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AppGameKit Classic Chat / Tier 1 - 3rd extensions?

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MobileCreator
12
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Joined: 1st Jun 2011
Location: Ottawa - Canada
Posted: 22nd Aug 2011 03:41
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Hi

Although I found the AppGameKit very powerful, covering a lot of areas, there will be always something that it can't do, sometimes just because TGC don't have time to do so.

Because of that I was wondering if it will be possible to create Basic extensions, using C/C++ using some other native language. For example, today there is no HTTP support, and creating something like that would be very simple.

I understand that using Tier 2, you can basically do whatever you want, for the platform you want, but I have the impression Basic will still be the language that will be used the most.

Of course, the multiplatform nature makes everything harder, but maybe a plugin mechanism with a "platform supported/unsupported" type of entry point could at least make the extension well behaved on platforms that are not supported.

I'm new here, but it seems TGC has a strong community, so I bet there would be several open source projects trying to filling the gaps.

Cheers

Paulo
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pinete
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Joined: 28th Jul 2011
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2011 10:26
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I agree with MobileCreator, http support would be just amazing.
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Paul Johnston
TGC Developer
21
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Joined: 16th Nov 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 22nd Aug 2011 18:50
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I like the idea of third party commands, but with so many platforms I can't see how it would work. Unless the creator provided a plugin for every platform that AppGameKit supports?

HTTP for example uses various platform APIs that aren't cross platform compatible. However we plan to add native HTTP support into the AppGameKit tier 1 at some point.
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MobileCreator
12
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Joined: 1st Jun 2011
Location: Ottawa - Canada
Posted: 22nd Aug 2011 20:17
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It doesn't seem to be a very easy task, but a plugin mechanism could have some kind of "capabilities" configuration, telling the application that is using it what kind of devices it supports.

In a perfect world, TGC community could start those libraries as open source projects, so the several people could implement the same behaviour for different platforms.

If you think, it is like the accelerometer, or even the Keyboard. There are functions that tells you if that specific device supports it or not.

The real challenge would be creating a common and controlled interface to the main Basic core. I have no idea how this could be done.

Paulo
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bjadams
AGK Backer
16
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Joined: 29th Mar 2008
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Posted: 23rd Aug 2011 13:26
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There will be users who just want to target 1 specific platform, for example iOS.

If the plugin exists only for iOS all well and good.

So you have to keep this option open.

Its good to have true multi platform for the basic command set, but you also have to start including platform specific commands for real power.
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Alien Menace
AGK Developer
19
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Joined: 11th Jan 2005
Location: Earth (just visiting)
Posted: 24th Aug 2011 16:22
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I don't necessarily think that an extension not supporting all platforms is an absolute a deal breaker. Not everybody wants or needs to compile their stuff across numerous platforms.

I'd would like to see a generic/custom GUI feature set added though to put some APP capability in the AppGameKit.

Intel Core Duo2 Quad Q9550 @2.8 GHz - Asus P5N-D - 2x 1GB PNY GeForce GTX 460 OC SLI - 8GB RAM - Creative X-FI - Windows 7 64-bit. iPad1 16GB 3GS, iPad2 32GB WiFi, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4
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MobileCreator
12
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Joined: 1st Jun 2011
Location: Ottawa - Canada
Posted: 24th Aug 2011 17:41
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Yes, supporting just one platform is not really a deal breaker. The only important thing is that a 3rd party extension must follow certain protocols when dealing with a multiplatform tool like AGK.

What I mean is that the extension must tell the application what it supports, for example.

Hypothetically, I believe it should have something like:

ui = ImportExtension("super_cool_ui")
If SupportIOS(ui) = False
// do something
endIf

That way all extensions could have a default behaviour, otherwise it will be a mess.

Maybe TGC could even get some revenue reselling "certificated" AppGameKit extensions

Cheers

Paulo
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Paul Johnston
TGC Developer
21
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Joined: 16th Nov 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 25th Aug 2011 04:33
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I've given it some thought and I don't think it's possible for tier 1. The broadcasting of the app to, say, an iPhone which is running the iOS player has no way of picking up the new commands as all transmitted code is in bytecode form.

The only place the new commands could be inserted on non-windows platforms would be when building the tier 1 app for distribution on the various platforms. Windows may be able to use some kind of LoadDLL() command, but it's not true third party command support.

So third party additions may be limited to tier 2 where you are free to add any additional libs you like.
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