[Python-ideas] Adding iOS/Android support to Python

[Russell Keith-Magee]

Hi Terry,

On Sun, Oct 26, 2014 at 1:14 AM, Terry Reedy <tjreedy at udel.edu> wrote:

> On 10/24/2014 11:06 PM, Guido van Rossum wrote:
>
>> This idea seems to be in the air. Just yesterday someone posted a set of
>> patches and suggestions to python-dev about making cross-compilation for
>> Android easier.
>>
>
> Matt Frank, "Cross Compiling Python for Android", or close to that. He
> experimented with 3.4.1.
>

I've seen that thread - thanks.


>  I expect most people in the core Python team might not
>> be eager to jump on this bandwagon because they have no immediate need,
>> but these mobile platforms are only getting faster more popular, and I
>> think it would be a good idea to be prepared for when suddenly everybody
>> wants to develop mobile apps in Python.
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 24, 2014 at 7:20 PM, Russell Keith-Magee
>> <russell at keith-magee.com
>> <mailto:russell at keith-magee.com>> wrote:
>>
>
>      tl;dr - I'd like to add iOS and Android to the list of platforms
>>     that Python supports out-of-the-box, and I'm looking for guidance on
>>     the way forward (and assistance, if anyone is keen).
>>
>
> You (freakboy3742) and / or Matt Frank (WanderingLogic) should read the
> developer guide (https://docs.python.org/devguide), submit patches to the
> tracker for 3.5*, put each other as nosy (using the tracker ids above),
> review each other's patches, respond to other issue participants,
> especially core developers, and modify patches as needed to get them
> committed.  Hopefully, one of you would have the goal of joining the
> developer team with commit privileges at least for android or ios
> development.
>
> * The first beta for 3.5 is scheduled for late May, 2015.  At least a
> working prototype of any new feature for 3.5 should be in that release.
>

Good to know the timeline. If I get to the point where it looks like I have
a viable patch, I'll open a ticket.


>        3) Disabling certain modules on mobile platforms. Supporting
>>     modules like linuxaudiodev, ossaudiodev, readline, curses, idle and
>>     tkinter on mobile platforms doesn't make much sense; modules likes
>>     bsddb and bz2 are difficult to support due to library dependencies;
>>     and the need for modules like multiprocessing is arguable (and
>>     difficult to support on mobile).
>>
>
> To add to what other said, many tests in the test suite are limited to
> certain platforms already -- skip if windows, skip if not windows, etc.
> Part of your patching would consist of adding skips for tests.
>
> We would also need to expand the possible Availability notes in the doc,
> adding something like 'Availability - desktop systems' and 'Availablity -
> mobile (Android/IOS)' if mobile-only features were needed.
>

Ok - thanks for the pointers.

Yours,
Russ Magee %-)
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