Marmalade for BlackBerry 10 Port-a-thon FAQs

This page contains information specifically for the Marmalade for BlackBerry Portathon, running from Dec 13th to Dec 17th 2012.

Please see the General Marmalade BlackBerry FAQ page for information about Marmalade support for BlackBerry 10, Marmalade feature support on BlackBerry devices and general how-to information for BlackBerry support.

Questions

Will the webcasts be available for download after they have taken place?
How does submitting apps work? Do I submit to you/submit to the store?
How about apps submitted during same time with All-Aboard Portathon from RIM? Is the same app eligible for 2 different events?
I cannot test my game on an actual bb10 device, so, i can still submit?
What issues should we be concerned about regarding a port from Playbook to BB10 device such as a phone? Is it just the screen resolutions?
Do I need to update to 6.2 final version if it is released before the end of the port-a-thon
Can I submit PlayBook builds for the port-a-thon

Will the webcasts be available for download after they have taken place?>

The first webcast is available for the duration of the portathon event. View the webcast by visiting http://cgs.adobeconnect.com/p6xxu44sl1c/

The second webcast ends at the close of the port-a-thon and will not be recorded. The first webcast will also be taken down after the event, but any useful questions and answers form either event will be collated and added to the online BlackBerry FAQ here: http://www.madewithmarmalade.com/content/marmalade-blackberry-faqs

How does submitting apps work? Do I submit to you/submit to the store?

First, you need to have signed up for the portathon via this page to qualify at all: http://www.blackberrydeveloperevents.com/events/webcast/registration/register.html?scoid=1078263752

To submit your app, simply upload to the BlackBerry World store as usual. We will be able to detect if the app was built with Marmalade and to identify you from your vendor ID. Do do not send us the app separately and there is no need to inform us of apps you have submitted.

How about apps submitted during same time with All-Aboard Portathon from RIM? Is the same app eligible for 2 different events?

Each app is only valid for one port-a-thon events and RIM are running events which are each intended for apps built with one SDK. You should submit Marmalade apps during this event. If you submit a Marmalade app to this event and another native port-a-thon, they will only qualify under the Marmalade one.

I cannot test my game on an actual bb10 device - can I still submit?

Yes. You should first test your app in the Marmalade Simulator at 1280x768 resolution to make sure it runs as expected. If you have a similar sized phone running another OS we support at a similar resolution, you should try deploying to that to test look and feel on a small device. We cannot guarantee there are no device issues using 6.2 beta but it is fairly well tested. Please let us know via Marmalade Answers if you do get rejected and we will do our best to help resolve the issue.

What issues should we be concerned about regarding a port from Playbook to BB10 device such as a phone? Is it just the screen resolutions?

You need to re-deploy your app with "BlackBerry 10 QNX" as the target in the deploy tool. Beyond that, the resolution change is the main thing you need to deal with. PlayBook and BB10 DevAlpha devices have similar GPUs (same feature support) and the BB10 devices will all be higher spec than PlayBook. The BB10 touch devices are 1280x768 pixels - larger than PlayBook and much higher density (ppi). Because of the smaller screen, think about how fingers will be relatively larger and cover more of the screen. BB10 also doesn't support edge gestures on the left and right while your app is running, so you don't need to worry about accidental swiping near the edge of the screen.

Do I need to update to 6.2 final version if it is released before the end of the port-a-thon?

You shouldnt need to update to the 6.2 final release. It will have some improved docs, a few minor bug fixes etc. but the beta should be good enough to submit. Feel free to update once the release is out. You can always re-deploy and update the version in the store at a later date. Remember that the non-developer public wont have access to your app until the launch after the end of January

Can I submit PlayBook builds for the port-a-thon?

No. This event is for BlackBerry 10 deployments only. We encourage you to submit to PlayBook as well if you haven't done so yet, but that build wont qualify for prizes.