MT on ipad?

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Benz72
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MT on ipad?

Post by Benz72 »

DOes anyone know if ipads can load/run programs (specifically MT, of course). The website says it can do all sorts of stuff, but wasn't specific about running programs.

Thanks

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Azhrei
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Re: MT on ipad?

Post by Azhrei »

The MapTool clone for the iPhone should run on the iPad. There's a thread here somewhere discussing it.


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Azhrei
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Re: MT on ipad?

Post by Azhrei »

It's locked down, so all it can run are apps downloaded from the AppStore. :( (The frowny face is because of the corporate control over the device. Like how MS controls Windows Media Player and Adobe controls Flash. But Apple extends their control to the hardware by not allowing their OS to run arbitrary programs.)

Check out the post directly above yours.

My wife wants to get a new iPad2 some time this summer. I will probably look into what would be required to produce an app that could then be executed on iOS. It wouldn't be an easy thing, would be my bet. Lots of technical hurdles... More so in 1.4 since the JavaScript engine won't be able to port to iOS very easily at all.

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aliasmask
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Re: MT on ipad?

Post by aliasmask »

JinOverfelt wrote:DOes anyone know if ipads can load/run programs (specifically MT, of course). The website says it can do all sorts of stuff, but wasn't specific about running programs.
Is this a spam repost by a bot? Seemed to have just copied the original post in part.

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Azhrei
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Re: MT on ipad?

Post by Azhrei »

Ah, good catch. I'll take care of it. :)

Edit: Yep, IP address from China. ;)

Craig
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Re: MT on ipad?

Post by Craig »

Azhrei wrote: My wife wants to get a new iPad2 some time this summer. I will probably look into what would be required to produce an app that could then be executed on iOS. It wouldn't be an easy thing, would be my bet. Lots of technical hurdles... More so in 1.4 since the JavaScript engine won't be able to port to iOS very easily at all.
There is no Java so you would have to write anything in objective c, c, or c++.
I would also suggest learning OpenGL ES for the graphics.
Oh and I don't think you have to worry about porting a JavaScript engine to iOS, because if you included it your app wouldn't be allowed to be placed on the app store. No interpreters are allowed within programs. :(

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Azhrei
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Re: MT on ipad?

Post by Azhrei »

Craig wrote:There is no Java so you would have to write anything in objective c, c, or c++.
Yeah, I knew about that part. :?
Oh and I don't think you have to worry about porting a JavaScript engine to iOS, because if you included it your app wouldn't be allowed to be placed on the app store. No interpreters are allowed within programs. :(
Hm. The AppStore is evil. :evil: :cry:

I always considered it bad (with the vendor being able to control how the user can use their hardware; almost as bad as the TPM chips and HDMI) but this just confirms it.

Thanlis
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Re: MT on ipad?

Post by Thanlis »

Azhrei wrote:
Craig wrote:
Oh and I don't think you have to worry about porting a JavaScript engine to iOS, because if you included it your app wouldn't be allowed to be placed on the app store. No interpreters are allowed within programs. :(
Hm. The AppStore is evil. :evil: :cry:

I always considered it bad (with the vendor being able to control how the user can use their hardware; almost as bad as the TPM chips and HDMI) but this just confirms it.
I am not for one second going to argue that the App Store isn't overly restrictive, but as of Q3 2010 you can put an interpreter in your program. E.g., there's an app called Pixie Scheme III that's a complete Scheme interpreter. There's an article on the changes here -- note that MapTool might still bump into the "no downloaded code" restriction. On the other hand, I know there's at least one BASIC interpreter on the iPhone that allows you to load text files from other apps or via iTunes sharing, so...
Reed (halfling sorcerer P3) // Collin (human fighter P2) // Cine (eladrin psion H2)
Sirath (deva shaman H1) // Alesk (dragonborn cleric H3) // Kevin (halfling barbarian H1)

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Azhrei
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Re: MT on ipad?

Post by Azhrei »

Very cool -- thanks for the link!

This part is interesting:
3.3.2 An Application may not download or install executable code. Interpreted code may only be used in an Application if all scripts, code and interpreters are packaged in the Application and not downloaded. The only exception to the foregoing is scripts and code downloaded and run by Apple's built-in WebKit framework.
That would seem to say that we can't include JS macros unless they are part of the app. Unless... those scripts are executed by the built-in WebKit. So what we would need is a layer between MapTool and the built-in WebKit, since their WebKit can execute JS code (and is actually very fast; one of the fastest out there last time I looked).

It's all moot right now since MapTool would need to be converted from Java into C. While Apple is now allowing applications to run interpreted code, that doesn't mean they're providing a Java runtime for us. :(

Craig
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Re: MT on ipad?

Post by Craig »

Azhrei wrote:Very cool -- thanks for the link!

This part is interesting:
3.3.2 An Application may not download or install executable code. Interpreted code may only be used in an Application if all scripts, code and interpreters are packaged in the Application and not downloaded. The only exception to the foregoing is scripts and code downloaded and run by Apple's built-in WebKit framework.
That would seem to say that we can't include JS macros unless they are part of the app. Unless... those scripts are executed by the built-in WebKit. So what we would need is a layer between MapTool and the built-in WebKit, since their WebKit can execute JS code (and is actually very fast; one of the fastest out there last time I looked).
What they mean when they say run by the built in WebKit is run via the HTML view included. You can't get to the JS interpreter and feed it anything you like while providing hooks, so this would make it near useless for JavaScript macros running on the device. Of course you would have to be caught bundeling your interpreter and not everyone is, after all MaPnakotic also defiantly breaks that rule, but it got through because it wasn't noticed.

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