Scripting Layer for Android: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Discontinued library for running scripts}}

{{Infobox software

| name = SL4A

| logoauthor = Damon =Kohler

| screenshot =

| caption =

| developer =

| latest release version =

| latest release date = {{release date|2010|11|10}}

| latest preview version =

| latest preview date = {{release date|2010|11|10}}

| operating system = [[Android (operating system)|Android]]

| platform =

| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]] and [[Java (programming language)|Java]]

| genre = Library

| license = [[Apache License 2.0]]

| website = {{URL|httphttps://code.googlegithub.com/p/android-scriptingdamonkohler/sl4a}}

}}

The '''Scripting Layer for Android''' (abridged as '''SL4A''', and previously named '''Android Scripting Environment''' or '''ASE''') is a discontinued library that allows the creation and running of scripts written in various scripting languages directly on [[Android (operating system)|Android]] devices.<ref>{{cite web

The '''Scripting Layer for Android''' (abridged as '''SL4A''', and previously named '''Android Scripting Environment''' or '''ASE''') is a library that allows the creation and running of scripts written in various scripting languages directly on [[Android (operating system)|Android]] devices.<ref>{{cite web

| url=http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/06/scripting-comes-to-android.html

| title=Scripting Comes to Android

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| date=2009-06-09

| accessdate=2010-11-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web

| url=httphttps://google-opensource.blogspot.com/2009/06/introducing-android-scripting.html

| title=Scripting Comes to Android

| publisher=[[Google]]

| date=2009-06-08

| accessdate=2010-11-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web

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| date=2009-06-12

| accessdate=2010-11-13}}</ref>

SL4A was designed for developers with its main branch no longer being under active development.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2015-06-14|title=sl4a/README.md at master · damonkohler/sl4a|url=https://github.com/damonkohler/sl4a/blob/master/README.md|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-08-31|website=GitHub}}</ref>

SL4A is designed for developers and (as of late 2014) is still alpha quality software.<ref>{{cite web

| url=http://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/

| title=android-scripting

| publisher=SL4A project

| quote=''SL4A is designed for developers and is still alpha quality software''

| accessdate=2014-10-04}}</ref> As of November 2014, it is incompatible with Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and it is not clear when or if this will be fixed.<ref>{{cite web

| url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/android-scripting/pe_4hxIgO1k

| title=SL4A + Lollipop

| publisher=SL4A project

| date=2014-11-18

| accessdate=2014-12-20}}</ref>. Some developers reported SL4A can run on Android 5.1 (an update of Lollipop)<ref>{{cite web url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/android-scripting/rXDVgLdyTBw/JbNP7b3ZiaEJ

title=SL4A Running in Android 5.1

publisher=SL4A forum

date=2015-04-15 }}</ref>.

These scripts have access to many of the APIs available to normal Java Android applications, but with a simplified interface. Scripts can be run interactively in a terminal, or in the background using the Android services architecture. Currently supported languages are:

* [[Python (programming language)|Python]] using [[CPython]]

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* [[Rexx]] using [[BRexx]]

SL4A was first announced by Google in June 2009, and was originally named "Android Scripting Environment" (ASE). It was, however, not an official Google product, even though many of its developers have worked for Google.<ref name=":0" /> It was originally developed by Damon Kohler, and it hashad grown through the contributions of many developers.<ref>

{{cite book

|title=Pro Android Python with SL4A

|first=Paul |last=Ferrill

|publisher=Apress (via Google Books)

|year=2011

|page=4

|publisher=Apress |isbn=9781430235699

|url=httphttps://books.google.cacom/books?id=uYEmWet7QtsC&pg=PA4#v=onepage&q&f=false

|}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal

|title=Python for Android

|issue=203

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|url=http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/10940

}}</ref>

== See also ==

*[[Termux]]

*[[Kivy (framework)]]

== References ==

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== External links ==

{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}

* [httphttps://code.googlegithub.com/p/android-scriptingdamonkohler/sl4a SL4A project page]

{{Android}}

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[[Category:Android (operating system)]]

[[Category:Scripting languages]]

{{Compu-library-stub}}