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BlackBerry BrowserVersion 3.6

Technical Reference Guide

BlackBerry Browser Version 3.6 Technical Reference GuideLast modified: 8 April 2003

Part number: PDF-06250-001

At the time of publication, this documentation complies with BlackBerry Java DevelopmentEnvironment version 3.2.1 and BlackBerry Wireless Handheld version 3.6.

© 2003 Research In Motion Limited. All Rights Reserved. The BlackBerry and RIM families ofrelated marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties of Research In Motion Limited.RIM, Research In Motion, �Always On, Always Connected�, the �envelope in motion� symbol andthe BlackBerry logo are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pendingor registered in other countries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks andservice marks are the properties of their respective owners.

The handheld and/or associated software are protected by copyright, international treaties andvarious patents, including one or more of the following U.S. patents: 6,278,442; 6,271,605; 6,219,694;6,075,470; 6,073,318; D445,428; D433,460; D416,256. Other patents are registered or pending invarious countries around the world. Visit www.rim.net/patents.shtml for a current listing ofapplicable patents.

While every effort has been made to achieve technical accuracy, information in this document issubject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Research InMotion Limited, or any of its subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, licensors, or resellers. There are nowarranties, express or implied, with respect to the content of this document.

Research In Motion Limited295 Phillip StreetWaterloo, ON N2L 3W8Canada

Research In Motion UK LimitedCentrum House, 36 Station RoadEgham, Surrey TW20 9LFUnited Kingdom

Published in Canada

Technical Reference Guide 3

ContentsAbout this guide.............................................................................................. 5

Audience..............................................................................................................6Conventions ........................................................................................................6Related resources................................................................................................6Product compatibility ........................................................................................7

CHAPTER 1 Browser overview............................................................................................ 9Overview ...........................................................................................................10Content support................................................................................................12

CHAPTER 2 Interface and features...................................................................................15Browser screen .................................................................................................16Menus.................................................................................................................17Links ...................................................................................................................18Option lists ........................................................................................................19Browser features ...............................................................................................20

CHAPTER 3 Provisioning...................................................................................................23Service book records ........................................................................................24Browser configurations....................................................................................25

CHAPTER 4 Browser security............................................................................................27PAP authentication...........................................................................................28Wireless TLS......................................................................................................28HTTP over SSL/TLS .........................................................................................29

CHAPTER 5 Push applications ..........................................................................................31About push applications .................................................................................32Browser push support .....................................................................................32

Index...............................................................................................................35

4 BlackBerry Browser

About this guideThis section provides information on the following topics:

� Audience

� Conventions

� Related resources

� Product compatibility

About this guide


AudienceThis document is intended for network operators, service providers, or � IT departments that want to understand the technical capabilities of the browser on the BlackBerry Wireless Handheld�.

ConventionsThis document uses this following conventions.

Related resourcesThe following additional documentation can help you use the BlackBerry Wireless Handheld and develop applications for it.

Note: Notes contain important information on the associated topic.

Warning: Warnings advise you that failure to take or avoid a specific action could result in data loss or physical damage.

Tip: Tips provide optional or time-saving information on the associated topic.

Document Description

BlackBerry Wireless Handheld User Guide explains how to use the handheld, including the browser application

BlackBerry Browser Developer Guide explains how to write web-based applications, including push applications, for the handheld using the BlackBerry Browser

About this guide


Product compatibilityUnless otherwise noted, the information contained in this guide applies to the BlackBerry handheld software version 3.6 or later. The following table provides a summary of significant features that were added in each version of the browser after its initial release (version 3.2.0).

The BlackBerry Browser requires the BlackBerry Enterprise Server with Mobile Data Service enabled. Unless otherwise noted, the features described in this guide are supported on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 3.5 or later for Microsoft® Exchange and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 2.2 or later for Lotus® Domino�.

The following features are not available with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 3.5 (they require BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 3.6 or later for Microsoft Exchange):

� NT Lan Manager (NTLM) and Kerberos network authentication

� HTML and XHTML preprocessing

� sending of images inline with HTML or XHTML data

� JPEG to PNG image conversion

Version Features added

3.2.1 compact HTML support (version 3.2 supports WML only)

wireless transaction layer security (WTLS) encryption

User-Agent Profile (UAProf ) support

channel deletion using browser push

3.3 WML “do” items appear as soft keys (as well as in menu)

3.6 XHTML Basic support

separate icons for BlackBerry Browser and WAP browser on the handheld Home screen

scroll bar on right side of screen

browser hotkeys

BlackBerry Browser configuration set through IT policies

About this guide


Chapter 1Browser overviewThis section provides information on the following topics:

� Overview

� Content support

Chapter 1: Browser overview


OverviewThe BlackBerry 5800 Series of wireless handhelds, BlackBerry 6200 Series of wireless handhelds, BlackBerry 6500 Series of wireless handhelds, and BlackBerry 6700 Series wireless handhelds provide a fully-featured, graphical browser that integrates seamlessly into the BlackBerry user experience.

The BlackBerry Wireless Handheld provides two browser configurations:

� WAP browser: connects to the network using a WAP gateway

� BlackBerry Browser: connects to the network using a BlackBerry Enterprise Server

For example, users might use the WAP browser to browse standard content on the Internet, and use the BlackBerry Browser to access a corporate intranet. The WAP browser and BlackBerry Browser are not separate applications; they represent different configurations of the same browser software.

Each browser configuration, if it is provisioned on the user�s handheld, has a separate icon on the handheld Home screen. To use a specific browser configuration, a user selects the appropriate icon.

Corporate system administrators can use an IT policy in BlackBerry Enterprise Server to set the default browser that is used for URLs in applications other than the browser, such as in email messages or memos. Users can also change the default browser: in the handheld Options application, they can click Browser and set the Choose default browser config option.

WAP browser

The WAP browser connects to the network using a WAP gateway. Research In Motion (RIM) has performed interoperability testing with WAP gateways from Nokia® and Openwave�.

WAP browser connecting to the network

Note: In BlackBerry handheld software version 3.2 and 3.3, a single browser icon appears on the handheld Home screen. To switch between browser configurations, on the browser menu, users click Options, click Browser Configuration, and set the Choose Browser Config option.

Overview


The WAP browser supports WAP 1.2.1, with the following exceptions:

� no WAP push support

� no vCard support

� no vCalendar support

� limited Wireless Telephony Application Interface (WTAI) support: the browser supports Public WTAI functions (URI forms only), but does not support WMLScript

The WAP browser can use wireless transport layer security (WTLS) to access secure WAP services, including WTLS Class 1 (encryption only, no authentication) and WTLS Class 2 (encryption and server authentication).

The WAP browser provides Wireless Session Protocol (WSP) header caching to decrease the transmission time of requests by sending common HTTP headers to the WAP gateway when the WAP connection is first set up. The WAP browser then sends only additional or changed headers in each request. Refer to the specification WAP-203-WSP-20000504-A at http://www.wapforum.org for more information.

WAP gateways can impose a limit on the size of content that the WAP browser can request.

BlackBerry Browser

The BlackBerry Browser enables corporate customers to provide secure access to corporate intranets, and access to the Internet, using the Mobile Data Service feature of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server is installed in the corporate network, behind the firewall, as shown in the following illustration.

BlackBerry Browser connecting to the network



The Mobile Data Service feature is available with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 3.5 or later for Microsoft Exchange, and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 2.2 or later for Lotus Domino.

The BlackBerry Browser communicates with the Mobile Data Service using HTTP over the RIM IP Proxy Protocol (IPPP). Communication between the handheld and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server is Triple DES-encrypted.

The Mobile Data Service processes HTML or XHTML content before sending it to the handheld so that data is transmitted more efficiently over the wireless network and is displayed more quickly on the handheld.

The Mobile Data Service supports SSL and TLS so that the BlackBerry Browser can connect to secure HTTP (HTTPS) servers on an intranet or the Internet.

Content supportThe following table summarizes browser support for text and graphics. The BlackBerry Browser and WAP browser both support the same image types and markup languages.

Feature Support

Markup languages WML 1.3Compact HTML (cHTML)Extensible HTML Basic (XHTML Basic)

Scripts WMLScript 1.2 (in WML)

Graphics WAP Bitmaps (WBMP) Level 0 - MonochromePortable Network Graphics (PNG)Graphic Interchange Format (GIF)

Content support


Markup languages

The browser supports the following markup languages:

Scripts

The WAP browser supports WML Script 1.2.1. WML Script enables you to manage variables between decks and to perform operations such as string and URL manipulation.

For more information, refer to the following documents, which are available at http://www.wapforum.org:

� WML Script Specification (WAP-193-WMLS-20001025-a)

� WML Script Standard Libraries Specification (WAP-194-WMLSL-20000925-a)

Scripts and applets are not supported in HTML or XHTML

Language Description Specification

WML 1.3 Wireless Markup Language, defined by the WAP Forum

WAP-191-WML-20000219-a

http://www.wapforum.org

Compact HTML A subset of HTML 2.0, HTML 3.2, and HTML 4.0, as described in a W3 Consortium Note

NOTE-compactHTML-19980209

http://www.w3c.org

XHTML Basic A subset of XHTML 1.1, defined in a W3C specification

The XHTML Mobile Profile (MP) is not currently supported . XHTML MP, which is defined in WAP 2.0, extends XHTML Basic to include additional presentation elements and support for internal style sheets.

http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml-basic



Images

The browser supports monochrome wireless bitmaps, PNG, and GIF images. For the BlackBerry Browser, the Mobile Data Service converts .jpeg images to .png format for display on the handheld. (This feature requires BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 3.6 or later for Microsoft Exchange or BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 2.2 or later for Lotus Domino.) In the BlackBerry Browser, images are loaded differently depending on the gateway that is used:

� With BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 3.6 or later for Microsoft Exchange, or BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 2.2 for Lotus Domino, the BlackBerry Enterprise Server retrieves images while it is processing the HTML content, and includes images inline with the HTML data that it sends to the handheld. This means that images appear immediately.

� With a WAP gateway, or the BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 3.5 for Microsoft Exchange, the browser first displays image placeholders, with the alternate text of each image (if alternate text is provided). In the background, the browser loads each image separately and updates the page as each image becomes available. The browser retrieves images from the local cache if possible.

The browser displays images in a vertical area that is separate from the content before and after the image. Images do not appear inline with surrounding text; they are aligned horizontally according to the ALIGN attribute (ALIGN=LEFT or ALIGN=RIGHT). Vertical alignment is ignored.

When images are located within an <a> or <anchor> element, users can select the image to follow the associated link or perform the associated action.

Chapter 2Interface and featuresThis section provides information on the following topics:

� Browser screen

� Menus

� Links

� Option lists

� Browser features

Chapter 2: Interface and features


Browser screen The BlackBerry handheld browser displays a non-scrolling section at the top of each page that displays the page title and any status messages for requests. The title section is separated from the content section of the page by a horizontal line.

On WML pages, <do> elements appear both as soft keys in the non-scrolling section at the bottom of the page, and as menu items in the browser application menu.

Links to web pages, phone numbers, and email addresses are underlined with a dotted line. To follow a selected link, the user can press the Enter key, or click the trackwheel to open the menu and click Get Link.

When a web page does not fit on one screen, a scroll bar appears on the right side of the screen.

Example of a browser screen

Menus


MenusThe browser menu provides access to most tasks that users can perform when they browse. The menu provides the standard system menu items that are available for all BlackBerry applications, such as Hide Menu and Close, as well as appropriate context menu items such as Select.

The browser provides standard menu items for navigation, including Home, Next, Previous, History, and Refresh. The Go To menu item enables users to type any URL.

Browser menu

Specific menu items appear depending on the page and which item is selected. For example, on a page of text, when users click the trackwheel, they can click Find to search for text on the page or Select to select text.

The browser displays WML <do> elements in two ways:

� as soft keys in the non-scrolling area at the bottom of the screen

� as items on the browser menu

Soft keys provide a familiar way to navigate pages for users who have used WAP browsers on other devices, such as cell phones. Menu items are consistent with other BlackBerry applications.

Context menu items

WML <do> elements

Navigation menu items

Bookmark menu items

Browser optionsWML <do> element



LinksLinks are underlined with a dotted line. To follow a selected link, users can click the Get Link menu item or by press the ENTER key.

The browser supports web page, phone, and email links.

Web page links

On a web page, users can scroll to links by rolling the trackwheel. Scrolling up or down moves to the next or previous link on the same line, before moving to the next line.

Browser hyperlinks

Phone links

The browser supports two types of phone links:

� Wireless Telephony Application Interface (WTAI) �Make Call� links (URL form): <a href="wtai://wp/mc;14165551212">Call office</a>

� telephone links in i-mode format: <a href="tel:14165551212">Call office</a>

When users click a phone link, the phone opens and a dialog box appears. Users can then select whether or not to make the call.

Email links

The browser supports �mailto� links: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">Email Katie</a>.

When users click an email link, the Compose application opens with a new message.

Option lists


Option listsOption lists are displayed as radio buttons (for single-selection lists) or check boxes (for multiple-selection lists). To select an option in a list, users press the Space key or click the Select Option menu item.

The following WML example shows a single-selection list and a multiple-section list.

WML example: option lists

In WML, if a single-selection list does not have an onpick action defined for one of its options, and the user selects an option, the browser runs the first <do> action of type accept, or the first <do> action if none has the type accept.

In HTML and XHTML, options that are grouped in a SELECT tag appear in a drop-down list. To select an option, users select the drop-down menu and click the Change Option menu item.

HTML example: drop-down list for SELECT options



Browser featuresThe section explains the following browser features:

� history

� cookies

� cache

� bookmarks

History

The browser maintains a navigation history of up to 20 items. When a user navigates to an HTML page, the URL of the page is added to the navigation history. To view the history list, users click History on the browser main menu. They can then use the trackwheel to select an item in the history.

When the history reaches 20 items, the pages that were accessed least recently are removed first. If memory on the handheld becomes low, the browser removes history items to free memory.

The browser implements the clear operations included in the WAP specification to eliminate security risks associated with WML pages that access the WML context that the browser maintains. In particular, the browser clears its navigation history whenever a WML card is encountered with a newcontext tag, or when the user navigates to a page without following an explicit link on a previous page (for example, using the Go To... menu item or a bookmark). HTML pages cannot access the WML context that the browser maintains for WML browsing.

Cookies

The browser supports standard cookies, including expiry settings. The browser maintains cookies when the handheld is turned off. To clear stored cookies, on the browser menu, users click Options, General Properties, and then click the trackwheel and click Clear Cookie Cache.

Service providers can enable or disable cookie support on the handheld and set the size of the cookie cache.

Browser features


Cache

Users can clear the content, page, raw data, channel, and cookie caches on the handheld to free remaining memory, and refresh all visited web pages. Each cache stores up to ten items.

The following table describes each type of cache.

The browser loads requested content from the local cache whenever possible.

The browser respects all cache control directives that web servers send in responses, such as Expires, Max-Age, and Cache-Control. The browser always retrieves content from the cache, when permitted based on associated cache control directives. Refer to the specification WAP-120-UACACH-20010413-A for more information on WAP user agent caching.

The channel and cookie caches are saved in persistent storage, so information is saved even if the handheld is reset. An item is removed when it expires. If an expiry time is not set explicitly for an item, the item is removed by default after 29 days.

On handhelds with 8 MB of memory, the content cache (page and raw data) is cleared when the user closes the browser. On handhelds with 16 MB of memory, the content cache persists. The handheld removes items from the cache to free memory when necessary. Expired pages are removed first, followed by pages that were accessed least recently.

Service providers can set the size of both the raw data and the page cache. The system default for both is 10. Users cannot view or change these options.

To clear a cache, on the browser menu, users click Options, General Properties, and then click the trackwheel and click one of the following items: Clear Content Cache, Clear Page Cache, Clear Raw Data Cache, Clear Cookie Cache, or Clear Channel Cache.

Cache Description

Page This cache contains Page objects. If the Page object for a requested URL is already in the page cache, it can be displayed very quickly.

Raw data This cache contains the raw data for all requested content, such as HTML pages, compiled WML (WMLC) decks, images, compiled WMLScript scripts, and so on.

Content This cache combines the page cache and raw data cache (described above); it contains all data that is cached as a result of normal browser activity.

Channel This cache contains data that was sent to the handheld by a cache push.

Cookie This cache contains cookies that are assigned to the browser by visited web pages.



Bookmarks

Users can add bookmarks for any page that they visit, and can create a hierarchy of folders to organize the bookmarks. Users can edit the title and URL of bookmarks. Users can also search bookmarks.

The WAP browser and BlackBerry Browser have separate bookmark folders, so that users can organize bookmarks separately for corporate intranets and for general WAP browsing. Users can move or copy bookmarks between any folder.

Frequently used browser pages can also be saved to the Messages screen for quick access.

Bookmarks are useful when users are outside an area of wireless network coverage. When users add a bookmark, they can make the bookmark available offline, which means that both the content and URL of the page are saved. Offline bookmarks are maintained even if the handheld is reset.

Offline bookmarks for web pages that contain forms also save the current values of form fields, which users can use as a template for frequently used forms. For example, users can add an offline bookmark for a page that contains a form. Later, even if users are outside an area of wireless network coverage, they can load the bookmarked form, fill out the appropriate fields, and submit it. Users can then save the browser request to the Messages screen. When the handheld returns to coverage, the browser sends the request automatically.

Users can back up browser bookmarks using the BlackBerry Desktop Manager. This means that when users update their handhelds with new software, their bookmarks can be retained.

Chapter 3ProvisioningThis section provides information on the following topics:

� Service book records

� Browser configuration

Chapter 3: Provisioning


Service book recordsService providers and network operators can configure the WAP browser over the wireless network. System administrators can use an IT policy to configure the BlackBerry Browser.

To enable a browser configuration, two service book records are required on the handheld: a transport service record and a browser configuration service record. These service book records define the communication protocol (WAP or IPPP), network gateway, and browser settings.

Service book records are listed in handheld Options application, on the Service Book screen.

To enable the browser

To enable the WAP browser, the network operator or service provider provisions the handheld wirelessly with the WAP browser Config and WAP Transport service book records. The handheld receives these service book records when it registers with the network.

To enable the BlackBerry Browser, system administrators must enable the Mobile Data Service for users on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. After the Mobile Data Service is enabled, the Desktop [IPPP] service book record is provisioned when users connect their handheld to their computer.

The BlackBerry Browser configuration is based on the following IT policy settings:

IT policy item Description

AllowBrowser enables or disables the BlackBerry Browser on the users’ handhelds

HomePageAddress sets the default home page for the BlackBerry Browser

HomePageAddressReadOnly determines whether users can change the BlackBerry Browser configuration settings, including the home page address

EnableWAPConfig enables or disables the WAP browser on users’ handhelds

DefaultBrowserConfigUID sets the default browser to use, for example, when opening links in email messages

MDSBrowserTitle sets a title for the BlackBerry Browser, which appears on the handheld Home screen

Browser configurations


Browser configurationsNetwork operators and service providers can provision one or more WAP browser configurations wirelessly using the service book records. Corporate administrators can use an IT policy to provision a BlackBerry Browser configuration.

In handheld software version 3.6 or later, a separate icon appears on the handheld Home screen for each browser configuration. Users can switch between profiles simply by selecting the appropriate browser icon.

To view browser configuration settings, users click Options in the browser menu and then click Browser Configuration. The user can view but not change these settings.

Each browser configuration defines the following parameters.

Parameter Description

Home page address sets the web page that appears when the user clicks the Home menu item

On startup, load sets the page that appears when the browser starts: bookmarks, home page, or last page loaded

Transport CID provides a reference to an internal ID of the service book for this service

Transport UID provides a reference to an internal ID of the service book for this service

Session Timeout sets the number of seconds of inactivity before a user’s browser session ends

Secure Access enables secure WAP connections using WTLS; applies to the WAP browser only

Constrained Navigation restricts users only to viewing pages that are linked from the Home Page; the Go To… and Bookmarks options are removed from the browser application menu

Config Values Edit Mode specifies whether users can change browser configuration settings:

� Restricted Access: users cannot change any settings

� Home Page Editable, users can change the default home page

� Editable: users can change any settings

Constrained Content Mode restricts the browser to accepting WML content only

UAProf URI sets the location of the User-Agent profile for the handheld, which defines hardware and software capabilities of the handheld and the network to which the handheld is connected; user agent profile information is used for content formatting

Ribbon Title sets the title that appears on handheld Home screen under the browser icon

Content Mode specifies the content that the browser accepts: WML only, HTML only, or WML and HTML

Chapter 3: Provisioning


Emulation Mode specifies the value that the browser includes in the User-Agent header field when it requests content (web servers can send different content based on this setting); when this parameter is set to RIM, the User-Agent field is set to BlackBerry/3.6

WTLS Mode set to Openwave if the browser uses an Openwave Mobile Access Gateway (MAG); not used for other WAP gateways.

WTLS Client ID Type defines a Client Identifier that the handheld sends during WTLS session setup (specific format depends on the network and the Openwave MAG); only used when the browser uses an Openwave MAG.

WTLS Client ID Value specifies the corresponding IP address, GSM™ MSISDN, or CDMA IMSI, depending on the value of the WTLS Client ID Type parameter

Parameter Description

Chapter 4Browser securityThis section provides information on the following topics:

� PAP authentication

� Wireless TLS

� HTTP over SSL/TLS

Chapter 4: Browser security


PAP authenticationThe WAP browser supports the Password Authentication Protocol (PAP), which is used for authentication against a RADIUS server for PDP context activation on GPRS networks.

The network operator or service provider provisions a user name and password when the handheld registers with the network. The WAP browser then includes the user name and password when it establishes a connection to the WAP gateway.

Wireless TLSNetwork operators and service providers can provision handhelds wirelessly to enable or disable WTLS support.

The WAP browser supports WTLS Class 1 (encryption only) and Class 2 (encryption and server authentication). Both DES and RC5 encryption (40, 56, 64, 128 and 168-bit) are supported. The WAP browser does not support the WMLScriptCrypto library.

The following example demonstrates communication with WTLS security.

WTLS security

Communication over the wireless network between the handheld and the WAP gateway is encrypted in WTLS. Communication over the Internet between the WAP gateway and the origin server is encrypted in SSL or TLS.

The WAP gateway decrypts data that it receives from either the handheld or the origin server and re-encrypts it using the appropriate protocol. In the WAP gateway, at the network operator or service provider location, data is not encrypted.

Note: To support WTLS on the handheld, users must install the optional WTLS Security Package for the browser. This package is available for installation in the BlackBerry Desktop Software.

HTTP over SSL/TLS


HTTP over SSL/TLSUsing the Mobile Data Service feature of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server, the BlackBerry Browser supports HTTP over SSL or TLS (HTTPS).

The BlackBerry Enterprise Server performs SSL handshaking and sets up the SSL connection on behalf of the handheld. Communication over the wireless network between the handheld and BlackBerry Enterprise Server is not encrypted using SSL; it is encrypted with the same Triple DES encryption that is used for email. Communication over the Internet between the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and the origin server is encrypted using SSL or TLS.

SSL/TLS security

There is a point at the BlackBerry Enterprise Server when data is not encrypted; however, data remains protected behind the corporate firewall.

System administrators can configure the Mobile Data Service to allow connections to untrusted servers, or restrict access to trusted servers only. When access is restricted to trusted servers, administrators must install the certificate of each web server that the corporation trusts on the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Chapter 4: Browser security


Chapter 5Push applicationsThis section provides information on the following topics:

� About push applications

� Browser push support

Chapter 5: Push applications


About push applicationsWith the BlackBerry solution, users' handhelds remain continuously connected to the wireless network. Organizations can write push applications that send new web content and alerts to specific users automatically. With push applications, information can be delivered to the handheld as it becomes available; users do not have to request or download the data.

The BlackBerry Enterprise Server, with the Mobile Data Service enabled, manages the flow of data from the push application to the handheld using the same encrypted channel that is used for all data communication between the handled and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Your push application sends data to users based on their email addresses. With its central database of all BlackBerry users in the organization, the BlackBerry Enterprise Server directs content to the appropriate handhelds. The BlackBerry infrastructure manages the connection to the wireless network and verifies that content is delivered to users as soon as they are in an area of sufficient wireless coverage.

For example, instead of relying on users to find intranet content, an organization can send out data proactively. Users do not have to connect to corporate servers to check for new content; instead, an alert can be sent to the user when new content is available.

Browser push supportServer applications push content to the handheld by sending HTTP POST requests to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. The Mobile Data Service feature of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server forwards the content to the appropriate handhelds, based on users� email addresses.

On the handheld, a separate browser push listener thread listens on port 7874 for incoming messages and processes those messages.

Web content can be pushed to the browser in one of the following ways:

� message

� channel

� cache

Browser push support


Message push

Applications can push pages to the handheld. These pages then appear as browser messages in the handheld Messages screen. The message push request can include a descriptive title, which appears in the Messages screen. Otherwise, the browser message displays the URL.

The pushed message can include either the content for display or the URL for the browser to retrieve when the user requests it.

Users open the browser message to view the specified page in the browser.

Channel push

Applications can push data to the handheld that create or update �channels,� which appear on the handheld Home screen with a custom icon. Effectively, this creates a browser-based application on the handheld for regular updates of certain types of data.

A channel push request can include URLs for two icons: one icon to indicate that content is new or updated and another icon to indicate that content has been read. These icons must be .png files. Monochrome, 28 x 28 pixel .png images are recommended. The message can specify the position on the Home screen that the channel should occupy.

When the handheld receives a channel push message, it creates a new channel, or updates the channel if it already exists. An icon appears on the Home screen to alert users that new or updated content is available. By replacing existing channels, a push application can change the Home screen icon as data changes. For example, an order tracking channel could change the icon as product orders are entered. On the Home screen, the user can click the icon to display the detailed information that has been pushed to the browser.

Push applications can delete a channel and remove the icon from the handheld Home screen by sending another push request with the ID of the channel to delete.

To remove a channel, in the browser menu, users click the Channels menu item, select a channel in the list, and click the Delete.

Note: Deleting a channel removes only the instance of the channel that is currently stored on the handheld. If the server pushes the channel again, it reappears on the Home screen.

Chapter 5: Push applications


Cache push

Applications can push content directly to the browser�s cache. There is no indication to the user that the content has been updated. The next time that the user visits the specified URL, the browser retrieves the content from the cache.

Pushing data to the cache enables users to access the content quickly, even when they are outside an area of wireless network coverage. Up-to-date content is always available on the handheld.

When an application pushes data to the browser cache, the application can include an expiry time that defines how long the data remains in the cache before it is removed.

Index


IndexB

BlackBerrybrowser, 10

bookmarks, 22browser

about, 10BlackBerry Browser, 11bookmarks, 22cache, 21cookies, 20history, 20image support, 14links, 18menus, 17option lists, 19screen, 16script support, 13supported markup, 12WAP browser, 10

browser profilesabout, 25

browser pushabout, 32cache push, 34channel push, 33message push, 33

C

cache, 21channel cache, 21content cache, 21cookie cache, 21

page cache, 21raw data cache, 21

contentabout, 12images, 14markup languages, 13scripts, 13

cookiesbrowser support, 20

F

featuresabout, 20bookmarks, 22cache, 21cookies, 20history, 20

H

history, 20HTML

option lists, 19

I

imagesbrowser support for, 14Mobile Data Service processing, 14

interfacebrowser screen, 16links, 18main screen, 16menus, 17

Index


L

links, supported types, 18

M

markup languagesoverview, 12

Mobile Data Servicebrowser, 11image processing, 14

O

option listscreating in HTML, 19

S

scriptsbrowser support for, 13

WML, 13security

ssl/tls, 29WTLS, 11wtls, 28

service booksabout, 24

W

WAPbrowser, 10unsupported features, 11WSP header caching, 11WTLS, 11

WMLoption lists, 19

WMLScript, 13WTLS, 11

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