Before we started developing Smart Mobile Studio we did a survey of the alternatives for developing mobile apps. That’s actually where the initial idea and motivation came from. During this survey we must have tested at least 14 different “app” machines, languages and “rapid” development environments. We tested the serious players like C++, object pascal, C# and Java – to the outright scams which usually include the phrase “create your app in a day” (but the app you get is just a template with no real value what so ever).
The result of our survey was disappointing to say the least. At the time, using Free-pascal to work with iOS was a bit of a black art so while that was our initial choice – any substantial information regarding cross compilation was virtually non existent, so we decided to go for C# in developing our iOS apps. This involved learning a new language, a new platform and to some extent a whole new way of thinking.
But one thing we did notice was that Javascript had come a long way. While all the native systems were struggling to get aboard the iOS and Android bandwagon – javascript was all over the place. Doing things it’s not supposed to do in classical terms. Everything from silky smooth animations to action packed platform games.
Javascript can now do amazing things
To make a long story short we continued working in C# and object pascal, but as the idea behind cross compilation and using javascript as a medium began to grow, we found ourselves seeking out like-minded people, putting our ideas to the test. Unlike the “app machines” however, we did it properly from the ground up.
So the question is not if javascript works. The question is how to use that power properly.
Working with ordinary web technologies
When we took the time to look at javascript with new eyes, three things became apparent. First, browsers are not just page readers anymore but rather fully fledged multimedia environments. Secondly, Javascript has grown and can make use of the browser in a whole new way. And last but not least: javascript’s lack of structure is both it’s strength and it’s downfall.
Take something simple like a visual component. When you dig into the complexities of this simple task it turns out it’s not that simple after all. As of writing there exist no single standard between the different javascript frameworks on the marked. It is also highly unlikely that it ever will – because it’s not financially beneficial for these companies to work together. They would lose their uniqueness if they did, not to mention the technical difficulties getting two javascript frameworks talking to each other. When you use a framework you stick to it, mixing two different systems could in theory work – but in real life it quickly becomes a mess.
Classic remake of capcom streetfighter using gameQuery JS framework
Encapsulation and portability of source is also an issue, not in terms of browser compatibility – but in terms of programmers sharing solutions. There are several ways a javascript developer can create the same thing – and the lack of a common approach (which classical languages solve by syntax, classes and a common foundation like the VCL) makes it extremely time consuming.
After we created a small demo/game in Javascript, testing out ideas and playing around with the multimedia features, it became crystal clear that it simply takes to much time to hand-craft large projects in javascript. You can use one of the many ready-made frameworks out there, but the amount of source code you need to write for a large game or application is ridicules.
So what is the alternative?
The alternative is not to ignore javascript, but rather to use javascript as a medium. What we did with Smart Mobile Studio was to transform a disadvantage into an asset. Javascript is the proverbial “wax that takes many forms”. We projected the rigid and time proven structure of object pascal onto the “everything goes” landscape of javascript. The end result is that you can now use the power of object pascal, it’s encapsulation, it’s class hierarchy, it’s true object inheritance and (thanks to our super clever compiler guru Eric Grange) even fancy concepts like interfaces, closures and var parameters. So not only do you get the power of javascript – you also gain the wisdom and experience of more than 18 years of pascal evolution (not to mention the object pascal community which is a living genius factory).
With a few hundred lines of pascal code you can achieve what it would require thousands – if not tens of thousands lines of javascript to match. But the central strength of pascal is that of scope and size. A large object pascal code-base can be maintained due to the architecture of the language. The same project in “native” javascript terms would be nearly impossible to keep track of. The time and cost involved in developing and maintaining a 200.000 lines long javascript project cannot be justified when you can achieve the same with 20.000 lines of pascal. Object pascal was designed to handle large projects. Javascript was not.
So. Are you tired of spending days hand-crafting javascript that could be delivered in hours?