Workshop 1 - Part 1 - Choosing the development tool

Choosing the tool:

The Blackberry platform is based on Java and there are various tools like NetBeans and Eclipse that can be used to build Java applications. As part of this workshop, I will be using Eclipse to develop Blackberry applications. The reason behind choosing Eclipse is that it is a freeware and has the necessary plug-in to develop Blackberry applications.


System Requirements:

• Computer monitor with resolution 1024 x 768 or higher
• Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor (minimum 3 GHz)
• 1.5 GB Hard drive
• 1 GB RAM
• Microsoft® Windows Vista™, or Windows® XP
• Java® SE Development Kit (JDK) version 5 or version 6 Version 6 is required if you are using BlackBerry MDS-CS for debugging.

The Blackberry plug-in can also be installed on an existing Eclipse installation.


Downloads:

The tools and the necessary tools can be downloaded from the following location.
Java Development Kit: http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp .
Eclipse: http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/
Blackberry Plug-in and JDE: http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/resources/devtools.jsp


Installation:

Once all the tools have been downloaded, they will need to be installed. The process of installing JDK and Eclipse is quite simple and can be accomplished by clicking the install icon. Administrative previlege will be required before installation can continue. Once JDK and Eclipse have been installed, the Blackberry plug-in will need to be installed.

Double-click on the installation file and the following screen will appear.

It may take a while (around 2 minutes in my system), and then click on the 'Next' button few times. Provide the location of the Eclipse installation when prompted and continue installation.