Code Generation from Blocks

Open Source Development Google Summer of Code
1

Hello Community,
I was thinking of an idea to generate a code in languages like Java, Kotlin .
because -

  • Developing a component that will convert the code generated by MIT app inventor into other languages

  • This could help users who are already proficient in programming to transition from MIT App Inventor to native Android development, or to integrate their app with other systems and technologies.

  • Even the kids will be able to see how , the real android devlopment is done in the industry.

Suggestions are welcome , hoping a review from the mentors .

Many Thanks

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2

You mean like the app inventor java bridge?

http://www.appinventor.org/jbridge

3

Or maybe this

4

yes , i am talking about this one

5

but now we need for kotlin becuase , now the native android developmenet is changing .

I think in the future , kotlin is gonna dominate , due to things like compose or apps that are created using kotlin

6

You have got to remember App Inventor also wants to accommodate iOS users.

7

That means we have to develop for both the platforms

8

That is up to the devs what they want. But it would make sense since they want App Inventor to be able to run on both platforms.

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so working on this topic will be good or not ?
I mean generating code for this Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile

10

You will have to discuss that with the devs. I am not a dev. Did you already have contact with them?

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no i have not contacted with them , will contact

@ewpatton may you please share your views on this ?

13

This is a lot more work than you make it sound like it is going to be, particularly for two reasons:

  1. The blocks convert to Scheme currently and rely on a runtime also written in Scheme. You'd have to create a Java/Kotlin/Swift version of this.
  2. App Inventor is dynamically typed and will coerce values between types as needed, so you either need to disallow operations like "10" + 10, or generate a lot of fairly verbose code to handle all of the edge cases.

I also worry that this continues to perpetuate the idea that creating an app with a tool like MIT App Inventor is somehow inferior to creating an app using Android Studio/Xcode.

1 Like