love-java-android/love-native-android: project information

[Petunien]

We are working on it. I did some quick changes but I seems like it is more complicated than I expected. I thought it would be a 1-2 hour thing, but it seems like I was wrong. Anyway, we have two filesystem things left to do: File access and love files within apks.

When löving for android, it's possible to call any Android/Java-function outside the script?
So we can use things like sqlite3?
Or are we bound to Lua and LÖVE?

In the sourcecode on github, I only saw C++ code and Lua inside the module-folders of LÖVE. Are you developing using C++?
I always thought you convert the LÖVE functions in their respective Android ones...?

Edit: Oh, and please say, LÖVE-Android does support LuaSocket.
Yepp, already supported.

Yay, thank you!

[Petunien]

We are working on it. I did some quick changes but I seems like it is more complicated than I expected. I thought it would be a 1-2 hour thing, but it seems like I was wrong. Anyway, we have two filesystem things left to do: File access and love files within apks.

When löving for android, it's possible to call any Android/Java-function outside the script?
So we can use things like sqlite3?
Or are we bound to Lua and LÖVE?

In the sourcecode on github, I only saw C++ code and Lua inside the module-folders of LÖVE. Are you developing using C++?
I always thought you convert the LÖVE functions in their respective Android ones...?

Yepp, already supported.

Yay, thank you!

[Petunien]

We are working on it. I did some quick changes but I seems like it is more complicated than I expected. I thought it would be a 1-2 hour thing, but it seems like I was wrong. Anyway, we have two filesystem things left to do: File access and love files within apks.

When löving for android, it's possible to call any Android/Java-function outside the script?
So we can use things like sqlite3?
Or are we bound to Lua and LÖVE?

In the sourcecode on github, I only saw C++ code and Lua inside the module-folders of LÖVE. Are you developing using C++?
I always thought you convert the LÖVE functions in their respective Android ones...?

Yepp, already supported.

Yay, thank you!

[Moe]

Because major mobile platforms usually have support for this, and sqlite3 is natural fit for such requirements.
I wish desktop LÖVE version had support for sqlite also... That would be ideal solution.

Hey, why didn't I thought of it? I totally agree, this is an awesome feature. I will add it when time permits (desktop compatible only if Android can do it in C/C++).

When löving for android, it's possible to call any Android/Java-function outside the script?

We do not have a generic bridge from Lua to Java, but we need to do either Java->C/C++->Lua or Lua->C/C++->Java and code all the connections we want to have.

So we can use things like sqlite3?

Yes, but it requires some effort to implement. We can access all things in both Android levels, which are Java and C/C++.

Or are we bound to Lua and LÖVE?

If you do not want to modify the love-native-android code, yes. If you are fine with doing Java and/or C/C++, you can use any layer you want to.

In the sourcecode on github, I only saw C++ code and Lua inside the module-folders of LÖVE. Are you developing using C++?
I always thought you convert the LÖVE functions in their respective Android ones...?

Actually we do Java, C, C++, Lua, and XML as required. We do not reimplement Löve, but port it. This means that we took its C++ source code and fixed it to compile and run on Android. Since compiling works fine, we are looking for those parts that do not work and add Java calls as required or solve those issues directly in C++. Java is also used as Löve's skull.
Because of all those languages (and we have some bash scripts to simplify some compiling and debugging steps, too), it might be difficult to understand our code...

[Petunien]

@Moe

Thank you for answering!

I think I've got to increase my Java skills...

Another thing... what about a online database of all LÖVE games released for Android?
So you can press "Search Games" or similar in the LÖVE-app and you get a list of each game with image, description etc.?

It should be doable using MySQL...?

Oh, I wish I was able to understand the inheritance of Java.

PS: May a moderator please delete my 2 fail posts above? Thank you!

[Moe]

Another thing... what about a online database of all LÖVE games released for Android?
So you can press "Search Games" or similar in the LÖVE-app and you get a list of each game with image, description etc.?

My main concern is more the legal thing about that than implementing it. I do not know which responsibilities the database owner takes over if he hosts all the games. I do not have the time to investigate all the legal aspects, find a web hosting service that does not eat all of my money, implement a shop thing, .... there would be plenty of things necessary to get this run.
Moreover, it would make much more sense to put the games into the "normal" market (Google Play and/or Amazon Market Place), so that all users find them. For this, we want to have "start love files within an apk".

[Petunien]

Hm, sure, being a competitor for Google and Co. is a bad idea.

But what about the free games? I don't think, much people will use LÖVE for making money, especially on Android.
So basically your app would just download some "extensions" for itself.
But I don't know about the license too.

Also, to release an app in Google Play, you have to pay 25$, or?
That's not that good.

[T-Bone]

If LÖVE wants to matter in any way, we have to be able to make standard .apk-files which can be
1) installed on basically any Android device
2) be uploaded and sold on Google Play

What makes you assume that people won't be making money from LÖVE games? If you make a game that's good enough, there's no reason not to try to sell it.

The idea of being completely compatible with standard LÖVE is especially awesome, because it means you can target stuff like Humble Bundle as well!

[Petunien]

So the main step for sharing is to create an apk-file that runs the game?
I read we only need to game some code lines for that, and it will load the game on start.
Like the "No Game Screen"...

And regarding the selling, you're right, I'm sorry.
If someone puts much effort into his work, it should be possible to get money for it.

For me, it would be very nice if a online database of all games would exist.
It's easier to share, talk and LÖVE then...

But it's only a simple proposal from a little coder...

[utunnels]

Just tried it some minutes ago.

For some reason, I have to run 2 times to get a game start. The first time I click the selected .love file, it always shows a black screen then exits. After the second try it will start normally.