Lazarus

Programming => Operating Systems => Topic started by: Gizmo on September 20, 2015, 06:27:29 pm

Title: How different is smartphone app development to regular desktop application dev
Post by: Gizmo on September 20, 2015, 06:27:29 pm
Hi

Just a general query. I've been developing programs for Windows and Linux desktop systems for a while and am considering developing one for smartphones : Android at least.

I've read http://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Android_Programming and see it is possible but I have a couple of questions :

1) Do you\can you code a program for an Android device on a normal desktop like a Linux desktop or a Windows one? If not, and if you have to do it ON A PHONE, is that not a bit of a struggle? With little screens and annoying touchpads?

2) Is it generally harder or easier to develop Android applications than it is Windows and Linux desktop applications? Or is the difficulty level about the same? Or is it easier?
Title: Re: How different is smartphone app development to regular desktop application dev
Post by: Gizmo on September 20, 2015, 06:32:46 pm
Update: Found this thread http://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php?topic=22414.0 which suggests you can indeed develop apps on Windows etc. But it looks like a terribly detailed process with about a thousand steps.

Have things got anymore straight forward since it was posted? Is there now a project\installer that simplifies much of this? So that after installation one would have a regular Lazarus dev environment on their PC, and one for Android development?
Title: Re: How different is smartphone app development to regular desktop application dev
Post by: Handoko on September 20, 2015, 07:10:34 pm
Hello. I'm not an expert in developing smartphone software, but I ever tried to code some very simple apps and it's really running on my Android phone. I was very excited  :D

Unfortunate, it's still considered hard to develop software on Android at the moment. The hardest part is the compilation process to produce  (Android's executable) APK files. We have to install and configure lots of things like Android SDK, NDK, Java properly. Actually, it's not hard but because the available information is not detailed enough for most programmers to understand.  :o

Also, lot's of the visual components aren't able to run on Android, we only have some very limited components to use for the User Interface.

Good news is, now several volunteers are working hard to make FCP/Lazarus easier to produce Android's software.

Although now the result is still far from good, but I think it's the time you should try to learn develop Android's software. When FPC/Lazarus is good enough, you will be ready to develop apps to run on Android.

And Yes, you can develop Android's apps on your regular Windows and Linux computer. I'm using Linux.
Title: Re: How different is smartphone app development to regular desktop application dev
Post by: Leledumbo on September 20, 2015, 09:08:34 pm
1) Do you\can you code a program for an Android device on a normal desktop like a Linux desktop or a Windows one? If not, and if you have to do it ON A PHONE, is that not a bit of a struggle? With little screens and annoying touchpads?
You can do on both. But the availability of corresponding tools is another matter. Struggle or not, comes back to the person. I don't find it comfortable to code directly on the phone, but some other people might feel different.
2) Is it generally harder or easier to develop Android applications than it is Windows and Linux desktop applications? Or is the difficulty level about the same? Or is it easier?
In general, it's more difficult due to nature of Android system itself. The consequence is that the building process itself is also complicated. If google doesn't provide SDK/NDK, it could be worse than what we have now (which is already quite difficult for non-experienced developers).
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