Qt for Android (and Symbian)

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Qt for Android (and Symbian)

• Tam Hanna
• tamhan_at_tamoggemon.com
• _at_tamhanna

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About /me

• Tam HANNA
• CEO, Tamoggemon Ltd.
• Runs web sites about mobile computing
• Writes scientific books

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Overview

• Qt for Android (focus)
• Qt for
• Symbian
• MeeGo
• TiZen
• webOS
• Wrap-up

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What is Android
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Largest mobile OS by share
Data IDC 2012, Market Share Q3
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Android is open

• Runs ANY app
• If user enables it
• 50 000 app stores
• No permission model
• User is NOT root

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Android is Java

• Apps run in special VM called DALVIK
• Pretty high performance
• But NDK is available
• Allows use of C code

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Android is fragmented

• Many vendors
• Different form factors
• Many stores
• Many back-ends
• Analyst buzzword
• Low practical relevance like PalmOS

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Qt for Android
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Community-driven port

• Started by Bogdan Vatra
• 2011
• Aquired by KDE
• Provides server infrastructure, etc
• No support from Nokia
• Digia mentioned in press release

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(No Transcript)
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LightHouse
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Getting started
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Supported platforms

• Linux (Ubuntu 10.4 )
• Mac OS
• Windows
• Speaker recommends Linux

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Getting started

• Install Ant 1.8 and OpenJDK
• sudo apt-get install ant
• sudo apt-get install openjdk-6-jdk

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Graphical set-up

• http//necessitas.kde.org/necessitas/necessitas_sd
  k_installer.php
• chmod x linux-online-necessitas-alpha4.1-sdk-inst
  aller
• sudo ./linux-online-necessitas-alpha4.1-sdk-instal
  ler

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Automatic deployment

• Tool fetches SDK
• One Click Install

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Starting Necessitas

• tamhan_at_ubuntu cd NecessitasQtSDK/
• tamhan_at_ubuntu/NecessitasQtSDK cd QtCreator/
• tamhan_at_ubuntu/NecessitasQtSDK/QtCreator cd bin
• tamhan_at_ubuntu/NecessitasQtSDK/QtCreator/bin
  sudo ./necessitas

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Internal architecture
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Library versioning

• Qt is updated frequently
• Legal reasons
• Downward compatibility is pretty good
• Qt is large
• 7MB binary, or more
• Memory is limited

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Solution Ministro

• Sits in app stores
• Auto-downloads libraries to device

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Overview
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GUI sniffing
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GUI sniffing - II
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Input
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(No Transcript)
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Project-speficic settings
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Configure baseline
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Application optics
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Permissions
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Permissions - II

• Signify what app does
• Help user decide

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Libraries
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Signing
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Signing - II

• Android Signing verifies producer
• This binary is from workstation A
• NO rights / trust transfer except for update

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Library management
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Porting gotchas
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Definitions
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File includes

• All include paths are based on /.pro

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Includes

• include ltqDebuggt
• include ltQDebuggt

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gcc gotchas
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Specific eekers

• Native code bits?
• Platform-specific files
• .pro.user files
• Soft keys?

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(No Transcript)
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Why develop for Symbian

• Symbian is DEAD
• But devices still in circulation
• Top especially in Latin America

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Development options

• Carbide
• Eclipse-based
• Mature IDE
• Limited to 4.6.3
• Can not debug well

• Qt Creator
• Decent integration
• Debugs well
• Qt SDK auto-deploys toolkit

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Ovi Store - I

• Ovi Store can drive huge volume
• 1 million downloads gt no issue
• VERY low conversion rates
• 11000 or less

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Ovi Store - II

• Limited device reach for Qt content
• Not every Qt-capable device is enabled
• Forget Ovi for China
• 3 cents / Dollar

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Ovi Store - III

• DL/t for game

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Ovi Store - III

• DL/t for app

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MeeGo
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Dead platform

• N900 and N9 sold decently well
• Few thousand technically savvy users
• Jolla plans Chinese device
• But good tooling

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TiZen
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What is it?
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Will it be in v1?

• SDK for V1 is said to be web-only
• However, Qt is used internally
• C/C runtime might be around (bada)

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webOS
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Why develop for it?

• Not dead yet
• GRAM
• Cooperation with LG planned
• Unofficial Qt port
• http//www.webos-internals.org/wiki/HowtoQt

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Conclusion
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Mobile is fragmented

• Multiple platforms
• Battle for mindshare and
• Winner is yet undecided
• C is common base line
• C is everywhere
• Even on iOS and Windows Phone 8

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Mindshare is everything
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Qt saves time

• Develop once, deploy multiple times
• Increase mindshare
• Increase market presence
• More revenue
• Worst case redo GUI with QML

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Thanks !
Pictures from

• ?!? - !?!
• tamhan_at_tamoggemon.com
• _at_tamhanna