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Can I create android app using Ceylon? Since Ceylon can run of any JVM, the implementation of Ceylon to create android app should be pretty simple as far as I understand. Is it like Scala where the size of App becomes considerably larger and have to use proguard or SBT-android plugin? How viable is it? Can Ceylon be good option for this? If yes, can somebody point me to the proper direction?

oluies
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Jack_of_All_Trades
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    ["Ceylon inherits most of Java's syntax"](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceylon_Project). How do you think that this helps you "program in Android without using Java"? – CommonsWare Apr 11 '12 at 14:16
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    You are right. I had forgotten to look into that. My primary motivation lies in learning a language to create Android App without learning Java. Being used to python, I have really bad feelings about Java. I want to embark on one more new language to learn to program in Android which is not Java. – Jack_of_All_Trades Apr 11 '12 at 14:32
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    Odd, why, knowing Python, would you choose Ceylon over Scala? – virtualeyes Apr 11 '12 at 15:59
  • @virtualeyes:Just hoping that the app size will be minimal which is not even achieved (as far as I have heard) using proguard or SBT-android plug-in in Scala. Otherwise, Scala seemed to be much more better choice than Ceylon. – Jack_of_All_Trades Apr 11 '12 at 17:33
  • ah right, did not catch that, mobile device concerns. There are many Java alternatives, there's gotta be something out there with a small footprint, but appealing as language (only glanced at Ceylon, Scala, Kotlin, Groovy, etc. all appeal more...) – virtualeyes Apr 11 '12 at 17:37

2 Answers2

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Writing Android apps in Ceylon is a long-term goal, not a priority at the moment. So at least for the remaining of 2012 I think the answer will be No, you can't write an Android app in Ceylon.

Chochos
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  • An alternative to investigate is Scala. It supports Android, seems to have the same improvements as Ceylon, and is apparently sort of difficult to learn. – Mark Jeronimus May 12 '12 at 13:13
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    Another alternative would be Kotlin. Here is a full RSS reader for Android written in Kotlin: https://github.com/dodyg/AndroidRivers – Cedric Beust Jan 28 '13 at 22:22
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Seems that Chochos' answer is a bit outdated. Here you can see that the Ceylon team has already published (January 2014) some initial Android support, even with an Eclipse plugin.

Another older thread that talks about this is this one. It would be great if during these 7 months of 2014 they have ironed out most of the kinks, and writing Android apps with Ceylon is already a pleasure. I myself will test this ASAP.

UPDATE: There's a "Ceylon-Android" compatibility plugin that one can install.

knocte
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  • That's why I specifically mentioned "for the remaining of 2012". I dated my answer precisely to avoid it being outdated. – Chochos Jul 14 '14 at 14:53