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1. Overview

The definition of Application framework can be difficult to agree upon. For the moment we start with a Wikipedia definition:

“Application framework consists of a software framework used by software developers to implement the standard structure of an application”

Where software framework is defined like this:

“A software framework is an abstraction in which software providing generic functionality can be selectively  changed by additional user-written code,thus providing application-specific software. […] Software frameworks may include support programs, compilers, code libraries, tool sets, and application programming interfaces (APIs)  that bring together all the different components to enable development of a project or solution”

The GENIVI Reference Architecture works with two different approaches to developing applications, namely the Managed and the Native application type.

Most people associate Application Framework mostly with the solution for the Managed application category, which includes a well-defined and limited set of application APIs and usually a constrained (“sandboxed”) execution environment.

Refer latest "Reference Architecture" document at the below link for more information on Applications FW , Native and Managed Applications, Application Life cycle

Reference Architecture (access requires Genivi Member Login)

 

1.1 App FW Scope and Concept

In the following review comments can be added to the App FW scope and concept document.

App FW Scope and Concept - Review

1.2 Application Manager

The Application Manager component is a part of the Application Framework set of components, aimed at supporting Applications, "Apps", in a GENIVI setting.

An Application manager component manages the overall responsibilities of the application framework infrastructure. This may include launching applications, restarting applications upon failure or when updated, controlling the privileges associated with the applications, keeping track of application states (in focus / background, speech context and access to audio).

Below is the comparison study of API's belonging to Application Manager in Tizen and Apertis.

 

Sl No.Tizen Web APIDescriptionTizen NativeDescriptionApertis (formerly eCORE)DescriptionQt Automotive Suite
Application Manager
DescriptionComments
/ Remarks
1getCurrentApplicationGets the Application object
defining the current application.
  CurrentActiveAppProperty update
Get the current active application on top of the application stack
 Defined by the System UI, can support multiple active applications at once. 
2killKills an application with
the specified application context ID.
  Apps are killed based on their states by app manager.Apps are killed based on their activity state. There is no exposed API using which system UI or managed app can request another app to be killed.ApplicationManager::stopApplication(string id, bool forceKill).Only available to System UI and via System DBus 
3launchLaunches an application
with the given application ID.
  LaunchNewApp ()Launch an application
from any other application
ApplicationManager::startApplication
ApplicationManager::openUrl
Only available to System UI and via System DBus.
Apps themselves can only launch other apps through mime-types.
 
4launchAppControlLaunches an application
with the specified application
control.
  OpenURI()This method is used to
launch an application
which handles the MIME
type of the
arguments.
For apps: [http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qml-qtqml-qt.html#openUrlExternally-method
]
For System UI: ApplicationManager::startApplication
Applications uses standard Qt interfaces, i.e. they are independent of Application Manager. 
5findAppControlFinds application information
 can be launched with the
 given application control.
  AppLaunchDatabaseReturns a list of apps and the MIMEs that they can handle.
NOTE: the name will be corrected.
The ApplicationManager singleton presents a model with the metadata regarding all installed apps and information regarding if the application is running or not.Only available to System UI and via System DBus. 
6getAppsContextGets a list of application
contexts for applications
 that are currently running
on a device.
   Not clear about the API Not sure what a context is. 
7getAppContextGets the application context
 for the specified application
 context ID.
app_manager_get
_app_context
Gets the application
context for the given
 ID of the application.
 Not clear about the API Not sure what a context is. 
8getAppsInfoGets the list of installed
application's information
 on a device.
  Not yet implementedAssuming that this API should provide a complete list of apps that are installed on the device.
NOTE: there are API for system UI like launcher to get this info. But not in general for managed apps.
The ApplicationManager singleton presents a model with the metadata regarding all installed apps and information regarding if the application is running or not.Only available to System UI and via System DBus. 
9getAppInfoGets application information
 for a specified application ID.
  GetApplicationInfoReturns manifest info to
the calling process
The ApplicationManager singleton presents a model with the metadata regarding all installed apps and information regarding if the application is running or not.Only available to System UI and via System DBus. 
10getAppSharedURIGets URI of read-only shared
directory of application for a
 specified application ID.
   Not yet implemented   
11getAppMetaDataGets application meta data
array for a specified
application ID.
   Not clear if this is
different from GetAppInfo
The ApplicationManager singleton presents a model with the metadata regarding all installed apps and information regarding if the application is running or not.Only available to System UI and via System DBus. 
12addAppInfoEventListenerAdds a listener for receiving
any notification for changes
in the list of the installed
applications on a device.
   The application entries use the freedesktop desktop entry format and method.
[https://developer.gnome.org/desktop-entry-spec/
]
Available through the object returned from  ApplicationManager::get.Only available to System UI and via System DBus. 
13removeAppInfoEvent
Listener
Removes the listener to
stop receiving notifications
for changes on the list of
installed applications on a device.
   As aboveYes, through Qt signals/slots.Only available to System UI and via System DBus. 
14    GetGlobalSearchAppsGlobal search is distributed
over all apps. This API
gives a list of apps that are
supporting global search
NOTE: This is a product specific feature
This would be implemented as a tag in the manifest, e.g. another capability.Global search is not a part of the Application Manager but would have to be supported through some other service. 
15    RegisterMyAppAll applications register
to application manager
The registration is needed as app manager is a dbus service.
The ApplicationManager itself is not tied to a specific appstore implementation - as long as the package can be downloaded via HTTP, HTTPS or FTP; it can also be provided as a local file or via a UNIX socket connection. QtAS comes with a PoC appstore implementation (server side: django, client side: QML).
See ApplicationInstaller singleton (system-UI and system DBus)
Not sure if this refers installation or during run-time. Installation is initiated through an Application Manager interface, so it works automatically. Apps are launched through Application Manager, so again, it works automatically. 
16    SetUninstalledApplicationDEPRECATED API !

AppStore :Set the
application manifest
name which isuninstalled.
 Application Manager handles uninstall, no need to call. 
17    InsertNewEntryDEPRECATED!

AppStore :Launcher
displays categories of
 applications and the
list of applications in
 each category.
 Application Manager handles install, no need to call.
AppStore is integrated through a custom plugin, so anything apart from the reference store needs to be integrated by writing a C++ plugin.
 
18    SetInstalledApplication
Manifest
DEPRECATED API !
AppStore :Set the manifest
file of the installed application.
 Application Manager handles install, no need to call. 
20         
21    "signal: AppLaunchDatabase
Update "
This signal indicates
an update of the app database
 Application Manager owns the database. No need to call. System UI is notified through the QAbstractItemModel interface of the ApplicationManager singleton object. 
24  app_manager_foreach
_app_context
Retrieves all application
 contexts of running
applications.
   Not sure what a context is. 
25  app_manager_foreach
_app_info
Retrieves all installed
 applications information.
  The ApplicationManager singleton presents a model with the metadata regarding all installed apps and information regarding if the application is running or not.  
26  int app_manager_get
_app_id
Gets the ID of the
application for the
given process ID.
  The ApplicationManager singleton presents a model with the metadata regarding all installed apps and information regarding if the application is running or not.  
27  app_manager_get_
external_shared_
data_path
Gets the absolute path
to the shared data
directory of the
application specified
with an application ID.
  ApplicationInstaller::getInstallationLocationThere's no real "shared" directory, but the path to the app's private data directory is available.
Only available to System UI and via System DBus.
 
28  app_manager_get_
shared_
resource_path
   ApplicationInstaller::getInstallationLocationThere's no real "shared" directory, but the path to the app's installation directory is available.
Only available to System UI and via System DBus.
 
29  int app_manager_is
_running
Checks whether the
application with
the given package
name is running.
  The ApplicationManager singleton presents a model with the metadata regarding all installed apps and information regarding if the application is running or not.  
30  int app_manager_
resume_app
Resumes the application.  ApplicationManager::startApplication
ApplicationManager::openUrl
The "docs" just state "resumes app". If this means bringing a background app to the foreground, then the ApplicationManager will take care of that transparently. 
31  Many API's wrt
Application context
https://developer.tizen.org
/dev-guide/2.3.0
/org.tizen.mobile.native
.apireference
/group_CAPIAPP_
CONTEXT__MODULE.html
     
32  Many Api's wrt
Application information
https://developer.tizen.org
/dev-guide/2.3.0
/org.tizen.mobile.
native.apireference
/group_CAPI_APP
_INFO_MODULE.html
     

1.3 App Manifest

Manifest contains App meta data. some of the information will help to determine is this App compatible/installable on a particular device.

It contains App info, permission, license, dependencies, services that are mandatory for the proper operation of the App, mime types , version and so on.

App manifest comparative study of Tizen and Apertis.

Sl NoApertis (formerly eCORE)DescriptionTizenDescriptionComments / Remarks
1app-nameAudio-Player'ui-application appid  
2working-directory/usr/Applications/AudioPlayer/'   
3exec-path/usr/Applications/AudioPlayer/bin/
mrs_audio_player'
ui-application execApplication executable
 file path.
 
4background-statekilled'   
5exec-typeapplication'ui-applicationservice app/ui app 
6categoryM U S I C'ui-application  
7category-icon/icon_music_AC.png'ui-application  
8application-entry-names'A R T I S T S','A L B U M S','S O N G S'   
9application-entry-icons'file:///usr/Applications/Launcher/share/icon
_music_artists_AC.png','file:///usr/
Applications/Launcher/share/icon_
music_albums_AC.png','file:///usr/
Applications/Launcher/share/icon
_music_songs_AC.png'
   
10tile-thumbnails'### UNKNOWN ###','### UNKNOWN
###','### UNKNOWN ###'
   
11exec-args('app-name','Audio-Player'),
('menu-entry','A R T I S T S'),('url',' ')
   
12env-key-value-pair'key1','value1'metadata  
13mime-type[]app-controlmime type 
14mime-list[]   
15audio-channel-namemrs_audio_service'   
16audio-resource-ownerAudio-Agent-Service'   
17audio-resource-typemusic'   
18  datacontrol access  
19  accountaccount provider, icon
, lang, capability,
 
20  Previleges  
21  Feature  
22  ui-application  
23  multiple  
24  nodisplay  
25  taskmanager  
26  type  
27  auto-restart  
28  on-boot