Android port changes

lydesiklydesik
edited November 2015 in General discussions
Hi!

Android landscape is moving fast, and, if last year dropping Android 2.2 support made sense, now I'm about to raise the min API for android-native port (using NativeActivity) and drop the android (non-native) port (using FragmentActivity) completely.

android (non-native) port is less stable and require a Java shim to bind Activity, Inputs etc... to orx.
The only pro of this version is that it allows to install a custom layout which is handy if you want to show Ad banners in your game.

for android-native I'm about to raise the min API from 10 (Android 2.3) to 14 (Android 4.0). which is about 96% of current devices.

The motivation for this move is double.
1) less support for me, and single code path
2) simpler setup for new engine users (there is only one port for Android)

So go ahead; Yell! Scream! Cry! Whine!

I'm all hear :p

Philippe

Comments

  • sausagesausage
    edited November 2015
    If this is the way it has to be. :)

    I can't test on my poky Motorola 2.3 device anymore, but it's time to get a more modern test unit.

    Is 4.0 the minimum version with the custom layouts? Could we go slightly earlier, like in the 3.0 range?
  • lydesiklydesik
    edited November 2015
    The need to raise the min API for android-native is to support gamepads.
    I think (11) 3.0 should be enough but since this API has been completely deprecated by Google, and is close to non existent today. I'll go for 14. (Android 3.+ was an attempt by Google to meet the needs for a more adapted tablet UI)

    That being said. It wont bring you custom layouts.
    For the native port, custom layout is impossible.
    Yet there is some voodoo way to show an ad banner via a WindowPopup.

    Philippe
  • enobayramenobayram
    edited November 2015
    No Problem, when I diff the android and android-native demo folders, the difference is very small, and it actually simplifies the dev environment setup. Applying the differences to an existing project shouldn't take more than an hour. So, by all means, go ahead :) (Thanks for the great job you're doing with the Android port BTW.)
  • jimjim
    edited November 2015
    Platform 14 is also labeled obsolete by google.
  • lydesiklydesik
    edited November 2015
    indeed.

    15 (4.0.3) it will be then
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