time)
navigationUnclick(int status, int time)
navigationMovement(int dx, int dy, int status, int time)
Determine the type of input method

1. Import one or more of the following classes:
• net.rim.device.api.ui.Screen
• net.rim.device.api.ui.Field
2. Import the net.rim.device.api.system.KeypadListener interface.
3. Implement the net.rim.device.api.system.KeypadListener interface.
4. Extend the Screen class, the Field class, or both.
5. In your implementation of one of the navigationClick, navigationUnclick, or navigationMovement
methods, perform a bitwise AND operation on the status parameter to yield more information about the event. Implement
the navigationClick(int status, int time) method to determine if the trackwheel or a four way navigation
input device (for example, a trackball) triggers an event.
public boolean navigationClick(int status, int time) {
if ((status & KeypadListener.STATUS_TRACKWHEEL) ==
KeypadListener.STATUS_TRACKWHEEL) {
//Input came from the trackwheel
} else if ((status & KeypadListener.STATUS_FOUR_WAY) ==
KeypadListener.STATUS_FOUR_WAY) {
//Input came from a four way navigation input device
}
return super.navigationClick(status, time);
}
For more information about status modifiers for the net.rim.device.api.system.KeypadListener class, see
the API reference for the BlackBerry® Java® Development Environment.
24
Development Guide Touch screen interaction models
Touch screen interaction models

BlackBerry® devices with a touch screen and a trackpad use a forceless click interaction model, where a BlackBerry device user
taps the screen or uses the trackpad to perform an action. This model differs from BlackBerry devices with a SurePress™ touch
screen, where the user clicks (or presses) the screen to perform an action.
On both types of devices, when the user touches the screen, a TouchEvent.DOWN event occurs.
On devices with a SurePress touch screen, when the user applies pressure and clicks the screen, a TouchEvent.CLICK event
occurs. When the pressure is lessened, a TouchEvent.UNCLICK event occurs. Typically, actions (such as invoking an action
based on a button) occur on the TouchEvent.UNCLICK event. When the user releases the screen completely, a
TouchEvent.UP event occurs.
On devices with a touch screen that supports forceless clicks, there is no physical clicking and unclicking. Instead, actions are
expected to occur when the user taps the screen. A tap is a TouchEvent.DOWN event followed quickly by a
TouchEvent.UP event. This combination of touch events is referred to as a gesture, and therefore a TouchGesture occurs.
In the case of a tap, a TouchGesture.TAP event occurs (along with the TouchEvent.DOWN and TouchEvent.UP event).
For greater compatibility between the two types of touch screen interaction models, on devices that support forceless clicks, the
TouchEvent.CLICK event and TouchEvent.UNCLICK event occur after the TouchGesture.TAP event, so you can
invoke an action on the TouchEvent.UNCLICK event on all touch screen devices, whether the device has a SurePress touch
screen or not.
User action Devices that support a forceless click Devices with a SurePress touch screen
Touch the screen. TouchEvent.DOWN TouchEvent.DOWN
Touch and hold a finger on TouchGesture.HOVER TouchGesture.HOVER
an item.
Click the screen. — TouchEvent.CLICK
Click and hold the screen. — TouchEvent.CLICK_REPEAT
Release the screen. — TouchEvent.UNCLICK
Remove a finger from the TouchEvent.UP TouchEvent.UP
screen.
Tap the screen. TouchEvent.DOWN TouchEvent.DOWN
TouchGesture.TAP TouchGesture.TAP
TouchEvent.CLICK TouchEvent.UP
TouchEvent.UNCLICK
25
Development Guide Responding to touch screen events
User action Devices that support a forceless click Devices with a SurePress touch screen
TouchEvent.UP
You can determine whether a device with a touch screen supports forceless clicks by invoking
DeviceCapability.isTouchClickSupported(). If the device supports forceless clicks, the method returns false.
If the device has a SurePress touch screen, the method returns true.
Responding to touch screen events

BlackBerry® device users can perform the same actions on a device with a touch screen as they can on a BlackBerry device with
a trackball. For example, BlackBerry device users can use the touch screen to open a menu, scroll through a list of options, and
select an option.
If you use a version of the BlackBerry® Java® Development Environment earlier than version 4.7 to create a BlackBerry device
application, you can alter the .jad file of the application to enable the application to respond when a BlackBerry device user
touches the touch screen. In the .jad file, you would set the RIM-TouchCompatibilityMode option to false.
If you use BlackBerry JDE version 4.7 or later to create a BlackBerry device application, you can enable the application to identify
the action the BlackBerry device user performs on the touch screen by extending the net.rim.device.api.ui.Screen
class, the net.rim.device.api.ui.Field class, or one of the subclasses of the Field class and overriding the
touchEvent() method. Within the touchEvent() method, compare the value that TouchEvent.getEvent() returns
to the constants from the net.rim.device.api.ui.TouchEvent class and the
net.rim.device.api.ui.TouchGesture class.
The TouchEvent class contains the constants that represent the different actions that a user can perform on the touch screen.
For example, the click, touch, and move actions correspond to the TouchEvent.CLICK, TouchEvent.DOWN, and
TouchEvent.MOVE constants.
The TouchGesture class contains the constants that represent the different gestures that a user can perform on a touch
screen. For example, the tap and swipe gestures correspond to the TouchGesture.TAP and TouchGesture.SWIPE
constants.
Code sample: Identifying the action a user performs on the touch screen
The following code sample uses a switch statement to identify the action.
protected boolean touchEvent(TouchEvent message) {
switch(message.getEvent()) {
case TouchEvent.CLICK:
Dialog.alert("A click action occurred");
return true;
case TouchEvent.DOWN:
Dialog.alert("A down action occurred");
26
return true;
case TouchEvent.MOVE:
Dialog.alert("A move action occurred");
return true;
}
return false;
}
Respond to system events while the user touches the screen

• net.rim.device.api.ui.TouchEvent
• net.rim.device.api.ui.Manager
2. Create a class that extends the Manager class, the Screen class, the Field class, or one of the Field subclasses.
public class newButtonField extends ButtonField {
3. In your implementation of the touchEvent(TouchEvent message) method, invoke TouchEvent.getEvent().
4. Check if the value that TouchEvent.getEvent() returns is equal to TouchEvent.CANCEL.
case TouchEvent.CANCEL:
Dialog.alert("System event occurred while processing touch events");
return true;
}
return false;
}
Respond to a user sliding a finger up quickly on the screen

• net.rim.device.api.ui.TouchGesture
27

4. Check if the value that TouchGesture.getSwipeDirection() returns is equal to
TouchGesture.SWIPE_NORTH.
case TouchEvent.GESTURE:
TouchGesture gesture = message.getGesture();
switch(gesture.getEvent()) {
case TouchGesture.SWIPE:
if(gesture.getSwipeDirection() == TouchGesture.SWIPE_NORTH) {
Dialog.alert("Upward swipe occurred");
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
}
Respond to a user sliding a finger down quickly on the screen

4. Check if the value that TouchGesture.getSwipeDirection() returns is equal to
TouchGesture.SWIPE_SOUTH.
if(gesture.getSwipeDirection() == TouchGesture.SWIPE_SOUTH) {
Dialog.alert("Downward swipe occurred");
return true;
28
}
}
return false;
}
}
Respond to a user sliding a finger to the left quickly on the screen

4. Check if the value that TouchGesture.getSwipeDirection() returns is equal to TouchGesture.SWIPE_EAST.
if(gesture.getSwipeDirection() == TouchGesture.SWIPE_EAST) {
Dialog.alert("Eastward swipe occurred");
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
}
Respond to a user sliding a finger to the right quickly on the screen

29
4. Check if the value that TouchGesture.getSwipeDirection() returns is equal to TouchGesture.SWIPE_WEST.
if(gesture.getSwipeDirection() == TouchGesture.SWIPE_WEST) {
Dialog.alert("Westward swipe occurred");
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
}
Respond to a user clicking the screen

4. Check if the value that TouchEvent.getEvent() returns is equal to TouchEvent.CLICK.
case TouchEvent.CLICK:
Dialog.alert("CLICK occurred");
return true;
}
return false;
}
30
Respond to a user touching the screen twice quickly

3. In your implementation of the touchEvent(TouchEvent message) method, check for the occurrence of a
TouchGesture.TAP event and that TouchGesture.getTapCount returns 2.
case TouchGesture.TAP:
if(gesture.getTapCount() == 2) {
Dialog.alert("Double tap occurred");
return true;
}
}
}
return false;
}
Respond to a user touching and dragging an item on the screen

31
4. Check if the value that TouchEvent.getEvent() returns is equal to TouchEvent.MOVE.

Dialog.alert("Move event occurred");
return true;
}
return false;
}
Respond to a user touching the screen lightly

4. Check if the value that TouchEvent.getEvent() returns is equal to TouchEvent.DOWN.
case TouchEvent.DOWN:
Dialog.alert("Touch occurred");
return true;
}
return false;
}
Respond to a scroll action

32
Development Guide
2. Create a class that extends the Manager class.

public class newManager extends Manager {
3. In your implementation of the touchEvent(TouchEvent message) method, check if the value
TouchEvent.getEvent() returns is equal to TouchEvent.MOVE.
return true;
}
return false;
}
Respond to a user touching the screen in two locations at the same time
3. In your implementation of the touchEvent(TouchEvent message) method, check if the following method invocations
return values greater than zero: TouchEvent.getX(1), TouchEvent.getY(1), TouchEvent.getX(2),
TouchEvent.getY(2).
if(message.getX(1) > 0 && message.getY(1) > 0) {
Dialog.alert("First finger touched/moved");
}
if(message.getX(2) > 0 && message.getY(2) > 0) {
Dialog.alert("Second finger touched/moved");
}
return true;
}
return false;
}
33
Development Guide Pinch gestures
Pinch gestures
BlackBerry® devices with a touch screen support pinch gestures. Pinch gestures typically zoom in and out of an object on the
screen.
A pinch begins when two touch points are detected on the touch screen. A pinch’s focal point is defined as the midpoint between
the two initial touch points.
• When two touch points are detected, a TouchGesture.PINCH_BEGIN event occurs. The coordinate points of the focal
point of the pinch gesture are stored as TouchEvent.getX(1) and TouchEvent.getY(1). You can access the initial
zoom value by invoking TouchGesture.getPinchMagnitude().
• As the user moves one or both touch points, a series of TouchGesture.PINCH_UPDATE events occur. You can access
the zoom values during the pinch by invoking TouchGesture.getPinchMagnitude().
• When the user completes the gesture, a TouchGesture.PINCH_END event occurs. You can access the final zoom value
by invoking TouchGesture.getPinchMagnitude().
Code sample: Retrieving information about a pinch gesture

This sample demonstrates how to handle a pinch gesture in a screen's touchEvent() method.
protected boolean touchEvent(TouchEvent message)
{
switch(message.getEvent())
{
switch(gesture.getEvent())
{
case TouchGesture.PINCH_END:
Dialog.alert("Focal point: " + message.getX(1)
+ ", " + message.getY(1)
+ "\nFinal zoom value: " + gesture.getPinchMagnitude());
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
Enable pinch gestures

By default, pinch gestures are not enabled on a screen in a BlackBerry® device application. You must set a screen property to
enable the generation of pinch gestures on a screen.
1. Import the required classes and interfaces.
34
Development Guide Swipe gestures with trackpads
import net.rim.device.api.ui.input.*;
2. In your screen object, create an InputSettings object to populate with touch screen properties.
InputSettings ts = TouchscreenSettings.createEmptySet();
3. Set the TouchscreenSettings.DETECT_PINCH property to 1.
ts.set(TouchscreenSettings.DETECT_PINCH, 1);
4. Invoke Screen.addInputSettings() to add the input settings to the screen.
addInputSettings(ts);
You can change the value of the TouchscreenSettings.DETECT_PINCH property at any time, not just when you create
the screen.
Code sample
This sample demonstrates how to enable pinch gestures in a screen's constructor.
public MyScreen()
{
setTitle("Sample Screen");
InputSettings ts = TouchscreenSettings.createEmptySet();
ts.set(TouchscreenSettings.DETECT_PINCH, 1);
addInputSettings(ts);
...
}
Swipe gestures with trackpads

Similar to BlackBerry® devices with a touch screen, devices with a trackpad support swipe gestures that BlackBerry device users
make on the trackpad.
A TouchEvent object with the event type TouchGesture.NAVIGATION_SWIPE is generated when the user swipes across
the trackpad. You can retrieve information about the trackpad swipe by using the following methods:
• TouchGesture.getSwipeAngle()
• TouchGesture.getSwipeDirection()
• TouchGesture.getSwipeContentAngle()
• TouchGesture.getSwipeContentDirection()
• TouchGesture.getSwipeMagnitude()
35
Development Guide Swipe gestures with trackpads
Code sample: Retrieving information about a trackpad swipe

This sample demonstrates how to handle a trackpad swipe in a screen's touchEvent() method.
protected boolean touchEvent(TouchEvent message)
{
switch(message.getEvent())
{
switch(gesture.getEvent())
{
case TouchGesture.NAVIGATION_SWIPE:
Dialog.alert("Swipe direction: " + gesture.getSwipeDirection()
+ ", "
+ "\nMagnitude: " + gesture.getSwipeMagnitude());
return true;
}
}
return false;
}
Enable swipe gestures that users make on the trackpad

By default, swipe gestures that BlackBerry® device users make on the trackpad are not enabled on a screen. You must set a
navigation property to enable the generation of trackpad swipe gestures on a screen.
import net.rim.device.api.ui.input.*;
2. In your screen object, create an InputSettings object to populate with navigation properties.
InputSettings nd = NavigationDeviceSettings.createEmptySet();
3. Set the NavigationDeviceSettings.DETECT_SWIPE property to 1.
nd.set(NavigationDeviceSettings.DETECT_SWIPE, 1);
4. Invoke Screen.addInputSettings() to add the input settings to the screen.
addInputSettings(nd);
You can change the value of the NavigationDeviceSettings.DETECT_SWIPE property at any time, not just when you
create the screen.
Code sample
36
Development Guide Event injection
This sample demonstrates how to enable trackpad swipe gestures in a screen's constructor.
public MyScreen()
{
setTitle("Sample Screen");
InputSettings nd = NavigationDeviceSettings.createEmptySet();
nd.set(NavigationDeviceSettings.DETECT_SWIPE, 1);
addInputSettings(nd);
...
}
Event injection
You can generate UI events programmatically by using the EventInjector class and its inner classes. On BlackBerry® devices
that run BlackBerry® Device Software version 5.0 or later and have touch screens, you can inject touch events such as swipes
and taps. You can use one of the EventInjector inner classes to model an event and you can use the invokeEvent()
method to inject the event. The event is sent to the application that is currently selected and ready to accept input.
You can use event injection to automate testing. You can also use event injection to provide a way for peripherals to interact
with a BlackBerry device. You can also use it in accessible applications such as speech-to-text converters. For a sample application
that demonstrates event injection, visit www.blackberry.com/go/toucheventinjectorsampleapp to download the Touch Event
Injector sample application. For more information about the sample application, visit www.blackberry.com/go/docs/
developers to read the Touch Event Injector Sample Application Overview.
37
Development Guide Command Framework API
Command Framework API 6

You can use the Command Framework API in the net.rim.device.api.command package to define functionality that you
can use in different locations in your application or in other applications on the BlackBerry® device.
The Command Framework API contains command handlers, command metadata, and commands.
Component Description
Command handler You use the CommandHandler class to define functionality that you want to make
available in your application or in other applications on the device. You create a class that
extends the abstract CommandHandler class and define the functionality in the class's
execute() method. That functionality is called a command.
Command metadata You use the CommandMetadata class to define metadata that describes a command.
Each command's metadata is encapsulated in a CommandMetadata object. The only
required piece of metadata for a command is the command's ID, which is provided when
the CommandMetadata object is constructed and is stored in the object's
COMMAND_ID field.
CommandMetadata provides other fields for you to use to describe the command, such
as RESOURCE_BUNDLE_NAME, to which you can assign the name of the resource bundle
that is used by the command. You can also define metadata items that are specific to a
particular command.
Command You use the Command class to execute a command. You can think of a Command instance
as a proxy to an instance of a class that extends CommandHandler. When
Command.execute() is invoked, the call is delegated to the associated
CommandHandler instance, passing the current context and transparently passing a
read-only version of the associated command metadata for execution.
The Command Framework API provides two registries that you can use to store your commands:
• You can use the local registry to store commands for use in your application by using the
LocalCommandRegistrarConnection class.
• You can use the global registry to store commands for use in other applications on the device by using the
RemoteCommandRegistrarConnection class.
The Command Framework Demo and Command Framework Demo Remote App sample applications are included in the
BlackBerry® Java® SDK. These sample applications demonstrate how to define and use commands in a single application and
how to define commands in one application and use them in other applications.
38
Development Guide Use a command with one UI component
Use a command with one UI component

You can define a command for use with one UI component in your BlackBerry® device application. Using this approach, you
don't need to define metadata for the command. The core UI components for BlackBerry device applications that support
commands include menu items, buttons, pop-up menu items, and toolbars.
import net.rim.device.api.command.*;
2. Create a command handler by creating a class that extends the abstract CommandHandler class. In execute(), define
the functionality that you want to associate with the UI component. To specify whether a command is executable for a given
context object, you can implement a canExecute() method in your command handler. If you don't implement
canExecute(), your command is always executable.
// this command is always executable
class DialogCommandHandler extends CommandHandler
{
public void execute(ReadOnlyCommandMetadata metadata, Object context)
{
Dialog.alert("Executing command for " + context.toString());
}
}
3. Create the UI component.
MenuItem myItem = new MenuItem(new StringProvider("My Menu Item"),
0x230000, 0);
4. For a menu item or button, you can optionally set the context for the command using the UI component's
setCommandContext() method. For some commands, a context might be needed to determine what the command
should do. If you don't set a context, the menu item object or button object is the context.
myItem.setCommandContext(new Object()
{
public String toString()
{
return "My MenuItem Object";
}
});
5. Invoke setCommand() to specify the command for the UI component and provide the command handler as the method's
argument.
myItem.setCommand(new Command(new DialogCommandHandler()));
6. Add the component to your screen.
39
Development Guide Use a command in one or more applications
addMenuItem(myItem);
The command is executed when a BlackBerry device user performs an action on the UI component (for example, when the user
clicks a menu item).
Code samples
For examples of this approach to defining and using commands, see the API reference for MenuItem and ButtonField.
Use a command in one or more applications

You can store a command in a local registry for use in your application or store a command in a global registry for use in any
application on the BlackBerry® device.
import net.rim.device.api.command.registrar.*;
2. Create a command handler by creating a class that extends the abstract CommandHandler class. In execute(), define
the functionality that you want to make available. To specify whether a command is executable for a given context object,
you can optionally implement canExecute() in your command handler. If you don't implement canExecute(), your
command is always executable.
private static class ViewContactCommand extends CommandHandler
{
{
// Invoke the Contacts application to view a contact here
}
public boolean canExecute(ReadOnlyCommandMetadata metadata, Object context)

{
// Return true if the command can be executed
// with the passed-in context object.
}
}
3. Define the command's metadata.
String id = "com.example.contacts.view.emailaddr";
CommandMetadata metadata = new CommandMeta(id);

4. If applications that use the command must create instances of the command, store the command's class name in the
metadata.
40
metadata.setClassname(ViewContactCommand.class.getName());
Note: Applications can create instances of third-party commands dynamically only if the commands are stored in the local
registry.
5. Optionally, define command categories and context categories for the command. Applications that use the command use
the categories to find commands in a registry and to determine whether a command is executable.
Category type Description

Command Specifies a type of categorization you want for your command. Applications that use commands
can query a registry for commands in specified categories.
Context Specifies the contexts that are appropriate for your command to execute within. You can use
this category to tell applications that use the command what kinds of context objects can be
passed to CommandHandler.Execute().
String[] myCommandCategories = {"app.contacts", "action.view"};

metadata.setCommandCategories(new CategoryCollection(myCommandCategories));
String[] myContextCategories = {emailaddr};

metadata.setContextCategories(new CategoryCollection(myContextCategories));
6. Register the command.
a. If you want your command to be available only in your application, use a
LocalCommandRegistrarConnection object. The local registry is available only in the current process.
LocalCommandRegistrarConnection connection =
new LocalCommandRegistrarConnection();
connection.registerCommand(new ViewContactCommand(), metadata);
Note: For applications to create instances of the command dynamically, you must register the command only with
the metadata by invoking registerCommand(CommandMetadata)). Otherwise, the registered
CommandHandler is used.
b. If you want your command to be available in any application, use a RemoteCommandRegistrarConnection
object. The global registry is available to all processes that are running on the device.
RemoteCommandRegistrarConnection connection =
new RemoteCommandRegistrarConnection();
connection.registerCommand(new ViewContactCommand(), metadata);
7. From another location in your application (for local commands) or from any application on the device (for global commands),
retrieve and use the command.
a. Create a CommandRequest object and populate it with information about the command that you want to retrieve
from the registry.
41
CommandRequest request = new CommandRequest();
String[] myCommandCategories = {"app.contacts", "action.view"};

request.setCommandCategories(new CategoryCollection(myCommandCategories));
...
b. Retrieve the command from the registry.
// using the local registry
LocalCommandRegistrarConnection connection =
new LocalCommandRegistrarConnection();
Command command = connection.getCommand(request);
// using the global registry

RemoteCommandRegistrarConnection connection =
new RemoteCommandRegistrarConnection();
Command command = connection.getCommand(request);
c. Use the command. The following example executes the command, depending on the context.
command.execute(context); // context is the context object
Code samples
Two sample applications that use the Command Framework API are included in the BlackBerry® Java® SDK:
• Command Framework Demo Remote App demonstrates how to create a command and store it in the global registry for use
in other applications.
• Command Framework Demo demonstrates how to create commands, store them in the local registry, and add them as menu
items in the pop-up menus for the fields, depending on the content of the fields. This sample application also executes a
command that is stored in the global registry by Command Framework Demo Remote App.
42
Development Guide Arranging UI components
Arranging UI components 7
You can arrange the UI components on an application screen by using BlackBerry® API layout managers. The following classes
extend the Manager class that is provided in the net.rim.device.apu.ui package and provide predefined layouts for
the UI components on your application's screen.
Layout manager Description

FlowFieldManager This layout manager arranges UI components vertically and then horizontally
depending on the size of the screen. The first UI component is positioned in the
upper-left corner of the screen and subsequent components are placed horizontally
to the right of the first component until the width of the screen is reached. Once
UI components can no longer fit on the first row, the next UI component is placed
below the first row of components on a row that has a height that is equal to the
tallest component of the row above it. You can apply vertical style bits (for example,
Field.FIELD_TOP, Field.FIELD_BOTTOM, or Field.FIELD_VCENTER)
to align UI components vertically within their row.
HorizontalFieldManager This layout manager arranges UI components in a single horizontal row starting at
the left side of the screen and ending at the right side of the screen. Because this
layout manager arranges UI components horizontally, you cannot apply horizontal
style bits to UI components (for example, Field.FIELD_LEFT,
Field.FIELD_HCENTER, or Field.FIELD_RIGHT). You can apply vertical
style bits (for example, Field.FIELD_TOP, Field.FIELD_BOTTOM, or
Field.FIELD_VCENTER).
If the UI components do not fit the available width of the screen, you should use
the Manager.HORIZONTAL_SCROLL style bit to enable horizontal scrolling.
Otherwise, the screen displays as many UI components as possible within the
available screen width, and the rest are not shown. The UI components exist but
are not visible. This situation can create unexpected scrolling behavior for your
users.
VerticalFieldManager This layout manager arranges UI components in a single vertical column starting
at the top of the screen and ending at the bottom of the screen. Because this layout
manager is designed to arrange items vertically, you cannot apply vertical style bits
to UI components (for example, Field.FIELD_TOP,
43
Development Guide Arrange UI components
Layout manager Description

Field.FIELD_BOTTOM, or Field.FIELD_VCENTER). You can apply
horizontal style bits (for example, Field.FIELD_LEFT,
Field.FIELD_HCENTER, or Field.FIELD_RIGHT).
You can use additional layout managers to arrange UI components in your application. For example, you can use the
GridFieldManager layout manager to position UI components in rows and columns on a screen to create a grid. You can
use the EyelidFieldManager layout manager to display UI components on a pair of managers that appear at the top and
bottom of the screen temporarily.
Arrange UI components
net.rim.device.api.ui.container.HorizontalFieldManager;
net.rim.device.api.ui.component.ButtonField;
2. Create an instance of a HorizontalFieldManager.
HorizontalFieldManager _fieldManagerBottom = new HorizontalFieldManager();
3. Invoke add() to add the HorizontalFieldManager to a screen.
myScreen.add(_fieldManagerBottom);
4. Create an instance of a ButtonField.
ButtonField mySubmitButton = new ButtonField("Submit");
5. Add the ButtonField to the HorizontalFieldManager.
_fieldManagerBottom.add(mySubmitButton);
Creating a grid layout

Note: For information on creating a grid layout in the BlackBerry® Java® Development Environment before version 5.0, visit
http://www.blackberry.com/knowledgecenterpublic to read DB-00783.
You can position fields in rows and columns on a screen to create a grid by using the GridFieldManager class. When you
create a grid, you can specify the number of rows and columns. After you create a grid, you cannot change the number of rows
and columns that it contains.
Grids are zero-indexed, so the first cell is located at row 0, column 0. In a locale with a left-to-right text direction, the first cell
is in the upper-left corner of the grid.
44
Development Guide Creating a grid layout
In a locale with a right-to-left text direction, the first cell is in the upper-right corner of the grid.
You can add fields to a grid sequentially (left-to right, top-to-bottom in locales with a left-to-right text direction; right-to-left,
top-to-bottom in locales with a right-to-left text direction) or by specifying a row and column in the grid. You can delete fields,
insert fields, specify the spacing between columns and rows, and retrieve a grid's properties.
Grids do not have defined heading rows or heading columns. You can emulate the appearance of headings by changing the
appearance of the fields in the grid's first row or first column.
Grids can scroll horizontally or vertically if the grid's width or height exceeds the screen's visible area.
You can specify column width by invoking GridFieldManager.setColumnProperty(), and you can specify row height
by invoking GridFieldManager.setRowProperty(). When you invoke these methods, you must specify a
GridFieldManager property.
Property Description
FIXED_SIZE width or height is a fixed size in pixels
PREFERRED_SIZE width or height is a preferred size based on the maximum preferred size
of the fields in the column or row (PREFERRED_SIZE is the default
property)
PREFERRED_SIZE_WITH_MAXIMUM width or height is a preferred size up to a maximum size
AUTO_SIZE width or height is based on available screen space
45
Create a grid layout

2. Create the application framework by extending the UiApplication class. In main(), create an instance of the new
class and invoke enterEventDispatcher() to enable the application to receive events. In the application constructor,
invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. In the sample, the GridScreen class, described
in step 3, represents the custom screen.
class GridFieldManagerDemo extends UiApplication
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
GridFieldManagerDemo theApp = new GridFieldManagerDemo();
}
GridFieldManagerDemo()
{
pushScreen(new GridScreen());
}
}
3. Create the framework for the custom screen by extending the MainScreen class.
class GridScreen extends MainScreen
{
public GridScreen()
{
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, invoke setTitle() to set the text that you want to appear in the title section of the screen.
setTitle("GridFieldManager Demo");
5. In the screen constructor, create an instance of the GridFieldManager class. Specify the number of rows, the number
of columns, and the style of the grid (using a style inherited from net.rim.device.api.ui.Manager). Specify 0 for
the style to use the default style.
GridFieldManager grid;
grid = new GridFieldManager(2,3,0);
6. In the screen constructor, invoke GridFieldManager.add() to add fields to the grid.
46
grid.add(new LabelField("one"));
grid.add(new LabelField("two"));
grid.add(new LabelField("three"));
grid.add(new LabelField("four"));
grid.add(new LabelField("five"));
7. In the screen constructor, invoke the GridFieldManager set() methods to specify the properties of the grid.
grid.setColumnPadding(20);
grid.setRowPadding(20);
8. In the screen constructor, invoke Screen.add() to add the grid to the screen.
add(grid);
After you finish:

You can change the grid after you create it. For example, you can add fields, delete fields, or change the grid's properties.
Code sample: Creating a grid layout

/*
* GridFieldManagerDemo.java
*
* Research In Motion Limited proprietary and confidential
* Copyright Research In Motion Limited, 2009
*/
public class GridFieldManagerDemo extends UiApplication

{
{
GridFieldManagerDemo theApp = new GridFieldManagerDemo();
}
GridFieldManagerDemo()
{
pushScreen(new GridScreen());
}
}
class GridScreen extends MainScreen

{
public GridScreen()
{
setTitle("GridFieldManager Demo");
47
Development Guide Displaying fields on a temporary pair of managers
GridFieldManager grid = new GridFieldManager(2,3,0);
grid.add(new LabelField("one"));
grid.add(new LabelField("two"));
grid.add(new LabelField("three"));
grid.add(new LabelField("four"));
grid.add(new LabelField("five"));
grid.setColumnPadding(20);
grid.setRowPadding(20);
add(grid);
// The grid looks like this:
// | one | two | three

// | four | five |
// insert a cell first row, second column

grid.insert(new LabelField("insert"), 0, 1);
// The grid now looks like this:
// | one | insert | two

// | three | four | five
// delete a cell second row, second column

grid.delete(1,1);

// | three | | five
// Add field to first unoccupied cell

grid.add(new LabelField("new"));

// | three | new | five
}
}
Displaying fields on a temporary pair of managers

You can use the EyelidFieldManager class to display fields on a pair of managers that appear on the top and bottom of
the screen temporarily.
48
By default, the fields appear when the BlackBerry® device user moves the trackball or, for a device with a touch screen, when a
touch event occurs. The fields disappear after a period of inactivity (1.2 seconds by default). You can override these default
properties.
There is no limit to the number and size of the fields. If the managers contain more fields than can fit on the screen, the top and
bottom managers overlap with the top manager in the foreground.
Display a ButtonField and a LabelField temporarily on the top and bottom of the screen
import net.rim.device.api.system.*;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.extension.container.*;
invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The EyelidFieldManagerDemoScreen
class, described in step 3, represents the custom screen.
public class EyelidFieldManagerDemo extends UiApplication
{
{
EyelidFieldManagerDemo app = new EyelidFieldManagerDemo();
app.enterEventDispatcher();
}
public EyelidFieldManagerDemo()
{
pushScreen(new EyelidFieldManagerDemoScreen());
}
}
class EyelidFieldManagerDemoScreen extends MainScreen {
{
public EyelidFieldManagerDemoScreen()
{
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, invoke setTitle() to specify the text that appears in the title section of the screen.
setTitle("EyelidFieldManager Demo");
5. In the screen constructor, create an instance of the EyelidFieldManager class.
49
EyelidFieldManager manager = new EyelidFieldManager();

6. In the screen constructor, invoke EyelidFieldManager.addTop() to add a LabelField object to the top manager
of the EyelidFieldManager.
manager.addTop(new LabelField("Hello World"));
7. In the screen constructor, create a HorizontalFieldManager object. Invoke HorizontalFieldManager.add
() to add buttons to the HorizontalFieldManager. Invoke EyelidFieldManager.addBottom() to add the
HorizontalFieldManager to the bottom manager of the EyelidFieldManager.
HorizontalFieldManager buttonPanel = new HorizontalFieldManager
(Field.FIELD_HCENTER | Field.USE_ALL_WIDTH);
buttonPanel.add(new SimpleButton("Button 1"));

buttonPanel.add(new SimpleButton("Button 2"));
manager.addBottom(buttonPanel);
8. In the screen constructor, invoke EyelidFieldManager.setEyelidDisplayTime() to specify, in milliseconds,
the period of inactivity that must elapse before the pair of managers disappear.
manager.setEyelidDisplayTime(3000);
9. In the screen constructor, invoke add() to add the EyelidFieldManager to the screen.
add(manager);
Code sample: Displaying a ButtonField and a LabelField temporarily on the top and bottom of the screen
public class EyelidFieldManagerDemo extends UiApplication

{
{
EyelidFieldManagerDemo app = new EyelidFieldManagerDemo();
}
public EyelidFieldManagerDemo()
{
pushScreen(new EyelidFieldManagerDemoScreen());
}
}
class EyelidFieldManagerDemoScreen extends MainScreen

{
50
Development Guide Displaying a field at an absolute position on a screen
public EyelidFieldManagerDemoScreen()
{
setTitle("EyelidFieldManager Demo");
EyelidFieldManager manager = new EyelidFieldManager();
manager.addTop(new LabelField("Hello World"));
HorizontalFieldManager buttonPanel = new HorizontalFieldManager

(Field.FIELD_HCENTER | Field.USE_ALL_WIDTH);
buttonPanel.add(new ButtonField("Button 1"));

buttonPanel.add(new ButtonField("Button 2"));
manager.addBottom(buttonPanel);
manager.setEyelidDisplayTime(3000);
add(manager);
}
}
Displaying a field at an absolute position on a screen

You can use the AbsoluteFieldManager class to specify an absolute position, based on x-y co-ordinates, of a field on a
screen rather than a position that is relative to other fields on the screen.
You can use the AbsoluteFieldManager class to control of the placement of fields and to overlap fields on the screen.
Display a label at an absolute position on the screen

invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The
AbsoluteFieldManagerDemoScreen class, described in step 3, represents the custom screen.
public class AbsoluteFieldManagerDemo extends UiApplication
{
{
AbsoluteFieldManagerDemo app = new AbsoluteFieldManagerDemo();
51
}
public AbsoluteFieldManagerDemo()
{
pushScreen(new AbsoluteFieldManagerDemoScreen());
}
}
3. Create the framework for the custom screen by extending the MainScreen class. Invoke setTitle() to specify the
text that appears in the title section of the screen.
class AbsoluteFieldManagerDemoScreen extends MainScreen
{
public AbsoluteFieldManagerDemoScreen()
{
setTitle("AbsoluteFieldManager Demo");
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, create an instance of the AbsoluteFieldManager class.
AbsoluteFieldManager manager = new AbsoluteFieldManager();
5. In the screen constructor, create and initialize a variable to store the y co-ordinate that corresponds to the vertical center
of the screen.
int halfwayDown = Display.getHeight() / 2;
6. In the screen constructor, invoke AbsoluteFieldManager.add() to add a LabelField object at the vertical center
of the screen and with an x co-ordinate of 2.
manager.add(new LabelField("Hello world"), 2, halfwayDown);
7. In the screen constructor, invoke add() to add the AbsoluteFieldManager to the screen.
add(manager);
Code sample: Displaying a label at an absolute position on the screen

public class AbsoluteFieldManagerDemo extends UiApplication

{
{
AbsoluteFieldManagerDemo app = new AbsoluteFieldManagerDemo();
}
52
public AbsoluteFieldManagerDemo()
{
pushScreen(new AbsoluteFieldManagerDemoScreen());
}
}
class AbsoluteFieldManagerDemoScreen extends MainScreen

{
public AbsoluteFieldManagerDemoScreen()
{
setTitle("AbsoluteFieldManager Demo");
AbsoluteFieldManager manager = new AbsoluteFieldManager();
int halfwayDown = Display.getHeight() / 2;
manager.add(new LabelField("Hello world"), 2, halfwayDown);

add(manager);
}
}
53
Development Guide UI components
UI components 8
Add a UI component to a screen

• net.rim.device.api.ui.component.CheckboxField
• net.rim.device.api.ui.container.MainScreen
2. Create an instance of a UI component.
CheckboxField myCheckbox = new CheckboxField("First checkbox", true);
3. Add the UI component to your extension of a Screen class.
mainScreen.add(myCheckbox);
Aligning a field to a line of text

You can create an application that can align a Field object to the natural beginning of a line of text by using the flag
Field.FIELD_LEADING. For example, if you create a Field with the alignment flag Field.FIELD_LEADING, and add
the Field to a VerticalFieldManager, if the application starts using either English or Chinese locales for example, the
Field aligns to the left side of the screen. If the application starts using either Arabic or Hebrew locales, the Field aligns to
the right side of the screen.
Buttons
Use buttons to allow users to perform an action from a dialog box. Menus typically include actions that are associated with a screen.
Users can perform the following actions with a button:
BlackBerry devices with a touch screen

Action BlackBerry devices with a trackpad only
and a trackpad
Highlight a button. Move a finger on the trackpad. • Touch the button lightly.
• Move a finger on the trackpad.
Perform an action. Click the trackpad or press the Enter key. • Tap the item.
• Click the trackpad.
• Press the Enter key.
54
Development Guide Buttons
Best practice: Implementing buttons

• Avoid using buttons on an application screen. To provide actions that are associated with a screen, use the application menu
instead. On BlackBerry® devices with a trackpad, the menu is available to users immediately, regardless of the position of
the cursor on the screen. Buttons are static and require users to highlight a button to perform the associated action. If you
use buttons, include menu items for the actions in the application menu as well. On BlackBerry devices with a touch screen,
you can use buttons for critical actions.
• Use check boxes for options such as turning on or turning off a feature.
• Use the ButtonField class to create buttons.
• For the default button, use the button that users are most likely to click. Avoid using a button that is associated with a
destructive action as the default button.
Guidelines for labels
• Use clear, concise labels.
• Use one-word labels where possible. The size of a button changes depending on the length of the label. If a label is too
long, an ellipsis (...) indicates that the text is truncated.
• Use verbs for labels that describe the associated action (for example, "Cancel," "Delete," "Discard," or "Save"). If necessary,
include more descriptive text elsewhere on the screen (for example, in an application message).
• Avoid using the labels "Yes" and "No."
• Avoid using punctuation in a label. Use an ellipsis in a button label to indicate that users must perform another action after
they click the button.
Create a button
1. Import the net.rim.device.api.ui.component.ButtonField class.
2. Create an instance of a ButtonField using a style parameter.
ButtonField mySubmitButton = new ButtonField("Submit");
55
Development Guide Check boxes
Check boxes
Use check boxes for binary options that users can understand easily. For example, use a check box for an option that can be
turned on and off.
Users can perform the following action with a check box:

and a trackpad
Select a check box. Press the Space key or click the trackpad. • Tap the item.
• Press the Space key.
Best practice: Implementing check boxes

• Use check boxes when users can select multiple options.
• Use the CheckboxField class to create check boxes.
• Do not start an action when users select a check box. For example, do not open a new screen.
• Align check boxes vertically.
• Group and order check boxes logically (for example, group related options together or include the most common options
first). Avoid ordering check boxes alphabetically; alphabetical order is language specific.
• Use clear, concise labels. Verify that the label clearly describes what occurs when users select the check box.
56
Development Guide Check boxes
• Use positive labels where possible. For example, if users have the option of turning on or turning off a feature, use "turn on"
instead of "turn off" in the label.
• Place labels on the right side of check boxes. On Option screens, place labels on the left side of check boxes.
• Use sentence case capitalization.
• Punctuate labels for check boxes with a colon (:).
Create a check box

invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The MyUiScreen class, which is described in
step 3, represents the custom screen.
public class MyUi extends UiApplication
{
{
MyUi theApp = new MyUi();
}
public MyUi()
{
pushScreen(new MyUiScreen());
}
}
3. Create the custom screen for the application by extending the MainScreen class. In the screen constructor, invoke
setTitle() to specify the title for the screen.
class MyUiScreen extends MainScreen
{
public MyUiScreen()
{
setTitle("UI Component Sample");
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, create a check box by using the CheckboxField class. In the CheckboxField constructor,
specify the label for the check box and use a Boolean value to indicate whether the check box is the default selection (for
example,true indicates that by default the check box is selected). Invoke add() to add the check box to the screen.
add(new CheckboxField("First Check Box", true));
add(new CheckboxField("Second Check Box", false));
57
Development Guide
5. To change the default behavior of a check box, use the styles that are inherited from the Field class. For example, to create
a check box that users cannot change, use the READONLY style.
add(new CheckboxField("First Check Box", true, this.READONLY));
6. To override the default functionality that prompts the user to save changes before the application closes, in the extension
of the MainScreen class, override the MainScreen.onSavePrompt() method. In the following code sample, the
return value is true which indicates that the application does not prompt the user before closing.
public boolean onSavePrompt()
{
return true;
}
Code sample: Creating a check box


{
{
}
public MyUi()
{
}
}
{
public MyUiScreen()
{
add(new CheckboxField("First Check Box", true));
add(new CheckboxField("Second Check Box", false));
}
{
return true;
}
}
58
Development Guide Create a bitmap
Create a bitmap
1. Import the net.rim.device.api.ui.component.BitmapField class.
2. Create an instance of a BitmapField.
BitmapField myBitmapField = new BitmapField();
Create a custom field

You can only add custom context menu items and custom layouts to a custom field.

• java.lang.String
• net.rim.device.api.ui.Font
• java.lang.Math
• net.rim.device.api.ui.Graphics
2. Import the net.rim.device.api.ui.DrawStyle interface.
3. Extend the Field class, or one of its subclasses, implementing the DrawStyle interface to specify the characteristics of
the custom field and turn on drawing styles.
public class CustomButtonField extends Field implements DrawStyle {
public static final int RECTANGLE = 1;
public static final int TRIANGLE = 2;
public static final int OCTAGON = 3;
private String _label;
private int _shape;
private Font _font;
private int _labelHeight;
private int _labelWidth;
}
4. Implement constructors to define a label, shape, and style of the custom button.
public CustomButtonField(String label) {
this(label, RECTANGLE, 0);
}
public CustomButtonField(String label, int shape) {
this(label, shape, 0);
}
public CustomButtonField(String label, long style) {
this(label, RECTANGLE, style);
}
public CustomButtonField(String label, int shape, long style) {
super(style);
59
Development Guide Create a custom field
_label = label;
_shape = shape;
_font = getFont();
_labelHeight = _font.getHeight();
_labelWidth = _font.getAdvance(_label);
}
5. Implement layout() to specify the arrangement of field data. Perform the most complex calculations in layout()
instead of in paint(). The manager of the field invokes layout() to determine how the field arranges its contents in the
available space. Invoke Math.min() to return the smaller of the specified width and height, and the preferred width and
height of the field. Invoke Field.setExtent(int,int) to set the required dimensions for the field.
protected void layout(int width, int height) {
_font = getFont();
_labelHeight = _font.getHeight();
width = Math.min( width, getPreferredWidth() );
height = Math.min( height, getPreferredHeight() );
setExtent( width, height );
}
6. Implement getPreferredWidth(), using the relative dimensions of the field label to make sure that the label does not
exceed the dimensions of the component. Use a switch block to determine the preferred width based on the shape of the
custom field. For each type of shape, use an if statement to compare dimensions and determine the preferred width for the
custom field.
public int getPreferredWidth() {
switch(_shape) {
case TRIANGLE:
if (_labelWidth < _labelHeight) {
return _labelHeight << 2;
} else {
return _labelWidth << 1;
}
case OCTAGON:
return _labelHeight + 4;
} else {
return _labelWidth + 8;
}
case RECTANGLE: default:
return _labelWidth + 8;
}
}
7. Implement getPreferredHeight(), using the relative dimensions of the field label to determine the preferred height.
Use a switch block to determine the preferred height based on the shape of the custom field. For each type of shape, use
an if statement to compare dimensions and determine the preferred height for the custom field.
60
Development Guide Create a custom field
public int getPreferredHeight() {

switch(_shape) {
case TRIANGLE:
return _labelHeight << 1;
} else {
return _labelWidth;
}
case RECTANGLE:
return _labelHeight + 4;
case OCTAGON:
return getPreferredWidth();
}
return 0;
}
8. Implement paint(). The manager of a field invokes paint() to redraw the field when an area of the field is marked as
invalid. Use a switch block to repaint a custom field based on the shape of the custom field. For a field that has a triangle
or octagon shape, use the width of the field to calculate the horizontal and vertical position of a lines start point and end
point. Invoke graphics.drawLine() and use the start and end points to draw the lines that define the custom field.
For a field that has a rectangular shape, invoke graphics.drawRect() and use the width and height of the field to
draw the custom field. Invoke graphics.drawText() and use the width of the field to draw a string of text to an area
of the field
protected void paint(Graphics graphics) {
int textX, textY, textWidth;
int w = getWidth();
switch(_shape) {
case TRIANGLE:
int h = (w>>1);
int m = (w>>1)-1;
graphics.drawLine(0, h-1, m, 0);
graphics.drawLine(m, 0, w-1, h-1);
graphics.drawLine(0, h-1, w-1, h-1);
textWidth = Math.min(_labelWidth,h);
textX = (w - textWidth) >> 1;
textY = h >> 1;
break;
case OCTAGON:
int x = 5*w/17;
int x2 = w-x-1;
int x3 = w-1;
graphics.drawLine(0, x, 0, x2);
graphics.drawLine(x3, x, x3, x2);
graphics.drawLine(x, 0, x2, 0);
graphics.drawLine(x, x3, x2, x3);
graphics.drawLine(0, x, x, 0);
graphics.drawLine(0, x2, x, x3);
graphics.drawLine(x2, 0, x3, x);
graphics.drawLine(x2, x3, x3, x2);
61
Development Guide Creating a field to display web content
textWidth = Math.min(_labelWidth, w - 6);

textX = (w-textWidth) >> 1;
textY = (w-_labelHeight) >> 1;
break;
case RECTANGLE: default:
graphics.drawRect(0, 0, w, getHeight());
textX = 4;
textY = 2;
textWidth = w - 6;
break;
}
graphics.drawText(_label, textX, textY, (int)( getStyle() & DrawStyle.ELLIPSIS
| DrawStyle.HALIGN_MASK ), textWidth );
}
9. Implement the Field set() and get() methods. Implement the Field.getLabel(), Field.getShape(),
Field.setLabel(String label), and Field.setShape(int shape) methods to return the instance variables
of the custom field.
public String getLabel() {
return _label;
}
public int getShape() {
return _shape;
}
public void setLabel(String label) {
_label = label;
updateLayout();
}
public void setShape(int shape) {
_shape = shape;
}
Creating a field to display web content
Display HTML content in a browser field

import net.rim.device.api.browser.field2.*;
invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The BrowserFieldDemoScreen class,
described in step 3, represents the custom screen.
62
public class BrowserFieldDemo extends UiApplication

{
{
BrowserFieldDemo app = new BrowserFieldDemo();
}
public BrowserFieldDemo()
{
pushScreen(new BrowserFieldDemoScreen());
}
}
3. Create the custom screen by extending the MainScreen class.
class BrowserFieldDemoScreen extends MainScreen
{
public BrowserFieldDemoScreen()
{
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, create an instance of the BrowserField class.
BrowserField myBrowserField = new BrowserField();
5. In the screen constructor, invoke add() to add the BrowserField object to the screen.
add(myBrowserField);
6. In the screen constructor, invoke BrowserField.displayContent() to specify and display the HTML content.
myBrowserField.displayContent("<html><body><h1>Hell
o World!</h1></body></html>", "http://localhost");
Code sample: Displaying HTML content in a browser field


{
{
}
{
63
}
}

{
{
myBrowserField.displayContent("<html><body><h1>Hello
World!</h1></body></html>", "http://localhost");
}
}
Display HTML content from a web page in a browser field

{
{
}
{
}
}
{
{
}
}
64

6. In the screen constructor, invoke BrowserField.requestContent() to specify the location of the HTML content
and display it.
myBrowserField.requestContent("http://www.blackberry.com");
Code sample: Displaying HTML content from a web page in a browser field

{
{
}
{
}
}

{
{
myBrowserField.requestContent("http://www.blackberry.com");
}
}
Display HTML content from a resource in your application

65
{
{
}
{
}
}
{
{
}
}
6. In the screen constructor, invoke BrowserField.requestContent() to specify the location of the resource in your
application and display the HTML content.
myBrowserField.requestContent("local:///test.html");
Note: The BrowserField class does not access resources using a folder structure. The BrowserField class displays the
first resource found that matches the specifed file name.
66
Code sample: Displaying HTML content from a resource in your application


{
{
}
{
}
}

{
{
myBrowserField.requestContent("local:///test.html");
}
}
Configure a browser field

{
{
67
}
{
}
}
{
{
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, create an instance of the BrowserFieldConfig class.
BrowserFieldConfig myBrowserFieldConfig = new BrowserFieldConfig();
5. In the screen constructor, invoke BrowserFieldConfig.setProperty() to specify a property of the
BrowserField. The first parameter in setProperty() specifies the property, and the second parameter specifies the
value of the property. For example, the following code sample specifies the NAVIGATION_MODE property of a
BrowserField object:
myBrowserFieldConfig.setProperty(BrowserFieldConfig.NAVIGATION_MODE,
BrowserFieldConfig.NAVIGATION_MODE_POINTER);
6. In the screen constructor, create an instance of the BrowserField class that uses the configuration that you defined.
BrowserField browserField = new BrowserField(myBrowserFieldConfig);
Code sample: Configuring a browser field


{
{
}
{
}
}
68

{
{
BrowserFieldConfig myBrowserFieldConfig = new BrowserFieldConfig();
myBrowserFieldConfig.setProperty(BrowserFieldConfig
.NAVIGATION_MODE,BrowserFieldConfig.NAVIGATION_MODE_POINTER);
BrowserField browserField = new BrowserField(myBrowserFieldConfig);
}
}
Send form data to a web address in a browser field

import net.rim.device.api.io.http.*;
import java.lang.*;
import java.util.*;
{
{
}
{
}
}
{
69
{
}
}
BrowserField browserField = new BrowserField();
add(browserField);
6. In the screen constructor, create a String object that contains the base web address of the web page that you are sending
the form data to.
String baseURL = "http://www.blackberry.com";
7. In the screen constructor, create a String that specifies the form data that your application sends to the web page.
String postData = "fieldname1=value1&fieldname2=value2";
8. In the screen constructor, create a Hashtable object to store the header information for the form data.
Hashtable header = new Hashtable();
9. In the screen constructor, invoke Hashtable.put() to specify the header information for the form data.
header.put("Content-Length", "" + postData.length());
header.put("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
10. In the screen constructor, invoke BrowserField.requestContent() to send the form data to the web page and
display the web page.
browserField.requestContent(baseURL, postData.getBytes(), new
HttpHeaders(header));
Code sample: Sending form data to a web address in a browser field

import net.rim.device.api.io.http.*;
import java.lang.*;
import java.util.*;

{
{
}
70
Development Guide Dialog boxes
{
}
}

{
{
BrowserField browserField = new BrowserField();}
add(browserField);
String baseURL = "http://www.blackberry.com";
String postData = "fieldname1=value1&fieldname2=value2";
Hashtable header = new Hashtable();
header.put("Content-Length", "" + postData.length());
header.put("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
browserField.requestContent(baseURL, postData.getBytes(), new
HttpHeaders(header));
}
}
Dialog boxes
Use dialog boxes to perform the following actions:
• Prompt users for information that is required to complete a user-initiated task.
• Inform users of urgent information or the status of important actions.
• Warn users of unexpected or potentially destructive conditions or situations.
Dialog boxes are modal; they interrupt the normal operation of the BlackBerry® device and are pushed to the top of the stack.
A dialog box includes a message, buttons that allow users to perform an action, and an indicator that indicates the type of dialog
box. The size of the dialog box depends on the size of the BlackBerry device screen. The theme that users select on their BlackBerry
device determines the visual style of the dialog box.
71
Best practice: Implementing dialog boxes

• Use buttons to confirm or cancel actions in dialog boxes. Avoid using links or other components.
• Use a standard indicator that is appropriate for the type of dialog box. Avoid using multiple indicators in a dialog box.
• Try to avoid making users scroll in a dialog box. Include scroll arrows if your dialog box message or buttons cannot be
displayed fully on the dialog box. If you use standard components, scroll arrows appear automatically if necessary.
• Always allow users to use the Escape key to close a dialog box. Avoid implementing another action when users press the
Escape key to close a dialog box. For example, if a dialog box allows users to change a setting, do not implement any changes
when users press the Escape key. If necessary, display the dialog box at a later time.
• If users press the End/Power key when a dialog box appears on an application screen, display the Home screen or application
list. If users return to the application, display the dialog box again.
Guidelines for layout
• Center the dialog box on the screen. If you use standard components, the BlackBerry® device automatically centers the
dialog box.
• Create dialog boxes that are up to, but not greater than, 90% of the width and height of the screen. If you use standard
components, the BlackBerry device automatically calculates the appropriate size for dialog boxes.
• Center the dialog box indicator vertically with the dialog box message.
• Display messages to the right of the indicator and above any buttons for most languages.
• Place buttons for confirmation actions first. For example, place "Save" before "Discard" or "Cancel."
• Center buttons horizontally in dialog boxes.
• Place buttons vertically in the dialog box. The vertical layout allows buttons to expand to accommodate localized button
labels.
• If you include a check box, match the alignment of the check box with the alignment of the dialog box message. Place the
check box above the buttons. The check box should be checked by default, unless the dialog box displays a message with
critical information for users.
72
Guidelines for messages

• Be specific. If possible, use one short sentence to clearly state the reason for displaying the dialog box and the actions that
can dismiss it.
• Use complete sentences for messages where possible.
• Use vocabulary that users understand. For example, use "The file could not be saved because the media card is full" instead
of "Error writing file to disk."
• Use positive language where possible and avoid blaming the user. Never write messages that blame users for errors or
unexpected conditions. Instead, focus on the actions that users can take to resolve the issue.
• Use the second person (you, your) to refer to users.
• Avoid using exclamation points (!) in messages.
• Avoid using an ellipsis (...) in messages unless you are indicating progress (for example, "Please wait...").
Guidelines for buttons
• For the default button, use the button that users are most likely to click. Avoid using a button that is associated with a
destructive action as the default button. Exceptions to this rule are those cases where users initiate a minor destructive
action (such as deleting a single item) and the most common user action is to continue with the action.
• Avoid using more than three buttons in a dialog box. If there are more than three, consider using an application screen
instead with radio buttons.
• On BlackBerry devices with a physical keyboard, provide shortcut keys for buttons. Typically, the shortcut key is the first
letter of the button label.
• Use one-word labels where possible. The size of a button changes depending on the length of the label. If a label is too
long, an ellipsis (...) indicates that the text is truncated.
• Avoid using the labels "Yes" and "No." Use verbs that describe the associated action (for example, "Cancel," "Delete,"
"Discard," or "Save"). This approach helps users quickly and easily understand what happens when they click the button.
If necessary, include more descriptive text elsewhere on the screen (for example, in an application message).
• Avoid using symbols or graphics in labels.
73
Development Guide Drop-down lists
• Avoid using punctuation in labels. Use an ellipsis in a button label to indicate that additional information is required before
the associated action can be performed.
Create a dialog box

Use alert dialog boxes to notify users of a critical action such as turning off the BlackBerry® device or an error such as typing
information that is not valid. An exclamation point (!) indicator appears in an alert dialog box. To close an alert dialog box, users
can click OK or press the Escape key. For more information on other types of dialog boxes, see the API reference for BlackBerry®
Java® Development Environment.
1. Import the net.rim.device.api.ui.component.Dialog class.

2. Create an alert dialog box specifying the alert text that you want to display.
Dialog.alert("Specify the alert text that you want to display.")
Drop-down lists
Use drop-down lists to provide a set of mutually exclusive values.
Users can perform the following action with a drop-down list:

and a trackpad
Click a value from a drop-down Press the Enter key or click the trackpad. • Tap the item.
list. • Press the Enter key.
74
Best practice: Implementing drop-down lists

• Use a drop-down list for two or more choices when space is an issue. If space is not an issue, consider using radio buttons
instead so that users can view the available options on the screen.
• Use the ObjectChoiceField or NumericChoiceField class to create drop-down lists.
• For the default value, use the value that users are most likely to click.
• Use the highlighted option as the default focus when users scroll through the list.
• If users are not required to click a value, include a "None" value in the drop-down list. Always place the "None" value at
the top of the list.
• Group and order values logically (for example, group related values together or include the most common values first). Avoid
ordering values alphabetically; alphabetical order is language specific.
• Use clear, concise labels for drop-down lists and for the values in drop-down lists. Verify that the label clearly describes
what occurs when users click the value. The width of the drop-down list changes based on the length of the value labels.
If a label is too long, an ellipsis (...) appears to indicate that the text is truncated.
• Avoid using the labels "Yes" and "No" as drop-down list values. Rephrase the option and use a check box instead.
• Place the label on the left side of a drop-down list.
• Use title case capitalization for drop-down list labels and values (unless the values read more like a sentence).
• Punctuate labels for drop-down lists with a colon (:).
Create a drop-down list

{
{
}
public MyUi()
{
75
}
}
{
public MyUiScreen()
{
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, create a drop-down list that displays a list of words or phrases by using the
ObjectChoiceField class. Create a String array to store the items that you want to display in the drop-down list.
Create an int to store the default item to display in the drop-down list. In the ObjectChoiceField constructor, specify
the label for the drop-down list, the array of items to display, and the default item. In the following code sample, by default
Wednesday is displayed. Invoke add() to add the drop-down list to the screen.
String choices[] =
{"Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday","Saturday","Sunday"};
int iSetTo = 2;
add(new ObjectChoiceField("First Drop-down List",choices,iSetTo));
5. In the screen constructor, create a second drop-down list that displays a list of numbers by using the
NumericChoiceField class. In the NumericChoiceField constructor, specify the label for the drop-down list, the
first and last number to display in the drop-down list, the increment to use for the list of numbers, and the default number.
In the following code sample, the numeric parameters are stored in int objects. The numbers 1 to 31 are included in the
drop-down list and by default the number 10 is displayed. Invoke add() to add the second drop-down list to the screen.
int iStartAt = 1;
int iEndAt = 31;
int iIncrement = 1;
iSetTo = 10;
add(new NumericChoiceField("Numeric Drop-Down
List",iStartAt,iEndAt,iIncrement,iSetTo));
{
return true;
}
76
Development Guide Labels
Code sample: Creating a drop-down list


{
{
}
public MyUi()
{
}
}
{
public MyUiScreen()
{
String choices[] =
int iSetTo = 2;
add(new ObjectChoiceField("First Drop-down List",choices,iSetTo));
int iStartAt = 1;
int iEndAt = 31;
int iIncrement = 1;
iSetTo = 10;
add(new NumericChoiceField("Numeric Drop-Down
List",iStartAt,iEndAt,iIncrement,iSetTo));
}
{
return true;
}
}
Labels
Use a label to display text that identifies a control.
77
Development Guide Lists and tables
Best practice: Implementing labels

• Use the LabelField class to create labels.
• Group and order labels logically (for example, group related items together or include the most common items first). Avoid
ordering values alphabetically; alphabetical order is language specific.
• Punctuate the label with a colon (:).
Create a text label

1. Import the net.rim.device.api.ui.component.LabelField class.
2. Create an instance of a LabelField to add a text label to a screen.
LabelField title = new LabelField("UI Component Sample", LabelField.ELLIPSIS);
Lists and tables

Use lists and tables to display items that users can highlight and open. If the list is long, items are fetched and displayed in
batches. When users reach the last item in the list, the next batch of items displays at the end of the list.
Use a simple list to easily display text in rows.
78
Use a rich list to easily display rows of text and icons. Currently, rich lists only display information and are not interactive.
If you want to present items in columns and rows, use a table.
79
You can group items under headers to help users navigate through long lists. For example, you can create headers that collapse,
making it easier for users to find items in the list.
You can also group items under headers that always appear at the top of the list. For example, you can add a date as a header
and group messages received on that date under the header. Users can highlight a header to perform an action on the group of
items or they can use shortcut keys to move through the list.
Users can perform the following actions in lists and tables:

and a trackpad
Scroll through items in the list. Move a finger vertically on the trackpad. • Drag a finger vertically on the screen.
• Swipe up or down on the screen.
80

and a trackpad
• Move a finger vertically on the
trackpad.
Highlight an item in the list. Move a finger vertically on the trackpad. • Touch the item lightly.
trackpad.
Open an item in the list. • Click the trackpad. • Tap the item.
• Press the Enter key. • Click the trackpad.
Best practice: Implementing lists and tables

• Use the SimpleList class to create a list with text. Use the RichList class to create a display-only list with text and
icons. Use the TableView class to create an interactive rich list with text and icons.
• Use the TableView class to create a table with rows and columns. You can use the GridFieldManager if the number
of rows and columns in the table are fixed.
• If the list is long and you want to display the items on separate screens, include Next and Previous buttons at the bottom
of the screen. Alternatively, if the list is very long (for example, thousands of items), provide screen numbers instead.
• If you expect users to move through the items in the list (for example, in a message list or a feed), assign shortcut keys for
moving to the next or previous item in the list. Where possible, in English, allow users to press "N" to move to the next item
in the list and "P" to move to the previous item in the list.
Create a list box

Use a list box to display a list from which users can select one or more values.

import java.util.Vector;
class and invoke enterEventDispatcher(), to enable the application to receive events. In the constructor, invoke
pushScreen, to display the custom screen for the application. The CreateMenuScreen class represents the custom
screen which is described in step 3.
81
public class ListFields extends UiApplication

{
{
ListFields theApp = new ListFields();
}
public ListFields()
{
pushScreen(new ListFieldScreen());
}
}
3. Create the custom screen for the application by extending the MainScreen class. In the constructor, invoke setTitle
(), to display the title for the screen. Invoke add(), to display a text field on the screen. Invoke addMenuItem(), to add
a menu item to the menu that MainScreen creates.
class ListFieldScreen extends MainScreen
{
private ListField _listField;
private Vector _listElements;
public ListFieldScreen()
{
setTitle("List Field Sample");
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, create the list box. Create an array for the items that you want to add to the list box by using the
Vector class. Create the list box by using the ListField() class. Invoke add(), to add the list box to the screen. Invoke
initializeList(), which is described in step 4, to add build the list box.
_listElements = new Vector();
_listField = new ListField();
ListCallback _callback = new ListCallback();
_listField.setCallback(_callback);
add(_listField);
initializeList();
5. Create a method to specify the items that you want to appear in the list box by using the String object. Invoke
addElement() to add the items to the list. Invoke setSize(), to specify the number of items in the list box.
private void initializeList()
{
String itemOne = "List item one";
String itemTwo = "List item two";
_listElements.addElement(itemOne);
_listElements.addElement(itemTwo);
reloadList();
}
private void reloadList()
82
Development Guide Radio buttons
{
_listField.setSize(_listElements.size());
}
6. Create a class that implements the ListFieldCallback interface. Implement drawListRow(), to add the list box
items to the screen. Implement get(), to return the list box item at the specified index. Implement indexOfList(), to
return the first occurrence of a given string. Implement getPreferredWidth(), to retrieve the width of the list box.
private class ListCallback implements ListFieldCallback
{
public void drawListRow(ListField list, Graphics g, int index, int y, int w)
{
String text = (String)_listElements.elementAt(index);
g.drawText(text, 0, y, 0, w);
}
public Object get(ListField list, int index)
{
return _listElements.elementAt(index);
}
public int indexOfList(ListField list, String prefix, int string)
{
return _listElements.indexOf(prefix, string);
}
public int getPreferredWidth(ListField list)
{
return Display.getWidth();
}
}
Radio buttons
Use radio buttons to indicate a set of mutually exclusive but related choices.
Users can perform the following action with radio buttons:

and a trackpad
Select a radio button. Press the Space key or click the trackpad. • Tap the item.
• Press the Space key.
83
Best practice: Implementing radio buttons

• Use radio buttons for two or more choices when space is not an issue. If space is an issue, consider using a drop-down list
instead.
• Use the RadioButtonField class to create radio buttons.
• Verify that the content for radio buttons remains static. Content for radio buttons should not change depending on the
context.
• Do not start an action when users select a radio button. For example, do not open a new screen.
• Align radio buttons vertically.
• Group and order values logically (for example, group related radio buttons together or include the most common values
first). Avoid ordering radio buttons alphabetically; alphabetical order is language specific.
• Use clear, concise labels. Verify that the label clearly describes what occurs when users select the radio button. If the labels
are too long, they wrap.
• Place labels on the right side of radio buttons.
• Do not use end punctuation.
Create a radio button

You can create a group of radio buttons by using the RadioButtonGroup class. A user can select only one option from a group
of radio buttons.
84
{
{
}
public MyUi()
{
}
}
{
public MyUiScreen()
{
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, create a group of radio buttons by using the RadioButtonGroup class. Create the radio buttons
that you want to add to the group by using the RadioButtonField class. In the RadioButtonField constructor,
specify the label for the radio button, the group, and a Boolean value to indicate the default selection (for example,true
indicates that by default the radio is selected). Invoke add() to add the radio buttons to the screen.
RadioButtonGroup rbg = new RadioButtonGroup();
add(new RadioButtonField("Option 1",rbg,true));
add(new RadioButtonField("Option 2",rbg,false));
{
return true;
}
85
Development Guide Activity indicators and progress indicators
Code sample: Creating a radio button


{
{
}
public MyUi()
{
}
}
{
public MyUiScreen()
{
RadioButtonGroup rbg = new RadioButtonGroup();
add(new RadioButtonField("Option 1",rbg,true));
add(new RadioButtonField("Option 2",rbg,false));
}
{
return true;
}
}
Activity indicators and progress indicators

Activity indicators and progress indicators show users that their BlackBerry® devices are performing an action, such as searching
for items or removing languages.
Use an activity indicator if you want to show that the BlackBerry® device is working and you cannot determine the duration of
the action. You can add an activity indicator to any component, such as a screen, text field, or list item. You can also add text to
an activity indicator to describe the action.
86
An activity indicator in a field An activity indicator with text
Use a progress indicator if you can determine the duration of an action. Progress indicators include a label to indicate what the
action is and a horizontal bar that fills from left to right as the action progresses. A percentage appears in the bar to indicate
how much of the action is complete.
Best practice: Implementing activity indicators and progress indicators

• Always indicate progress when an action takes more than 2 seconds to complete.
• Use a progress indicator when you can determine the duration of an action.
• Use an activity indicator when you cannot determine the duration of an action.
• Use the ActivityIndicatorView class to create activity indicators. Use the ProgressIndicatorView class to
create progress indicators.
• Provide useful progress information. For example, if users are downloading an application to their device, indicate the
percentage of data that their BlackBerry® device has downloaded. Be as accurate as possible with the progress information.
87
• Always allow users to use the End key to hide a progress indicator.
Guidelines for text
• Use a concise, descriptive text (for example, "Loading data..." or "Building an application list...").
• If an action is long and you want to communicate what is happening at each stage, provide text that describes each stage
(for example, "Downloading..." or "Installing...").
• Punctuate the text with an ellipsis (...).
Indicating activity or task progress

You can use the Activity and Progress Indicator API that is provided in the
net.rim.device.api.ui.component.progressindicator package to display visual cues on a screen to indicate
that work is being done or that a task is proceeding. You can represent an activity whose duration is unknown, as well as progress
that can be represented numerically (for example, as a percentage of a completed task).
The Activity and Progress Indicator API uses the Model-View-Controller design pattern and includes two fields that are responsible
for rendering the activity or progress:
• The ActivityImageField class represents activity by using a bitmap that contains frames of an animation. The
displayed frame changes over time. Typically, this field is a spinner, an hourglass, or other similar animated visual cue. This
field is built and set by using the ActivityIndicatorView class.
• The ProgressBarField class represents the progress of a task as a bar that fills as the task completes. This field is built
and set by using the ProgressIndicatorView class.
The Progress Indicator Demo sample application is included in the BlackBerry® Java® SDK. This sample application demonstrates
how to create and manipulate a variety of activity indicators and a progress indicator bar.
Indicate activity
You can display a field in your BlackBerry® device application that indicates that work is proceeding. Typically, the field is a
spinner, an hour glass, or other similar animated visual cue. The field is implemented by using the ActivityImageField class.
import net.rim.device.api.system.Bitmap;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.progressindicator.*;
2. Create an image that contains frames of an animation and include it in your project. The image must consist of a series of
frames of the animation arranged horizontally. The width of the image must be the width of a frame multiplied by the number
of frames.
For example, the following image has five frames of equal size.
88
3. Create a bitmap from the image.

Bitmap bitmap = Bitmap.getBitmapResource("spinner.png");
4. Create an ActivityIndicatorView object. You can specify a style for the view in the constructor.
ActivityIndicatorView view = new ActivityIndicatorView(Field.USE_ALL_WIDTH);
To specify a manager to use for layout and focus, provide a second argument when you create the
ActivityIndicatorView. If you do not specify a manager, a VerticalFieldManager object is used.
5. Create a model and a controller.
ActivityIndicatorModel model = new ActivityIndicatorModel();
ActivityIndicatorController controller = new ActivityIndicatorController();
6. Connect the view, model, and controller.
view.setController(controller);
view.setModel(model);
controller.setModel(model);
controller.setView(view);
model.setController(controller);
7. Create the field that renders the activity from the bitmap.
view.createActivityImageField(bitmap, 5, Field.FIELD_HCENTER);
In this example, the bitmap consists of five frames and is displayed centered in the view's manager.
8. Add the view to your screen.
add(view);
9. Control the activity indication by controlling the view's model, as needed.
MenuItem _stopIndicator = new MenuItem("Stop spinner", 66000, 0)
{
public void run()
{
view.getModel().cancel();
}
};
MenuItem _resumeIndicator = new MenuItem("Resume spinner", 66010, 0)

{
public void run()
{
89
view.getModel().resume();
}
};
This example invokes the model's cancel() method to stop the animation. The example invokes the model's resume
() method to resume the animation.
Code sample
public class ActivityIndicatorScreen extends MainScreen
{
ActivityIndicatorView view = new ActivityIndicatorView(Field.USE_ALL_WIDTH);
ActivityIndicatorModel model = new ActivityIndicatorModel();
ActivityIndicatorController controller = new ActivityIndicatorController();
public ActivityIndicatorScreen ()
{
setTitle("Activity Indicator Demo");
// Define the indicator image and create a field from it

Bitmap bitmap = Bitmap.getBitmapResource("spinner.png");
view.createActivityImageField(bitmap, 5, Field.FIELD_HCENTER);
// add the view to the screen

add(view);
MenuItem _stopIndicator = new MenuItem("Stop spinner", 66000, 0)

{
public void run()
{
}
};
MenuItem _resumeIndicator = new MenuItem("Resume spinner", 66010, 0)

{
public void run()
{
}
};
addMenuItem(_stopIndicator);
90
addMenuItem(_resumeIndicator);
}
}
The Progress Indicator Demo sample application that is included in the BlackBerry® Java® SDK creates and manipulates a variey
of activity indicators, including the spinner that is shown above.
Indicate progress
You can display a field in your BlackBerry® device application that indicates that a task is proceeding. Progress is represented
by a bar that fills as the task completes.
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.progressindicator.*;
2. Create a ProgressIndicatorView object. You can specify a style for the view in the constructor. In the following
example, no style is specified.
ProgressIndicatorView view = new ProgressIndicatorView(0);
To specify a manager to use for layout and focus, provide a second argument when you create the
ProgressIndicatorView. If you do not specify a manager, a VerticalFieldManager object is used.
3. Create a ProgressIndicatorController object.
ProgressIndicatorController controller = new ProgressIndicatorController();
4. Create a ProgressIndicatorModel object. This object represents the progress of the task. When you create the object,
you can specify the model's initial value, its maximum value, and its minimum value. ProgressIndicatorModel uses
an Adjustment object to allow for threaded access to the data model and to allow the task to be represented by integer
values.
ProgressIndicatorModel model = new ProgressIndicatorModel(0, 100, 0);
In this example, the task starts with the value 0 and can reach 100. These values model the completion of a task as a
percentage.
5. Connect the controller, model, and view.
6. Create a thread to process the task. Typically, tasks that require progress indicators are performed by using a thread. As
the task proceeds, update the value of the model to reflect the task's progress.
91
class ProgressThread extends Thread

{
private boolean _paused;
private boolean _stop;
public void run()

{
// perform the task here and update the model's value as appropriate
}
public synchronized void setPaused(boolean paused)

{
// pause the indicator here
}
public synchronized void stopThread()

{
// stop the indicator here
}
}
7. Create a class that Implements the ProgressIndicatorListener interface to be notified of changes to the data
model. You can be notified when the model is reset, resumed, or cancelled, or when the the value of the model is changed
by non-programmatic means.
private final class DemoProgressIndicatorListener implements
ProgressIndicatorListener
{
public void cancelled()
{
_progressThread.setPaused(true);
}
public void resumed()

{
_progressThread.setPaused(false);
}
...
}
8. Associate the listener with the model.
model.addListener(new DemoProgressIndicatorListener());
9. Set the label for the view. The label displays above the rendered ProgressIndicatorField (assuming that the
manager is a VerticalFieldManager, which is the default manager).
view.setLabel("Percent completion");
92
10. Create the field that renders the progress. You can provide styles that are defined in ProgressBarField to specify
whether text is displayed on the bar and how it is displayed. By default, the model's value is displayed in the center of the
space occupied by the bar.
view.createProgressBar(Field.FIELD_HCENTER);
In this example, the progress bar uses the default text style and is displayed centered in the view's manager.
11. Add the view to your screen.
add(view);
12. Control the progress indication by controlling the view's model, as needed.
MenuItem _pauseIndicator = new MenuItem("Pause indicator", 66010, 0)
{
public void run()
{
}
};
MenuItem _resumeIndicator = new MenuItem("Resume indicator", 66020, 0)

{
public void run()
{
}
};
This example invokes the model's cancel() method to stop the progress indication. The example invokes the model's
resume() method to resume progress indication.
Code sample
public class ProgressIndicatorScreen extends MainScreen
{
ProgressIndicatorView view = new ProgressIndicatorView(0);
ProgressIndicatorModel model = new ProgressIndicatorModel(0, 100, 0);
ProgressIndicatorController controller = new ProgressIndicatorController();
ProgressThread _progressThread;
public ProgressIndicatorScreen()
{
setTitle("Progress Indicator Screen");
model.addListener(new DemoProgressIndicatorListener());
93
view.setLabel("Percent completion");
view.createProgressBar(Field.FIELD_HCENTER);
add(view);
MenuItem _startIndicator = new MenuItem("Start indicator", 66000, 0)

{
public void run()
{
if(_progressThread != null)
{
_progressThread.stopThread();
}
_progressThread = new ProgressThread();
_progressThread.start();
}
};
MenuItem _pauseIndicator = new MenuItem("Pause indicator", 66010, 0)

{
public void run()
{
}
};
MenuItem _resumeIndicator = new MenuItem("Resume indicator", 66020, 0)

{
public void run()
{
}
};
addMenuItem(_startIndicator);
addMenuItem(_pauseIndicator);
addMenuItem(_resumeIndicator);
}
class ProgressThread extends Thread

{
private boolean _paused;
private boolean _stop;
public void run()

{
// Run dummy operations to simulate the processing of
// a collection of data.
for(int i = 0; i <= 100; ++i)
{
synchronized(this)
94
{
if(_stop)
{
break;
}
if(_paused)
{
try
{
wait();
}
catch(InterruptedException ie)
{
}
}
}
ProgressIndicatorScreen.this.model.setValue(i);
try
{
// Simulate work
sleep(250);
}
catch(InterruptedException ie)
{
}
}
}
public synchronized void setPaused(boolean paused)

{
_paused = paused;
this.notify();
}
public synchronized void stopThread()

{
_stop = true;
if(_paused)
{
// If the thread is in a paused state, wake it up
this.notify();
}
}
}
private final class DemoProgressIndicatorListener implements

ProgressIndicatorListener
{
public void cancelled()
{
_progressThread.setPaused(true);
}
95
Development Guide Pickers
public void resumed()

{
_progressThread.setPaused(false);
}
public void reset()

{
// Not implemented
}
public void setNonProgrammaticValue(int value)

{
// Not implemented
}
public void configurationChanged(Adjustment source)

{
// Not implemented
}
public void valueChanged(Adjustment source)

{
// Not implemented
}
}
}
The Progress Indicator Demo sample application that is included in the BlackBerry® Java® SDK creates and manipulates a
progress bar.
Pickers
You can use pickers to help users choose an item from a list easily.
Type of picker Description

File This picker allows users to browse for files on their BlackBerry® devices.
96
Location This picker allows users to choose a location from a list that you define. For example, you can
allow users to choose their GPS location or a previously selected location.
Date This picker allows users to choose a specific day, month, or year. For example, you can allow users
to choose a month and year to specify when their credit card expires.
97
Time This picker allows users to choose a specific hour, minute, or second.
Best practice: Implementing pickers

Use the FilePicker, LocationPicker, and DateTimePicker classes to create pickers.
Guidelines for file pickers
• Specify a specific view to display the types of files that match the user's goal. For example, if a user is browsing pictures,
display pictures in the file picker.
• Allow users to start browsing from an appropriate default folder if possible.
98
Create a date picker

import net.rim.device.api.ui.picker.*;
import java.util.*;
class and invoke enterEventDispatcher() to enable the application to receive events. In the constructor, invoke
pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The DatePickScreen class represents the custom
screen that is described in step 3.
public class DatePick extends UiApplication
{
{
DatePick theApp = new DatePick();
}
public DatePick()
{
pushScreen(new DatePickScreen());
}
}
3. Create the custom screen for the application by extending the MainScreen class. In the constructor, invoke setTitle
() to display a title on the screen. Invoke add() to display a rich text field on the screen.
class DatePickScreen extends MainScreen
{
public DatePickScreen()
{
setTitle("Date Picker Sample");
add(new RichTextField("Trying Date Picker"));
}
}
4. Add a section of code to the event queue of the application by invoking invokeLater(). Create a Runnable object
and pass it as a parameter to invokeLater(). Override run() in the definition of Runnable.
{
{
99
UiApplication.getUiApplication().invokeLater(new Runnable()
{
public void run()
{
}
});
}
}
5. In run(), invoke DateTimePicker.getInstance() to return a DateTimePicker object. Invoke doModal() to
display the date picker. Invoke getDateTime() to return a Calendar object that represents the date and time the user
selects. Use getTime() to return the date and time as a Date object. Use Dialog.alert() to display the selected
date and time.
{
{
{
public void run()
{
DateTimePicker datePicker = DateTimePicker.getInstance();
datePicker.doModal();
Calendar cal = datePicker.getDateTime();
Date date = cal.getTime();
Dialog.alert("You selected " + date.toString());
}
});
}
}
Code sample: Creating a date picker

import net.rim.device.api.database.*;
import net.rim.device.api.io.*;
import java.util.*;
public class DatePick extends UiApplication

{
{
100
DatePick theApp = new DatePick();

}
public DatePick()
{
pushScreen(new DatePickScreen());
}
}

{
{
{
public void run()
{
DateTimePicker datePicker = DateTimePicker.getInstance();
datePicker.doModal();
Calendar cal = datePicker.getDateTime();
Date date = cal.getTime();
Dialog.alert("You selected " + date.toString());
}
});
}
}
Create a file picker

import java.util.*;
invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The FilePickScreen class represents the
custom screen that is described in step 3.
public class FilePick extends UiApplication
{
{
101
FilePick theApp = new FilePick();

}
public FilePick()
{
pushScreen(new FilePickScreen());
}
}
setTitle() to specify a title for the screen. Invoke add() to add a label field to the screen.
class FilePickScreen extends MainScreen
{
public FilePickScreen()
{
setTitle("File Picker Sample");
add(new LabelField("Trying File Picker"));
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, invoke invokeLater() to add a section of code to the event queue of the application. Create
a Runnable object and pass it as a parameter to invokeLater().
{
{
{
public void run()
{
}
});
}
}
5. Override run() in the definition of Runnable. In run(), invoke FilePicker.getInstance() to return a
FilePicker object. Create a FilePickListener object, which is described in step 6. Invoke setListener() to
register the listener for the file picker. Invoke show() to display the file picker on the screen.

{
{
102
{
public void run()
{
FilePicker fp = FilePicker.getInstance();
FilePickListener fileListener = new FilePickListener();
fp.setListener(fileListener);
fp.show();
}
});
}
}
6. Invoke Dialog.alert to create a dialog box with a message that displays which file was selected. Invoke
Dialog.alert in a class that implements the FilePicker.Listener interface by overriding selectionDone
(). The application calls selectionDone() when the user selects a file using the file picker.
class FilePickListener implements FilePicker.Listener
{
public void selectionDone(String str)
{
Dialog.alert("You selected " + str);
}
}
Code sample: Creating a file picker
import net.rim.device.api.io.*;
public class FilePick extends UiApplication

{
{
FilePick theApp = new FilePick();
}
public FilePick()
{
pushScreen(new FilePickScreen());
}
}

{
103
Development Guide Search
{
{
public void run()
{
FilePicker fp = FilePicker.getInstance();
FilePickListener fileListener = new FilePickListener();
fp.setListener(fileListener);
fp.show();
}
});
}
}
class FilePickListener implements FilePicker.Listener
{
public void selectionDone(String str)
{
Dialog.alert("You selected " + str);
}
}
Search
Users can use the search field on the Home screen to search for items in any application on the device, including third-party
applications. The search can also include content that is not stored on the device, such as an organization's database or a web site.
Users can also use a search field in an application to search for items in that application. For example, users can search for an
email message in a message list, a song in the Media application, or a contact in the contact list. In some cases, you might want
to display search results from other applications.
104
In some applications, the search field appears on the screen. In other cases, search is available from the full menu, the pop-up
menu, or the toolbar. As users type text in a search field, display the search results. If a large number of search results is returned,
you can allow users to narrow their search to a field or a group of fields. For example, if users search the message list, they can
use the drop-down list to the right of the search field to narrow their search to the To field or the Subject field. For more information
about adding a search field to your application, see the BlackBerry Java Application Integration Development Guide.
Users can perform the following actions in a search field:

and a trackpad
Open a highlighted item in the • Press the Enter key. • Tap the screen.
search results. • Click the trackpad. • Press the Enter key.
Display a pop-up menu with Click and hold the trackpad. • Touch and hold a search result on the
actions for a search result (for screen.
example, call a contact) • Click and hold the trackpad.
You can register content in your application so that it can be included in search results. You can also register your application
as a way for users to extend a search. For example, if users search for a song in the Media application and do not find the song,
you can allow users to search your application as an alternative source of search results. For more information about registering
content or an application, see the BlackBerry Java Application Integration Development Guide.
Best practice: Implementing search

• Use the net.rim.device.api.unifiedsearch package to implement search capabilities.
105
• Be selective with the content that you register to be included in search results. Only register content that provides meaningful
search results for users.
• Try to present the most relevant items at the beginning of the list of search results. For example, if users are looking for a
restaurant that has several different locations, display the restaurant that is closest to the user's location at the beginning
of the list of search results.
• In the search results, bold the text that matches the text that users type. This approach helps users see why each item
appears in the list of search results.
• If users need to search for a word on a screen (for example, in a message or on a web page), use the term "Find" in the Menu.
Implementing search fields
• Set the default focus to the search field. When the search results appear, set the default focus to the first item in the list of
search results.
• Use the term "Search" as hint text in the search field.
• Do not make search fields case sensitive.
• Place the search field below the title bar on an application screen.
• Do not assign shortcut keys for a screen that includes a search field. If you want to use shortcut keys, provide alternative
search functionality. For example, allow users to search for messages in a message list using the menu.
Create a search field

You can create an application that uses the KeywordFilterField class, included in the
net.rim.device.api.ui.component package, to provide a UI field that consists of a single text input field and a list of
selectable elements. As users type text in a search field, the application filters the elements in the list that begin with the search
text. For more information about using the KeywordFilterField class, see the Keyword Filter Field sample application,
included with the BlackBerry® Java® Development Environment version 4.3.1 or later.
import net.rim.device.api.collection.util.SortedReadableList;
import net.rim.device.api.io.LineReader;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.KeywordFilterField;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.KeywordProvider;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.lang.String;
import java.util.Vector;
2. Create variables. In the following code sample, CountryList extends the SortedReadableList class and
implements the KeywordProvider interface.
private KeywordFilterField _keywordField;
private CountryList _CountryList;
private Vector _countries;
3. To create a list of selectable text items, populate a vector with data from a text file.
_countries = getDataFromFile();
4. Create an instance of a class that extends the SortedReadableList class.
106
_CountryList = new
CountryList(StringComparator.getInstance(true),_countries);
5. To specify the elements of the list, create a new instance of a KeywordFilterField object.
_keywordField = new KeywordFilterField();
6. Invoke KeywordFilterField.setList().
_keywordField.setList(_CountryList, _CountryList);
7. Set a label for the input field of the KeywordFilterFIeld.
_keywordField.setLabel("Search: ");
8. Create the main screen of the application and add a KeywordFilterField to the main screen.
KeywordFilterDemoScreen screen = new
KeywordFilterDemoScreen(this,_keywordField);
screen.add(_keywordField.getKeywordField());
screen.add(_keywordField);
pushScreen(screen);
9. To create a method that populates and returns a vector of Country objects containing data from text file, in the method
signature, specify Vector as the return type.
public Vector getDataFromFile()
10. Create and store a reference to a new Vector object.
Vector countries = new Vector();
11. Create an input stream to the text file.
InputStream stream =
getClass().getResourceAsStream("/Data/CountryData.txt");
12. Read CRLF delimited lines from the input stream.
LineReader lineReader = new LineReader(stream);
13. Read data from the input stream one line at a time until you reach the end of file flag. Each line is parsed to extract data
that is used to construct Country objects.
for(;;){
//Obtain a line of text from the text file
String line = new String(lineReader.readLine());
//If we are not at the end of the file, parse the line of text
if(!line.equals("EOF")) {
int space1 = line.indexOf(" ");
String country = line.substring(0,space1);
int space2 = line.indexOf(" ",space1+1);
String population = line.substring(space1+1,space2);
String capital = line.substring(space2+1,line.length());
107
// Create a new Country object

countries.addElement(new Country(country,population,capital));
}
else {
break;
}
} // end the for loop
return countries;
14. To add a keyword to the list of selectable text items, invoke SortedReadableList.doAdd(element).
SortedReadableList.doAdd(((Country)countries.elementAt(i))
.getCountryName()) ;
15. To update the list of selectable text items, invoke KeywordFilterField.updateList().
_keywordField.updateList();
16. To obtain the key word that a BlackBerry device user typed into the KeywordFilterField, invoke
KeywordFilterField.getKeyword().
String userTypedWord = _keywordField.getKeyword();
Autocomplete text field

You can use an autocomplete text field to predict what a BlackBerry® device user wants to type, and display a word or phrase
before the user types it completely.
When you create an AutoCompleteField object, you must associate a BasicFilteredList object with it. The
BasicFilteredList maintains references to data objects that are compared with to produce the list of words and phrases.
You can configure which fields in the data objects are compared with and which fields are displayed when a match is found. For
example, you can compare the text that the user types with the value of the DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_BIRTHDAY field in the
DATA_SOURCE_CONTACTS data source, and return the value of the corresponding
DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_NAME_FULL field.
There are four types of data that you can bind to a BasicFilteredList to use with an AutoCompleteField.
You can specify the set of strings to compare with in one of the following ways:
• an array of literal strings
• an array of objects that support toString()
• data sources on a BlackBerry device, such as contacts, memos, tasks, and various types of media files
• an array of objects and an array of strings with corresponding indexes
By default, the autocomplete text field displays the set of strings that is returned by the comparison process in a drop-down list.
You can configure the appearance of this list by specifying style flags when you create the autocomplete text field. You can
change how the list appears and how users can interact with the list.
108
Create an autocomplete text field from a data set

import net.rim.device.api.ui.UiApplication;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.container.MainScreen;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.AutoCompleteField;
import net.rim.device.api.collection.util.*;
pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The HomeScreen class, described in step 3, represents
the custom screen.
public class AutoCompleteFieldApp extends UiApplication
{
{
AutoCompleteFieldApp app = new AutoCompleteFieldApp();
}
AutoCompleteFieldApp()
{
pushScreen(new HomeScreen());
}
}
class HomeScreen extends MainScreen
{
public HomeScreen()
{
}
}
4. In the constructor, create a BasicFilteredList object. Create a String array and store the strings that you want to
match against in the array. In this example, the strings are days of the week. Invoke addDataSet() to bind the data in
the array to the BasicFilteredList.
BasicFilteredList filterList = new BasicFilteredList();
String[] days =
{"Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday","Saturday","Sund
ay"};
filterList.addDataSet(1,days,"days",BasicFilteredList.COMPARISON_IGNORE_CASE);
5. In the constructor, create an AutoCompleteField object. Pass an instance of the BasicFilteredList to the
AutoCompleteField constructor to bind the BasicFilteredList to the autocomplete text field. Invoke add() to
add the field to the screen.
109
AutoCompleteField autoCompleteField = new

AutoCompleteField(filterList);
add(autoCompleteField);
Code sample: Creating an autocomplete field from a data set

{
{
}
{
HomeScreen scr = new HomeScreen();
this.pushScreen(scr);
}
}

{
public HomeScreen()
{
String[] days = {"Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday",
"Thursday","Friday","Saturday","Sunday"};
filterList.addDataSet(1,days,"days",BasicFilteredList
.COMPARISON_IGNORE_CASE);
AutoCompleteField autoCompleteField = new AutoCompleteField(filterList);
}
}
Create an autocomplete text field from a data source

110
invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The HomeScreen class represents the custom
{
{
}
public AutoCompleteFieldApp()
{
}
}
3. Create the custom screen for the application by extending the MainScreen class.
{
public HomeScreen()
{
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, create a BasicFilteredList object. Invoke addDataSource() to bind a data source to
the BasicFilteredList. In this example, the data is contact information and the data source is the contact list. The
first argument that you pass to addDataSource() is a unique ID. The second argument binds the
BasicFilteredList object to a data source. The third argument specifies the set of data source fields to compare with.
The fourth argument specifies the set of data source fields to make available when a match is found. In this example, the
fields to compare with are the same as the fields to make available when a match is found. The fifth argument specifies the
primary display field. The sixth argument specifies the secondary display field and is set to -1 if you do not want to use it.
The final argument specifies a name for the BasicFilteredList; its value is generated automatically if you specify
null.
filterList.addDataSource(
1,
BasicFilteredList.DATA_SOURCE_CONTACTS,
BasicFilteredList.DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_NAME_FULL |
BasicFilteredList.DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_COMPANY |
BasicFilteredList.DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_EMAIL,
111
BasicFilteredList.DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_NAME_FULL,
-1,
null);
5. In the screen constructor, create an AutoCompleteField object. Pass the BasicFilteredList object that you
created in step 4 to the AutoCompleteField constructor to bind the BasicFilteredList to the autocomplete text
field. Invoke add() to add the field to the screen.
AutoCompleteField autoCompleteField = new
AutoCompleteField(filterList);
Code sample: Creating an autocomplete field from a data source

{
{
}
{
HomeScreen scr = new HomeScreen();
this.pushScreen(scr);
}
}

{
public HomeScreen()
{
filterList.addDataSource(1,
BasicFilteredList.DATA_SOURCE_CONTACTS,
null);
112
AutoCompleteField autoCompleteField = new AutoCompleteField(filterList);

}
}
Using data sources and fields with an autocomplete text field

You can use the AutoCompleteField class and the BasicFilteredList class to compare the text that a user types in
an autocomplete text field with the values of fields in a specified data source. You specify the fields to use and their data sources
by using a BasicFilteredList object that you pass as an argument to the constructor of the AutoCompleteField class.
Data source Fields

DATA_SOURCE_APPOINTMENTS • DATA_FIELD_APPOINTMENTS_ALL
• DATA_FIELD_APPOINTMENTS_ATTENDEES
• DATA_FIELD_APPOINTMENTS_ORGANIZER
• DATA_FIELD_APPOINTMENTS_SUBJECT
DATA_SOURCE_CONTACTS • DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_ADDRESS_ALL
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_ADDRESS_HOME
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_ADDRESS_WORK
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_ANNIVERSARY
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_BIRTHDAY
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_CATEGORIES
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_COMPANY
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_EMAIL
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_FAX
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_JOB_TITLE
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_NAME_FULL
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_NAME_FIRST
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_NAME_LAST
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_NOTES
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_PAGER
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_PHONE_ALL
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_PHONE_HOME
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_PHONE_HOME2
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_PHONE_MOBILE
113
Development Guide Spin boxes
Data source Fields

• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_PHONE_OTHER
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_PHONE_WORK
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_PHONE_WORK2
• DATA_FIELD_CONTACTS_PIN
DATA_SOURCE_MEMOS • DATA_FIELD_MEMOS_TITLE
DATA_SOURCE_MESSAGES • DATA_FIELD_MESSAGES_ALL
• DATA_FIELD_MESSAGES_RECIPIENT
• DATA_FIELD_MESSAGES_SENDER
• DATA_FIELD_MESSAGES_SUBJECT
DATA_SOURCE_MUSIC • DATA_FIELD_MUSIC_ALL
• DATA_FIELD_MUSIC_ALBUM
• DATA_FIELD_MUSIC_ARTIST
• DATA_FIELD_MUSIC_GENRE
• DATA_FIELD_MUSIC_PLAYLIST
• DATA_FIELD_MUSIC_SONG
DATA_SOURCE_PICTURES • DATA_FIELD_PICTURES_TITLE
DATA_SOURCE_RINGTONES • DATA_FIELD_RINGTONES_TITLE
DATA_SOURCE_TASKS • DATA_FIELD_TASKS_TITLE
DATA_SOURCE_VIDEOS • DATA_FIELD_VIDEOS_TITLE
DATA_SOURCE_VOICENOTES • DATA_FIELD_VOICENOTES_TITLE
Spin boxes
Use a spin box to allow users to choose an item from an ordered list easily. For example, use spin boxes to allow users to find a
number or to change the day of the week.

and a trackpad
Find an item in the list. Move a finger vertically on the trackpad. • Drag a finger vertically on the screen.
• Swipe up or down on the screen.
114

and a trackpad
trackpad.
Move a finger up or down on the screen or

the trackpad.
Choose an item from the list. Click the trackpad. • Lift a finger from the screen.
Move to another spin box. Move a finger vertically on the trackpad. • Drag a finger vertically on the screen.
trackpad.
Create a spin box

import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.Dialog;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.TextSpinBoxField;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.container.SpinBoxFieldManager;
invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The HomeScreen class represents the custom
115
public class SpinBoxApp extends UiApplication

{
{
SpinBoxApp app = new SpinBoxApp();
}
public SpinBoxApp()
{
}
}
3. Create the custom screen for the application by extending the MainScreen class. Declare a variable for each field in the
spin box and declare a variable for the spin box field manager.
{
TextSpinBoxField spinBoxDays;
TextSpinBoxField spinBoxMonths;
SpinBoxFieldManager spinBoxMgr;
public HomeScreen()
{
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, create an array of String objects for each of the spin box fields.
final String[] DAYS =
final String[] MONTHS =

{"January","February","March","April","May","June","July","A
ugust","September","October","November","December"};
5. In the screen constructor, create new instances of the spin box field manager and the two spin box fields. Pass the appropriate
array of strings as arguments to each of the spin box field constructors.
spinBoxMgr = new SpinBoxFieldManager();
spinBoxDays = new TextSpinBoxField(DAYS);

spinBoxMonths = new TextSpinBoxField(MONTHS);
6. In the screen constructor, add the spin box fields to the spin box field manager. Invoke add() to add the manager, and
the fields that it contains, to the screen.
spinBoxMgr.add(spinBoxDays);
spinBoxMgr.add(spinBoxMonths);
add(spinBoxMgr);
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Code sample: Creating a spin box

import net.rim.device.api.ui.container.SpinBoxFieldManager;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.Dialog;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.TextSpinBoxField;
public class SpinBoxApp extends UiApplication

{
{
SpinBoxApp app = new SpinBoxApp();
}
public SpinBoxApp()
{
HomeScreen homeScreen = new HomeScreen();
pushScreen(homeScreen);
}
}

{
TextSpinBoxField spinBoxDays;
TextSpinBoxField spinBoxMonths;
SpinBoxFieldManager spinBoxMgr;
public HomeScreen()
{
final String[] DAYS =
final String[] MONTHS =
{"January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","Sep
tember","October","November","December"};
spinBoxMgr = new SpinBoxFieldManager();
spinBoxDays = new TextSpinBoxField(DAYS);

spinBoxMonths = new TextSpinBoxField(MONTHS);
spinBoxMgr.add(spinBoxDays);
spinBoxMgr.add(spinBoxMonths);
add(spinBoxMgr);
}
public void close()

{
117
Development Guide Text fields
Dialog.alert("You selected " +

(String)spinBoxDays.get(spinBoxDays.getSelectedIndex()) + " and " +
(String)spinBoxMonths.get(spinBoxMonths.getSelectedIndex()));
super.close();
}
}
Best practice: Implementing spin boxes

• Use spin boxes for a list of sequential items.
• Use drop-down lists for non-sequential items or items with irregular intervals. For a short list of non-sequential items, you
can use a spin box to provide a more interactive experience for users.
• Avoid using a spin box if several other components appear on the screen.
• Use the SpinBoxField class and the SpinBoxFieldManager class to create spin boxes.
• Add spin boxes to dialog boxes instead of screens where possible.
• When users highlight a spin box, display three to five items vertically.
• Use an identifiable pattern for the sequence of items (for example, 5, 10, 15) so that users can estimate how much they need
to scroll to find the target item.
• Avoid making users scroll horizontally to view multiple spin boxes. If necessary, separate spin boxes into multiple fields.
• If the text in a spin box is too long, use an ellipsis (...).
Text fields
Users can use a text field to type text.
Type of text field Description

email Users can insert an at sign (@) or a period (.) in an email address field by pressing the Space key.
date and time Users can change the date or time on BlackBerry® devices with a trackpad using the keyboard or by
moving a finger vertically on the trackpad.
Users can change the date or time on BlackBerry devices with a touch screen by swiping up or down
on the screen.
number When users need to type in a number field on a physical keyboard, the BlackBerry device switches
to number lock mode so that users do not need to press the Alt key to type numbers.
When users need to type in a number field on a virtual keyboard, the number keyboard appears.
password When users type in a password field, asterisks (*) appear instead of text. Users cannot cut, copy, or
paste text or use AutoText in password fields.
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Type of text field Description

On BlackBerry devices with SureType® technology, multi-tap is the default typing input method in
password fields.
phone number When users type in a phone number field on a physical keyboard, the BlackBerry device switches to
number lock mode so that users do not need to press the Alt key to type numbers. You can also allow
users to perform the following actions in phone number fields:
• Type the plus sign (+) for international phone numbers.

• Type formatting characters such as the minus sign (-), period (.), parentheses (()), and spaces.
• Type a number sign (#) or an asterisk (*).
• Indicate a pause by typing a comma (,) or indicate a wait by typing an exclamation point (!).
• Indicate an extension by pressing the Alt key and pressing E, X, or T.
When users need to type in a phone number field on a virtual keyboard, the number keyboard appears.
You can also allow users to perform the following actions in phone number fields:
• Type a number sign (#) or an asterisk (*).

• Indicate a pause or an extension by holding the asterisk (*) key.
• Indicate a wait or an extension by holding the number sign (#) key.
text In text fields, users type text. Users can cut, copy, and paste text in text fields. When the cursor
reaches the end of a line of text, the text wraps to the next line.
In text fields, BlackBerry devices can also turn telephone numbers, web pages, and email addresses
into links automatically.
web address Users can insert a period (.) in an address field by pressing the Space key.
Best practice: Implementing text fields

• Use the TextField class to create text fields.
• Choose a type of text field based on what you expect users to type. Using the most appropriate text field is important so
that the appropriate typing indicator appears on the screen when users type text. For example, when users type text in a
phone number field, the number lock indicator appears in the upper-right corner of the screen. The field that you choose
also affects the default typing input method for the field on BlackBerry devices with SureType® technology.
• Use or extend existing fields instead of creating custom fields where possible so that fields inherit the appropriate default
behavior.
119
• If necessary, include hint text to provide guidance to users. Use hint text if space on a screen is limited and you cannot
include a label or instructional text. Hint text appears in the field and disappears when users type.
• Use concise, descriptive labels. Avoid labels that wrap.
• Use title case capitalization.
• Punctuate labels for fields with a colon (:).
• If you use hint text, keep it concise. Use sentence case capitalization.
Creating a text field
Create a read-only text field that allows formatting

1. Import the net.rim.device.api.ui.component.RichTextField class.
2. Create an instance of a RichTextField.
RichTextField rich = new RichTextField("RichTextField");
Create an editable text field that has no formatting and accepts filters
• net.rim.device.api.ui.component.BasicEditField
• net.rim.device.api.ui.component.EditField
2. Create an instance of a BasicEditField.
BasicEditField bf = new BasicEditField("BasicEditField: ", "", 10,
EditField.FILTER_UPPERCASE);
Create an editable text field that allows special characters

1. Import the net.rim.device.api.ui.component.EditField class.
2. Create an instance of an EditField.
EditField edit = new EditField("EditField: ", "", 10, EditField.FILTER_DEFAULT);
Create a text field for AutoText

If a text field supports AutoText, when users press the Space key twice, the BlackBerry® device inserts a period, capitalizes the
next letter after a period, and replaces words as defined in the AutoText application.
• net.rim.device.api.ui.component.AutoTextEditField
• net.rim.device.api.ui.autotext.AutoText
120
• net.rim.device.api.ui.component.BasicEditField
2. Create an instance of an AutoTextEditField.
AutoTextEditField autoT = new AutoTextEditField("AutoTextEditField: ", "");
Create a date field

import java.lang.*;
{
{
}
public MyUi()
{
}
}
{
public MyUiScreen()
{
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, create a date field by using the DateField class. Provide System.currentTimeMillis
() as a parameter to return the current time. Use the DateField.DATE_TIME style to display both the date and the
time. You can use other styles to display only the date or only the time.
add(new DateField("Date: ", System.currentTimeMillis(),
DateField.DATE_TIME));
121
Development Guide Tree views
Create a password field

1. Import the net.rim.device.api.ui.component.PasswordEditField class.
2. Create an instance of a PasswordEditField.
For example, the following instance uses a constructor that lets you provide a default initial value for the
PasswordEditField:
PasswordEditField pwd = new PasswordEditField("PasswordEditField: ", "");
Tree views
Use a tree view to display objects, such as folders, in a hierarchical manner.
Objects in the tree view are nodes. The highest node is the root node. A node in the tree can have child nodes under it. A node
that has a child is a parent node.
Users can perform the following action in a tree view:

and a trackpad
Expand or collapse an object Press the Space key or click the trackpad. • Tap the object.
with a plus sign (+) or minus sign • Press the Space key.
(-) in a hierarchy. • Click the trackpad.
122
Best practice: Implementing tree views

• Use the TreeField class to create tree views.
• Provide a pop-up menu if users can perform multiple actions when they click a parent node.
• Include a root node only if users need the ability to perform actions on the entire tree. Otherwise, exclude the root node.
Create a field to display a tree view

Use a tree view to display objects, such as a folder structure, in a hierarchical manner. A TreeField contains nodes. The highest
node is the root node. A node in the tree can have child nodes under it. A node that has a child is a parent node.
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.TreeField;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.TreeFieldCallback;
import java.lang.String;
2. Implement the TreeFieldCallback interface.
3. Invoke TreeField.setExpanded() on the TreeField object to specify whether a folder is collapsible. Create a
TreeField object and multiple child nodes to the TreeField object. Invoke TreeField.setExpanded() using
node4 as a parameter to collapse the folder.
String fieldOne = new String("Main folder");
...
TreeCallback myCallback = new TreeCallback();
TreeField myTree = new TreeField(myCallback, Field.FOCUSABLE);
int node1 = myTree.addChildNode(0, fieldOne);
int node2 = myTree.addChildNode(0, fieldTwo);
int node3 = myTree.addChildNode(node2, fieldThree);
int node4 = myTree.addChildNode(node3, fieldFour);
...
int node10 = myTree.addChildNode(node1, fieldTen);
myTree.setExpanded(node4, false);
...
mainScreen.add(myTree);
4. To repaint a TreeField when a node changes, create a class that implements the TreeFieldCallback interface and
implement the TreeFieldCallback.drawTreeItem method. The TreeFieldCallback.drawTreeItem
method uses the cookie for a tree node to draw a String in the location of a node. The
TreeFieldCallback.drawTreeItem method invokes Graphics.drawText() to draw the String.
private class TreeCallback implements TreeFieldCallback
{
public void drawTreeItem(TreeField _tree, Graphics g, int node, int y, int
width, int indent)
{
String text = (String)_tree.getCookie(node);
123
g.drawText(text, indent, y);

}
}
124
Development Guide Images
Images 9
Using encoded images
Access an encoded image through an input stream

1. Import the required classes.
import java.io.InputStream;
2. Save the image to the project folder or sub-folder.
3. Add the image to the project in the BlackBerry® Java® Plug-in Eclipse® or the BlackBerry® Java® Development Environment.
4. Invoke getClass().getResourceAsStream() to retrieve the image as an input stream of bytes.
private InputStream input;
...
Class _class = this.getClass();
input = _class.getResourceAsStream("/images/example.png");
Encode an image
1. Import the required classes.
import net.rim.device.api.system.EncodedImage;
2. Invoke EncodedImage.createEncodedImage(). This method uses the unprocessed image data in the byte array
to create an instance of EncodedImage.
3. Check for an IllegalArgumentException, which EncodedImage.createEncodedImage() throws if the byte
array that you provide as a parameter does not contain a recognized image format.
// Store the contents of the image file.
private byte[] data = new byte[2430];
try {
// Read the image data into the byte array
input.read(data);
} catch (IOException e) {
// Handle exception.
}
try {
EncodedImage image = EncodedImage.createEncodedImage(data, 0, data.length);
} catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) {
System.out.println("Image format not recognized.");
}
125
Development Guide Displaying an image for zooming and panning
Display an encoded image

1. Import the required class.
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.BitmapField;
2. Invoke BitmapField.setImage() to assign the encoded image to a BitmapField.
3. Invoke add() to add the BitmapField to the screen.
BitmapField field = new BitmapField();
field.setImage(image);
add(field);
Specify the display size of an encoded image

2. Invoke EncodedImage.scaleImage32(int scaleX, int scaleY). The passed scale value parameters must be
net.rim.device.api.math.Fixed32 numbers (0 < scale < 1 for upscaling, and scale > 1 for downscaling).
scaleImage32() creates a new EncodedImage instead of modifying the current one.
Specify the decoding mode for an image

2. Invoke EncodedImage.setDecodeMode() using one of the following modes as a parameter:
• Use DECODE_ALPHA to decode an alpha channel, if one exists (this is the default mode).
• Use DECODE_NATIVE to force decoding of the bitmap image to the native bitmap image type of the BlackBerry® Device
Software.
• Use DECODE_READONLY to mark the decoded bitmap image as read-only.
Displaying an image for zooming and panning

The ZoomScreen class allows you to provide zoom and pan the functionality to an image. When a BlackBerry® device user
clicks the trackball or touch screen, the screen displays the center region of the image zoomed in.
When the image is zoomed in, the screen also displays an overlay highlighting the zoomed region. Scrolling the trackball or
sliding a finger around the screen pans around the image. When the user stops panning and zooming the overlay disappears
from the screen.
126
Development Guide Displaying an image for zooming and panning
On BlackBerry devices with a touch screen, users can define the region of the image to zoom. The user can touch two points on
the image to define the diagonally opposite corners of the region. When the region is selected, teh user can move one finger
around the image to move the zoom region. To zoom in on the defined region, the user clicks the screen. To zoom out, the user
presses the Escape key.
Code sample: Displaying an image for zooming and panning

public class ZoomableImageApp extends UiApplication

{
{
ZoomableImageApp theApp = new ZoomableImageApp();
}
public ZoomableImageApp()
{
EncodedImage myImg = EncodedImage.getEncodedImageResource("myImg.jpg");
ZoomScreen zoomableImg = new ZoomScreen(myImg);
pushScreen(zoomableImg);
}
}
Display an image for zooming and panning

1. Import the required classes and interfaces:
class and invoke enterEventDispatcher() to enable the application to receive events. In the constructor, create an
EncodedImage using a resource in your project, create a ZoomScreen with the EncodedImage, and invoke
pushScreen() to display the image for zooming and panning.
public class ZoomableImageApp extends UiApplication
{
{
ZoomableImageApp theApp = new ZoomableImageApp();
127
Development Guide Displaying a row of images for scrolling
}
public ZoomableImageApp()
{
EncodedImage myImg = EncodedImage.getEncodedImageResource("myImg.jpg");
ZoomScreen zoomableImg = new ZoomScreen(myImg);
pushScreen(zoomableImg);
}
}
Displaying a row of images for scrolling

You can use the PictureScrollField class to render a horizontal row of images that the user can scroll through by using
the trackball or touch gestures.
The PictureScrollField allows you to define the highlighting style of the selected image, the background style of the
PictureScrollField, the text displayed below the selected image, the tooltip text that appears when an image is initially
selected, and the height and width of the images.
Code sample: Displaying a row of images for scrolling

import net.rim.device.api.ui.extension.component.*;
public class PictureScrollFieldDemo extends UiApplication

{
{
PictureScrollFieldDemo app = new PictureScrollFieldDemo();
}
public PictureScrollFieldDemo()
{
pushScreen(new PictureScrollFieldDemoScreen());
}
}
class PictureScrollFieldDemoScreen extends MainScreen

{
public PictureScrollFieldDemoScreen()
{
setTitle("PictureScrollField Demo");
128
Bitmap[] images = new Bitmap[3];

String[] labels = new String[3];
String[] tooltips = new String[3];
images[0] = Bitmap.getBitmapResource("img1.jpg");
labels[0] = "Label for image 1";
tooltips[0] = "Tooltip for image 1";
ScrollEntry[] entries = ScrollEntry[3];
for (int i = 0; i < entries.length; i++)

{
entries[i] = new ScrollEntry(images[i], labels[i],tooltips[i]);
}
PictureScrollField pictureScrollField = new PictureScrollField(150, 100);

pictureScrollField.setData(entries, 0);
pictureScrollField.setHighlightStyle(HighlightStyle.ILLUMINATE);
pictureScrollField.setHighlightBorderColor(Color.BLUE);
pictureScrollField.setBackground
(BackgroundFactory.createSolidTransparentBackground(Color.RED, 150));
pictureScrollField.setLabelsVisible(true);
add(pictureScrollField);
}
}
Display a row of images for scrolling

import net.rim.device.api.ui.extension.component.*;
129
pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The PictureScrollFieldDemoScreen class,
public class PictureScrollFieldDemo extends UiApplication
{
{
PictureScrollFieldDemo app = new PictureScrollFieldDemo();
}
public PictureScrollFieldDemo()
{
pushScreen(new PictureScrollFieldDemoScreen());
}
}
class PictureScrollFieldDemoScreen extends MainScreen
{
public PictureScrollFieldDemoScreen()
{
}
}
4. In the constructor, invoke setTitle() to set the text that appears in the title section of the screen.
setTitle("PictureScrollField Demo");
5. In the constructor, create and initialize three arrays to store the images to display in the PictureScrollField and the
labels and tooltip text that appear when each image is selected. In this example, the PictureScrollField contains
three images.
Bitmap[] images = new Bitmap[3];
String[] labels = new String[3];
String[] tooltips = new String[3];
130
6. In the constructor, create and initialize an array of ScrollEntry objects. A ScrollEntry represents each item in the
PictureScrollField.
ScrollEntry[] entries = ScrollEntry[3];
for (int i = 0; i < entries.length; i++)

{
entries[i] = new ScrollEntry(images[i], labels[i], tooltips[i]);
}
7. In the constructor, create and initialize the PictureScrollField with each image 150 pixels wide and 100 pixels high.
Invoke setData() to set the entries in the PictureScrollField. The second paramater in setData() specifies
which image position is selected by default.
PictureScrollField pictureScrollField = new PictureScrollField(150,
100);
pictureScrollField.setData(entries, 0);
8. In the constructor, set the style of the PictureScrollField. Invoke setHighlightStyle() to specify how the
selected image is highlighted. Invoke setHighlightBorderColor() to specify the selected image's border color.
Invoke setBackground() to specify the background of the PictureScrollField. Invoke setLabelVisible
() to specify whether the PictureScrollField displays the selected image's label.
pictureScrollField.setHighlightStyle(HighlightStyle.ILLUMINATE);
pictureScrollField.setHighlightBorderColor(Color.BLUE);
pictureScrollField.setBackground(BackgroundFactory
.createSolidTransparentBackground(Color.RED, 150));
pictureScrollField.setLabelsVisible(true);
9. In the constructor, invoke add() to display the PictureScrollField.
add(pictureScrollField);
131
Development Guide Menu items
Menu items 10
Create a menu
The MainScreen class provides standard components of a BlackBerry® device application. It includes a default menu.
invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The CreateMenuScreen class, which is
public class CreateMenu extends UiApplication
{
{
CreateMenu theApp = new CreateMenu();
}
public CreateMenu()
{
pushScreen(new CreateMenuScreen());
}
}
setTitle() to specify the title for the screen. Invoke add() to add a text field to the screen. Invoke addMenuItem
() to add a menu item to the menu that MainScreen creates.
class CreateMenuScreen extends MainScreen
{
public CreateMenuScreen()
{
setTitle("Create Menu Sample");
add(new RichTextField("Create a menu"));
addMenuItem(_viewItem);
}
}
4. Create the menu item by using the MenuItem class. Override run() to specify the action that occurs when the user clicks
the menu item. When the user clicks the menu item, the application invokes Menu.run().
132
Development Guide Create a menu
private MenuItem _viewItem = new MenuItem("More Info", 110, 10)

{
public void run()
{
Dialog.inform("Display more information");
}
};
5. Override close() to display a dialog box when the user clicks the Close menu item. By default, the Close menu item is
included in the menu that MainScreen creates. Invoke super.close() to close the application. When the user closes
the dialog box, the application invokes MainScreen.close() to close the application.
public void close()
{
Dialog.alert("Goodbye!");
super.close();
}
Code sample: Creating a menu

public class CreateMenu extends UiApplication

{
{
CreateMenu theApp = new CreateMenu();
}
public CreateMenu()
{
pushScreen(new CreateMenuScreen());
}
}
class CreateMenuScreen extends MainScreen
{
public CreateMenuScreen()
{
setTitle("Create Menu Sample");
add(new RichTextField("Create a menu"));
addMenuItem(_viewItem);
}
private MenuItem _viewItem = new MenuItem("More Info", 110, 10)
{
public void run()
{
Dialog.inform("Display more information");
}
133
Development Guide Best practice: Implementing menus
};
public void close()
{
Dialog.alert("Goodbye!");
super.close();
}
}
Best practice: Implementing menus

• Always provide a full menu.
• Make sure that users can press the Menu key to open the full menu and to initiate an action when a menu item is highlighted.
Make sure that users can also hold the Menu key to open the dialog box for switching applications.
• For the default menu item, use the menu item that users are most likely to select.
• Place the default menu item and other common menu items in the middle of the menu.
• Verify that the order of menu items is consistent with the order of menu items in other BlackBerry® device applications.
• Group menu items according to common usage or common functionality, and where possible, test your groupings with users.
• Insert separators between menu item groupings.
• Do not place menu items for conflicting actions close together. For example, do not place a "Delete" menu item beside an
"Open" menu item.
• Always include the "Switch application" and "Close" menu items. Place these menu items at the end of the menu. If you
use standard components, these menu items are included automatically.
• Use concise, descriptive labels that are no longer than 12 characters. If a label is too long, an ellipsis (...) appears to indicate
that the text is truncated.
• Use verbs for labels.
• Use title case capitalization for labels.
• Use an ellipsis in a menu item label to indicate that users must perform another action after they click the menu item. For
example, if users click the Go To Date... menu item in the calendar, they must specify a date on the screen that appears.
• Avoid using symbols such as an asterisk (*) in labels.
Submenus
A submenu is a group of related menu items that appears as a subset of a menu item in the full menu. By including items in a
submenu, users can find frequently used items or important items more easily in the full menu. Submenus typically include the
following types of actions:
• sending items in multiple ways (for example, sending a picture in an email message, an MMS message, or as an audio
postcard)
• sorting, searching for, finding, and filtering items in different ways (for example, filtering messages by sender or subject)
134
Development Guide Submenus
• changing views (for example, day, week, or agenda view in a calendar)

and a trackpad
When a menu item is • Click the trackpad. • Tap the menu item.
highlighted in a full menu, • Move a finger to the right on the • Click the trackpad.
display a submenu. trackpad. • Move a finger to the right on the
• Press the Menu key. trackpad.
• Press the Enter key. • Press the Menu key.
Choose a menu item from a • Click the trackpad. • Tap the menu item.
submenu. • Press the Menu key. • Click the trackpad.
• Press the Enter key. • Press the Menu key.
Close a submenu. • Move a finger to the left on the • Tap outside the submenu.
trackpad. • Move a finger to the left on the
• Press the Escape key. trackpad.
• Press the Escape key.
Close a submenu and a full Press the Escape key twice. • Tap outside the full menu and the
menu. submenu twice.
• Press the Escape key twice.
• Open or close the slider.
An arrow appears when submenu items are available for an item in the full menu.
135
A full menu item with an arrow A full menu and a submenu
Best practice: Implementing submenus

• Use the Submenu subclass to create submenus.
• Use submenus to reduce the number of menu items in the full menu. For example, if users have to scroll to see all the items
in a full menu, group some of the menu items in a submenu.
• Group related items in a submenu. For example, if "Sort By" appears in the full menu, group "Date," "Name," and "Subject"
in a submenu.
• Consider grouping advanced features in a submenu. For example, use "Additional Options" in the full menu and group the
options in the submenu.
• Avoid using submenus for only one or two menu items.
• If a submenu includes more than six items, consider grouping the items into two sections in the submenu. Place the menu
items that are frequently used at the top of the submenu, insert a separator, and then order the rest of the items alphabetically.
• If a menu item requires users to do more than click the item (for example, if a user has to specify a date), open a dialog box.
• Avoid including frequently used menu items or important menu items in submenus.
• Avoid implementing a submenu from a submenu.
• In the full menu, use concise, descriptive labels that clearly define the action. Users should not have to open the submenu
to understand the meaning of the item in the full menu.
• In the full menu, use verbs for labels. Use nouns only if the meaning is clear. For example, if "Email Accounts" appears in
the full menu, group each email account in a submenu.
• Avoid repeating verbs in submenus. For example, avoid using "Sort By" in the full menu and "Sort By Date" and "Sort By
Name" in the submenu.
• Use title case capitalization for labels. Capitalize the first word in the submenu even if it is a preposition. For example, use
"Send" > "As Email" instead of "as Email").
136
• Avoid using the term "More" in the full menu unless the location of the menu item clearly indicates what "more" refers to.
For example, if "Inbox," "Outbox," and "More" appear between separators in the full menu, group additional options
associated with a mailbox in a submenu.
Create a submenu
You can create a submenu for your BlackBerry® device application. A submenu appears when a user selects a menu item that
has a submenu associated with it.
invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The CreateSubmenuScreen class, which is
public class CreateSubmenu extends UiApplication
{
{
CreateSubmenu theApp = new CreateSubmenu();
}
public CreateSubmenu()
{
pushScreen(new CreateSubmenuScreen());
}
}
setTitle() to specify the title for the screen. Invoke add() to add a text field to the screen.
class CreateSubmenuScreen extends MainScreen
{
public CreateSubmenuScreen()
{
setTitle("Create Submenu Sample");
add(new RichTextField("Create a submenu"));
}
}
4. Create the submenu items by using the MenuItem class. For each submenu item, override run() to specify the action
that occurs when the user clicks the menu item. When the user clicks the menu item, the application invokes Menu.run().
private MenuItem _status1 = new MenuItem("Available", 100, 1)
{
public void run()
137
{
Dialog.inform("I'm available");
}
};
private MenuItem _status2 = new MenuItem("Unavailable", 200, 2)
{
public void run()
{
Dialog.inform("I'm unavailable");
}
};
5. Override makeMenu() to create the menu for the application. Create the submenu by using the SubMenu class. Invoke
add() to add the submenu items to the submenu. Invoke super.makeMenu() to create the menu.
protected void makeMenu( Menu menu, int instance )
{
SubMenu statusSubMenu = new SubMenu(null,"My Status",300,3);
statusSubMenu.add(_status1);
menu.add(statusSubMenu);
super.makeMenu(menu, instance);
};
Code sample: Creating a submenu

public class CreateSubmenu extends UiApplication

{
{
CreateSubmenu theApp = new CreateSubmenu();
}
public CreateSubmenu()
{
pushScreen(new CreateSubmenuScreen());
}
}
class CreateSubmenuScreen extends MainScreen
{
public CreateSubmenuScreen()
{
setTitle("Create Submenu Sample");
add(new RichTextField("Create a submenu"));
}
private MenuItem _status1 = new MenuItem("Available", 100, 1)
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Development Guide Pop-up menus
{
public void run()
{
Dialog.inform("I'm available");
}
};
private MenuItem _status2 = new MenuItem("Unavailable", 200, 2)
{
public void run()
{
Dialog.inform("I'm unavailable");
}
};
protected void makeMenu( Menu menu, int instance )
{
SubMenu statusSubMenu = new SubMenu(null,"My Status",300,3);
menu.add(statusSubMenu);
super.makeMenu(menu, instance);
};
}
Pop-up menus
A pop-up menu provides users with a quick way to access the most common actions for a highlighted item. You can also use a
pop-up menu if a highlighted item has multiple actions associated with it or if a highlighted item does not have any primary
actions associated with it. You can create a pop-up menu that contains nine actions, six actions, or three actions.

and a trackpad
Open a pop-up menu. • Click the trackpad. • Tap the item.
• If a primary action has already been • Click the trackpad.
assigned to an item (for example, open • If a primary action has already been
a message), users can click and hold assigned to an item (for example, open
the trackpad to open a pop-up menu. a message), users can click and hold the
trackpad or touch and hold a finger on
the touch screen to open a pop-up
menu.
Choose an item from a pop-up • Click the trackpad. • Tap the item.
menu. • Press the Enter key. • Click the trackpad.
139

and a trackpad
Close a pop-up menu. Press the Escape key. • Tap outside the pop-up menu.
• Press the Escape key.
• Open or close the slider.
Pop-up menus replace context menus, or short menus. Any existing context menus are automatically converted into pop-up
menus.
Best practice: Implementing pop-up menus

• Use pop-up menus instead of context menus (short menus). Make sure that the pop-up menu provides value to users.
• Set the menu item that users are most likely to choose as the default menu item. The default item in the pop-up menu
should be the same as the default item in the full menu.
• Only include the most common actions for a highlighted item in a pop-up menu.
• Include an icon and a label for each item in the pop-up menu. Create icons with an average size of 33-by-33 pixels. These
icons appear on a 60-by-40 pixel canvas and should have some negative space.
Guidelines for placing items in pop-up menus
• Place the default menu item in the center of the pop-up menu.
• Order the rest of the items from most common to least common according to the numbered positions below. Try to leverage
users' muscle memory by making the order of actions consistent with the order of actions in other BlackBerry® device
applications.
140
• If the positions are filled dynamically, do not display menu items that are unavailable. Allow the available menu items to
shift position.
• If there are not enough actions to fill the menu, use a smaller menu. If one or two positions need to be filled, include useful
actions such as Copy or Search. If you do not fill a position, "Switch Application" or "Home" appears.
About placing items in the pop-up menus

Pop-up menus display menu items in a 3-by-3, 3-by-2, or 3-by-1 grid depending on the number of items. By default, the pop-up
menu always includes an item to open the full menu. You can provide up to eight additional items. If you provide more than eight
items, the additional items are not displayed. You can add additional items to the full menu instead.
The first item that you add to the vector of CommandItem elements is the default item in the pop-up menu. The default item
appears highlighted in the center of the grid when the BlackBerry® device user opens the pop-up menu. The other items are
positioned in the pop-up menu based on the order that you add them.
If the number of items that you add to the pop-up menu leaves empty cells in the grid, filler items are added to the menu. The
first filler item is an option to switch applications. The second filler item is an option to return to the Home screen.
Support for legacy context menus

Since BlackBerry® Java® SDK 6.0, an application's context menu or short menu is converted to a pop-up menu. Whether you
added menu items to a context menu or used the items that were added to the context menu by default, you do not have to
change your code to have these items appear in the pop-up menu instead. However, BlackBerry Java SDK 6.0 includes classes
and interfaces that you can use to build a pop-up menu, and allows you to use the Command Framework API and make your
141
code more modular. For example, if your application has a UI component and a menu item that performs the same function, by
using the Command Framework API, you can write the code for that function once and use it throughout your application, as
well as make it available for other applications to use.
A context menu item included an ordinal number which determined the placement of the item in the menu. The lower the ordinal
number, the higher the position of the item in the menu. When a context menu is converted to a pop-up menu, the menu item
that has the lowest ordinal number becomes the default pop-up menu item. The remaining items are added to the pop-up menu
from the lowest ordinal number to the highest. If an icon was associated with a menu item in your legacy context menu, it is used
for the item in the pop-up menu. Otherwise, a default icon is used. Similar to other pop-up menus, only the first eight context
menu items are displayed in the pop-up menu. If the context menu has more than eight menu items, make sure that you use the
ordinal numbers for the menu items appropriately so that the most important and useful items appear in the pop-up menu.
For more information about creating context menus, visit the BlackBerry Developer Resource Center at www.blackberry.com/
developer to read Distinguish between a full menu and a primary actions menu.
Creating a pop-up menu

You can create a pop-up menu by using classes that are available in the net.rim.device.api.ui.menu package, and you
can define the functionality of the pop-up menu items by using the Command Framework API.
A pop-up menu consists of a context menu provider, a command item provider, and command items.
Context menu provider You use the DefaultContextMenuProvider class to create and display a
screen's pop-up menu. When a BlackBerry® device user opens a pop-up menu, the
context menu provider looks for fields on the screen that are command item
providers. DefaultContextMenuProvider is the default implementation of
ContextMenuProvider. If you do not provide a screen with a context menu
provider, the legacy context menu is converted and displayed as a pop-up menu.
Command item provider You use the CommandItemProvider class to configure a field on your UI screen
so that the field can provide context and command items to the pop-up menu based
on the current context. For example, you could configure an email address as a
command item provider and provide the user with different actions based on
whether the email address is in the user's contact list.
Command items You use the CommandItem class to specify the text, icon, and behavior of a pop-
up menu item. You define the behavior of the pop-up menu by using a command.
The command acts as a proxy to an instance of a command handler, which defines
the functionality of the pop-up menu item. For example, for an email address, you
142
could provide command items to add or view a contact based on whether the
selected email address appears in the user's contact list. The command handler
would contain the code to add or view the contact.
For more information on commands and command handlers, see Command

Framework API. The Command Framework sample application that is provided in
the BlackBerry® Java® SDK demonstrates commands and command handlers.
If you use a legacy context menu, BlackBerry® Device Software 6.0 converts the context menu items to command items and
provides them to the command item provider. For more information, see Support for legacy context menus.
Create a pop-up menu

import net.rim.device.api.ui.menu.*;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.image.*;
import net.rim.device.api.util.*;
import java.util.*;
invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The MyPopUpMenuScreen class, which is
public class MyPopUpMenuApp extends UiApplication
{
{
Mypop-upMenuApp theApp = new Mypop-upMenuApp();
}
public Mypop-upMenuApp()
{
pushScreen(new Mypop-upMenuScreen());
}
}
143
class MyPopUpMenuScreen extends MainScreen

{
EmailAddressEditField emailAddress;
public Mypop-upMenuScreen()
{
setTitle("Pop-Up Menu Demo");
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, specify a context menu provider. Pass a DefaultContextMenuProvider object to
Screen.setContextMenuProvider() to enable your screen to display a pop-up menu.
setContextMenuProvider(new DefaultContextMenuProvider());
5. In the screen constructor, create UI components that can invoke the pop-up menu. In the following code sample, the label
uses the Field.FOCUSABLE property to allow users to highlight the field.
LabelField labelField = new LabelField("Click to invoke pop-up menu",
Field.FOCUSABLE);
emailAddress = new EmailAddressEditField("Email address: ", "name@blackberry.com",
40);
6. In the screen constructor, configure the UI components as command item providers. The
DefaultContextMenuProvider object looks for fields that are configured as command item providers, and uses them
to create and display a pop-up menu. For each component, invoke Field.setCommandItemProvider() to configure
the field as a command item provider. The ItemProvider class is described in step 7.
ItemProvider itemProvider = new ItemProvider();
labelField.setCommandItemProvider(itemProvider);
emailAddress.setCommandItemProvider(itemProvider);
7. In the custom screen, implement the CommandItemProvider interface. In getContext(), return the field that is
configured as a command item provider. In getItems(), create a Vector object to add the pop-up menu items to.
class ItemProvider implements CommandItemProvider
{
public Object getContext(Field field)
{
return field;
}
public Vector getItems(Field field)
{
}
}
8. In getItems(), provide the pop-up menu items by creating instances of the CommandItem class. For each command
item, specify the pop-up menu text, icon, and command. In the following code sample, an if-then-else statement is
used to check which component invoked the pop-up menu before creating the CommandItem. The command is a proxy
to an instance of a class that extends the abstract CommandHandler class, which is described in step 9. Invoke
Vector.addElement() to add the pop-up menu items to the Vector. Return the Vector.
144
CommandItem defaultCmd;
Image myIcon = ImageFactory.createImage(Bitmap.getBitmapResource("my_logo.png"));
if(field.equals(emailAddress)){
defaultCmd = new CommandItem(new StringProvider("Email Address"), myIcon, new
Command(new DialogCommandHandler()));
}
else {
defaultCmd = new CommandItem(new StringProvider("Label Field"), myIcon, new
Command(new DialogCommandHandler()));
}
items.addElement(defaultCmd);
return items;
9. In the custom screen, create a command handler by creating a class that extends the abstract CommandHandler class.
In execute(), define the functionality that you want to associate with the pop-up menu items. This command handler
could be used by any UI component on your screen (for example, full menu items, buttons, and so on). Because canExecute
() is not implemented, this command is always executable. In the following code sample, a dialog box appears when the
user clicks a pop-up menu item.
{
{
}
}
Code sample: Creating a pop-up menu

import net.rim.device.api.ui.menu.*;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.image.*;
import net.rim.device.api.util.*;
import java.util.*;
public class MyPopUpMenuApp extends UiApplication

{
{
MyPopUpMenuApp theApp = new MyPopUpMenuApp();
}
145
public MyPopUpMenuApp()
{
pushScreen(new MyPopUpMenuScreen());
}
}
class MyPopUpMenuScreen extends MainScreen

{
EmailAddressEditField emailAddress;
public MyPopUpMenuScreen()
{
setTitle("Pop-Up Menu Demo");
setContextMenuProvider(new DefaultContextMenuProvider());
LabelField labelField = new LabelField("Click to invoke pop-up menu",

Field.FOCUSABLE);
emailAddress = new EmailAddressEditField("Email address: ",
"name@blackberry.com", 40);
ItemProvider itemProvider = new ItemProvider();
labelField.setCommandItemProvider(itemProvider);
emailAddress.setCommandItemProvider(itemProvider);
add(labelField);
add(emailAddress);
}
/* To override the default functionality that prompts the user to save changes
before the application closes,
* override the MainScreen.onSavePrompt() method. In the following code sample,
the return value is true which
* indicates that the application does not prompt the user before closing.
*/
protected boolean onSavePrompt()
{
return true;
}
class ItemProvider implements CommandItemProvider
{
public Object getContext(Field field)
{
return field;
}
public Vector getItems(Field field)
{
Vector items = new Vector();
CommandItem defaultCmd;
Image myIcon = ImageFactory.createImage(Bitmap
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Development Guide Adding a menu item to a BlackBerry Device Software application
.getBitmapResource("my_logo.png"));
if(field.equals(emailAddress)){
defaultCmd = new CommandItem(new StringProvider("Email Address"),
myIcon, new Command(new DialogCommandHandler()));
}
else{
defaultCmd = new CommandItem(new StringProvider("Label Field"),
myIcon, new Command(new DialogCommandHandler()));
}
items.addElement(defaultCmd);
return items;
}
}
{
{
}
}
}
Adding a menu item to a BlackBerry Device Software application

You can add a menu item to a BlackBerry® Device Software application by using the Menu Item API in the
net.rim.blackberry.api.menuitem package. For example, you can add a menu item called View Sales Order to the
contacts application on a BlackBerry device so that when a user clicks the menu item, a CRM application opens and displays a
list of sales orders for that contact.
The ApplicationMenuItemRepository class provides the constants that specify the BlackBerry Device Software
application that your menu item should appear in. For example, the MENUITEM_MESSAGE_LIST constant specifies that the
menu item should appear in the messages application.
Add a menu item to a BlackBerry Device Software application

import net.rim.blackberry.api.menuitem.*;
import net.rim.blackberry.api.pdap.*;
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Development Guide Adding a menu item to a BlackBerry Device Software application
2. Extend the abstract ApplicationMenuItem class to create a menu item. Override the ApplicationMenuItem()
constructor with an integer to specify the position of the menu item in the menu. A higher number positions the menu item
lower in the menu.
public class SampleMenuItem extends ApplicationMenuItem
{
SampleMenuItem()
{
super(20);
}
}
3. Implement toString() to specify the menu item text.
public String toString()
{
return "Open the Contacts Demo application";
}
4. Invoke getInstance() to retrieve the application repository.
ApplicationMenuItemRepository repository =
ApplicationMenuItemRepository.getInstance();
5. Create an instance of a class to extend the MenuItem class.
ContactsDemoMenuItem contactsDemoMenuItem = new
ContactsDemoMenuItem();
6. Invoke ApplicationMenuItemRepository.addMenuItem() to add the menu item to the relevant BlackBerry®
device application repository.
repository.addMenuItem(ApplicationMenuItemRepository
.MENUITEM_ADDRESSCARD_VIEW, contactsDemoMenuItem);
7. Implement run() to specify the behavior of the menu item. In the following code sample, when a user clicks the new menu
item and a Contact object exists, the ContactsDemo application receives the event and invokes
ContactsDemo.enterEventDispatcher().
public Object run(Object context)
{
BlackBerryContact c = (BlackBerryContact)context;
if ( c != null )
{
new ContactsDemo().enterEventDispatcher();
}
else
{
throw new IllegalStateException( "Context is null, expected a Contact
instance");
}
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Development Guide Changing the appearance of a menu
Dialog.alert("Viewing an email message in the email view");

return null;
}
Changing the appearance of a menu

You can change the background, border, and font of a menu by using the Menu class in the
net.rim.device.api.ui.component package. For example, you can change the appearance of the menu so that it has
a look and feel that is similar to the rest of your BlackBerry® device application. When you change the appearance of a menu,
your BlackBerry device application overrides the theme that is set on the BlackBerry device.
Change the appearance of a menu

invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The CreateCustomMenuScreen class , which
is described in step 3, represents the custom screen.
public class CreateCustomMenu extends UiApplication
{
{
CreateCustomMenu theApp = new CreateCustomMenu();
}
public CreateCustomMenu()
{
pushScreen(new CreateCustomMenuScreen());
}
}
setTitle() to specify the title for the screen. Invoke add() to add a text field on the screen.
class CreateCustomMenuScreen extends MainScreen
{
Background _menuBackground;
Border _menuBorder;
Font _menuFont;
CreateCustomMenuScreen()
149
{
setTitle("Custom Menu Sample");
add(new RichTextField("Creating a custom menu"));
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, specify the appearance of the menu. Create the spacing for the border around the menu by
creating an XYEdges object. Invoke createRoundedBorder() to create a border with rounded corners. Invoke
createSolidTransparentBackground() to create a transparent background color for the menu.
XYEdges thickPadding = new XYEdges(10, 10, 10, 10);
_menuBorder = BorderFactory.createRoundedBorder(thickPadding,
Border.STYLE_DOTTED);
_menuBackground = BackgroundFactory.createSolidTransparentBackground(Color
.LIGHTSTEELBLUE, 50);
5. In the screen constructor, specify the font for the menu by using a FontFamily object. Invoke forName() to retrieve a
font from on the BlackBerry® device. Invoke getFont() to specify the style and size of the font.
try
{
FontFamily family = FontFamily.forName("BBCasual");
_menuFont = family.getFont(Font.PLAIN, 30, Ui.UNITS_px);
}
catch(final ClassNotFoundException cnfe)
{
{
public void run()
{
Dialog.alert("FontFamily.forName() threw " + cnfe.toString());
}
});
}
6. In the screen class, override makeMenu() to apply the appearance of the menu. Invoke setBackground(), setBorder
(), and setFont() to apply the appearance the menu that you specified in steps 4 and 5.
protected void makeMenu(Menu menu, int context)
{
menu.setBorder(_menuBorder);
menu.setBackground(_menuBackground);
menu.setFont(_menuFont);
super.makeMenu(menu, context);
}
Code sample: Changing the appearance of a menu

150
public class CreateCustomMenu extends UiApplication

{
{
CreateCustomMenu theApp = new CreateCustomMenu();
}
public CreateCustomMenu()
{
pushScreen(new CreateCustomMenuScreen());
}
}
class CreateCustomMenuScreen extends MainScreen
{
Border _menuBorder;
Background _menuBackground;
Font _menuFont;
CreateCustomMenuScreen()
{
setTitle("Custom Menu Sample");
add(new RichTextField("Creating a custom menu"));
XYEdges thickPadding = new XYEdges(10, 10, 10, 10);

_menuBorder = BorderFactory.createRoundedBorder(thickPadding,
Border.STYLE_DOTTED);
_menuBackground = BackgroundFactory.createSolidTransparentBackground(Color
.LIGHTSTEELBLUE, 50);
try
{
FontFamily family = FontFamily.forName("BBCasual");
_menuFont = family.getFont(Font.PLAIN, 30, Ui.UNITS_px);
}
catch(final ClassNotFoundException cnfe)
{
{
public void run()
{
Dialog.alert("FontFamily.forName() threw " + cnfe.toString());
}
});
}
}
protected void makeMenu(Menu menu, int context)
{
menu.setBorder(_menuBorder);
menu.setBackground(_menuBackground);
menu.setFont(_menuFont);
151
super.makeMenu(menu, context);
}
}
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Development Guide Custom fonts
Custom fonts 11
The FontManager class in the net.rim.device.api.ui package provides constants and methods that you can use to
install and uninstall a TrueType font on a BlackBerry® device. The maximum size allowed for the TrueType font file is 60 KB. You
can specify whether the font is available to the application that installs the font or to all applications on the BlackBerry device.
The FontManager class also provides methods to set the default font for the BlackBerry device or application.
Install and use a custom font in a BlackBerry Java application

import java.util.*;
invoke pushScreen() to display the custom screen for the application. The FontLoadingDemoScreen class,
public class FontLoadingDemo extends UiApplication
{
{
FontLoadingDemo app = new FontLoadingDemo();
}
public FontLoadingDemo()
{
pushScreen(new FontLoadingDemoScreen());
}
}
3. Create the custom screen by extending the MainScreen class. Invoke setTitle() to set the text that appears in the
title section of the screen. Create a new LabelField object. You will apply the custom font to this object.
class FontLoadingDemoScreen extends MainScreen
{
public FontLoadingDemoScreen()
{
setTitle("Font Loading Demo");
LabelField helloWorld = new LabelField("Hello World");
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Development Guide Code sample: Installing and using a custom font in a BlackBerry Java application
}
}
4. In the screen constructor, invoke the FontManager.getInstance() method to get a reference to the
FontManager object, then invoke the load() method to install the font. Wrap the load() invocation in an IF statement
to check if the installation was successful. The load() method returns a flag specifying if font is successfully installed.
The following code specifies that the font that can be used only by the application.
if (FontManager.getInstance().load("Myfont.ttf", "MyFont",
FontManager.APPLICATION_FONT) == FontManager.SUCCESS)
{
}
5. In the screen constructor, in a try/catch block in the IF statement you created in step 5, create a Font object for the font
you just installed. Invoke the setFont() method to apply the font to the LabelField you created in step 5.
try
{
FontFamily family = FontFamily.forName("MyFont");
Font myFont = family.getFont(Font.PLAIN, 50);
helloWorld.setFont(myFont);
}
catch (ClassNotFoundException e)
{
System.out.println(e.getMessage());
}
6. In the screen constructor, invoke add() to add the LabelField to the screen.
add(helloWorld);
Code sample: Installing and using a custom font in a BlackBerry Java

application
import java.util.*;
public class FontLoadingDemo extends UiApplication

{
{
FontLoadingDemo app = new FontLoadingDemo();
}
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Development Guide Code sample: Installing and using a custom font in a BlackBerry Java application
public FontLoadingDemo()
{
pushScreen(new FontLoadingDemoScreen());
}
}
class FontLoadingDemoScreen extends MainScreen

{
public FontLoadingDemoScreen()
{
setTitle("Font Loading Demo");
LabelField helloWorld = new LabelField("Hello World");
if (FontManager.getInstance().load("Myfont.ttf", "MyFont",
FontManager.APPLICATION_FONT) == FontManager.SUCCESS)
{
try
{
FontFamily typeface = FontFamily.forName("MyFont");
Font myFont = typeface.getFont(Font.PLAIN, 50);
helloWorld.setFont(myFont);
}
catch (ClassNotFoundException e)
{
System.out.println(e.getMessage());
}
}
add(helloWorld);
}
}
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Development Guide Spelling checker
Spelling checker 12
You can use the items in the net.rim.blackberry.api.spellcheck package to add spelling checker functionality to
an application. The SpellCheckEngine interface enables an application to check the spelling of a UI field value and provide
a BlackBerry® device user with options for spelling corrections. The SpellCheckUI interface enables an application to provide
a UI that allows a BlackBerry device user to resolve a spelling issue- by interacting with the SpellCheckEngine
implementation.
For more information about using the Spell Check API, see the Spell Check sample application, which is provided with BlackBerry®
Java® Development Environment 4.3.1 or later, and with the BlackBerry® Java® Plug-in for Eclipse®.
Add spell check functionality

• net.rim.blackberry.api.spellcheck.SpellCheckEngineFactory
• java.lang.StringBuffer
2. Import the following interfaces:
• net.rim.blackberry.api.spellcheck.SpellCheckEngine
• net.rim.blackberry.api.spellcheck.SpellCheckUI
• net.rim.blackberry.api.spellcheck.SpellCheckUIListener
3. Create variables for spell check objects.
SpellCheckEngine _spellCheckEngine;
SpellCheckUI _spellCheckUI;
4. Invoke createSpellCheckUI().
_spellCheckUI = SpellCheckEngineFactory.createSpellCheckUI();
5. To notifiy an application when a spell check event occurs, invoke addSpellCheckUIListener() with a
SpellCheckUIListener object as a parameter.
_spellCheckUI.addSpellCheckUIListener(new SpellCheckUIListener());
6. To let an application spell check UI fields and suggest spelling corrections to a BlackBerry device user, obtain a
SpellCheckEngine object, invoke getSpellCheckEngine().
_spellCheckEngine = _spellCheckUI.getSpellCheckEngine();
7. To use a correction for a misspelled word, invoke SpellCheckEngine.learnCorrection(). Use the parameters
new StringBuffer(text), new StringBuffer(correction), where text represents the misspelled word, and
correction represents the correct word.
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Development Guide Listen for a spell check event
_spellCheckEngine.learnCorrection(new StringBuffer(text), new StringBuffer

(correction));
8. To perform spell check operations on a field, invoke SpellCheckUI.spellCheck(), with a field as a parameter.
_spellCheckUI.spellCheck(field);
9. To accept a misspelled word as correctly spelled, invoke SpellCheckEngine.learnWord(), with the word to learn
as a parameter.
_spellCheckEngine.learnWord(new StringBuffer(word));
Listen for a spell check event

• java.lang.StringBuffer
• net.rim.device.api.ui.UiApplication
2. Import the following interfaces:
• net.rim.blackberry.api.spellcheck.SpellCheckUIListener
• net.rim.blackberry.api.spellcheck.SpellCheckEngine
3. Create a method that returns the SpellCheckUIListener.LEARNING_ACCEPT constant when the
SpellCheckEngine learns a new word.
public int wordLearned(SpellCheckUI ui, StringBuffer word) {
UiApplication.getUiApplication().invokeLater(new popUpRunner("Word learned"));
return SpellCheckUIListener.LEARNING_ACCEPT;
}
4. Create a method that returns the SpellCheckUIListener.LEARNING_ACCEPT constant when the
SpellCheckEngine learns a correction for a word.
public int wordCorrectionLearned(SpellCheckUI ui, StringBuffer word, StringBuffer
correction){
UiApplication.getUiApplication().invokeLater(new popUpRunner("Correction
learned"));
return SpellCheckUIListener.LEARNING_ACCEPT;
}
5. Create a method that returns the SpellCheckUIListener.ACTION_OPEN_UI constant when the
SpellCheckEngine finds a misspelled word.
public int misspelledWordFound(SpellCheckUI ui, Field field, int offset, int len){
UiApplication.getUiApplication().invokeLater(new popUpRunner("Misspelled word
found"));
return SpellCheckUIListener.ACTION_OPEN_UI;
}
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Development Guide Related resources
Related resources 13
• www.blackberry.com/go/apiref: View the latest version of the API reference for the BlackBerry® Java® SDK.
• www.blackberry.com/go/devguides: Find development guides, release notes, and sample application overviews for the
BlackBerry Java SDK.
• www.blackberry.com/developers: Visit the BlackBerry® Developer Zone for resources on developing BlackBerry device
applications.
• www.blackberry.com/go/developerkb: View knowledge base articles on the BlackBerry Development Knowledge Base.
• www.blackberry.com/developers/downloads: Find the latest development tools and downloads for developing BlackBerry
device applications.
158
Development Guide Glossary
Glossary 14
3-D
three-dimensional
API
application programming interface
JVM
Java® Virtual Machine
MIDP
Mobile Information Device Profile
159
Development Guide Provide feedback
Provide feedback 15
To provide feedback on this deliverable, visit www.blackberry.com/docsfeedback.
160
Development Guide Document revision history
Document revision history 16
Date Description
16 August 2010 Removed the following topic:
• Create a progress indicator

3 August 2010 Added the following topics:
• Access an encoded image through an input stream

• About placing items in the pop-up menus
• Best practice: Implementing pop-up menus
• Best practice: Implementing submenus
• Command Framework API
• Creating a pop-up menu
• Create a pop-up menu
• Create a submenu
• Display a label at an absolute position on the screen
• Display an encoded image
• Display an image for zooming and panning
• Display a row of images for scrolling
• Displaying a field at an absolute position on a screen
• Displaying an image for zooming and panning
• Displaying a row of images for scrolling
• Enable pinch gestures
• Enable swipe gestures that users make on the trackpad
• Encode an image
• Images
• Indicate activity
• Indicate progress
• Indicating activity or task progress
• Pinch gestures
• Pop-up menus
• Specify the decoding mode for an image
161
Date Description
• Specify the display size of an encoded image
• Submenus
• Support for legacy context menus
• Swipe gestures with trackpads
• Touch screen interaction models
• Use a command in one or more applications
• Use a command with one UI component
• Using encoded images
Added the following code samples:
• Code sample: Creating a pop-up menu

• Code sample: Creating a submenu
• Code sample: Displaying a row of images for scrolling
• Code sample: Displaying a label at an absolute position on the screen
• Code sample: Displaying an image for zooming and panning
Changed the following topics:
• Activity indicators and progress indicators

• Buttons
• Creating a UI that is consistent with standard BlackBerry UIs
• Dialog boxes
• Drop-down lists
• Lists and tables
• Pickers
• Radio buttons
• Search
• Spin boxes
• Text fields
• Tree views
Removed the following topics:
• Adding an icon to a menu item
162
Date Description
• Add an icon to a menu item
• Code sample: Adding an icon to a menu item
163
Development Guide Legal notice
Legal notice 17
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BlackBerry Java SDK

2 BlackBerry device user input and navigation.......................................................................................................................... 7

6 Command Framework API.......................................................................................................................................................... 38

10 Menu items................................................................................................................................................................................... 132

11 Custom fonts................................................................................................................................................................................ 153

12 Spelling checker.......................................................................................................................................................................... 156

13 Related resources........................................................................................................................................................................ 158

15 Provide feedback......................................................................................................................................................................... 160

16 Document revision history......................................................................................................................................................... 161

17 Legal notice.................................................................................................................................................................................. 164

Creating a UI that is consistent with standard BlackBerry 1

BlackBerry device user input and navigation 2

On a map, picture, or presentation attachment, this action zooms in to the map,

• roll the trackwheel to move the cursor vertically

Interaction methods on BlackBerry devices

BlackBerry device model Interaction method

BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700 smartphone

• default screen title, with a SeparatorField after the title

Manage a drawing area

1. Import the following classes:

Creating a screen transition

Code sample: Creating a screen transition

public class ScreenTransitionSample extends UiApplication implements

public static void main(String[] args) {

LabelField labelField = new LabelField("The screen closes automatically in

TransitionContext transition = new

UiEngineInstance engine = Ui.getUiEngineInstance();

transition = new TransitionContext(TransitionContext.TRANSITION_FADE);

MainScreen baseScreen = new MainScreen();

ButtonField buttonField = new ButtonField("View Transition",

_popRunnable = new Runnable() {

public void fieldChanged(Field field, int context)

Specifying the orientation and direction of the screen

Code sample: Retrieving screen orientation

Code sample: Forcing portrait view in a BlackBerry API application

// Use code like this before invoking UiApplication.pushScreen()

Code sample: Forcing landscape view in a MIDlet application

Retrieve the orientation of the touch screen

Restrict the touch screen direction

protected void sizeChanged(int w, int h) {

Types of accelerometer data

Data type Description

Retrieving accelerometer data

Code sample: Retrieving data from the accelerometer

Retrieve accelerometer data at specific intervals

3. Create an array to store the accelerometer data.

Query the accelerometer when the application is in the foreground

Query the accelerometer when the application is in the background

AccelerometerChannelConfig channelConfig = new AccelerometerChannelConfig

Store accelerometer readings in a buffer

Retrieve accelerometer readings from a buffer

Get the time a reading was taken from the accelerometer

Respond to navigation events

Determine the type of input method

Touch screen interaction models

Responding to touch screen events

Respond to system events while the user touches the screen

Respond to a user sliding a finger up quickly on the screen

public class newButtonField extends ButtonField {

Respond to a user sliding a finger down quickly on the screen

Respond to a user sliding a finger to the left quickly on the screen

Respond to a user sliding a finger to the right quickly on the screen

Respond to a user clicking the screen