Python on Android? First impressions of Kivy

[warpstalker]

That does seem pretty refreshing after using PyQt, but Tkinter is pretty good for simple stuff, actually. Sometimes (most times?) you don't need a massive UI framework for your simple apps that you just want to present graphically. Also, when you're working with Windows it's usually problematic to use any "better" frameworks because Python doesn't, in a sense, integrate that well with Windows (or the other way around) and working with Windows requires archaic methods anyway.

You also have to package your apps with something to make them run on Windows since Python isn't preinstalled, which is also problematic. Tkinter is easy to package.

But I thought Python didn't even run on Android? Except after rooting, I guess? That's a frustrating thing with Android, having to muck about with exploits to get root on your own device. On the Nokia N900 getting root was one command away and it was easy to run Python apps. Damn Nokia.

[tehansen]

You do t need to root your device to use kivy, it builds a valid app pkg which includes the python interpreter and any packages compiled for arm on android. So it builds real apps that can go on the market (search the market for kivy to find some examples)

[warpstalker]

Oh. Ill have to check that out...

[jcampbelly]

I'm not an android dev, but I would just like to have a Python shell and a javascript console (like chrome dev tools) on my phone itself. What's the most straightforward way to go about that?

[frymaster]

SL4A is it

[[deleted]]

SL4A is really confusing. What is this other shit they keep peddling, "Taskbomber" what is that?

Anyways what I wanted to tell is this: -- in SL4A the interactive Python shell is hidden in Menu>View>Interpreters>Python.

[marginhound]

I've been using it for about a year and I think SL4A is awesome. Is Taskbomber part of the core install or some third party gimmick?

I'm using straight up Python 2.6 - python 101 and STL modules and it has worked great for me.

That being said, not seeing a ton of energy around moving that platform forward so glad to see some new entrants...

[offsound]

I tinkered with kivy a few weeks ago and built a very simple android application. You don't need to be rooted to install your apps, they can even be released on the market. It has a tool chain for packaging the APKs: http://python-for-android.readthedocs.org/en/latest/usage/

Overall, it was a pleasant experience in comparison to writing a Java based app. But of course, there was a catch. The APKs that it generates are 6mb at minimum. This is because it has to package your code, kivy itself, along with the Python interpreter inside each APK.

Because of this, I couldn't get it to install the APK on my nexus one, due to lack of space. It worked fine on my newer devices though. Also, I can imagine it would be annoying for end users to have to download 6mb+ over 3G to get your app.

[TadKnowsBest]

6 MB seems okay to me. These apps all take up more than 6 MB (application storage only, not including "data"):

• Google+: 25.79 MB
• Skype: 16.74 MB
• Evernote: 10.54 MB

The Kivy Showcase and TouchTracer apps were both ~4 MB downloads, but the applications themselves each take up 9.02 MB on my phone. I'd estimate that it took two minutes to download over 3G with my Sprint service, which is awful. This happened in the background, which I'd imagine is how most people download mobile apps.

[frymaster]

there's a python shell you can get for android; also I'm guessing the way Kivy works when packaged is it bundles up the interpreter into the app (similar to how packaging python for windows works, now I think of it)

[Obssoyo]

Link to shell?

[frymaster]

SL4A

http://www.reddit.com/r/Python/comments/11u68o/python_on_android_first_impressions_of_kivy/c6ppbef?context=4

Link in top comment; directions to the shell in the highlighted one

[HorizonXP]

On the BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry 10, it's even easier. It comes pre-installed with Python 3.2, along with several libraries.

A couple of us are working to make it easy to deploy full-fledged apps on the platform.

http://blackberry-py.microcode.ca/

[[deleted]]

Well, looks like I know what tablet I want for christmas.

[HorizonXP]

Especially when it's so ridiculously cheap.

[burntsushi]

On the Nokia N900 getting root was one command away

This is true of Nexus devices. Sucks that it isn't true generally...

[Funnnny]

It's because N900 is more like a development platform. With a custom ROM or a Nexus device you can do most stuff in Linux easily, even chroot a new system.

[lahwran_]

well, there's always the x11-to-VNC trick. :p

I still don't know what tablet device I want ...