Add NativeScript Plugins in an MDK App

This step includes creating a mobile project in SAP Build Lobby.

1. In the SAP Build Lobby, click Create > Create to start the creation process.

   

2. Click the Application tile and choose Next.

   

3. Select the Mobile category and choose Next.

   

4. Select the Mobile Application to develop your mobile project in SAP Business Application Studio and choose Next.

   

5. Enter the project name mdk_geolocation (used for this tutorial) , add a description (optional), and click Review.

   

   SAP Build recommends the dev space it deems most suitable, and it will automatically create a new one for you if you don’t already have one. If you have other dev spaces of the Mobile Application type, you can select between them. If you want to create a different dev space, go to the Dev Space Manager. See Working in the Dev Space Manager.

6. Review the inputs under the Summary tab. If everything looks correct, click Create to proceed with creating your project.

   

7. Your project is being created in the Project table of the lobby. The creation of the project may take a few moments. After the project has been created successfully, click the project to open it.

   

8. The project opens in SAP Business Application Studio.

   

   When you open the SAP Business Application Studio for the first time, a consent window may appear asking for permission to track your usage. Please review and provide your consent accordingly before proceeding.
   

   

The Storyboard provides a graphical view of the application’s runtime resources, external resources, UI of the application, and the connections between them. This allows for a quick understanding of the application’s structure and components.

• Runtime Resources: In the Runtime Resources section, you can see the mobile services application and mobile destination used in the project, with a dotted-line connected to the External Resources.
• External Resources: In the External Resources section, you can see the external services used in the project, with a dotted-line connection to the Runtime Resource or the UI app.
• UI Application: In the UI Applications section, you can see the mobile applications.

1. Click on + button in the Runtime Resources column to add a mobile services app to your project.

   

   This screen will only show up when your CF login session has expired. Use either Credentials OR SSO Passcode option for authentication. After successful signed in to Cloud Foundry, select your Cloud Foundry Organization and Space where you have set up the initial configuration for your MDK app and click Apply.

   

2. Choose myapp.mdk.demo from the applications list in the Mobile Application Services editor and click Add App to Project. You do not require to add a destination for this tutorial.

   

   You can access the mobile services admin UI by clicking on the Mobile Services option on the right hand side.

   In the storyboard window, the app will be added under the Runtime Resources column.

   

3. Click the + button in the UI application column header to add mobile UI for your project.

   

4. In the Basic Information step, select No for the Enable Auto-Deployment to Mobile Services After Project Creation property, and click Finish. You will modify the generated project in next step and will deploy it later.

   

5. After clicking Finish, the storyboard is updated displaying the UI component. The MDK project is generated in the project explorer based on your selections.

   

1. Click the Main.page, drag & drop Static Key Value container to the page area.

   

2. In Properties | Layout, change NumberOfColumns to 1.

   

3. Drag & drop Key Value Item to the container.

   

4. Set KeyNameas Coordinates. To bind it’s value property, click on create a rule. You will create a new JavaScript file to capture the device location: latitude & longitude.

   

5. Keep the default selection for Object Type as Rule and Folders. Click OK.

   

   You can find more details about writing a Rule.

6. In the Base Information, enter the Rule name as GetCoordinates and click Finish.

   

7. Replace the generated snippet with below code.

   JavaScript

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   /**
   * Describe this function...
   * @param {IClientAPI} context
   */
   import * as geolocation from "@nativescript/geolocation";
   import { CoreTypes } from "@nativescript/core";
   export default async function GetCoordinates(context) {
       var logger = context.getLogger();
       console.log("Current Log Level: " + logger.getLevel());
       // check if geolocation is not enabled
       var locationIsEnabled = await geolocation.isEnabled();
       if (!locationIsEnabled) {
           // request for the user to enable it
           await geolocation.enableLocationRequest();
       }
       // Get current location with high accuracy
       return geolocation.getCurrentLocation({
           desiredAccuracy: CoreTypes.Accuracy.high, //This will return the finest location available
           updateDistance: 5, //Update distance filter in meters.
           timeout: 11000 //How long to wait for a location in ms.
       }).then(function (loc) {
           if (loc) {
               console.log(loc);
               console.log('\nCurrent Location: (' + loc.latitude + ',' + loc.longitude + ')');
               logger.log(loc.toString());
               var locMessage = '(' + "Latitude:" + loc.latitude + ',' + "Longitude:" + loc.longitude + ')';
               logger.log('Current Location: ' + locMessage, 'INFO');
               return locMessage;
           }
       }, function (e) {
           logger.log(e.message, 'ERROR');
       });
   }
   

When the Main page loads, you can display a loading indicator informing about something is being processed before the data appears.

Enable the loading indicator at the Sectioned Table level by providing the following information:

In GetCoordinates.js file, you referred @nativescript/geolocation plugin. You now need to list this module as external references in BAS configuration so when bundling, MDK editor knows not to worry about these references.

1. Click on the gear icon on the bottom left of the BAS window and select Settings.

   

2. Switch to the Remote tab.

   

3. Search with mdk, click Edit in settings.json.

   

4. Include below references in mdk.bundlerExternals.

   JSON

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   "@nativescript/geolocation"
   

   

So far, you have learned how to build an MDK application in the SAP Business Application Studio editor. Now, you will Deploy the Project definitions to Mobile Services to use in the Mobile client.

1. Switch to the Main.page tab, click the Deploy option in the editor’s header area, and then choose the deployment target as Mobile Services.

   

2. Select deploy target as Mobile Services.

   

3. Select Mobile Services Landscape.

   

4. If you want to enable source for debugging the deployed bundle, then choose Yes.

   

   You should see Deploy to Mobile Services successfully! message.

   

In order to use the existing NativeScript plugin in MDK client, you will need to first add it in .mdkproject and then create your branded MDK client.

1. Make sure that you have already completed steps 1 to 3 from Build Your Mobile Development Kit Client Using MDK SDK tutorial.

2. Open MDKProject.json file and replace existing content with below. Provide an appropriate value to the BundleID, it should be a unique identifier for your application.

   JSON

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   {
     "AppDisplayName": "Geolocation",
     "AppName": "MDKGeolocation",
     "AppVersion": "1.0.0",
     "AndroidVersionCode": "Auto",
     "BundleID": "<Enter your bundle ID>",
     "Externals": ["@nativescript/geolocation"],
     "NSPlugins": ["@nativescript/geolocation"],
     "UrlScheme": "mdkgeolocation"
   }
   

With Google Play services, your app can take advantage of the latest, Google-powered features such as Maps, Google+, and more.

1. Add app.gradle and AndroidManifest.xml files as per below structure in your DemoSampleApp.mdkproject.

       DemoSampleApp.mdkproject
         ├── App_Resources_Merge
             └── Android
                 ├── app.gradle
                 └── src
                     └── main
                         └── AndroidManifest.xml
   

   

   Files specified in the .mdkproject/App_Resources_Merge folder override a part of the files in <generated-project>/app/App_Resources. You can find more details about it in help documentation.

2. Provide below information in the app.gradle file. Save the changes.

   Java

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   // add gradle dependencies here
   project.ext {
   	googlePlayServicesVersion = "21.+"
   }
   dependencies {
   	def googlePlayServicesVersion = project.googlePlayServicesVersion
   	implementation "com.google.android.gms:play-services-location:$googlePlayServicesVersion"
   }
   

3. Provide below information in the AndroidManifest.xml file. Save the changes.

   XML

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   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
   
   	<!-- Always include this permission -->
     <!-- This permission is for "approximate" location data -->
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
   
     <!-- Include only if your app benefits from precise location access. -->
     <!-- This permission is for "precise" location data -->
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
   
     <!-- Required only when requesting background location access on
          Android 10 (API level 29) and higher. -->
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION" />
   </manifest>