Mobile/AddonsTrainingWeek/SpeakerNotesA: Difference between revisions

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MarkFinkle

canmove, Confirmed users, Bureaucrats and Sysops emeriti

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-* Download the latest release or nightly version of Firefox for mobile (Fennec)
+==Building an Add-on for Firefox (mobile)==
+* Download the latest release or nightly version of Firefox for mobile (Fennec).
 ** [http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mobile/nightly/latest-mozilla-central-linux/ Nightly Linux]
-* Launch the browser and make sure the browser is functioning correctly
+* Launch the browser and make sure the browser is functioning correctly.
-* Setup some preferences that will make it easier to debug problems. Go to about:config
+* Setup some preferences that will make it easier to debug problems. Go to about:config.
 ** [https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Setting_up_extension_development_environment#Development_preferences MDC page]
 ** javascript.options.showInConsole = true
 ** browser.dom.window.dump.enabled = true
 ** extensions.logging.enabled = true
-* Start editing the boilerplate of your add-on
+* Start editing the boilerplate of your add-on.
-** Download the blank template or use the tool of your choice
+** Download the blank template or use the tool of your choice.
-** Unpack or create add-on in a development folder
+** Unpack or create add-on in a development folder.
-** Use the editor of your choice
+** Use the editor of your choice.
 ** [https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Building_an_Extension MDC page]
-* Make a test link from the profile folder to your add-on development folder
+* Make a test link from the profile folder to your add-on development folder.
 ** [https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Building_an_Extension#Test MDC page]
-* Launch the browser and verify that your add-on installed
+* Launch the browser and verify that your add-on installed.
-** If the add-on did not install, check the error console for potential problems
+** If the add-on did not install, check the error console for potential problems.
-* Now start adding more functionality to your add-on and keep testing in the browser
+* Now start adding more functionality to your add-on and keep testing in the browser.
-* When ready, ZIP the contents of your add-on development folder into a XPI and post to AMO
+* When ready, ZIP the contents of your add-on development folder into a XPI and post to AMO.
+==Porting an Add-on from Desktop to Mobile==
+* UI is very different.
+** You will not be able to assume the desktop XUL overlays will "just work".
+** Dialogs and Preferences are handled very differently.
+** Screen size becomes very important and a limiting factor.
+** Maintaining "touch-friendly" widgets is critical.
+** Simplify everything.
+* JS front-end API's are very different.
+** XPCOM and features of the Mozilla platform are the same.
+** JS API's found in the UI code are different.
+** Out-of-process web content makes common tasks and patterns very different.
+* Guidelines
+** Larger add-ons should not be ported "all at once". Break the add-on into smaller pieces and port each piece individually.
+** Porting non-UI code should be straight forward, but scan XPCOM components and JSM's for potential UI problems.
+** Out-of-process web content has a bit of a learning curve, but once you become comfortable with processing messages, you start moving faster and become more productive.