Acknowledged
5 months ago

Given that a newer SDK is required to build for CIQ 5.x devices, what does this mean for existing apps on devices that were upgraded from CIQ 4 to CIQ 5 (e.g. FR955, Fenix 7, etc)? Do these apps just break?

Background:

- it has always by my understanding that if you build an app for a device with a given SDK, then that app should continue to work regardless of future firmware updates (in general). This ofc excludes situations where:

  - the new firmware update has a bug or breaking change

  - the existing app has a dormant bug which is exposed by a legit change in new firmware. e.g. newer firmware has a change where Weather.CurrentConditions.observationLocationName is null, and this caused several existing watchfaces to crash because they assume that field will never be null. But that's an application error, since that field has always been typed to be possibly null

- CIQ 5.* devices require various 7.X (or 8.X) SDKs to run properly

- Compilers have a check to ensure you don't try to build a a too-new device with a too-old device

- Due to a bug in this check, where older compilers (pre 7.2.0) seem to incorrectly believe that SDK version X can build any device with CIQ version X (or lower), it's possible for an SDK 6.X compiler to build an app for CIQ 5 devices. However, it's very possible that such an app will crash when it's run in the simulator or the device (we've already seen "bug reports" about this

- The existing crop of devices that came out with CIQ 4 (e.g. fr955, fr965, fenix7) have all been updated to CIQ 5. As far as I know, this is the first time that existing devices have received a major CIQ update since the move from CIQ 1 to CIQ 2.

- Someone in the CIQ team already clarified that CIQ 5 devices require apps to be built with newer SDKs.

So here's what I don't understand.

The two following statements seem to be mutually exclusive:

- If an app is built for a device with an existing SDK (e.g. SDK 6.4.0) it will continue (in general) to work on the device for all future firmware updates

- Devices with CIQ 5.* require a 7.X or 8.X SDK

The problem is that it was entirely possible to build an app for an fr955 (for example) with SDK 6.4.0 in the past, when fr955 was only on CIQ 4. If I installed such an app on my fr955 when it had CIQ 4, it would expect it to continue to work now that my device is on CIQ 5.

So how can it be possible that going forward, a 7.X or 8.X SDK is required to build for my fr955?

What am I missing? Has something also changed with the device files that's relevant here?

FlowState
Parents
  • 5 months ago

    Richard.ConnectIQ thanks again for the clarification.

    What still isn't clear to me is how the following facts can be reconciled:

    - it's not necessary to update old apps installed on a device when the device's firmware is updated (which includes a firmware update which changes the CIQ API level from 4.x to 5.x)

    - older SDKs (such as 6.4.0) are not supposed to be used to build for CIQ 5 devices (again, you have confirmed that a newer 7.x SDK is required for CIQ 5 devices, and compilerinfo.xml says the same thing)

    Here's the scenario:

    - an app built by SDK 6.4.0 targeting fr955 (when it was configured for CIQ 4) is successfully installed on a real fr955 (which has firmware with CIQ 4)

    - This fr955 device is updated to new firmware with CIQ 5

    - the old app continues to work without any modifications / updates

    If that scenario is possible, why isn't it possible for an old SDK (e.g. 6.4.0) to build for a CIQ 5 device? I say that it isn't possible based on: on bug reports where people tried building for CIQ 5 devices with 6.4.0 and they experienced crashes, the targetSdkVersions information in compilerinfo.xml (should probably be renamed to targetApiVersions), and your statement that CIQ 5 devices require a recent SDK version (at the time, 7.x). I think other CIQ team members have echoed the fact that SDK 6.4.0 is too old for CIQ 5.

    - It's the same physical device (fr955)

    - Based on everything you've said, the old app built with old SDK (6.4.0) should continue to work?

    So why shouldn't a *new* app built with old SDK (6.4.0) work?

    To drive the point home, once all the current CIQ 5 devices are updated to 5.1, it seems 100% certain that an 8.x SDK will be required to build for them, based on how the compilerinfo.xml version check seems to work. By the same reasoning, if it was possible to use a 7.x SDK to build for devices with CIQ >= 5.0 and CIQ < 5.1, why won't it be possible for the same SDKs to build for the same devices once they are updated to 5.1?

Comment
  • 5 months ago

    Richard.ConnectIQ thanks again for the clarification.

    What still isn't clear to me is how the following facts can be reconciled:

    - it's not necessary to update old apps installed on a device when the device's firmware is updated (which includes a firmware update which changes the CIQ API level from 4.x to 5.x)

    - older SDKs (such as 6.4.0) are not supposed to be used to build for CIQ 5 devices (again, you have confirmed that a newer 7.x SDK is required for CIQ 5 devices, and compilerinfo.xml says the same thing)

    Here's the scenario:

    - an app built by SDK 6.4.0 targeting fr955 (when it was configured for CIQ 4) is successfully installed on a real fr955 (which has firmware with CIQ 4)

    - This fr955 device is updated to new firmware with CIQ 5

    - the old app continues to work without any modifications / updates

    If that scenario is possible, why isn't it possible for an old SDK (e.g. 6.4.0) to build for a CIQ 5 device? I say that it isn't possible based on: on bug reports where people tried building for CIQ 5 devices with 6.4.0 and they experienced crashes, the targetSdkVersions information in compilerinfo.xml (should probably be renamed to targetApiVersions), and your statement that CIQ 5 devices require a recent SDK version (at the time, 7.x). I think other CIQ team members have echoed the fact that SDK 6.4.0 is too old for CIQ 5.

    - It's the same physical device (fr955)

    - Based on everything you've said, the old app built with old SDK (6.4.0) should continue to work?

    So why shouldn't a *new* app built with old SDK (6.4.0) work?

    To drive the point home, once all the current CIQ 5 devices are updated to 5.1, it seems 100% certain that an 8.x SDK will be required to build for them, based on how the compilerinfo.xml version check seems to work. By the same reasoning, if it was possible to use a 7.x SDK to build for devices with CIQ >= 5.0 and CIQ < 5.1, why won't it be possible for the same SDKs to build for the same devices once they are updated to 5.1?

Children
  • 5 months ago in reply to FlowState

    There isn't a system in place to distribute old device configurations files. The goal of the device configuration files is to maintain parity with the physical devices firmware releases. If someone had old device configuration files with CIQ 4 then it should work the same as before. As soon as you update your device configurations and it has a newer CIQ version then the compiler will see that it has access to newer APIs that weren't previously available. There also isn't a system in place to build for a CIQ version while excluding knowledge of newer APIs as this is fundamental to how the compiler checks for API support.

    Is there a specific use case that you believe would be beneficial? I don't believe it is likely that a system will be built to distribute old device configurations, but if there are common enough use-cases then it is worth opening discussion with development to see if a solution can be found.