Setting up your MobileFirst

development environment

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

Course materials may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written permission of IBM.
 Unit objectives
• Install the MobileFirst Platform Foundation Developer Kit
• Set up the MobileFirst Development Server
• Install the MobileFirst Platform CLI
• Set up the platform-specific IDE and tools

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Overview
• Depending on the type of applications that you want to create, you
might need to install these tools on your development workstation:
▪ Java: Required by MobileFirst Server and Maven
▪ MobileFirst Development Kit
▪ Bluemix account: Required for running MobileFirst Foundation Service
▪ Node.js: Required by MobileFirst CLI
▪ MobileFirst CLI
▪ Cordova CLI
▪ An IDE for your platform: Xcode, Android Studio, Visual Studio, and others
▪ Apache Maven: Required for developing MobileFirst adapters
▪ Eclipse: Required for developing MobileFirst adapters and working with
Cordova and hybrid applications
▪ MobileFirst Studio and THyM plug-ins

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 MobileFirst Foundation Development Kit
• Provides a ready-for-development environment with minimal
configuration needed
• Includes the following components:
▪ MobileFirst Server
▪ MobileFirst Operations Console
▪ MobileFirst Developer Command-Line Interface (CLI)
▪ MobileFirst client SDKs
▪ MobileFirst adapter tools
• Available from https://mobilefirstplatform.ibmcloud.com/downloads/
▪ Requires Java 7 or 8
▪ Set the JAVA_HOME environment variable to your JDK directory
▪ Download the installer for your platform
▪ After installation completes:
1. Run the run.sh|cmd script to start the MobileFirst Server
2. Start the MobileFirst Operations Console at http://localhost:9080/mfpconsole

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 MobileFirst Operations Console
• Displays the following functions:
▪ Register and deploy applications and adapters
▪ Optionally download native/Cordova application and adapter starter code
templates
▪ Configure an application's authentication and security properties
▪ Manage applications: Application Authenticity, Direct Update, Remote
Disable/Notify
▪ Send Push Notifications to iOS and Android devices
▪ Generate DevOps scripts for continuous integration workflows and faster
development cycles

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 MobileFirst Command Line Interface (CLI)
• Download from https://mobilefirstplatform.ibmcloud.com/downloads/
• Requires NPM package manager; NPM is bundled as part of Node.js
(https://nodejs.org/en/download/)
• Verify the installation by running mfpdev –v
• Enables you to:
▪ Manage MobileFirst Servers
▪ Register and configure applications
▪ Create, build, deploy, and test adapters

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 MobileFirst Foundation client SDKs
• Set of API methods that allow you to implement various MobileFirst
features, such as:
▪ Authentication and security mechanisms
▪ Notifications
▪ Resource requests
▪ Collecting analytics data
▪ And more
• Provided as part of the Development Kit (or can be installed manually)
• Provided for Cordova applications and native platforms: iOS, Android,
Windows 8.1 Universal, and Windows 10 UWP

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Installing Eclipse
• Encouraged, if you plan on working with MobileFirst adapters, or if you
plan on doing any Cordova or hybrid mobile application development
• Download and install the Eclipse IDE for your platform from
https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/
• Integrate MobileFirst Server:
1. From the Servers view in Eclipse, select New > Server.
2. If an IBM folder option does not exist, click Download additional server
adapters.
3. Select WebSphere Application Server Liberty Tools and follow the on-
screen instructions.
4. From the Servers view in Eclipse, select New > Server.
5. Select IBM > WebSphere Application Server Liberty.
6. Enter a server name and host name and click Next.
7. Enter the path to the server root directory, and select a JRE version to
use.
8. Click Next, and then click Finish.

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 MobileFirst Studio and THyM
• The MobileFirst Studio plug-in for Eclipse displays the various
MobileFirst commands in the Eclipse IDE
• The Hybrid Mobile Project (THyM) supports the importing and
managing Cordova projects in Eclipse
• Download and install from Eclipse Marketplace

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Accessing MobileFirst commands in Eclipse
• Right-click the root project directory and select IBM MobileFirst
Foundation
▪ Open Server Console: Opens the console (mfpdev server console)
▪ Preview App: Opens the app in browser preview
▪ Register App: Registers the app with MobileFirst server (mfpdev app
register)
▪ Encrypt App: Runs the web resource encryption tool on the app (mfpdev
app webencrypt)
▪ Pull App: Retrieves the existing app configuration from the server that is
specified in the server definition (mfpdev app pull)
▪ Push App: Sends the app configuration to the server so that you can reuse it
for another app (mfpdev app push)
▪ Update App: Packages the contents of the www folder in a compressed file,
and replaces the version on the server with the package (mfpdev app
webupdate)
• Enabling debug mode: Preferences > MobileFirst Studio Plugins >
Enable debug mode > Apply > OK

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Running the MobileFirst Server in Eclipse
• From the Servers view in Eclipse, select New > Server
• If an IBM folder option does not exist, click Download additional
server adapters
• Select WebSphere Application Server Liberty Tools and follow the
on-screen instructions
• From the Servers view in Eclipse, select New > Server
• Select IBM > WebSphere Application Server Liberty
• Provide a server name and host name and click Next
• Provide the path to the server's root directory, and select a JRE version
to use
• Click Next followed by clicking Finish

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Adapter tools and security checks
• Require Apache Maven
• Download and install from https://maven.apache.org/download.cgi
• Add a MVN_PATH variable, pointing to the Maven folder
• You can create adapters either by using Maven command-line
commands, or by using the MobileFirst CLI
• Optionally, you can install a Maven plug-in to Eclipse
(http://www.eclipse.org/m2e/)

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Cordova development
• MobileFirst Platform Foundation supports Apache Cordova CLI 6.0.0,
6.1.1, 6.2 (v6.1.0 is not supported)
• Requires Cordova CLI, which is distributed as an NPM package
▪ Download and install Node.js (https://nodejs.org/en/download/), and then use
npm to install the cordova package
▪ From a command-line window, run the command: npm install -g
cordova
▪ Verify the installation by running cordova –v
• You can use your preferred code editor, but Eclipse is encouraged

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Android development
• Download and install Android Studio
(http://developer.android.com/develop/index.html)
• Use SDK Manager to install the required packages:
▪ SDK Tools
▪ SDK Platform-tools
▪ SDK Platform
▪ System Image
▪ Android Support Repository
▪ Google Play Services
▪ Google Repository
• MobileFirst applications support the minimum API level that Cordova
supports (in this case, Android API Levels 14 – 23)
• Configure an Android Virtual Device by using the AVD Manager

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 iOS development
• Register as an iOS developer at https://appleid.apple.com/account
• Create an Apple ID (or use an existing one)
• Sign in to https://developer.apple.com/
• In Member Center > Programs & Add-ons, register for the
appropriate program for your organization
• Install Xcode from https://developer.apple.com/xcode/

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Unit summary
• Install the MobileFirst Platform Foundation Developer Kit
• Set up the MobileFirst Development Server
• Install the MobileFirst Platform CLI
• Set up the platform-specific IDE and tools

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Review questions
1. True or False: Java is required by MobileFirst Server.

2. What is required for developing MobileFirst adapters?

A. Apache Maven
B. Bluemix account
C. Cordova CLI
D. MobileFirst Studio

3. What is the minimum API level that is supported by

Cordova?
_______________________________________

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Review answers
1. True or False: Java is required by MobileFirst Server.
The answer is True.

2. What is required for developing MobileFirst adapters?

A. Apache Maven
B. Bluemix account
C. Cordova CLI
D. MobileFirst Studio
The answer is A.

3. What is the minimum API level that is supported by

Cordova?
The answer is Android API Levels 14 – 23.

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Exercise 1: Setting up your
environment

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016

 Exercise introduction
• Download and install prerequisite software
• Install the MobileFirst Platform Foundation Developer Kit
• Install the MobileFirst Command Line Interface (CLI)
• Install the MobileFirst Studio plug-in
• Install an IDE for your platform

Setting up your MobileFirst development environment © Copyright IBM Corporation 2016