Appcelerator Titanium projects with IntelliJ

Developing Appcelerator mobile Apps is usually done within the Axway Appcelerator Studio. I'm using IntelliJ to develop most of my apps and here is the way how you could build and run you Appcelerator projects.

Open the project and create a package.json like this:

{
  "name": "my-app",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Sample package.json for running titanium apps within IntelliJ.",
  "main": "index.js",
  "directories": {},
  "scripts": {
    "setup": "./node_modules/.bin/titanium sdk install 8.3.1.GA --default",
    "clean": "./node_modules/.bin/titanium clean",
    "build": "npm run build:android && npm run build:ios",
    "build:android": "./node_modules/.bin/titanium build -p android -b",
    "build:android:full": "npm run build:android",
    "build:ios": "./node_modules/.bin/titanium build -p ios -b",
    "build:ios:full": "npm run build:ios",
    "init:android": "npm install && npm run setup | $ANDROID_HOME/tools/bin/sdkmanager --licenses",
    "init:ios": "npm install",
    "android": "./node_modules/.bin/titanium build -p android -T emulator -C HUGO",
    "ios": "./node_modules/.bin/titanium build -p ios -T simulator -C HUGO",
    "download:android:sdk": "$ANDROID_HOME/tools/bin/sdkmanager \"platform-tools\" \"platforms;android-29\" \"build-tools;29.0.2\" \"emulator\" \"ndk-bundle\" \"system-images;android-29;google_apis_playstore;x86\"",
    "create:avd": "echo \"no\"| $ANDROID_HOME/tools/bin/avdmanager create avd -f -n Pixel_2_API_28 -k \"system-images;android-29;google_apis_playstore;x86\" -d \"pixel\"",
    "configure:avd": "for f in ~/.android/avd/*.avd/config.ini; do echo 'hw.keyboard=yes' >> \"$f\"; done",
    "prepare:env:android": "npm install && npm-run-all init:android download:android:sdk create:avd configure:avd"
  },
  "author": "Andre Dvorak",
  "license": "GPL",
  "homepage": "https://www.kambrium.net",
  "devDependencies": {
    "npm-run-all": "4.1.5"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "alloy": "1.14.1",
    "titanium": "5.2.1"
  }
}

To start a device session with your new app just open the package.json an select

1. "setup" target
2. "android" target 

After the build you will be asked you for the emulator of choice. You could skip this by replacing HUGO with the name of your favourite emulator.

Js Modules with Titanium Appcelerator Framework

Here are the two ways you could currently use JS modules within the Titanium Mobile Framework from appcelerator:

1. Function Module

Assume you have a FunctionModule.js with the following content:

// an internal variable, which is only accesible within the module
var internalMsg = "Only visible within the module";

// an exported function, which this module offers

exports.hello = function(msg) {

alert('your message: ' + msg + ' internal message: ' + internalMsg);

}


you could use you module like this:

// reference the module

var fmo = require('/ui/common/FunctionModule');

// call the exported function

fmo.hello('External Message');

// no access from the outside to the internal variable
alert('interal var from module: ' + fmo.internalMsg)

2. Object Module

Assume you have a ObjectModule.js with the following content:

// constructor of your object

function Sample(name) {

   this.name = name;

}

// function, which alerts the current name

Sample.prototype.showName = function() {

alert('Name: ' + this.name);

}

// function, which sets the name

Sample.prototype.setName = function(name) {

this.name = name;

}

// you just export your Object and override the methods as prototypes

module.exports = Sample;

you could use you module like this:

// reference the module

var SampleModule = require('/ui/common/ObjectModule');

// Create a sample Object

var sam = new SampleModule('Fred');

// call a Method

sam.showName();

// change the internal name

sam.setName('Hugo');

sam.showName();