The Connect SDK extends a custom third-party app's functionality by providing access to data on the Pega^® Platform. This functionality can be leveraged by using an integration development environment (IDE) of your choice.

The Connect SDK consists of a library that when included in a custom third-party app can:

• Create a Pega-integrated mobile app with a rich user interface and custom user experience.
• Perform various operations with the Pega Platform backend that are related to cases, assignments, and data processing.

Technical specifications

The Connect SDK provides the following features and capability:

• Allows you to use the IDE of your choice on the Android and iOS platforms. For iOS, Xcode 9.2 is supported.
• Consists of a Java (Android), Objective-C (iOS) and Swift (iOS) library and permits development of native mobile apps on:
  • Android 4.4 (KitKat) and higher
  • iOS 9.x and higher
• For iOS, Authentication Header is supported so that you can add an access token to requests.

The Connect SDK consists of a client library, documentation, and sample code with a demo app to help you begin using this capability immediately.

The Connect SDK APIs correspond to the Pega Platform REST APIs that are available for the Pega Platform. For more information, see the Supported Pega API section.

Key advantages

If you need a mobile app that has a user interface with a native look and feel and also includes transitions, it is possible to build a custom native mobile app that interacts with the Pega Platform through the backend. The Connect SDK API can then be utilized to quickly integrate with the Pega Platform.

Such a native mobile app can also be fully customized and branded to serve your company's specific requirements and needs. The user interface does not have to be directly tied to the Pega Platform in any way, because the native mobile app is fully responsible for displaying, handling, and updating data from the backend.

An example of an app that follows this design is one that acts as a cash register for a store where responsiveness is crucial and user interaction is the main point of the app.

Use case scenario

An example of implementing the Connect SDK library involves an existing business-to-consumer native app that is available in either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. In this example, the app is for a financial institution that already uses multiple backends. This app has several features, including being secure and encrypted, and having a consistent and responsive user interface to fit the financial institution's complex needs and requirements.

Let us assume that this financial institution now needs to implement additional features into their existing custom native app that allow end users to solve disputes related to credit card transactions. With the Connect SDK, new functionality can be added while still maintaining control over the user interface. The existing native app is also able to communicate with the Pega Platform backend so that a case can be opened for a credit card transaction dispute that can be examined later by several department members.

Pega Platform API support

The Connect SDK objects and methods directly invoke built-in Pega REST services. You can use the Pega Platform APIs to do the following actions:

• Authenticate users by verifying credentials
• Create cases, update cases, and retrieve case details
• Obtain case types
• Obtain lists of assignments, obtain assignment details, and perform actions on an assignment
• Obtain data page contents and related metadata

For more information, see Pega API for the Pega Platform.

Connect SDK for Android

• Setting up the Connect SDK for Android app development
• Creating a Hello World Android app with the Connect SDK
• Listing cases and their details with the Connect SDK on Android
• Listing case types and creating cases with the Connect SDK on Android
• Listing assignments and their details with the Connect SDK on Android
• Obtaining data page contents and metadata with the Connect SDK on Android
• Authenticating with custom headers in the Connect SDK for Android
• Enabling push notifications with the Connect SDK on Android

Connect SDK for iOS

• Setting up the Connect SDK for iOS app development
• Creating a Hello World iOS app with the Connect SDK
• Listing cases and their details with the Connect SDK on iOS
• Listing case types and creating cases with the Connect SDK on iOS
• Listing assignments and their details with the Connect SDK on iOS
• Obtaining data page contents and metadata with the Connect SDK on iOS
• Authenticating with authorization headers in the Connect SDK for iOS
• Enabling push notifications with the Connect SDK on iOS