Create a .zip file for a product release

File structure

If you do not need to upload multiple bundles for different variants of a product, bundle subfolders are not required.

Bundle subfolders

The application files in each bundle could be designed for different devices, different software versions, or different device platforms. For example, you designed two variants of your product, one for BlackBerry smartphones that support BlackBerry 7.1 or earlier (.cod files) and one for BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and BlackBerry smartphones that support BlackBerry 10 or later (.bar files). You create two bundle subfolders, one for the .cod files and one for the .bar files.

The name of the bundle subfolder specifies the earliest version of the operating system that the bundle supports. The name must use the following format: bundle_name_x.x.x.x, where x.x.x.x represents the version of the BlackBerry Device Software or BlackBerry PlayBook OS.

If the bundle name does not use this format, the earliest version of the BlackBerry Device Software that the bundle supports is 4.2.0. The earliest version of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS that the bundle supports is 1.0.

If multiple bundles support the same device, the bundles should not also support the same minimum version of device software. If multiple bundles support the same device and the same minimum version of device software, BlackBerry App World storefront users can receive either bundle when they download the product.

release.xml file

The release.xml file specifies the version of the release and any relevant release notes, and can also be used to specify localization data for each bundle. You must save the release.xml file in UTF-8 format.

You must use the following format in the release.xml file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Release version="x.x.x.x">
       <ReleaseNotes>Release note text</ReleaseNotes>
       <filebundle name="Bundle1_x.x.x.x">
            <language>language_code</language>
       </filebundle>
       <filebundle name="Bundle2_x.x.x.x">
            <language>language_code</language>
       </filebundle>
</Release>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Release version="2.0.0.0">
       <ReleaseNotes>This release introduces support for Canadian French.</ReleaseNotes>
       <filebundle name="EnglishBundle_5.0.0.0">
            <language>en_ca</language>
       </filebundle>
       <filebundle name="FrenchBundle_4.6.1.0">
            <language>fr_ca</language>
       </filebundle>
</Release>

The bundle EnglishBundle_5.0.0.0 supports Canadian English, and FrenchBundle_4.6.1.0 supports Canadian French. If you specify language support at the bundle level, every .cod file or .bar file in the bundle must support the language that the release.xml file specifies.

The release version number must not exceed four octets. The BlackBerry App World storefront truncates additional numbers.

devices.txt file

The devices.txt file specifies the device models that a bundle supports. A devices.txt file must contain the smartphone model numbers or tablet model numbers in a comma-separated (,) list, or the model numbers must appear on separate lines. BlackBerry App World does not process values that are not valid. The following text is an example of the contents of a devices.txt file:

8900,8800,9530,9500

8707h,8707v,8707g,8705g

To view a complete list of the device model numbers that BlackBerry App World supports, follow the steps to Add a release for a product. When you reach the Add Release Version screen, click Add filebundle, and click the edit icon in the Device Support column. The Select Devices window displays each device family and the available model numbers.

If you do not create a devices.txt file, you must manually specify the platform and devices that each bundle supports when you upload the .zip file to the BlackBerry App World vendor portal.

.cod files or .bar files

These file types contain the source code for a product. .cod files are designed for smartphones that support BlackBerry earlier than BlackBerry 10, and .bar files are designed for tablets and smartphones that support BlackBerry 10 and later. The .cod files or .bar files can be located in bundle subfolders, or if you do not need to upload multiple bundles, in the root of the release folder. Any .cod files or .bar files that are located in the root of the release folder are assigned to a bundle that is named New Bundle when you upload the files to the vendor portal.

You can specify language support for a .cod file or .bar file in the file name. For example, a .cod file with the name CodName_fr_ca.cod supports Canadian French. Language support at the bundle level takes precedence over language support at the file level.