A suggestion for all budding (and current) BlackBerry developers out there. When you purchase your signing keys, be sure to NOT use your regular email address. Instead create an account like bbsigning@youremaildomain.com or rim@youremaildomain.com to receive all the automated emails you get when signing.

For example, on one project, I have a build process that signs about 30 .cod files per build. But each build has specific builds for different OS levels, as well as different builds for testing, staging and production.

Add that up and you get 30 .cod files x 3 (one for each cert) = 90 x 3 (for each build type) = 270.
270 x 2 (for each platform) = 540. 540 x 4 (one for each white label) = 2160 emails!

For a daily build… and then adhoc builds. And not including any other projects. And you cannot get rid of the automated emailing. Standard RIM policy.

If you’re running zaFin on your BlackBerry smartphone, now’s a good time to update the data tables:
* Reserve Bank dropped the lending rate a short while ago
* StatsSA released CPI figures for 2010 up to end of March and
* SARS released the 2011 tax rates for individuals.

If you find yourself wondering how to use your old component packs (and hence simulators) from the first Eclipse plugin (v1.0), there’s a great discussion on the support forums tackling exactly that.
Creating an .ee file and adding the JRE to the workspace worked like a charm for me. I’m using the upated plugin v1.1.2 on Eclipse 3.5 and all this has been an incremental update from 1.0 (beta).

Learnt a very useful (albeit sneaky) trick today about running menu items off other screens. In particular, the phone screen menu items. Originally posted here.
And of course, a big thanks to simon_hain who’s helped with loads of development by virtue of his contributions to the online community. I definitely owe you a beer/coffee/tea or something if ever we meet one day

A clean and easy to use gem: HOWTO animated gifs for your BlackBerry development efforts. Courtesy of RIM.

At last, a version for the BlackBerry has been released and ready for general public consumption. Make some good decisions this year- based on numbers and data- not just emotional “got-to-have-x” or even more dangerous hype-based “woohoo-the-recession-is-over-we-can-spend-now” motivations. take the time to think it over a little… or use zaFin.

It’s expensive, mentally and resourcefully, but it’s rewarding. It also isn’t easy, which is probably why it’s not advocated by the populous, but it is rewarding. And it’s filled with all sorts of risks and dangers, but definitely rewarding. Rewarding if you get it right.

After months on Rails (web), Python (web), Objective C (iPhone) and C# (web) projects, i’ve settled my teeth into a juicy little BlackBerry project. It’s taken a lot of mental effort to switch, and in particular, switching to the following:
* the language: Java. New syntax, keywords and run-time nuances in memory management
* the frameworks J2ME and RIM: what do they offer where are all the packages
* the IDE (Eclipse): how does it work and how to customize your environment/experience, and then what else does it offer that no other IDE to date has offered
* the BlackBerry device: where, what, how does it do the things it does
* the unit tests (jmunit cross bunit): new language, new platform, new test harness, same procedures (more or less)
* runtime debugging tools with the simulator and component packs
* mobile development: patterns, architectures, design and development principles
* the UI: a whole new playing field where the only place in the world Managers are your friends
* automated building and testing (still getting there)
* code control and IDE integration

Every day is filled to the brim with slow progress punctuated by episodes of breakthrough bubbles, although a the days wear on, the bubbles are more frequent and the productivity increases naturally on a curve on its own.

The end result: another framework, platform, language, set of tools available at my fingertips to enable me to express a solution to a problem and then successfully execute that solution without too much limitation.

Spin-offs include restless nights, lots of “aarrggg’s”, a lot of debugging and a whole lot more muttering which usually starts with “now how do you do that?”. And that right there has been one of the greatest little nuggets- tackling a project like a n00b, a grom; with all the enthusiasm naivety brings, but with experience (ok, age).