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Titanium SDK how-tos

Hands-on guide to Titanium SDK native integrations. Focuses on practical steps, platform differences, and the details that usually bite.

Project detection

️ℹ️ Auto-detects Titanium projects This skill detects Titanium projects automatically.

Indicators:

• tiapp.xml exists (definitive)
• Alloy project: app/ folder
• Classic project: Resources/ folder

Behavior:

• Titanium detected: provide native integration guidance, permissions, modules, and platform notes
• Not detected: say this skill is for Titanium projects only

Integration workflow

1. Requirement check: permissions, tiapp.xml, and module dependencies.
2. Service setup: listeners and services (Location, Push, Core Motion, and so on).
3. Lifecycle sync: tie listeners to Android and iOS lifecycle events.
4. Error handling: use robust callbacks for async native calls.
5. Platform optimization: apply platform-specific logic (Intent filters, Spotlight, Core Motion).

Native integration rules

iOS permissions

• Location: NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription or NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription in tiapp.xml.
• Motion activity: required for Core Motion Activity API.
• Camera and photo: NSCameraUsageDescription and NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription.
• Background modes: required for background audio, location, or VOIP.
• iOS 17+: add PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy for UserDefaults and File Timestamps.

Android resource management

• Services: stop background services when they are no longer needed.
• Location: use distanceFilter and FusedLocationProvider (requires ti.playservices).
• Intents: set action, data type, and category. Copy the root activity to tiapp.xml for intent filters.

Data and networking

• HTTPClient: handle both onload and onerror.
• SQLite: close both db and resultSet to avoid locks.
• Filesystem: check isExternalStoragePresent() before using SD card storage.
• Binary data: use Ti.Buffer and Ti.Codec for byte-level work.
• Streams: use BufferStream, FileStream, or BlobStream for chunked I/O.

Media and memory

• Camera and gallery: use imageAsResized to reduce memory pressure.
• Audio: handle pause and resume for streaming interruptions.
• WebView: avoid TableView embedding; set touchEnabled=false if needed.
• Video: Android requires fullscreen; iOS supports embedded players.

Platform-specific properties

🚨 Platform-specific properties need modifiers Using Ti.UI.iOS.* or Ti.UI.Android.* without platform modifiers can break cross-platform builds.

Bad example:

// Wrong: adds Ti.UI.iOS to Android build
const win = Ti.UI.createWindow({
  statusBarStyle: Ti.UI.iOS.StatusBar.LIGHT_CONTENT
});

Good options:

TSS modifier (Alloy):

"#mainWindow[platform=ios]": {
  statusBarStyle: Ti.UI.iOS.StatusBar.LIGHT_CONTENT
}

Conditional code:

if (OS_IOS) {
  $.mainWindow.statusBarStyle = Ti.UI.iOS.StatusBar.LIGHT_CONTENT;
}

Always require modifiers:

• iOS: statusBarStyle, modalStyle, modalTransitionStyle, any Ti.UI.iOS.*.
• Android: actionBar config, any Ti.UI.Android.* constant.

For TSS platform modifiers, see the code conventions in skills/ti-expert/references/code-conventions.md#platform--device-modifiers or the platform UI guides in references/ios-platform-deep-dives.md.

Reference guides

Core features

• Location and maps: GPS tracking and battery-efficient location rules.
• Google Maps v2 (Android): API keys, Google Play Services, and v2 features.
• iOS Map Kit: 3D camera, system buttons, and iOS callouts.
• Notification services: push notifications (APNs/FCM), local alerts, interactive notifications.

Data handling

• Remote data sources: HTTPClient lifecycle, JSON/XML parsing, uploads, downloads, sockets, SOAP, SSL.
• Local data sources: filesystem operations, SQLite, Properties API, persistence strategy.
• Buffer, Codec, and Streams: binary data manipulation and serial data flows.

Media and content

• Media APIs: audio playback and recording, video streaming, camera and gallery, ImageViews, density assets.

Web integration

• Web content integration: WebView (WKWebView), local and remote content, bidirectional communication.
• Webpack build pipeline: Ti 9.1.0+ build pipeline, npm integration, and the @ alias.

Platform-specific (Android)

• Android platform deep dives: intents, intent filters, broadcast permissions, background services.

Platform-specific (iOS)

• iOS platform deep dives: iOS 17 privacy, silent push, Spotlight, Handoff, iCloud, Core Motion, WatchKit and Siri.

Advanced and DevOps

• Extending Titanium: Hyperloop, native modules (Proxy and View), Xcode debugging, AndroidX migration for SDK 9.0.
• Debugging and profiling: memory management, leak detection, native tools.
• Automation (Fastlane and Appium): CI/CD, UI testing, store deployment.

Related skills

For tasks beyond native feature integration, use:

Response format

1. Prerequisites: required permissions, tiapp.xml config, or modules.
2. Step-by-step implementation: task-focused code guide with error handling.
3. Platform caveats: iOS and Android differences.
4. Best practices: memory, lifecycle, and performance tips.

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