RIM unveils WebWorks SDK 2.0 as PlayBook hits stores

With its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet reaching North American retailers today, Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) introduced its BlackBerry WebWorks SDK 2.0 for Tablets and Smartphones as well as the final version of its Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR, promising developers new tools to streamline and enhance their application projects.

BlackBerry WebWorks 2.0 separates JavaScript APIs from the OS--according to RIM, the new architecture makes it easier to modify and expand existing APIs for packaging with WebWorks apps and also simplify the addition of new APIs. The BlackBerry WebWorks framework and all APIs are open-sourced and available via the GitHub portal. Developers can leverage the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK to build standalone BlackBerry apps based on web standard technologies like HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. Once the build is complete, apps can be fully integrated into the BlackBerry ecosystem for distribution via the BlackBerry App World storefront.

The final version of the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR touts special APIs for the BlackBerry PlayBook Plugins for Adobe Flash Builder, as well as a BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Simulator and a Getting Started Guide. Adobe AIR enables developers to share code across multiple platforms, offering them a wide choice of programming environments.

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