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This page describes a way to inject a custom Native Plugin (NPI) into the Android and iOS Mobile Application Framework (MAF) Platforms. The NPI is a standalone/self contained part of an application and gives you a way to incorporate your own functionality into your Apps through the MAF Platforms.

Android Native Plug-in Information

Native Plugin Requirement

For the NPI, the following information is needed:

  • Android Library Project packaged into an Android Archive File (AAR).
  • A JSON Configuration file that provides the following (The JSON string will be passed to the Fragment):
    • Fragment Classname (Full Class Name including the package name) of the initial custom Fragment included in the Library Project.
    • Any arguments/parameters that the NPI needs.

 

Example JSON File:

{
  “FragmentClassName”: “com.mobilesmith.rallyconnector.ui.LoginFragment”,
  “rally_url”: “https://rally1.rallydev.com”,
  “company_name”: “MobileSmith”
}

System Frameworks

The Android MAF Platform builds towards the following versions of the Android Platform:

  • Compile SDK Version: 22
  • Build Tools Version 22.0.1
  • Target API Version: 22
  • Minimum SDK Version: 14
  • The builds include the following libraries:
  • Android Support Compat Library v7:22.0.0 - ‘com.android.support:appcompat-v7:22.0.0’
  • Google Play Services Locaion v7.0.0 - ‘com.google.android.gms:play-services-location:7.0.0’
  • Google Play Services Maps v7.0.0 - ‘com.google.android.gms:play-services-maps:7.0.0’
  • Google Play Services Analytics v7.0.0 - ‘com.google.android.gms:play-services-analytics:7.0.0’
  • DiskLRUCache Library v2.0.2 - ‘com.jakewharton:disklrucache:2.0.2’
  • HttpMine v4.2 - ‘org.apache.httpcomponents:httpmime:4.2’
  • Flurry Analytics v3.4.0
  • Google Cloud Messaging Library
  • Picasso Library v 2.5.2 - ‘com.squareup.picasso:picasso:2.5.2’
  • Spring Android v1.0.1
    • ‘org.springframework.android:spring-android-core:1.0.1.RELEASE’
    • ‘org.springframework.android:spring-android-rest-template:1.0.1.RELEASE’
  • Scribe (OAuth Library) v1.3.7 - ‘org.scribe:scribe:1.3.7’
  • GreenRobot EventBus v2.4.0 - ‘de.greenrobot:eventbus:2.4.0’

The NPI must provide any 3rd party libraries in the deployed AAR file.

The MAF builds are currently built towards JDK 1.5.

 

Supported Tools

We support the following tools for NPI development:

  • Android Studio 1.2 Integrated Development Environment
  • Genymotion Android emulators
  • Espresso 2.0 for Automate UI Testing
  • Spoon (1.1.1) for Automated UI Device Testing

Design and Implementation Constraints

Android MAF Platform will provide a Fragment container for 3rd party NPI User Interface elements. These Fragment containers will allow the Platform the ability to embed the NPI’s inside the current UI without changing the underlying code.

Code Guidelines:

  • Anything going against the Play Store guidelines is prohibited in third party code.
  • Exceptions are not handled outside of the custom Fragment: if the custom Fragment does not handle the exception the app will crash.

 

Android Fragments

Android Fragments (from the Android Support Library v4) should be used as a UI Container for NPI’s, it represents a portion of the UI in an Android Activity. This will allow the Android MAF Framework to control most of the screen that has the NPI. The Fragment approach will allow the Custom Native Plugin to have its own lifecycle, receive its own input events, and the ability to swap out its own Fragments without the knowledge of the MAF Platform.

The Android MAF Platform will pass in an Android Bundle to the Fragment that includes the
following:

  • JSON Configuration String (Bundle key = “json_config”) - this will contain the JSON provided in the JSON Configuration File.
  • UI Fragment Container Id (Bundle key = “container_view_id”) - this should be used to replace the current fragment in the Platform:
final FragmentTransaction fragmentTransaction = activity.getSupportFragmentManager().beginTransaction();
fragmentTransaction.replace(container_view_id, fragment);
if (addToBackStack) {
    fragmentTransaction.addToBackStack(null);
}
fragmentTransaction.commit();

Android Plugin Deployment Information

The Custom Native Plugin should be package in an AAR file with the structure of an Android library as described in the Android Build System Documentation

http://tools.android.com/tech-docs/new-build-system/aar-format

EventBus Library

The Android MAF platform utilizes a publish/subscribe event bus for communications between the platform components. This event bus can be utilized by the NPI for NPI to NPI communication and in the future NPI to MAF/MAF to NPI communication. For more information about the EventBus, see:

https://github.com/greenrobot/EventBus

 

Android Caveats

The following are caveats with Native Plugins on Android:

MapFragments

Map Fragments, used to display Google Maps, are currently not supported in the NPI framework. A workaround is display the map in a WebView.

ActionBar Title

Changing the ActionBar Title is currently not supported in the NPI framework. This functionality will be provided at a later date.

Nested Views

Nested views can cause some latency issues with the NPI’s inside the MobileSmith platform, since the NPI resides several layers deep. See the following App View Hierarchy:

 

 

 

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