BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has unveiled its BlackBerry 10 smartphone prototype and software tools to create apps to run on its new operating system.
It has also released the initial developer toolkit for native and HTML5 software development.
The toolkit includes the BlackBerry 10 Native SDK with Cascades, which allows developers to create graphical native applications in C/C++ using Qt.
The Native SDK for BlackBerry 10 incorporates set of APIs that give developers access to core device features and a range of BlackBerry application services, such as Push and Payment services.
Cascades is a native application development toolset that allows developers to build graphics applications without having to write graphics code.
The new developer toolkit also includes support for HTML5 application developers with the BlackBerry 10 WebWorks SDK, which allows developers to create native-like applications using common Web-programming technologies.
The BlackBerry 10 WebWorks SDK allows developers to use HTML5 and CSS for building apps and provides JavaScript bindings to native device APIs along with RIM’s open source UI toolkit, bbUI.js, to create applications with native-like capabilities.
Research In Motion Handheld Application Platform and Tools vice-president Christopher Smith said developers can use this first beta of the tools to get started building apps for BlackBerry 10 and as the tools evolve over the coming months, developers will have access to a API set that will allow them to build integrated apps.
"The toolkit we are delivering today also meets developers on their own terms. Whether using the powerful Cascades framework, writing direct native code or developing in HTML5, BlackBerry 10 will empower developers to create attractive and compelling apps that excite customers," said Smith.
