Demystifying Module Development

Jeff English

Jeff English

•  30+ years of software development

•  Cross-platform SDKs, operating system development, games, mobile encryption management, et. al.

•  50+ consumer, commercial, and enterprise applications

•  “Real-World Programming for OS/2”

Engineering Manager, Modules jenglish@appcelerator.com

Copyright © 1992, Scott Adams

Dilbert, September 8, 1992

What Are Modules?

Extensions to the core Titanium platform Titanium itself is written as a collection of modules

Written in native code iOS (Objective-C), Android(Java), JavaScript (JavaScript)

Provide a bridge between JS and native code Methods, Properties, Notifications, Data Types, Assets

Life Cycle Events Module loading, proxy loading, view proxy loading

Method Parameters Type validation, type conversion, pass-by-value / reference

Properties Types, getters, settings, property change notifications

Callbacks & Events Event registration, asynchronous notifications, synchronous callbacks

Methods Method signatures / annotations

Miscellaneous Assets, documentation, example, license, manifest, packaging

Module Features

Basic Module Development (iOS)

Create a module titanium create --platform=iphone --type=module --dir=. --name=calc --id=com.companyname.calc

Build a module ./build.py

Test a module titanium run

Deploy a module Copy module zip file into system folder or application folder

Basic Module Development (Android)

Create a module titanium create --platform=android --type=module --dir=. --name=calc --id=org.companyname.calc --android=/usr/android-sdk

Build a module ant

Test a module ant run

Deploy a module Copy module zip file into system folder or application folder

Basic Module Architecture

JavaScript

Module (TiModule / KrollModule)

Proxy (TiProxy / KrollProxy)

View Proxy (TiViewProxy)

require

create

createView

View (TiUIView)

JavaScript / Module Interactions

var m = require(‘…’);!

m.fooInt = 42;!

m.fooString = ‘Hello World’;!Ti.API.info(m.fooString);!

m.foo({ X: 5, Y: 10 });!

m.addEventListener(! ‘myEvent’,! myHandler);!function myHandler(e) {! Ti.API.info(‘myEvent’);!}!

fooInt property

fooString property

foo method

Signal Event

JavaScript / Proxy Interactions

var m = require(‘…’);!

p.fooInt = 42;!

p.fooString = ‘Hello World’;!Ti.API.info(m.fooString);!

p.foo({ X: 5, Y: 10 });!

p.addEventListener(! ‘myEvent’,! myHandler);!function myHandler(e) {! Ti.API.info(‘myEvent’);!}!

fooInt property

fooString property

foo method

Signal Event

var p = m.createBar(…);! createBar method

JavaScript / ViewProxy Interactions

var m = require(‘…’);!

p.fooInt = 42;!

p.fooString = ‘Hello World’;!Ti.API.info(m.fooString);!

p.foo({ X: 5, Y: 10 });!

p.addEventListener(! ‘myEvent’,! myHandler);!function myHandler(e) {! Ti.API.info(‘myEvent);!}!

fooInt property

fooString property

foo method

Signal Event

var p = m.createView(…);! createView method

Proxy Properties

Properties can be set in the constructor Setter is automatically called

Properties can be set directly after proxy creation

Many primitive values are automatically converted

iOS Properties Getters and Setters can be defined by using @property or property signatures

Android Properties Getters and Setters can be defined by using @Kroll.getProperty and @Kroll.setProperty annotations

Proxy Methods

Module methods can be exposed to JS

iOS – Signature determines availability (id)methodName:(id)args (void)methodName:(id)args

Android – Annotations determine availability @KrollMethod Use KrollInvocation if your method requires the current activity

Method Parameters

Parameters can be passed from JS to your methods

iOS All parameters are passed in an NSArray object Use TiUtils methods to get correct datatype

Android All parameters are passed as defined – KrollDict recommended Use validation methods (e.g. TiConvert) to get correct datatype

Callbacks and Events

Methods exist for notifying JS of module events Recommended to use events rather than callbacks when possible

iOS fireEvent and _fireEventToListener call

Android fireEvent and fireSingleEvent callAsync and callSync

Miscellaneous

Assets

iOS Build Options titanium.xcconfig

Android Build Options timodule.xml

Manifest

Documentation

Miscellaneous (cont)

LICENSE

Example

Module Development Guide Reference Module

Life Cycle events

Kroll usage

Cut-and-paste example code

Module Load

Module Unload

Proxy Create

Proxy Destroy

ViewProxy Create

ViewProxy Create

Parameters Demo

Module Development Resources

Module Development Guide for iOS

Module Development Guide for Android

Open source modules available on GitHub https://github.com/appcelerator/titanium_modules

Module Development Guide reference module moddevguide

Questions