Can I use a Javascript library for non-web app?

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THX1167
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Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2022 7:16 pm

Can I use a Javascript library for non-web app?

Post by THX1167 » Tue Dec 27, 2022 7:59 pm

I debated where to post this question. I do have an extensive programming background, but it's been awhile since I've done a serious project

I spent some time reading about the different cross platform programming environments available and decided on Livecode over Delphi, but it was a close call (I know the power of Delphi from past experience during the Borland days, but I'm not sure about FireMonkey for cross platform). I programmed multimedia applications in Toolbook briefly in the 90s and decided Livecode would get me going pretty fast along similar lines.

Now to my question. There are Javascript libraries on github that provide functionality I am interested in utilizing. However, I do not want to deploy web formatted stacks, but primarily Android and IOS apps. Is it possible to use Livecode to tap into the functionality of Javascript libraries in order to use the resultant data in Android and IOS apps? When I purchased Livecode during the Black Friday sale, I didn't choose the web platform because I don't want to deploy there, but am hoping I can still call Javascript libraries.

SparkOut
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Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 4:58 pm

Re: Can I use a Javascript library for non-web app?

Post by SparkOut » Tue Dec 27, 2022 10:18 pm

I don't have any great experience of this myself, except for having seen some work by a former LiveCode user going by the name [-hh] here or Hermann in meatworld.
Sadly, he died. Sadly, before his death, some of his work was pulled.
You may still see some useful work he did, which (in this context) typically leveraged javascript libraries in a browser widget (sometimes only as a container for the js processing).

Start here, but search everything he did.

https://forums.livecode.com/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=29018

bwmilby
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Re: Can I use a Javascript library for non-web app?

Post by bwmilby » Tue Dec 27, 2022 10:29 pm

I’ll echo what SparkOut said. I’ll add that the widget can be hidden. I’ve done a test that used some JS libraries but only tested on desktop.
Brian Milby

Script Tracker https://github.com/bwmilby/scriptTracker

stam
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Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2006 9:39 pm
Location: London, UK

Re: Can I use a Javascript library for non-web app?

Post by stam » Wed Dec 28, 2022 2:24 am

The (very) scenic route, which probably won't serve your purposes, is to recreate the libraries in liveCode.
As an example, see the tinyColor library - a JS framework that FerrusLogic ported to LC and kindly released as open source: https://github.com/Ferruslogic/TinyColor

It would be a lot of extra work - but on the other hand would be much more versatile & future proofed...

THX1167
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2022 7:16 pm

Re: Can I use a Javascript library for non-web app?

Post by THX1167 » Wed Dec 28, 2022 4:56 am

Thanks for the great responses! I will be investigating the browser widget. And good to know I can hide it..
Definitely sounds promising.

I might port a library in the future. That would be worth it in some cases I'm sure. I'd learn a lot.

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