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Native Mobile apps with Titanium

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Titanium Training Class

Where: 111 N. 17th street Richmond VA

Class Outline

Building Native Mobile Apps

In this Zero to App recap and orientation module, we’ll explore the Titanium architecture, developer resources, and basic workflow.

You’re a Native Application Developer Now

In this module, we’ll take a 10,000-foot view of the native SDKs for iOS and Android, understanding the basic concepts, vocabulary and tools associated with each. Developers will also begin to understand how Titanium Developer works with each of these tools – while we won’t peek too far under the hood, having an appreciation of the magic going on will be helpful moving forward. In the lab session, participants will create and deploy “Hello World” applications for each platform, dipping their toe in the waters of native development in Java or Objective-C.

Cross-Platform JavaScript Applications

In this module, participants will begin to develop an approach for developing cross-platform mobile applications with Titanium. Platform differences will be explored, and we will survey the tools and techniques available to cope for cross-platform differences as well as techniques for leveraging platform-specific functionality for a “best of breed ” app experience. We will also explore how to structure your mobile application JavaScript for maximum flexibility and maintainability, by creating an application-specific namespace to make your life easier. In the lab session, developers will create the basic framework for our running example application, TiBountyHunter.

Titanium Studio Overview

In this module, we’ll take a brief tour of the Titanium Studio features that will make your coding life easier. We’ll examine productivity-boosting features like the visual Tiapp.xml editor, code assist, and the integrated debugger.

User Interface Fundamentals

In this module, developers will be briefed on the basic principles of user interface development in Titanium. App structures (tabs versus windows), the view hierarchy, positioning techniques, component styling, and event handling (custom and built-in) will be explored. Trainees will learn how to build custom component constructors to form the “View” and “Controller” tier of their client application. In the lab session, trainees will assemble the view components necessary to power the TiBountyHunter application.

Working with Local Data

When building connected mobile applications, it is usually necessary to store data on the device. In this module, developers will learn how to persist data on the local device using an SQLite database and the application properties API. Developers will compare and contrast the relative value of using SQL databases versus lightweight property or JavaScript object persistence. Trainees will develop the “Model” tier of the TiBountyHunter application, learning how to store and retrieve data in a database, and how to display and send data between views.

Working with Media and the Filesystem

Integration with a mobile device’s camera and local filesystem storage are two very common tasks in a mobile application. In this module, developers will learn how to use rich media (audio, video, still images) in their applications. Often these assets, when created on the device, will need to be stored on the filesystem. Developers will learn how to store and retrieve file objects from the filesystem, and the proper use of local storage. In the lab session, developers will allow the users of TiBountyHunter to snap photos of a “fugitive”, assign that photo to a record in the database, and recall that photo from the filesystem for display in the application.

Working with Remote Data

It’s rare that a mobile application is developed which does not in some way leverage data fetched over a network. Titanium provides an XMLHTTPRequest style interface to an HTTPClient object, which should look familiar to most Ajax-savvy web developers. In this module, developers will learn how to fetch data over HTTP from a remote server, work with that data, and reconcile the data with local copies of the same. In the lab session, developers will sync data from a local version of TiBountyHunter with a remote cache of a hunter’s current and past fugitives.

Using Location Services

Many compelling mobile applications make use of the user’s location in the world to personalize or otherwise enhance the experience of using the application. In this module, developers will learn how to leverage location APIs in Titanium applications. Additionally, we will explore the native map kits for each platform, and explore how to interact with rich native mapping views in an application. TiBountyHunter will be enhanced to capture data from the device’s GPS to track location data about a fugitive, and then plot that information on a map.

Integrating Contacts and Social APIs

Another common need for mobile applications is to leverage the social network of the user to communicate information. Titanium exposes address book APIs for this purpose, and the HTTPClient and native libraries can be exploited to add support for Facebook, Twitter, and YQL integration. In this module, developers will be exposed to the use of these APIs. In the lab session, we will leverage social APIs to brag about the capture of a fugitive once they have been brought to justice.

Integrating Web Content

Frequently mobile applications will need to leverage content best displayed by a browser (HTML, PDF, etc) inside their application. In this module, we will explore the web view component, and how it is best employed by a Titanium Mobile application. In our lab session, we will learn how to load up remote web content in a local web view, and how to use local HTML and JavaScript to create a web-based UI with Sencha Touch, jQuery Mobile, or iUI.

Deployment and Distribution

In this final module, you’ll learn how to deploy your apps to physical devices for testing. You’ll also learn how to package your apps for distribution in the iTunes App Store and the Android Market. You’ll discover how to obtain the appropriate certificates and credentials, how to sign your code, and how to upload your finished apps to the app stores.

Pre-requisites

  • Familiarity with JavaScript programming language
  • Laptop with functional Titanium Studio with either/both Android SDK tools and/or iOS SDK supported versions installed.
  • Optional: Bring Android and/or iOS devices, along with tethering cables to class
  • Titanium Studio can be downloaded at http://www.appcelerator.com/products/download/
  • (Recommended) Register for Android Market and iOS Dev Center accounts.
    • Note: You will need to pay the respective developer account fees to Apple & Google (either individual/team/company accounts). These accounts are necessary in order to complete the new Deploy & Distribute module lab but not necessary to take the course.
  • Students using Windows systems will need:
    • Apache Ant, download from http://ant.apache.org/ and install according to the instructions on that site.
    • A media player capable of displaying .mov (Apple QuickTime movie) files
  • Participants are expected to have completed the free, self-paced “Zero to App” online training prior to attendance. Visit http://training.appcelerator.com/zero-to-app for more info.

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