UI
The user interface is one of the most important elements of a BlackBerry® device application. The UI is how BlackBerry device users interact with your application, and gives users access to the features and functionality of your application.
You should make sure that the UIs for your applications have the following characteristics:
- Easy to use: The UI should make it easy for users to navigate your application and access important features.
- Logical: The layout and placement of UI components should make sense, and the purpose of each component on a screen should be clear.
- Functional: The UI components that you use in your application should function properly when users interact with them, and there should be no unnecessary or unused components.
- Visually appealing: The UI should appear polished and attractive.
You can use the classes and interfaces that are included in the BlackBerry® Java® SDK to create UIs for your applications. There are three main packages that you can use to create UIs:
- The net.rim.device.api.ui package contains the fundamental classes that are used for all UI applications.
- The net.rim.device.api.ui.component package contains classes for many prebuilt UI components, such as buttons, check boxes, and text fields.
- The net.rim.device.api.ui.container package contains classes that you can use to arrange UI components, such as managers.
If you don't find a component that fits your requirements, you can extend these classes to create your own custom UI components.
For more information about UI design principles and best practices, visit www.blackberry.com/go/uiguidelines to read the UI Guidelines.
Next topic: Types of UI APIs