Beginning Blackberry Development

Are you a Java programmer looking for a new challenge and money-making opportunity? If so, Beginning BlackBerry Development may just be the book for you. This book will teach you everything you need to know to start developing apps that run on the BlackBerry family of devices and smartphones. With over 50 million BlackBerry devices sold and the launch of the new BlackBerry App World, there has never been a more exciting time to get into BlackBerry application development.

Assuming only some programming background in Java or a similar language, this book starts with the basics, offering step-by-step tutorials that take you through downloading and installing the BlackBerry development environment, creating your first apps, and exploring the BlackBerry APIs.

You'll learn how to use the BlackBerry user interface components to create the look and feel you want; how to use networking to create applications that can talk to servers anywhere on the internet; how to manage application lifecycle and data storage; and how to use the GPS and mapping functionality included on many devices to create location-aware applications.

You'll also learn about the different ways you can package and distribute your apps, from deploying apps on your own website to listing your apps for sale on BlackBerry App World.

Anthony Rizk has been developing for BlackBerry since the very first models appeared in 2001. He is a cofounder of several mobile software companies, including Rove and Zeebu, and has consulted extensively in the BlackBerry application industry.