Re: [tlug] About to break down and get an iPhone

[Shawn Brown <big.coffee.lover@example.com>]

On Mon, May 4, 2009 at 3:28 PM, Stephen J. Turnbull<stephen@example.com> wrote:
>  > >    Unfortunately, since Android is
>  > > based on compiling Java to a non-Java VM, basically it's going to
>  > > present a build-and-upload interface, with Java the only supported
>  > > language.  Can you say "Just like the Zaurus[1]", children?  I knew
>  > > you could![2]

What is the Android NDK?
http://developer.android.com/sdk/ndk/1.5_r1/index.html

(from the NDK site...)
The Android NDK provides tools that allow Android application
developers to embed components that make use of native code in their
Android applications.

Android applications run in the Dalvik virtual machine. The NDK allows
developers to implement parts of their applications using native-code
languages such as C and C++. This can provide benefits to certain
classes of applications, in the form of reuse of existing code and in
some cases increased speed.

The NDK provides:

    * A set of tools and build files used to generate native code
libraries from C and C++ sources
    * A way to embed the corresponding native libraries into
application package files (.apks) that can be deployed on Android
devices
    * A set of native system headers and libraries that will be
supported in all future versions of the Android platform, starting
from Android 1.5
    * Documentation, samples, and tutorials


The NDK includes a set of cross-toolchains (compilers, linkers, etc..)
that can generate native ARM binaries on Linux, OS X, and Windows
(with Cygwin) platforms.

It provides a set of system headers for stable native APIs that are
guaranteed to be supported in all later releases of the platform:

    * libc (C library) headers
    * libm (math library) headers
    * JNI interface headers
    * libz (Zlib compression) headers
    * liblog (Android logging) header
    * A Minimal set of headers for C++ support

The NDK also provides a build system that lets you work efficiently
with your sources, without having to handle the
toolchain/platform/CPU/ABI details. You create very short build files
to describe which sources to compile and which Android application
will use them — the build system compiles the sources and places the
shared libraries directly in your application project.

Important: With the exception of the libraries listed above, native
system libraries in the Android 1.5 platform are not stable and may
change in future platform versions. Your applications should only make
use of the stable native system libraries provided in this NDK.

All the Best,

Shawn