Titanium expert

Practical architecture and implementation guidance for Titanium SDK apps (Alloy and Classic). Focus on maintainability, clear boundaries, and low-friction testing.

Project detection

:::info Auto-detects Alloy vs Classic projects This skill detects project type automatically and tailors guidance.

Alloy indicators:

• app/ folder (MVC structure)
• app/views/, app/controllers/ folders
• alloy.jmk or config.json files

Classic indicators:

• Resources/ folder with app.js at root
• No app/ folder structure

Behavior:

• Alloy detected: provides Alloy MVC patterns and Backbone.js guidance
• Classic detected: avoids Alloy-only patterns and recommends Classic options or migration
• Unknown: asks the user to clarify the project type :::

Workflow

1. Architecture: define structure by technical type with flat folders (lib/api, lib/services, lib/actions, lib/repositories, lib/helpers)
2. Data strategy: choose Models (SQLite) or Collections (API)
3. Contracts: define I/O specs between layers
4. Implementation: write XML views and ES6+ controllers
5. Quality: testing, error handling, logging, performance
6. Cleanup: implement a cleanup() pattern for memory management

Architectural Maturity Tiers

Choose the appropriate tier based on project complexity:

Tier 1: Basic (Rapid Prototyping)

• Best for: Simple utility apps or developers transitioning from Classic.
• Structure: Logic resides directly within index.js.
• UI Access: Direct usage of the $ object throughout the file.
• Pros: Zero boilerplate, extremely fast start.
• Cons: Unmaintainable beyond 500 lines of code.

Tier 2: Intermediate (Modular Alloy)

• Best for: Standard commercial applications.
• Structure: Business logic extracted to app/lib/ using a flat technical-type organization.
• Pattern: Slim Controllers that require() services.
• Memory: Mandatory implementation of $.cleanup = cleanup.

Tier 3: Advanced / Enterprise (Service-Oriented)

• Best for: High-complexity apps (IDEs like TiDesigner, multi-state platforms).
• Architecture: Dependency Injection via a ServiceRegistry.
• ID Scoping: Services do not receive the entire $ object. They receive a “Scoped UI” object containing only relevant IDs.
• Cognitive Load: “Black Box” logic—encapsulated units that reduce mental fatigue.
• Observability: Structured logging with a mandatory service context.

Detailed examples and full implementation samples are available in: Architectural Tiers Detail

Organization policy (low freedom)

• Use technical-type organization in lib (for example: api, services, actions, repositories, helpers, policies, providers).
• Keep lib flat and predictable: lib/<type>/<file>.js only.
• Do not recommend deep nesting like lib/services/auth/session/login.js.
• Keep UI layers aligned by screen (controllers/, views/, styles/) and avoid unnecessary depth.

Code standards (low freedom)

• No semicolons: let ASI handle it
• Modern syntax: const/let, destructuring, template literals
• applyProperties(): batch UI updates to reduce bridge crossings
• Memory cleanup: any controller with global listeners must set $.cleanup = cleanup
• Error handling: use AppError classes, log with context, never swallow errors
• Testable code: inject dependencies, avoid hard coupling

Titanium style sheets rules (low freedom)

:::danger Critical: platform-specific properties require modifiers Using Ti.UI.iOS.* or Ti.UI.Android.* properties without platform modifiers breaks cross-platform builds.

Example of the damage:

// Wrong: adds Ti.UI.iOS to Android project
"#mainWindow": {
  statusBarStyle: Ti.UI.iOS.StatusBar.LIGHT_CONTENT
}

Correct: always use platform modifiers

// Correct: only adds to iOS
"#mainWindow[platform=ios]": {
  statusBarStyle: Ti.UI.iOS.StatusBar.LIGHT_CONTENT
}

Properties that always need platform modifiers:

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

Available modifiers: [platform=ios], [platform=android], [formFactor=handheld], [formFactor=tablet], [if=Alloy.Globals.customVar]

For more platform-specific patterns, see the ti-ui skill. :::

Titanium layout system:

• Three layout modes: layout: 'horizontal', layout: 'vertical', and composite (default, no layout needed)
• No padding on container Views: use margins on children instead
• width: Ti.UI.FILL fills available space (preferred), width: '100%' = 100% of parent
• height: Ti.UI.SIZE wraps content, height: Ti.UI.FILL fills available space

Alloy builtins quick reference

Key builtins: OS_IOS/OS_ANDROID (compile-time), Alloy.CFG (config.json), Alloy.Globals (shared state), $.args (controller params), $.destroy() (cleanup bindings), platform="ios" / formFactor="tablet" (XML conditionals).

For the complete reference with examples, see Alloy builtins and globals.

Quick decision matrix

Reference guides (progressive disclosure)

Architecture & Patterns

• Architectural Tiers Detail
• Architectural Patterns (Factory, Singleton, Repository)
• Structure & Organization
• Contracts & Communication
• State Management
• Anti-patterns to Avoid

Implementation & API

• Alloy Builtins & Globals
• Code Conventions
• Controller Patterns
• Theming & Dark Mode
• Migration Patterns
• Examples Collection

Quality & Performance

• Performance Optimization
• ListView & ScrollView Performance
• Error Handling & Logging
• Unit & Integration Testing
• E2E Testing & CI/CD

Security

• Security Fundamentals
• Device Security

Tools

• CLI Expert & TiNy