Simplicity J2ME RAD IDE
Data Representations produce an IDE for J2ME called ‘Simplicity for Mobile Devices’.
The IDE runs under the 1.3 or 1.4 Sun J2SDK and provides a menu and form driven way to create J2ME applications. Unlike AppsForPhones, you can actually see the source code which ends up all in one file. You can also edit individual functions and when so doing can use the built in code completion.
The IDE allows you to create multiple screens containing forms or canvases. All the usual form controls are supported. The IDE also creates snippets of code, based on your input, for things such as http, rms acccess, querying system info, screen painting and switching between screens. It’s even possible to create threads.
The demo version doesn’t allow you to build programs for use on a phone but you can still use all the options to design a program. You can even see the source code but there’s no way to build it or copy it to another program.
As all the screens end up in the same code file, the resulting program isn’t that well partitioned from a software engineering viewpoint. However, this is of little consequence as all the code is navigated and edited via IDE (via the IDE tree control).
It’s also possible to use other code on your classpath allowing use of 3rd party libraries or code you have already written.
The IDE also provides ‘almost instantaneous’ emulation. For example, you can add an item to a list control and it will be there ready to debug. There’s also a debugger to step through code and examine variables.
Simplicity for Mobile Devices originally cost $395 when it was released in 2002. In 2004 it was reduced to $195 making it very affordable.
This IDE really is RAD. It allows you to quickly create skeleton applications with all the required screens. However, this might also be said for the experienced mobile developer who often reuses ideas/designs/code. Creating the application and screen structure is only part of the story. In most cases, more time is spent designing the application and, for example, implementing code to convert data between different formats - which you will have to do whatever IDE you use.
This IDE is great if you wish to learn J2ME. You could use the demo version to learn how to add screens, controls, commands and so forth and what they look like in the code. If you then want to build real applications then the $195 is well worth the money. Experienced J2ME developers can probably do what the IDE does in about the same time so the gains are less obvious.