[Free] Call Android API from string experimental Extension

#1

Some time ago I created an experimental extension for dynamically calling Android API methods using text commands, as shown below.

callfromstring

The extension allows you to:

• Dynamically create widgets by the name of their classes
• Call Android API methods for Thunkable widgets and dynamically created ones
• Add widgets to Thunkable to the list for further work with them
• Create screens programmatically
• Use generic event handlers for specified event types
• Get list of methods of the specified class
• View the log of the execution of commands
• Combine commands in the script xml-format

Experimental example, extension and sample script files can be downloaded

callfromstring.zip (94.7 KB)

Documentation in Russian:

http://droidscript.ru/main/statyi/appinventor_extcallfromstring.php

#2

Its really good extension, can we create user interface components (buttons /labels) automatically?

#3

Yes, but in the process of testing, I drew attention to incomprehensible friezes when interacting with some dynamically created objects in some cases. For example, Button, Checkbox, Radio, Image button work fine, and clicking on Toogle Button causes an frieze on Android 4.1. I talked to the developers (there was a problem with the fact that when you created the Switch, the application crashed) and they could not say anything about it. Therefore, the development of this extension was postponed to the box. And I did not like the speed of creating components. Somehow everything works. I expected a higher speed.

Interestingly, in Thunkable Live, this extension really creates native components, in contrast to what AI shows. I always wanted to add to the visual programming the dynamics and flexibility of text programming. It was a trial first step.