encapsulate functionality and provide it to external clients by using the Command Framework API

You can encapsulate functionality so that it can be reused across your application and other applications on the device by using the Command Framework API that is provided in the net.rim.device.api.command and net.rim.device.api.command.registrar packages. For example, if your application has a button and a menu item that perform the same actions, you can define that common functionality once and reuse it across both UI components. In previous releases, you had to derive the functionality from each UI component which resulted in the multiple implementations of the same functionality.

To use the Command Framework API, create a class that extends the CommandHandler abstract class, using the CommandHandler.execute() method to define the functionality of the command. Describe the command implemented by the CommandHandler by using the CommandMetadata class. You can run the command by using the Command class.

You can also create commands that can be used by other applications on the device by using the classes and interfaces that are available in the net.rim.device.api.command.registrar package. For example, you can register a command by using the CommandRegistrarConnection interface and allow other applications to retrieve and execute the command from their application.

Scan 1-D and 2-D barcodes

You can use the BarcodeScanner class, located in the net.rim.device.api.barcodelib package, to scan a barcode for processing.

To display a viewfinder, use the BarcodeScanner.getViewfinder() method, to get an instance of a Field to add to your screen. To configure this Field, use the VideoControl object returned by BarcodeScanner.getVideoControl().

To process the scanned barcode, use the BarcodeDecoderListener class, which is notified when a barcode has been detected by the BarcodeScanner.

Enhancements to the Sensor API

The Sensor class has been updated to include the ability to determine whether the device has a slider and what state the slider is in.

• Sensor.isSupported(Sensor.SLIDE) returns true if the device contains a slider. If not, the method returns false.
• On devices containing a slider, Sensor.getState(Sensor.SLIDE) returns Sensor.STATE_SLIDE_CLOSED, Sensor.STATE_SLIDE_OPEN, or Sensor.STATE_SLIDE_IN_TRANSITION.

You can register a listener to be notified of changes to the slider by implementing the SensorListener interface and calling Sensor.addListener().

Device Capability API

You can query the capability of a BlackBerry device by using the new Device Capability API that is provided in the net.rim.device.api.system.capability package. The DeviceCapability class allows you to query whether specific features, such as a virtual keyboard or a physical keyboard, are supported on the device, whether the feature is currently available to the user (for example, if the slider on a device is open and the user can use the physical keyboard), and whether your application can currently access the feature.

For example, DeviceCapability.isVirtualKeyboardAvailable() returns true if the device has a virtual keyboard currently displayed. The method returns false otherwise. You can define a listener to be notified of changes to specified capabilities of the device by implementing the DeviceCapabilityListener interface.

Detect when a device is connected to a cradle

You can now detect when a BlackBerry device is connected to a cradle (such as a car kit cradle) by using the new DeviceCapability.TYPE_CRADLE capability type that is part of the Device Capability API.

You can use DeviceCapability.isSupported() and DeviceCapability.isAvailable() to detect cradle status. All BlackBerry devices running BlackBerry Device Software version 6.0 return true for isSupported(DeviceCapability.TYPE_CRADLE). When a BlackBerry device running BlackBerry Device Software version 6.0 is connected to a cradle, isAvailable(DeviceCapability.TYPE_CRADLE) returns true.

When you detect a cradle connection, you can use the new CradleProtocol class to detect the cradle type and properties. CradleProtocol is in the new net.rim.device.api.accessory package.

Handle cradles

You can now register your application as a cradle handler, which is an application that is a candidate to be started when a BlackBerry device is connected to a cradle of a specified type.

To register as a cradle handler, use the CradleHandlerRegistry.registerHandler() method. CradleHandlerRegistry is in the net.rim.blackberry.api.cradle package. When you register your application, you specify the type of cradle you want to handle and your application descriptor.

If any handlers are registered for a cradle type, the device user will be presented with a selection dialog when such a cradle is connected. The user can select which handler to use, if any. The selected handler application will then be started. Also, the selected handler application will be automatically started the next time the cradle of the specified type is connected if the user indicated in the selection dialog to take the same action in the future.

The device user can also change cradle handler settings in the Third Party Applications section in Options.

foreign key constraint keep support in the SQLite API

You can use the DatabaseOptions.set(" foreign_key_constraints", "on") method to enable foreign key support for your SQLite database.

Graphics Utility API and Math API

The Graphics Utility API and Math API are new with BlackBerry Java SDK 6.0. They designed to simplify OpenGL and OpenVG development on BlackBerry devices while also optimizing performance.

The Graphics Utility API and Math API are implemented in the net.rim.device.api.opengles, net.rim.device.api.openvg, and net.rim.device.api.math packages and provide the following features:

• a new field class called GLField that provides built-in support for OpenGL ES rendering
• a new field class called VGField that provides built-in support for OpenVG rendering
• new methods added to GLUtils to add functionality for projecting/unprojecting between 2D/3D spaces and a new method to build 2D mipmap textures
• a new VGUtils class to support creating an OpenVG image from a RIM bitmap, appending path segments and complex polygons to OpenVG paths, computing complex 2D transformation matrices for applying warps and other special effects to paths/images and querying OpenVG version information
• new math classes to support vector math and bounding volume classes to aid in view frustum culling and intersection testing