Deploy Worklight based app on Blackberry Playbook

Blackberry Playbook, from version OS 2.0, is capable of running Android applications. Since Worklight already supports development of Android apps it was easy to port the existing Android apps from Worklight to Playbook.

Pre-requisites:

• Worklight Development Environment
• Android SDK and ADT Plugin for Android development
  
• Blackberry Plugin for Android Development
• Blackberry code-signing keys for Playbook and register the keys via Eclipse.
  

Following steps will guide you on how to deploy your Android app developed using Worklight into Playbook.

1. Create a Worklight Project and add the Worklight Android Application environment
2. Next, build and Worklight Application Environment for Android. (Run -> Run Config -> Worklight)
   
3. Right click on the generated Android project, Select Blackberry Tools -> Add Blackberry Nature
4. Once the Blackberry nature is added, the Plugin will do a APK verification to check if the app will be compatible with PlayBook.
5. If there are no errors, right click on Android/Playbook project and select Run -> Blackberry Android Application.
6. Make sure your device is in Development mode.
7. If all goes well after you enter set of passwords for Code signing keys, PlayBook will launch Android Player and run your app.
   

Few pointers:

• Android Push APIs which are registered via Android Application will not work on PlayBook.
• Blackberry also has an Online packaging tool. But I have not used it yet. You may want to give a try.
• Read about all the features and Unsupported Android APIs for PlayBook

Its a simple procedure. We have all the tools, its was just the matter of using them together. Feel free to comment and add to it.

What is this blog about?

This blog is purely meant to share my experiences in using Worklight (now an IBM Company).