Compile function
Status: Beta
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#8 Compile function
It should be possible to call the compiler (e.g. http://code.google.com/p/java-ide-droid/\) from within the editor.
This has to be the most common request for all Android programming editors like touchQode and CodePad. Unfortunately, I can't see why anyone would want to compile/run code on the Android device, for the following reasons:
There is no native compiler on the Android. Maybe an interpreter is available but what useful things could be done with it (see below)?
Compiling in the cloud (i.e. sending code to a server and getting the results back) is realistically limited to command line programs. The bulk of programs today use GUI of some sort. And library dependecies which may vary according to OS and licensing terms. Then there is the problem of what is to be sent to the Android device -- a Android executable or just the console output? Both have their security, licensing and implementation difficulties.
Therefore, the only people who would find compiling on Android devices useful are students doing simple programming homework or command-line programmers developers that work entirely within the language itself (no OS or framework-specific code!). Sadly, I don't have much time and effort to support this.
I am actually very enthusiastic about the idea of running programs on the go, whether it is small-scale or large-scale multi-threaded GUI apps. However, with Android and current technologies, this is not possible just yet.
A few weeks ago, you would have been right.
But now, it actually *is* possible to develop on Android:
http://code.google.com/p/java-ide-droid/
That's why I'm asking for all those programmer features ...
Tom