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Mobl - A new open source language for mobile devices

jrnkntl 16y ago
Another language to learn? What is the problem in using Phonegap to accomplish the same?
- Zef 16y ago
  Generate your mobile web application using mobl. Then wrap it as a PhoneGap native app. They're complementary.
  - tluyben2 16y ago
    Did anyone try this; seems like a cool option?
    - zefhemel 16y ago
      I experimented with it. Works fine. There's an ongoing effort to also wrap the PhoneGap-specific APIs (such as camera, contacts) as mobl libraries: https://github.com/mobl/mobl-lib/tree/master/phonegap https://github.com/mobl/mobl-lib/tree/master/phonegap
- MatthewPhillips 16y ago
  You write mobl apps in just mobl. You don't write any css, js, or html. It compiles to those. Phonegap just deploys already written web apps.
lolizbak 16y ago
Testing it right now, but your best use-case would be to have your OWN site developed with mobl-lang... Accessing it with a mobile device is pretty difficult. No mobile version?
MatthewPhillips 16y ago
I've been playing around with it for a few weeks. It's pretty nice. I especially like their web services api. My complaint with it is that the documentation is sparse at this point. Whether because of that, or because of something else, the language feels claustrophobic to me, like I'm limited to the standard library. For example, I'm not sure it's possible (or I never figured out how) to do things synchronously. Let's say you want to apply some jquery plugin to an object, but it must be done after the object exists; I'm not sure that's possible with mobl.
- zefhemel 16y ago
  Documentation is definitely an issue at this point. Although it's expanding. Not sure what you mean with your synchronous question and the "object that exists".
  - MatthewPhillips 16y ago
    Mobl is control-based. From what I can tell, I can't do arbitrary (javascript) logic on the DOM unless it is wrapped in a control.
    - zefhemel 16y ago
      right, well you can also do that from any piece of logic using the JQuery API, if you have to: http://docs.mobl-lang.org/mobl/JQuery http://docs.mobl-lang.org/mobl/JQuery
      - MatthewPhillips 16y ago
        That example has the logic being performed from an event callback. How can I perform logic when a control is created? For example, I want to insert some html div into the DOM, then instantiate some jquery plugin on the inserted div. I have tried this and the compiler complained. I'm sure I'm doing it wrong but the documentation doesn't help. For example screen root() { header("Title") $("#div").someplugin(); } Can't do that. I tried to get around this by creating a control, but from what I can tell controls return html, not objects.
davidw 16y ago
I had a go in this space a while ago with Hecl ( http://www.hecl.org http://www.hecl.org ) but I think things, sooner or later, will probably head towards Javascript. Way too many people know it, and it's already deployed everywhere.
- DanielRibeiro 16y ago
  Not to mention that thera are tons[1] of great languages that compiled down to it, including but not limited to Coffeescript. [1] https://github.com/jashkenas/coffee-script/wiki/List-of-languages-that-compile-to-JS https://github.com/jashkenas/coffee-script/wiki/List-of-lang...
  - zefhemel 16y ago
    and mobl
clojurerocks 16y ago
Hello. Can you compare this to whats already out there? Meaning PhoneGap Rhomobile and Appcelarator?
rgbrgb 16y ago
"syntax similar to Javascript" I kind of choked when I read that. Why would you ever do such a thing?

Another language to learn? What is the problem in using Phonegap to accomplish the same?

Zef 16y ago
Generate your mobile web application using mobl. Then wrap it as a PhoneGap native app. They're complementary.
- tluyben2 16y ago
  Did anyone try this; seems like a cool option?
  - zefhemel 16y ago
    I experimented with it. Works fine. There's an ongoing effort to also wrap the PhoneGap-specific APIs (such as camera, contacts) as mobl libraries: https://github.com/mobl/mobl-lib/tree/master/phonegap https://github.com/mobl/mobl-lib/tree/master/phonegap
MatthewPhillips 16y ago
You write mobl apps in just mobl. You don't write any css, js, or html. It compiles to those. Phonegap just deploys already written web apps.

Testing it right now, but your best use-case would be to have your OWN site developed with mobl-lang... Accessing it with a mobile device is pretty difficult. No mobile version?

MatthewPhillips 16y ago

I've been playing around with it for a few weeks. It's pretty nice. I especially like their web services api. My complaint with it is that the documentation is sparse at this point. Whether because of that, or because of something else, the language feels claustrophobic to me, like I'm limited to the standard library. For example, I'm not sure it's possible (or I never figured out how) to do things synchronously. Let's say you want to apply some jquery plugin to an object, but it must be done after the object exists; I'm not sure that's possible with mobl.

zefhemel 16y ago
Documentation is definitely an issue at this point. Although it's expanding. Not sure what you mean with your synchronous question and the "object that exists".
- MatthewPhillips 16y ago
  Mobl is control-based. From what I can tell, I can't do arbitrary (javascript) logic on the DOM unless it is wrapped in a control.
  - zefhemel 16y ago
    right, well you can also do that from any piece of logic using the JQuery API, if you have to: http://docs.mobl-lang.org/mobl/JQuery http://docs.mobl-lang.org/mobl/JQuery
    - MatthewPhillips 16y ago
      That example has the logic being performed from an event callback. How can I perform logic when a control is created? For example, I want to insert some html div into the DOM, then instantiate some jquery plugin on the inserted div. I have tried this and the compiler complained. I'm sure I'm doing it wrong but the documentation doesn't help. For example screen root() { header("Title") $("#div").someplugin(); } Can't do that. I tried to get around this by creating a control, but from what I can tell controls return html, not objects.

davidw 16y ago

I had a go in this space a while ago with Hecl ( http://www.hecl.org http://www.hecl.org ) but I think things, sooner or later, will probably head towards Javascript. Way too many people know it, and it's already deployed everywhere.

DanielRibeiro 16y ago
Not to mention that thera are tons[1] of great languages that compiled down to it, including but not limited to Coffeescript. [1] https://github.com/jashkenas/coffee-script/wiki/List-of-languages-that-compile-to-JS https://github.com/jashkenas/coffee-script/wiki/List-of-lang...
- zefhemel 16y ago
  and mobl

clojurerocks 16y ago

Hello. Can you compare this to whats already out there? Meaning PhoneGap Rhomobile and Appcelarator?

rgbrgb 16y ago

"syntax similar to Javascript" I kind of choked when I read that. Why would you ever do such a thing?