Why not just drop Android mode from Processing altogether?

SiriusCG

Having read through the Android discussions in this forum for some months now, I don't understand why Processing continues to support Android at all really. The Android library it supports is fairly old and it appears that most new users of Processing don't understand how to set up the Android Mode environment in the first place or how to troubleshoot it. The Android section of these forums is full of "I don't understand how to do this" or "this feature isn't working, how do I fix it?" types of posts. Using Processing as a "bridge" or a "shortcut" to produce Android apps cannot be all that beneficial to users at an introductory level of programming skills.

I believe Processing is a fine well-featured language on it's own merits. Users who are new to programming, which was one of the basic tenets for creating Processing in the first place as I understand it, shouldn't have to wade through 2 sets of languages at such an introductory level IMHO. I would hazard to say that professional programmers creating Android apps are working in the native Android environment itself for the most part. I know I am. If one wishes to program Android apps, I heartily suggest learning the Android language and using it's development tools. Leave Processing to do what it was intended to do:

Since 2001, Processing has promoted software literacy within the visual arts and visual literacy within technology. Initially created to serve as a software sketchbook and to teach computer programming fundamentals within a visual context.

Just my opinion, and something I've been wanting to say.

Cheers.

GoToLoop

Indeed, since day 1 I've known about this forum, in the days of Processing 1.5.1, I've never seen Android Mode working to every1 w/o serious hacking & debugging! /:)
Android Mode needs a warning about it's intended for advanced developers at minimum! :-&

Loadus

Well, as a person who is currently using Processing to build a tiny drawing/sketching application for Android I can say that I definitely prefer doing the app using Processing rather than native Android. As I intent to port it to PC for print-size rendering, I would have to do it all over again on Win32 / OSX / GNU/Linux, but when it's Processing, it will automagically port to those platforms.

http://loadus.deviantart.com/art/InkBrush-for-Android-484495447

So yay for Android support from me. ^.^

But I'm weird.

richie_r

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mcspud

I agree android mode is buggy, and the experience uncharacteristic of processing. However, I still want android mode!! It is awesome!!!

@GoToLoop yes, the problem could be fixed by giving a warning message, but it shouldn't say for advanced developers, just that setup might not be so easy. (I am not an advanced developer but I got it working without too much trouble, after all, it's relatively simple, just kinda unstable).

@richie_r yes, minim doesn't work but another sound library does (APWidgets is what I used)

richie_r

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richie_r

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mcspud

Yea, just a media player function, not Minim :(

However, there is another option called soundPool (I never tried it though).

PhiLho

SiriusCG, lot of people are using the Android mode successfully, even having their game on the Play Store.
If you want to remove it because some people struggle to use it is like removing all of Processing because lot of newbies cannot make it work properly...

richie_r

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