Designing and Developing for Google Glass

Chapter 7. Overview of the Mirror API

This is the chapter in which we start to detail how Glassware works with the Mirror API and how to build it. This is an process that has several moving parts and a few different technologies, and requires several decisions to be made in a particular sequence, so we use this discussion to introduce the mechanics of the Mirror API framework and how you make it work for you to architect cloud-based services for Glass. So welcome!

Again, we emphasize that we’re taking things a step further as part of our dedication to teaching you how to Think for Glass: we don’t merely want to show you how to write Glassware, we want to show you how to write great Glassware. And as we’ve demonstrated thus far, such a talent for maximizing the platform involves amassing deep knowledge and embracing pragmatism.

So, as this is the first scene in the third act of our three-act play on Thinking for Glass, let’s wax pessimistic for a moment and get some housecleaning duties out of the way first.

This isn’t going to be an exhaustive dissection of the Mirror API’s various method signatures and expected parameters. The online documentation does a fantastic job of that already, and like Glass, is changing all the time. Our goal is to arm you with a weapon that has far more shelf life and help you understand the documentation and the Glass environment. And appropriately, this is the level of abstraction that the Mirror API provides you with that you’re going to need to embrace. ...