Apps and app settings usage

Hi, I'm pretty new to coding and slowly making my way forward, but it's up hill at times, so please excuse my noobness.
I have designed a watch face and uploaded it to the store. One user has asked if the time format is only 24hr, which it is, but said I'd look into how to make it configurable. So after trawling the documentation I have found reference to settings, which it seems is the only way that I can give the user the ability to change things like time format or colours in a watch face. The problem is that there is so little information on how to do this for someone as new as me I'm stumped and can't move forward.
If I understand correctly, I have to create an app, not a watch face. Would I be correct in assuming that in the app I would put all the code for the watch face as a starting point so that I have some functionality?
I would then have to manually create a settings.xml file in resources? Is there anything else that I would need to do?
Sorry for the basic questions, but I can't find an idiot proof flow chart or step by step guide on to how to create an app opposed to a watch face that doesn't assume that you have prior coding/developing experience. Even a description of "this is what constitutes an app, you need these things to do this". It might be there, but I personally find the documentation quite disjointed and limited in examples.

Thanks for any help you can provide
Dave

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0 FlowState over 4 years ago

2795629 said:
If I understand correctly, I have to create an app, not a watch face. Would I be correct in assuming that in the app I would put all the code for the watch face as a starting point so that I have some functionality?

Nah, you can have app settings for a watchface, too.

The problem is that in Connect IQ-land, the word "app" is used in two ways:

1) An "app" is *any* kind of CIQ app: watchface, widget, watch/device app, and data field

2) "App" = "watch/device app" (which works similar to a native activity like Run, Cycle or Swim)

"App settings" uses definition 1 of "app".

So to implement "app settings" for your watchface, you:

- define properties for your watchface (e.g. time format, theme color). Properties are persisted values that the app can access (read or write)

- define a setting for each property. Settings are what the user changes in the Garmin Connect or Connect IQ app on their phone.

https://developer.garmin.com/connect-iq/core-topics/app-settings/

Additionally, if you develop for fancy new Connect IQ 3.2 devices (like Forerunner 245), you can implement on-device settings (similar to the settings for native apps). (Scroll to the bottom of the page linked above)

0 jim_m_58 over 4 years ago

For 12/24, the easiest thing to do is just use the watch's own setting.

System.getDeviceSettings().is24Hour.

For things like colors, you can use app settings from the phone or GE. The objectStore sample in the SDK shows the basics.

0 FlowState over 4 years ago in reply to FlowState

For an example of developing a watchface with settings, you could also check out this blog post:

chariotsolutions.com/.../

0 2795629 over 4 years ago in reply to FlowState

Yes the use of the term App everywhere has confused me a lot, thanks for the explanation.
I did look at that site a couple of weeks ago, but for a noob, there are chunks of understanding of the basic that are required before you can follow his work.

0 jim_m_58 over 4 years ago in reply to 2795629

Yes, app is a general term for anything done with CIQ. That's why you'll see reference to things like device/watch app, vs Watch face, vs widget, vs Data field.

Another place you can see an example in in eclipse, under new>Connect IQ Project, you can use a template to create a watch face with settings..

0 2795629 over 4 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

Thank you. I will try and work out it's usage in context of System.getClockTime(), which is how I'm getting the time to display.

0 jim_m_58 over 4 years ago in reply to 2795629

You just check the settings, and if it's false, convert the hour to 12 hour format.

basically,

hour=hour%12;

if(hour==0) {hour=12;}

0 FlowState over 4 years ago in reply to 2795629

Yeah, I feel your pain haha. When I was a CIQ noob, I did find the documentation a bit hard to follow. (Like sometimes there's only examples when you want details, and other times there's details when you want examples.)

Even now, I feel like the documentation could be better (I realize it's time-consuming to maintain tho.)

0 2795629 over 4 years ago in reply to FlowState

Thank you both very much, this has helped me a lot. I had missed the option to create a watch face with settings as I've just been reusing my original simple watchface and making a copy of it. DOH!
My watchface now changes to 12hr if the watch settings are changed, thanks Jim.