Create and use preverified JAR files in Blackberry applications

This post "blackberry-tips-bikas.blogspot.com: how-to-create-library-jar-file-and-use" describes how a JAR file can be created and used as a library in Blackberry applications. But I faced some problem after following the approach described there. Then I've tried by skipping the step 5 of "How to create the JAR file" and succeeded. I'm describing the full process again here for both Eclipse and JDE:

For Eclipse:

Create the JAR file:

-- Create your Blackberry project (e.g. "MyLib")
-- Clean and build the project after adding all necessary files in the "src" folder and all necessary
    resource files in the "res" folder.
-- Package the project: right click on the project--> BlackBerry --> Package Projects
-- The "MyLib.jar" file will be created in the "ProjectDirectory\deliverables\Standard\X.0.0\" directory
    (here 'X' will be different depending on the version of OS set for your project.)
-- Go to your Eclipse JDE plugins installation folder (e.g. "C:\Eclipse"

-- Go to "C:\Eclipse\plugins\net.rim.ejde.componentpack5.0.0_5.0.0.25\components\bin\"
    The "componentpack5.0.0_5.0.0.25" can be different depending on your Eclipse JDE plugin version.

-- Copy MyLib.jar file into the "...\components\bin\" folder.
-- Open command prompt and change your current directory to the bin directory
    (>cd "C:\Eclipse\plugins\net.rim.ejde.componentpack5.0.0_5.0.0.25\components\bin\")
-- Then execute the following command:
    preverify -classpath "C:\Eclipse\plugins\net.rim.ejde.componentpack5.0.0_5.0.0.25\components\lib\net_rim_api.jar"  "MyLib.jar"
-- A folder named "output" will be created in the bin directory. The preverified jar file will be found in
   the output directory. 
-- Now extract the jar file with WinZip or such other application. Your project folders and files will be
    extracted there.

-- Delete the .cod, .cls, .cso files from there.
-- Make jar again with the remaining files and folders (i.e. make zip and rename to .jar).
-- Now you can use this jar file in another project as a library.

Use the JAR in other projects:

-- Copy the jar and paste into the lib folder of your project.
-- Right click on the jar file just pasted, and click "Add to Build Path"
-- Right click on the project, go to Build Path --> Configure Build Paths --> Java Build Paths. Select the "Libraries" tab and you will see your jar file in the list of libraries there.
-- Select the "Order and Export" tab and check the checkbox of "MyLib.jar". Press 'Ok'.
-- Your jar is added to your project.

For JDE:

 Create the JAR file:

-- Create your workspace (e.g. MyLib.jdw)
-- Create your project (e.g. MyLib.jdp)
-- Add your classes that you want your jar to contain.
-- Build your project.
-- A .jar file named MyLib.jar will be created in the "jdeworkspace-->MyLib" folder.
-- Go to your JDE installation folder
    (usually: "C:\Program Files\Research In Motion\BlackBerry JDE 5.0.0\bin")
-- Copy MyLib.jar file to the bin folder.
-- Open command prompt and change your current directory to the bin directory
    (execute command > cd "C:\Program Files\Research In Motion\BlackBerry JDE 5.0.0\bin")
-- Then execute the following command:
    preverify -classpath "C:\Program Files\Research In Motion\BlackBerry JDE 5.0.0\lib
        \net_rim_api.jar"  "MyLib.jar"
-- A folder named "output" will be created in the bin directory. The preverified jar file will be found in
   the output directory. 
-- Now extract the jar file with WinZip or such other application. Your project folders and files will be
    extracted there.
-- Delete the .cod, .cls, .cso files from there.
-- Make jar again with the remaining files and folders.
-- Now you can use this jar file in another project as a library.

Use the JAR in other project:

-- Right click on the project on JDE
-- Click properties and click on the "Build" tab.
-- Add "MyLib.jar" as Imported jar files.

Customizing the Rows of a BlackBerry TreeField

Here is an example of how we can customize a TreeField of BlackBerry:

import net.rim.device.api.system.Bitmap;
import net.rim.device.api.system.Display;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.Field;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.Graphics;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.LabelField;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.TreeField;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.component.TreeFieldCallback;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.container.MainScreen;
import net.rim.device.api.ui.container.VerticalFieldManager;

public class TreeDemo extends MainScreen {
 int parent[] = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9};
 int child[][] = new int [10][10];
 
 CustomTreeFieldCallback treeCallback = new CustomTreeFieldCallback();
 VerticalFieldManager vm = new VerticalFieldManager(Field.FOCUSABLE | VERTICAL_SCROLL | VERTICAL_SCROLLBAR);
 TreeField myTree = new TreeField(treeCallback, Field.FOCUSABLE);

 public TreeDemo() {
  // TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
  vm.add(new LabelField("Table:"));
  myTree.setRowHeight(27);
  for(int i = parent.length-1; i >= 0 ; i--) {
   parent[i] = myTree.addChildNode(0, "Parent_" + (i+1));
   child[i] = new int[4];
   for(int j = child[i].length-1; j >=0 ; j--) {
    child[i][j] = myTree.addChildNode(parent[i], "Child_"+ (i+1) + "_" + (j+1));
   }
   myTree.setExpanded(parent[i], false);
  }
  vm.add(myTree);
  add(vm);
 }
 
 private class CustomTreeFieldCallback implements TreeFieldCallback {

  public void drawTreeItem(TreeField treeField, Graphics graphics, int node,
    int y, int width, int indent) {
   // TODO Auto-generated method stub
   String string = (String) treeField.getCookie(node);
   int preservedColor = graphics.getColor();
   
   if(treeField.getCurrentNode() == node) {
    graphics.setColor(0x0CCCC0);
   } else {
    graphics.setColor(0x404040);
   }
   graphics.fillRect(0, y, Display.getWidth(), treeField.getRowHeight());
   
   Bitmap iconImage;
   if(treeField.getFirstChild(node) != -1){ // if the node is not a leaf node
    if(treeField.getExpanded(node)) {
     iconImage = Bitmap.getBitmapResource("icon_arrow_down.png");
    } else {
     iconImage = Bitmap.getBitmapResource("icon_arrow_right.png");
    }
    graphics.drawBitmap(0, y, indent, treeField.getRowHeight(), iconImage, 0, 0);
   }

   if( treeField.getCurrentNode() == node ) {
    graphics.setColor(0x404040);   
   } else {
    graphics.setColor(0x0CCCC0);
   }
   graphics.drawText(string, indent, y);
   
   graphics.setColor(preservedColor);
  }

 }
}

I order to associate some actions for clicking on the leaf nodes, the navigationClick or touchEvent methods of TreeField class should be customized.

Invoking Google Map From BlackBerry Applications

Google Maps can be invoked as an application from blackberry applications. For that we need to first download Google Maps and then use the following code to invoke google maps as an application:

   /**
     * Starts the Google Maps application and the specified locatin is shown on map
     * @param latitude the latitude of the location to show
     * @param longitude the longitude of the location to show
     * @param title the title of the location to show
     * @param description the description of the location to show
     */
    public void showGoogleMap(double latitude, double longitude, String title,  String description) {
        try {
            int mh = CodeModuleManager.getModuleHandle("GoogleMaps");
            if (mh == 0) {
                 throw new ApplicationManagerException("GoogleMaps isn't installed");
            }
            URLEncodedPostData uepd = new URLEncodedPostData(null, false);
            uepd.append("action","LOCN");
            uepd.append("a", "@latlon:"+latitude+","+longitude);
            uepd.append("title", title);
            uepd.append("description", description);
            String[] args = { "http://gmm/x?"+uepd.toString() };
            ApplicationDescriptor ad = CodeModuleManager.getApplicationDescriptors(mh)[0];
            ApplicationDescriptor ad2 = new ApplicationDescriptor(ad, args);
            ApplicationManager.getApplicationManager().runApplication(ad2, true);
        } catch(final Exception excp) {
            Dialog.alert("Sorry, can't start Google Map: " + excp.getMessage());
        }
    }

For more info, see this StackOverflow Answer.