Compile to multiple platforms

[cyiwin]

It would be cool if we wrote the program once in BASIC and it compiled into 3 separate programs for Android, IOS and Windows 8. Then we could release it on all 3 platforms at the same time!

I'm sure it would only take an hour or so to make this happen

 

[admac231]

Unfortunately this is nowhere as simple as you may think. It is essentially the same as "this game is made for Windows. Surely you can just make it Mac compatible?"

 

[raytronixsystems]

I think most of us would rather have Erel spending his time and efforts on improving b4a!

 

[Ricky D]

I guess in a perfect world that would be great but what happens when any of the 3 platforms changes their apis or new advanced hardware is introduced as time goes on.....

It would be a mountain of a job for Erel & team to do this.

I guess we can keep dreaming!

So it's still needing java for ios, silverlight for windows 8 and my favourite b4a for android.

regards, Ricky

 

[Erel]

java for ios

? I guess you meant Objective C.

 

[cyiwin]

If it's not a possible task then none of this would matter. If it is possible it might be worth the resources. Right now probably <5% of android programmers use B4A, it's for people who don't like Java or are BASIC enthusiasts. If one more platform was added when compiled like ios it would likely become more valuable than Java or Objective C alone. Why program for only one platform when you could do both in one shot. This may increase the customer base from 5% to over 50%.

With 10 times the customers it would be worth while to go to kickstarter.com or somewhere and get investors to hire staff and do something nobody else is doing.

Who knows, maybe Oracle will give Google a break and try to sew someone else for a change

 

[gjoisa]

If you want multi platform , You better go for web apps . There are several tools available both free and paid . There is one "NSBasic" for basic language also . But web apps cant have all the native facilities of platform .

 

[JonPM]

... and do something nobody else is doing.

There is a reason not many people are doing it, because its damn near impossible. You're dreaming if you think you can just write code once and compile it out to whatever platform you wish. There are so many hurdles to jump its not even funny. There are so many difference between platforms it'd be almost impossible to create native applications for each. One huge one is the fact that iOS doesn't have activities.

 

[cyiwin]

There is a reason not many people are doing it, because its damn near impossible. You're dreaming if you think you can just write code once and compile it out to whatever platform you wish. There are so many hurdles to jump its not even funny. There are so many difference between platforms it'd be almost impossible to create native applications for each. One huge one is the fact that iOS doesn't have activities.

Your right, I am dreaming. I have no Idea what hurdles are involved. The idea came to me so I thought it might be worth bringing up to the people who do, but it sounds like if it could have been done it would have by now.

I am really enjoying B4A the way it is. I've been spending more time at it than I thought I would. I find the more I learn the more I think about what apps to make. The more apps I think of the more I want to use B4A. I continue to be impressed with what B4A can do so I figured if it could be done, this is where it would happen.

 

[ssg]

hmm, maybe i am not getting the point of all that are saying it can't be done. It has been done in a number of IDEs, write your game once and deploy to many environments.

Take my new favourite toy for example - Unity3D

Just thinking though, that what cyiwin is saying does make sense. B4A is already an awesome tool, it could be made awesomer... but probably Erel and company has other plans.

Cheers!

 

[Theera]

It would be cool if we wrote the program once in BASIC and it compiled into 3 separate programs for Android, IOS and Windows 8. Then we could release it on all 3 platforms at the same time!

I'm sure it would only take an hour or so to make this happen

I think that B4A mixed with B4PPC before ,it will can run android and windows8
Best Regards
Theera

 

[JonPM]

hmm, maybe i am not getting the point of all that are saying it can't be done. It has been done in a number of IDEs, write your game once and deploy to many environments.

Take my new favourite toy for example - Unity3D

Just thinking though, that what cyiwin is saying does make sense. B4A is already an awesome tool, it could be made awesomer... but probably Erel and company has other plans.

Cheers!

I've used most of the IDEs out there, and there are some good ones, but they don't really live up to what they claim. Often times they are primarily aimed towards iOS which means they run great on iphone but have issues when they compile to Android/ bb. hopefully some day some one will get it right, but I have yet to find one that does.

 

[Erel]

I think that one of the reasons that Basic4android is powerful and extendible is that it is not cross platform. Android is a complicated system and is different than other platforms. I don't see how it is possible to hide these differences.

It is possible that in the future there will be similar products that will use the same syntax for other platforms. This will allow you to share some of the code.

The problem with iOS is that you cannot develop on Windows. The IDE is a .Net application. This means that it will require almost a full rewrite to adapt it to Mac.

 

[susu]

I hate Apple! I wish Basic4Android will only for Android. Erel and his team are doing a very great job! No need another platform