Native code extensions - Breaking out of the Corona Sandbox

Solar2D Daily Builds and Public Releases
#21

Ok, I ‘get’ the augument as to why this cannot be done on iOS but Android doesn’t have the same rescritions (does it?). With as many needed features as are still unavailable on Androids, wouldn’t this make alot sense? I suspect that functions like OS.execute would be fairly easy to enable for android devices. Maybe I am wrong? Maybe not.

Allen
(Feeling more and more that Corona is only a 90% solution to most problems which makes it 100% useless or worse… a distraction from the tools that can do the job required) [import]uid: 40100 topic_id: 7045 reply_id: 43282[/import]

#22

You cannot please everyone all the time, can you Carlos?

+1 for trying
+100 for giving up and getting things done
cheers,

:wink: [import]uid: 3826 topic_id: 7045 reply_id: 43316[/import]

#23

Allen

I can give you 17 million reasons why Corona is not for you.

http://www.anscamobile.com/#2
C. [import]uid: 24 topic_id: 7045 reply_id: 43414[/import]

#24

Carlos,
I apologize for not making my question clear. I will strive to do better.
My perception of this thread thus far is this:
A request was made to allow users to add native code.
The request was heard (along with various ways of implementing it).
The response was: (paraphrased)
A) “Apple would shut us down if implemented in a way that allows for interpreted code at runtime”
B) “It would take Corona to a whole new level and we want to make sure the backbone is stable before it is extended”

The first question I have is:
On the Android OS, couldn’t this be done without concern about apple?

Even without linking to any external libs directly, the capabilities of the android OS could be greatly extended by allowing certain functions to be used on the device. (I am thinking about functions like OS.execute that have been disabled in order to comply with iOS development standards)

The second question I have is:
What is the likelihood of getting OS.execute(or other functions disabled for the same reason) enabled for the android OS?

I look forward to reading your response,
Allen
[import]uid: 40100 topic_id: 7045 reply_id: 43455[/import]

#25

Hello Carlos,
Hot topic indeed.

Let’s look at Flash with iOS packager. Even on AIR 2.7, the performance still need to be fixed. Here’s the weakness compared to corona:

  • Performance, to gain better performance, many things must be though beforehand. But it is better now than before
  • iOS, must be compiled for >= iOS 4.0
  • Android, must target Air for Android
  • No support for OpenFeint or IAP or anything that needs native integration

But…, Flash is catching up, and there’s advantages on choosing Flash too:

  • Extensive API - bitmap access, sound manipulation, filters, pixelbender (altough cpu), etc
  • Soon will support Stage3D Support for 3D content
  • Soon will support Native Extension according to Lee Brimelow in http://blog.theflashblog.com/?p=2732
  • Extensive Flex UI and controls for non-gaming
  • Many great library from greatest creative minds out there :slight_smile:
  • IDEs

However, Corona promises features on future roadmap which is a winner too:

  • Shader
  • IAP on Android
  • Maybe… Native code extension? Which enable community to help Corona grows!

For now, we will settle using Corona, with its ease of development. But when Stage3D and Native Extension comes, and Corona can’t Innovate enough, we will evaluate our tool of choice.

Just a though from a Corona SDK Subscriber :slight_smile: [import]uid: 41267 topic_id: 7045 reply_id: 43594[/import]

#26

Isn’t it beautiful that until now "Flash is catching up"

This is from an 3 billion in revenue company which at one point was the 4th best company to work for, with team of over 150 people on the AIR/Flex/Flash Business Unit that is *finally* about to catch up to a startup of about 15 people whose entire VC funding was what Adobe probably wastes in toilet paper in a day.

We have outmaneuvered Flash and we will continue to out maneuver them.

Molehill is going to be a disaster for them, typical 800 pound mentality, go for the jugular on two sides of the fence, lets put a foot on the 2D and another foot on the 3D.

You mean, they are also planning not just to compete against us but also against Unity3D which is de-facto standard 3D game engine for mobile? Two startups that have outmaneuvered them?

They certainly have the marketing dollars to hire a good mouthpiece and a PR agency, but at the end of the day, it is about performance, and quality and how fast you can adapt. How long since the iOS device been out?

Here is why one of the many thousand reasons they will never catch up, I remember having to go to a meeting at Adobe with 20-30 or so other managers, from engineering to product and marketing managers, who had to deicide the codename for the upcoming product. Wait, don’t laugh, the best part, legal had to get into the mix because the didn’t want a repeat of the Carl Sagan vs Apple debacle. It took almost two weeks to decide on a code name.

The beautiful thing is that the blog post was written on the 26th of May and I think impetus of the blog was Josh’s choosing Corona over Flash.

Certainly reactionary blog response instead of a proactive blog response.

See http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/04/adobe-flas-jobs/

C.

ps: love poking the gorilla. is it dead yet? no. just old and bitter. smelly too. yeah reeks of … phew !

:slight_smile: LOL !!!

the awesomeness of entrepreneurship and competition. at the end guess who wins? *YOU* !

[import]uid: 24 topic_id: 7045 reply_id: 43637[/import]

#27

Isn’t it beautiful that until now "Flash is catching up"

This is from an 3 billion in revenue company which at one point was the 4th best company to work for, with team of over 150 people on the AIR/Flex/Flash Business Unit that is *finally* about to catch up to a startup of about 15 people whose entire VC funding was what Adobe probably wastes in toilet paper in a day.

We have outmaneuvered Flash and we will continue to out maneuver them.

Molehill is going to be a disaster for them, typical 800 pound mentality, go for the jugular on two sides of the fence, lets put a foot on the 2D and another foot on the 3D.

You mean, they are also planning not just to compete against us but also against Unity3D which is de-facto standard 3D game engine for mobile? Two startups that have outmaneuvered them?

They certainly have the marketing dollars to hire a good mouthpiece and a PR agency, but at the end of the day, it is about performance, and quality and how fast you can adapt. How long since the iOS device been out?

Here is why one of the many thousand reasons they will never catch up, I remember having to go to a meeting at Adobe with 20-30 or so other managers, from engineering to product and marketing managers, who had to deicide the codename for the upcoming product. Wait, don’t laugh, the best part, legal had to get into the mix because the didn’t want a repeat of the Carl Sagan vs Apple debacle. It took almost two weeks to decide on a code name.

The other thing is that the blog post was written on the 26th of May and I think impetus of the blog was Josh’s choosing Corona over Flash. Josh, who happens to be one of the many Flash converts to Corona going on a daily basis. Certainly reactionary blog response.

See http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/04/adobe-flash-jobs/

C.

ps: love poking the gorilla. is it dead yet? no. just old and bitter. smelly too. yeah reeks of … phew !

:slight_smile: LOL !!!

the awesomeness of entrepreneurship and competition. at the end guess who wins? *YOU* !

[import]uid: 24 topic_id: 7045 reply_id: 43638[/import]

#28

@Carlos:

That’s the spirit, Carlos!

You guys have created a wonderful community, and this community creates many wonderful tools/library/suggestion for Corona. Why do you think we are still lurking on Corona’s forum and IRC? We do hope Corona will always stay outmaneuvered other 2d game engine tech :wink: [import]uid: 41267 topic_id: 7045 reply_id: 43699[/import]

#29

This would be absolutely awesome [import]uid: 74763 topic_id: 7045 reply_id: 47355[/import]

#30

Reviving old forum thread, i will evaluate my opinion two months ago above in this thread since Adobe Flash with AIR 3 almost released:

What Corona still win:

  • Binary size, embedding the flash runtime (captive) is overkill. Air 3 add 8 mb for APK and some MBs in iOS. If your apps is huge in assets, like 40mbs or 90mbs, then it should not that big problem.

  • For iOS, Corona could target below iOS 4.0. But it’s not that important anymore since everyone diligently update their iOS

  • Performance, AIR 3 has not deliver Molehill on mobile, so Corona still win. Too many optimization tricks for current AIR for mobile. When Molehill released, everyone will compare each technology’s performance eventually, let the fastest win. Dont forget the new Molehill 2D API released just now http://www.starling-framework.org/

  • AIR 3 apps is longer to boot. This statement could be wrong though, could be handled with clever piece of codes

I tried to be objective. Frankly, if i am not building games, i would prefer AIR3+Flex for Mobile to do my apps now, since native extension offered by flash community will allow wonderful things soon, like push notification :wink: http://gotoandlearn.com/play.php?id=148 [import]uid: 41267 topic_id: 7045 reply_id: 56981[/import]