Multi-App Terminology

This page clarifies the terminology used to describe the components in the multiple application environment:

Applications

Applications are divided up into several types.

Primary Application

There is always one primary application. This is the main user interface and it is responsible for acting on end-user input and showing and hiding of applications. The primary application is most commonly a web browser (running an HTML/JS portal), but may also be a native C++ application. It uses the TOI API to communicate with, and to control the STB hardware.

Secondary Applications

Zero or more secondary applications can be installed which can be browser based web apps or native, compiled applications. They are full-screen and interactive with a state that is separated from the portal. OTT services typically fit into this category. The major functional difference from the primary application is that secondary applications do not have access to the TOI3/JS API and that there may be any number of secondary applications installed on the STB.

Non-interactive

Zero or more non-interactive applications may also be running. The primary application does not interact with these. The subtitle renderer is a good example, it draws to the video window, but the primary application does not interact with it directly, only through the KreaTV platform subtitle support.

Browsers

Primary Browser

The most common primary application is the Primary Browser. The primary browser is responsible for hosting/running a "portal application", usually written with HTML and JavaScript, and functioning as the main UI on the STB. The portal application running in the primary browser is entitled to communicate with the KreaTV platform via the TOI API, and this API allows the primary browser to control the visibility of other applications. This is often called "the portal" for short.

Secondary Browser

The secondary browser is also a WebKit-based HTML/JavaScript browser, designed to run 3rd party web apps and services.

Other secondary applications

In addition to the HTML, browser-based applications mentioned above, ARRIS may also release native C++ applications. These function in the same way as secondary browser, from the point of view of the Portal when switching between applications (the same show() and hide() API functions are used for all secondary applications.

When talking about software running on the STB in this user manual, terms like "portal" and "browser" may sometimes be used interchangeably, unless the context requires further clarification. It is important to understand the differences.