Experimental v79e now up! [MONKEY NEWS]

Monkey Forums/Monkey Programming/Experimental v79e now up! [MONKEY NEWS]

marksibly(Posted 2014) [#1]
Hi,

MonkeyXPro V79e is now available!

This release features a bunch of bugfixes and a new android target called 'Android Game (Experimental)' with the following features:

* Now targets API 10, aka Android 2.3.3 'Gingerbread'. This means apps built with the new android target wont be able to run on devices running Android versions<2.3.3.

* Builds using the latest Android SDK, ie: API19. This means you may have to install the "Android 4.4.2 (API19)/SDK Platform" using the Android SDK Manager app.

* Uses the new 'googleplay' admob system for the admob module. If you have an existing admob account, you will need to upgrade it to the 'new' system before you can use this. You will also need to upgrade #ADMOB_PUBLISHER_IDs (although the new system does appear to accept old ids). Otherwise, the admob module is used the same way.

This will eventually replace the existing android target.


***** v79e *****

Made Image Init methods public so async loader can use them!

Had a go at fixing dead code analysis for weird Java 'If True' exception.


***** v79d *****

Added experimental android_new target - targets API 10 (2.3.3), requires SDK 19 (4.2.2). Uses googleplay for admob.

Fixed android fullscreen soft keyboard issue.

Fixed private methods/functions not really private.

Fixed private const/var/class decls in modules causing name clashes.

Ted fix: Project browser 'new file' now prompts before overwriting existing files.

#HTML5_WEBAUDIO_ENABLED now defaults to True - code will still fallback to old media player code if webaudio not preset, eg: on IE11.

Mojo openal alcOpenDevice now tries default, hardware, software devices, in that order.

Fixed some opengl/webgl texImage bugs.

Doubled max width of 'help' combobox in Ted.




Xaron(Posted 2014) [#2]
Awesome Mark! :)


Snader(Posted 2014) [#3]
Thanks Mark!


degac(Posted 2014) [#4]
Thanks!

Android 2.3.3 is still 14% of market (I'm in with my old LG OptimusOne I think!)

Question: It will be possible (but risky I think) to keep 'old' Android Target (assuming no changes/adds in commands)? Or the changes are even in Trans & co? (not for A 2.2... in general)

I know this is an irrelevant problem, but if I would like to create an app and make it compatible with the widest market share I think this is the only solution, right?


Difference(Posted 2014) [#5]
Great, thanks!

Android 2.3.3 is still 14% of market (I'm in with my old LG OptimusOne I think!)


As far as I can see, you will only loose 0.8 % of devices if you use the new target.
Source http://www.droid-life.com/tag/distribution/


therevills(Posted 2014) [#6]
@degac, I think you have misunderstood, the new Android target will work on 2.3.3 or above.

Thanks Mark, I'll have a play tomorrow.


Steve Oliver(Posted 2014) [#7]
Thanks, Mark!!!!

Latest AdMob support -- woo hoo!!!


erebel55(Posted 2014) [#8]
Great update Mark :)


CopperCircle(Posted 2014) [#9]
Great thanks.


bazmonkey(Posted 2014) [#10]
Excellent - I was getting pretty confused with Googles changes to admob, but it looks like you sussed it out :)


degac(Posted 2014) [#11]
Maybe, I've explained myself in a wrong way.
I understood that it works on A 2.3 and above, and I'm happy to have still a device (I believe - it is somewhere in a draw...) that support the latest version of MonkeyX (and to have still MonkeyX that supports 'old' hardware/OS versions too).

And my question about was about the possibility to still use (with risk) an 'older' Android target in a future MonkeyX release 90a for example (of course in the case no new commands is released/added).
Just to know.


therevills(Posted 2014) [#12]
@degac - okay that makes more sense, if your previous post it sounded like you thought the new Android target wouldn't support 2.3. Why would you still want to target older Android versions?


degac(Posted 2014) [#13]
Simply because there is a big quantity of devices still working and that can he updated to higher version. And many times there are no hardware limits to this just a market choice of manufactory.
Just think to no name tablet or TV dongle... Not all people like to buy a newer device or is able to root the own one to install a ROM...

So having a language still targeted to older version (or still usable in some ways) I think it is a great thingh (and has a market value).
Of course if you need new features... There are very few alternatives.


DruggedBunny(Posted 2014) [#14]
It's worth bearing in mind that even if Android < 2.3.3 stops being supported, it's trivial to keep another copy of Monkey around, as in whatever the last version is that supports < 2.3.3, to target those older devices. (I should point out that my only phone uses Android 2.2!)


EdzUp(Posted 2014) [#15]
Although i welcome the changes the thing that makes it difficult to think of what to use when developing any game/app is the target adjustments when making big titles.

my game has been worked on foe about a year now and its gone through loads of prototypes but the target changes make everything all the harder. I would prefer monkey gets everything down in relation to targets etc rather than changing everything every few iterations.

they are good additions but i would like to see the targets set not keep changing and dropping support which the competition doesn't do in most cases.


Sub_Zero(Posted 2014) [#16]
MXDevinstall has now been updated to v1.4: wich installs the new experimental android target :)

Head over to the MXDevinstall forum thread to grab a copy :)


nikoniko(Posted 2014) [#17]
Mark, see this issue http://www.monkey-x.com/Community/posts.php?topic=8618#89298


nikoniko(Posted 2014) [#18]
ops, sorry


TeaBoy(Posted 2014) [#19]
Niko fixed the problem :)


therevills(Posted 2014) [#20]
they are good additions but i would like to see the targets set not keep changing and dropping support which the competition doesn't do in most cases.

@EdzUp - I think you misunderstand what the "new" Android target is doing. It is an interim target which doesn't really change anything for us (developers), but it allows Monkey to use the new version of Admob and in the future possibly Game centre. Mark has made it another target so that we can test it.


EdzUp(Posted 2014) [#21]
Its the chatter about an extra android target etc that's confusing and that later on this will replace the android target completely


therevills(Posted 2014) [#22]
Yes, but again that's so we can continue to use the current target and test the "extra" target at the same time... Mark could have just replaced the current one.


Boulderdash(Posted 2014) [#23]
Beta testing. Makes sense to me, I look forward to alpha.


Xaron(Posted 2014) [#24]
Come on guys, even Google doesn't support anything below 2.3 anymore, so why should we? The new Google Play store can't be even installed on older devices. The numbers of devices using <2.3 is near zero. Same is true for Apple, you simply can't easily build anything below 4.3 now which just makes sense.


EdzUp(Posted 2014) [#25]
Yeah true. There are still phones sold over here with 2.2 in some phone shops (by phones i mean cheap crap ones but still android)


Xaron(Posted 2014) [#26]
Of course there are still those cheap phones. That's the "joy" of Android. Anyway I doubt any of those phone will be used for more than phoning, surely not for gaming.


Boulderdash(Posted 2014) [#27]
There are many Apps that don't work on a $30 droid already, that's what you get for owning a $30 phone.


ImmutableOctet(SKNG)(Posted 2014) [#28]
Now that these 'Public' and 'Private' changes seem to be out of the way; how about allowing us to write our own method overloads with the same name as the super-class's implementation(s) without involving the super-class? Or at the very least, making it so we don't have to write useless methods which ONLY call the super-class's implementation(s), just to use them without having to use the "Super" prefix (If we overloaded any of those methods). This only makes sense for constructors, why do we need to bother with this with normal methods? Well, a guy can dream, can't he?

Anyway, if it's not legitimately hurting the market for Android releases, then the whole 2.33 minimum is okay with me.


Oddball(Posted 2014) [#29]
I don't currently have an Admob account. If I signed up today would I need to use the new target or could I continue to use the old one? Also, how do the Admob changes affect the iOS target?


therevills(Posted 2014) [#30]
If I signed up today would I need to use the new target or could I continue to use the old one?

Right now (9th June) you could use both... but I would recommend the new target.

Also, how do the Admob changes affect the iOS target?

It doesn't, it only affects Android (the MonkeyX changes).

The email I received stated:
Upgrade to the latest SDK
Having the latest Google Mobile Ads SDK in your app can help you achieve higher eCPMS and increase fill rates. Our latest SDKs introduced support for anonymous device identifiers (such as Android Advertising ID and Apple's Advertising ID) so advertisers can track ad campaign results and improve their return on investment. You can benefit from increased investment in apps by advertisers by ensuring your app uses the latest SDK.

Additionally, starting from August 1st, the Google Play store will stop accepting new or updated apps that do not include Advertising ID. Please take this chance now to upgrade your SDKs and prepare for the deadline.

Full support for device identifiers
We introduced full support for anonymous device identifiers within our iOS and Google Play services SDK including the Android Advertising ID. These identifiers help marketers better reach and engage with the types of users most valuable to them while helping developers improve monetization through higher eCPMs and fill rates.

Seamless auto-updates for Android
The Google Mobile Ads SDK is now fully integrated with Google Play services. By integrating with Google Play services, your app will automatically get minor updates for AdMob and performance improvements without the need to update your APK and resubmit to the Play Store.

Currently, apps listed on the right do not give device identifier.

Deprecation of the Standalone Google AdMob SDK for Android
On August 1, 2014, the Play Store will stop accepting new or updated apps that use the standalone Google AdMob SDK. The standalone SDK does not use the Advertising ID, and will therefore be non-compliant with the Google Play Ad Policy on this date.

Upgrade your SDK and enable advertisers to target your app
To get started with our upgraded iOS or Android SDKs, simply visit the Google Developers site and follow the instructions listed. For publishers upgrading from the standalone Google AdMob SDK to Google Play services, we’ve put together this simple migration ‘checklist’.



Mark may have to update the iOS standalone SDK.


marksibly(Posted 2014) [#31]
Updated to v79e...


therevills(Posted 2014) [#32]
Just got around trying the new Android target and it builds non-admob projects fine... but I've just tried to build one with admobs and it fails, I've create a bug report:

http://www.monkey-x.com/Community/posts.php?topic=8667


golomp(Posted 2014) [#33]
Thank you Mark !!!