14 DAY TRIAL // Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion has just released a new flavor of the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK for Tablet OS, namely version 2.1, which comes with a series of new APIs included into the mix, as well as with new application functionality. The new iteration of the software development kit was already present on github, and was also highlighted on the BlackBerry WebWorks roadmap as the “Delta” release.
With the new flavor of the software, RIM is set to narrow the gap between the BlackBerry WebWorks API functionality that was available for the BlackBerry Smartphone OS and the APIs released for the Tablet OS.
At the same time, the company was focused on exposing more of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet functionality to the community of web developers interested in coming up with applications for it.
BlackBerry WebWorks developers for BlackBerry Tablet OS will enjoy new capabilities like:
In App Payment API Camera API (take a picture or a video) Microphone API (record audio) PIN API File and Directory APIs Configuring security permissions for your application on BlackBerry Tablet OS for features such as GPS and file access Configuring the home screen category for your application
At the same time, RIM notes that the API reference guide in this SDK was updated with a series of improvements around scrollable content, and with additional getting-started information.
Developers will find there more details on the manner in which they can configure their applications for the use of different BlackBerry WebWorks APIs.
The reference guide updates are accompanied by a new mechanism to call some of the BlackBerry WebWorks APIs, RIM explains.
“For those who are more comfortable using a URI or RESTful approach, you can now execute a subset of the BlackBerry WebWorks APIs by simply making AJAX calls,” the company notes.
The future releases of the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK for BlackBerry Tablet OS and BlackBerry Smartphone OS should bring expanded coverage of the URI/RESTful implementation to, the company says, adding that this will allow developers to choose the approach they would like when it comes to the interaction with the OS.