On Fri, Feb 6, 2009 at 2:29 AM, Dave Sparks <[email protected]> wrote:
> We do intend to support native code development in the future. We just > want to take time to refine the native API's before we make them > public. There is nothing more painful than changing an API because you > overlooked something and then having to support the legacy API for > years to come. > With all respect, there is at least one thing more painful than that, as Microsoft could tell you: not providing sufficient API's in a timely fashion, having app developers work around obvious deficiencies, and then being stuck supporting those applications anyway. IMO, based on the traffic on the various Android lists, you are risking having that happen. The specific scenario would be that a group of developers (probably game developers) get together and agree on a native extension mechanism and work together to use it, and it becomes a de facto standard. As games are probably your most important application group and as they are the most likely to require native speed, you could get yourself into a real pickle unless you release something very, very soon. If it is just a couple of apps that do this, no problem. If it is many, if it is your most popular apps, breaking them may not be an option for you. Something to mull over as Google thinks about scheduling this particular platform change and worry about getting it "just right". We all might be better served if you stuck with JNI, and if that's not good enough, some clear guidelines about what underlying APIs should and should not be used by native code would be a very, VERY good idea - and getting those guidelines out very VERY soon an even better one. My two cents. Worth at least what you paid for it, etc, etc. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
