[SailfishDevel] When does Jolla give us an API?

[David Greaves]

On 09/02/14 11:28, Putze Sven wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> On 03.02.2014, at 16:58, David Greaves <david.greaves at jolla.com> wrote:
> 
>> On 03/02/14 15:29, Putze Sven wrote:
>>> What does a developer need to write quality apps? An API and a
>>> documentation of such.
>>> 
>>> So far there is a quite limited API available and therefore we don't see
>>> too many apps out there. How will you write a sophisticated app, if the
>>> API is not available or it is not allowed to use or is only known to
>>> those with Maemo/Meego history?
>> 
>> A quick response: we support the Qt API and rather than developing our own 
>> proprietary one we're working hard to support the open one as it grows.
>> 
>> The Qt documentation is extensive and superb :)
> 
> As pointed out from others, it's not simply done with the Qt documentation. 
> The Sailfish OS is built upon many libraries, frameworks and layers. But
> which one is to use?

Qt.

Seriously. You asked for "an API". Jolla supports the Qt API precisely because
it is a single, high level, app-suitable API that is well managed and open. It
provides a significant degree of platform independence by abstracting a large
amount of platform capability provided by those underlying layers; there is not
much 'limited' about it :)

Not only that it permits us to provide an API usable by C++ and QML/js at a cost
that we can manage.

Having said that, we do need to look to see where there are gaps.

What functionality are you looking for that is not either supported or planned
to be supported by an API exposed by Qt?

If you do want to tinker outside of the store API and enter general linux
programming then you have the freedom to do that too; however Jolla simply does
not have the resources to maintain and/or document all the various systems and
libraries which make up Mer/SailfishOS over and above the various resources that
exist out there on the web (and in the source).

David