Today, Garmin announced the new D2
Air X10, a new aviation wearable using API level 4.0.0.
Navigate your day with D2 Air X10. This GPS aviator smartwatch has piloting tools you’ll want preflight, in-flight and postflight. And it offers advanced health and fitness features to help you track your wellness — plus keep you connected between flights.
Use the SDK Manager to update your device library to add D2 Air X10 support to your apps.
Developers live and die by their tools. A development environment for a software developer is like a video editing suite to a video editor; it's the tool of creation. Any change in that tooling can be very disruptive when you're familiar with what you have.
For those of you who have used the Eclipse environment over the past few years, Visual Studio Code can be an adjustment. In developing the new extension, we have taken the philosophy of trying to make something that would feel natural to a Visual Studio Code user. This can be alienating to developers moving from Eclipse, which has its own philosophy and approach. Though we are continuing to maintain the Eclipse solution, any new features going forward will only go to the Visual Studio Extension.
Let’s talk through some of the changes between Eclipse versus Visual Studio Code, and how the two environments are the same but different.
In Eclipse, the workspace is set at startup and is the directory on disk where your projects and your Eclipse settings live. You cannot change your workspace folder without restarting Eclipse. A project is a collection of related resources, but the Monkey C plugin usually represents the root folder of a source code tree. While you can have just one project in your workspace, it is more common to have multiple (even unrelated) projects all within the same workspace.
In Visual Studio Code, a window is an instance of the Visual Studio code environment. A folder is the root directory of a collection of related resources, but with the Monkey C extension a folder usually represents the root folder of a Monkey C source code tree. A project is a collection of folders but is not a subdirectory on the file system like in Eclipse. It is very common in Visual Studio code for a single project to have its own workspace, but it is also possible to have multiple folders in a workspace. You can have multiple windows editing multiple projects with multiple folders open at the same time.
Eclipse has a feature of linked folders, where a source folder can be soft-linked into a project. The Visual Studio Code extension does not mimic this feature, but you can add paths to the sourcePath or resourcePath of base in your jungle file to bring in folders. See the Jungle Reference Guide for details.
In the Eclipse plug-in there are two sets of settings: workspace settings and project settings. The workspace settings allow configuring the plugin. You can also edit the project settings for a Connect IQ project itself.
Visual Studio Code also has a separation of extension settings and folder settings. The extension settings allow for configuration of how the extension interfaces with the SDK, while the folder settings allow configuring the jungle, manifest, and type check level for the folder.
The Eclipse plug-in adds extra Connect IQ specific options by adding a Connect IQ menu to the Connect IQ perspective:
With the Monkey C extension, the commands have been added to the command palette, which can be summoned with Ctrl + Shift + P (or Command + Shift + P on the Mac). You can see all the extension commands by typing “Monkey C”:
The command palette auto-complete filters on all words in the command, allowing quick access to tools.
One of the most important files in the Connect IQ project is the manifest.xml file, which provides important metadata like the supported products, app type, and permissions. In the Eclipse plug-in, there is a special editor that breaks down the manifest into its component parts.
With the Monkey C extension, you can use the following commands to edit the manifest:
|
COMMAND |
DESCRIPTION |
|
Monkey C: Edit Products |
Edits the products in the manifest.xml; only allows selecting products that support the minimum SDK version |
|
Monkey C: Edit Permissions |
Edits the permissions in the manifest.xml |
|
Monkey C: Edit Languages |
Edits the languages in the manifest.xml |
|
Monkey C: Edit Application |
Edits the application metadata (name, label, identifier) in the manifest.xml |
|
Monkey C: Configure Barrel |
Wizard to add or remove Monkey Barrels from your project |
|
Monkey C: Set Products by Connect IQ Version |
Allows mass selection of all products that meet a Connect IQ version |
|
Monkey C: Edit Annotations |
Allows adding new annotations to Monkey Barrel projects |
|
Monkey C: Regenerate UUID |
Creates a new application UUID for your project |
The Eclipse plug-in Connect IQ offered links to the Connect IQ SDK documentation and tools. The Monkey C extension does as well via the following commands:
|
COMMAND |
DESCRIPTION |
|
Monkey C: Open ERA Viewer |
Opens the Error Reporting Application tool |
|
Monkey C: Open Monkey Graph |
Opens the Monkey Graph tool |
|
Monkey C: Open Monkey Motion |
Opens the Monkey Motion tool |
|
Monkey C: Open SDK Manager |
Opens the Connect IQ SDK Manager |
|
Monkey C: View Documentation |
Provides access to all the Connect IQ SDK documentation |
In Eclipse, you can create a run configuration for any project in your workspace. Run configurations allow you to create a custom project configuration for how to build or run your application. The Connect IQ plug-in allows you to create configurations that launch a specific project in the simulator with a specific device:
Visual Studio Code allows you to set and create launch configurations using the launch.json file. To create a launch.json file go to the Run start view and click create a launch.json file:
By default, the Monkey C extension will create two launch configurations for a project: one to run your app and one to run your tests. The default run task will ask you which device you want to use when you run or debug, but you can create a custom launch configuration with a preset device. The easiest way to add a launch configuration to a launch.json is to go to the last configuration and type Ctrl-Space:
Customize the configuration by setting its name, the device, and if it stops on launch when debugging by default. Once you have added a configuration, you can set the current launch configuration in the Run and Debug view. This configuration will be launched with the when you start debugging or run without debugging:
The Eclipse plug-in provides an app settings editor that allows you to alter app settings for your app in the simulator:
With the Visual Studio Code extension, you can use the simulator to edit your app settings. After starting your application in the simulator, go to File > Edit Persistent Storage > Edit Application.Properties data to bring up the editor:
Once you are ready to test your app on a device it needs to be sideloaded. With the Eclipse plug-in, you used the Build for Device Wizard from the Connect IQ menu to create a PRG executable:
In the Monkey C extension, you use the command Monkey C: Build for Device. You’ll be asked which device to build for from your manifest, and the export directory for the PRG file.
When you’re ready to upload your app to the store you need to export it as an IQ file. In the Eclipse plug-in you would use Export Wizard. In the Monkey C extension, you use the Monkey C: Export Project command. After setting your export path it will build the IQ file.
Today Garmin announced the new fēnix® 7 series and epix (gen 2) series of wearables. All of the new devices are use API level 4.0.0.
There are 7 days in a week. And the fēnix 7 multisport GPS watch is built to go strong for all of them. Meet any athletic or outdoor challenge with cutting-edge training features, sports apps, 24/7 health and wellness monitoring and more. Use trusted button controls or a new touchscreen interface to access selections. Gain performance insights and metrics that help you manage your exertion and build stamina. Optimize recovery and overall wellness by monitoring heart rate, respiration, stress, sleep and more1.
With epix, the premium active smartwatch, you can take on every day with the stunning AMOLED display, 24/7 health and wellness monitoring and smart features. Train how you want with built-in sports apps that fit all the ways you move, performance metrics and Garmin Coach training plans. You can download global TopoActive mapping, or get it preloaded on Sapphire editions. Plus, Sapphire editions support multi-band GNSS technology for stronger, better, more accurate positioning in challenging environments.
Learn more about the Fenix 2022 personality in the User Experience guide, and use the SDK Manager to update your device library and add fēnix 7 and epix support to your apps.
Happy 2022! Today Garmin introduced the Venu® 2 Plus. This watch supports API level 4.0.0 and helps you understand your body better with advanced health and fitness features. Once it's paired with your compatible smartphone, you can enjoy the convenience of making calls from your wrist.
Use the Connect IQ SDK Manager to update your device library and add Venu 2 Plus support to your apps.
The policies of the Connect IQ store give the developers the opportunity to publish monetized content, and we want that content to make money for you. Here are some tips to consider when creating monetized content for the store.
As a user, there is nothing worse than being caught off guard that an app you downloaded is monetized. If your app requires the user to pay in order to use the primary features of the app, you should mark the app in the app detail description as requiring payment. Your primary features should be listed in the app description. Note that for watch faces, it is assumed that viewing the time is a primary feature of the app. This will show the "Payment Required" badge in the app store.
If you have secondary features that the user can pay for, like additional levels in a game, we do not require you to mark the app as "Payment Required," but your app description must make clear which features are free and which require payment to upgrade.
The user should always understand how to purchase your app or pay for a feature. If there is a flow the user has to go through to pay for your app, you should provide user guidance to help them through it. Make an FAQ or video and put a link to it at the top of your app description.
Even if you have marked your app as requiring payment, it's always a bad experience to show a paywall without some kind of warning. If your app has a trial period, make sure to clearly communicate the remaining time to the user in your experience. With a watch face, it could be as simple as showing the time remaining in the trial at startup.
Putting a paywall up in a watch face can be frustrating for the user. Rather than display the paywall, guide the user to where they can learn how to pay for the watch face. Implement a payment flow using on-device settings.
We updated our guidelines at GDVC this year, which you can read or you can watch a summary video. Some highlights:
Violation of these guidelines could result in the removal of your app from the Connect IQ store.
We released version 4.0.7 of the Connect IQ SDK this afternoon, along with the VS Code 1.0.1 extension, which address several bugs. Of particular significance, this update includes fixes to address problems working with file paths that include space when using VS Code as your IDE. See the SDK release notes below for more details!
General Changes
Simulator Changes
Compiler Changes
Hosted this past October 13, the Garmin Developer Virtual Conference 2021 provided an inside look at ANT, Connect IQ and Garmin Connect Developer Programs. We hope those of you who attended enjoyed our State of the Union and Breakout sessions.
Our breakout sessions provided educational content about our developer programs and an in-depth look at the latest updates and features announced during our State of the Union session.
Our breakout presentations are now available to watch anytime. Click here to view.
Our keynote presentation by Ray Maker from DC Rainmaker is also available to watch. Click here to view.
Today, Garmin announced Connect IQ System 5. This version of the Connect IQ system is focused on helping you make better, faster and stronger Connect IQ apps. Let’s take a quick look at some of the features.
Last year, we announced the Visual Studio Code Monkey C extension and released the first beta. Today, we released version 1.0.0 with debugging support. With this release, we now recommend Visual Studio Code for Connect IQ development. The extension requires Connect IQ SDK 4.0.6, which you can get with the SDK Manager.
We are not deprecating the Eclipse plug-in at this time, but we also are not planning any future enhancements for the plug-in. All new development will be focused on the Visual Studio Code extension.
We know mobile app settings are important to your app experience, and we are giving you some new options for structuring your settings presentation.
Groups allow you to group a collection of related settings together. In mobile applications, they are editable in a sub-page, while in Garmin Express, they will be grouped together. You can also allow a group to be enabled and disabled by a Boolean setting. Groups can have a description string to explain the settings contained within.
Growable lists allow the user to edit a list of records. The user can add records up to a predetermined size or remove them from the list. In your app, they will show up as an array of dictionaries.
These features will all use the same back-end across mobile, Express and the Connect IQ SDK to reduce variance.
Here is some sample resources XML for how to use the feature:
<settings>
<setting propertyKey="@Properties.recordInformation" title="@Strings.recordInformation">
<settingConfig type="boolean" />
</setting>
<!--
Here is the syntax for creating a group. This group has a
dependency on the setting above being enabled with the
"enableWithTrue" attribute.
-->
<group id="recordInfo"
title="@Strings.recordInformation"
description="@Strings.recordInfoGroupDescription"
enableIfTrue="@Properties.recordInformation">
<!--
The two settings are visually grouped together. In mobile
they will be on their own page. In Express they are put within
a visual grouping
-->
<setting propertyKey="@Properties.recordZoneGraph" title="@Strings.recordZoneGraph">
<settingConfig type="boolean" />
</setting>
<setting propertyKey="@Properties.recordTimeInZones" title="@Strings.recordTimeInZones">
<settingConfig type="boolean" />
</setting>
</group>
<!--
This is the syntax for a variable sized list group.
In the properties.xml "customZones" is of type "array".
The "maxLength" attribute puts a cap on how many items
the user can create.
-->
<setting propertyKey="@Properties.customZones" title="@Strings.customZones" maxLength="6">
<setting type="string" title="@Strings.zoneName">
<settingConfig id="zoneName" type="alphaNumeric"/>
</setting>
<setting type="number" title="@Strings.speedCutoff">
<settingConfig id="speedCutoff" type="numeric"/>
</setting>
</setting>
</settings>
We have revamped the simulation interface for the Connect IQ simulator. Now you can set where in your workout you want to add a simulation and have better control of the simulation events.
We are also adding a new Connect IQ profiler to better measure app performance and see where to focus your attention. The profiler captures time spent in total within a function and for the code within a function and lets you examine the different call stacks profiled. The profiler is integrated into the simulator, and the devices will allow hardware profiling, as well.
We want you to be able to make apps that feel native to the Garmin device experience. To help you design for all our products, we have revamped our user experience guidelines to document our device family personalities and help you make more native-feeling apps.
In addition, we’ve updated our app review guidelines to better help your apps get through review.
We are adding lots of new metrics and data access to the Connect IQ API:
In Toybox.ActivityMonitor:
In Toybox.UserProfile:
In Toybox.Sensor:
This gives more insight to the user and will look great on a watch face.
Next year, we plan to give the app analytics in our app store a total overhaul. Once this update is released, you will be able to see your total installs, your installs broken down by version and device, and the estimated percentage of users that currently have your app installed. This feature will be coming in 2022.
You can get the beta of Connect IQ System 5 from the Connect IQ SDK manager. To try the new version, you will need to download the SDK, as well as the following devices:
These downloads will let you try out the new APIs on simulated devices. We look forward to your feedback!
GDVC Breakout Registration is Open!
The Garmin Developer Virtual Conference (GDVC) is back on October 13, 2021. Together, we’ll explore how the latest updates and features for Connect IQ, Garmin Connect Developer Programs and ANT can shape the possibilities for our developer community.
The event will start with a State of the Union Keynote Session, followed by a set of nine breakout sessions. The State of the Union session will only be available live.
Our live hosted breakouts allow developers to take an in-depth look at the latest updates and features announced during the State of the Union keynote session while offering developers a chance to engage in Q&A with the Garmin team. Breakout session presentations will be made available post-conference.
See what’s becoming possible with our three tracks: Intro, Connect IQ, and Business. The Intro track is intended for people new to the Garmin developer ecosystem; the Connect IQ track is intended for those focused on Connect IQ app design and/or development; the Business track is intended for individuals and organizations interested in partnerships with Garmin.
Register for multiple breakout sessions or view individual ones below.
|
Intro Track |
Connect IQ Track |
Business Track |
|
|
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CT |
|||
|
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CT |
Garmin’s Latest API: Enabling Training and Insights for Women |
||
|
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CT |
Garmin Connect Developer Program: An Inside Look at API Integrations |
For more information on the Garmin Developer Virtual Conference visit developer.garmin.com/GDVC
We released version 4.0.5 of the Connect IQ SDK this afternoon, which addresses several bugs. See the release notes below for details!
General Changes
Simulator Changes
Compiler Changes