Brew Application Development
For testing applications during the development process, the SDK includes a Brew emulator, or starting with Brew version 3.1.5 and above, the Brew Simulator. The Brew environment provides for multiple levels of application signatures. One signature authenticates the developer. Another signature verifies that an application has passed True Brew testing and is bestowed through Intertek. The individual telecommunications operators configure the handsets to either enforce or ignore the presence and verification of this second signature. Brew enabled handsets have a test mode that allows applications to bypass verification of the signature. Qualcomm makes applications that have passed testing available to Brew enabled wireless network operators. The operators are then able to choose which of these applications to make available to end-users on their catalog.
The Brew emulator, named Brew Simulator, does not emulate handset hardware. Instead, the Brew application is compiled to native code and linked with a compatible Brew runtime library. Because of this, applications cannot be tested for platform bugs related to memory alignment and various firmware related glitches without a Brew handset operating in test mode.
For testing purposes, Brew applications can be transferred using a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or serial cable to any Brew-compatible handset using Brew AppLoader from Qualcomm. A Brew application contains several components which, if not present and valid, cause the application to be automatically deleted on reboot. This includes the compiled binary file, a file which describes the application, the features it uses and permissions requested, a file that contains string and image resources if required, and a file containing the application's digital signature.
Brew applications may be unloaded from a consumer handset to save handset memory space. This is referred to as "Disable/Restore", and is a requirement of the True Brew Test Process. Saved files are kept intact using Disable/Restore, and it is possible to re-load the application without paying for it again. In a "Disable" situation, all .bar, .mod, and .sig files are deleted from the handset, while any other files remain in their original place. During the "Restore" operation, the .bar, .mod, and.sig files are downloaded from the carrier's mobile store, and the previously disabled application will have full functionality remaining. The Disable/Restore process is only available to consumer users once the handset's memory is full.
On May 28, 2008, Qualcomm and Adobe announced a partnership to integrate Adobe Flash Lite as a supported user interface on Brew.
Read more about this topic: Binary Runtime Environment For Wireless
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