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Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and
Python

Presentation · April 2013

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www.DLR.de • Chart 1 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Developing Apps for Android

and Other Platforms with Kivy
and Python

Andreas Schreiber <[email protected]>

droidcon 2013, Berlin, 09. April 2013

www.DLR.de • Chart 2 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Outline

• Introduction
• Python
• Kivy
• Demos
• Limitations
• Credits
www.DLR.de • Chart 3 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Me

Scientist,
Head of department

Founder,
CEO

Enthusiastic about
Python
 www.DLR.de • Chart 4 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

DLR
German Aerospace Center

− Research Institution
− Space Agency
− Project Management Agency
www.DLR.de • Chart 5 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Locations and employees

7400 employees across Stade  Hamburg

32 institutes and facilities at  Neustrelitz
Bremen   Trauen
16 sites.
Berlin 
Braunschweig 
Offices in Brussels, Paris,
 Goettingen
Tokyo and Washington.
Juelich   Cologne
 Bonn
~1400 employees develop software

Lampoldshausen 

Stuttgart 
Augsburg 
 Oberpfaffenhofen
Weilheim 
www.DLR.de • Chart 6 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Python
Python

• General-purpose, high-level programming language

• Object-oriented, aspect-oriented, functional
• Dynamic type system
• Easy-to-learn with clear and expressive syntax

def faculty(x):
if x > 1:
return x * faculty(x - 1)
else:
return 1
www.DLR.de • Chart 8 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Python on Mobile Devices

Early Mobile Development with Python

• PyS60 for Symbian
• Python CE for Windows Mobile

Current Mobile Development with Python

• Scripting Layer for Android (SL4A)
• Python for Android (Py4A)
• PySide / Qt for Android
• WinRT / IronPython for Windows 8
• Kivy…
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Kivy
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Kivy

• Platform-independent Python-Framework

• Available for
• Android
• iOS
• Meego
• Windows kivy.org
• Linux
• OSX
• (Raspberry Pi)

• Development in Python on all platforms

• Not emulated!
www.DLR.de • Chart 11 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Kivy Basics

• Framework for Natural User Interfaces (NUI)

• Touchscreens / Multi-Touch

• GPU accelerated graphics

• Based on OpenGL ES 2.0

• Suitable for prototypes as well as products

• Porting to new platforms is easy
www.DLR.de • Chart 12 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Kivy Software

• Open Source (LGPL), 7 Core developer

• Source code: https://github.com/kivy

• Documentation: http://kivy.org/docs

• Kivy on Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kivy.pygame
www.DLR.de • Chart 13 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Kivy says Hello!

from kivy.app import App

from kivy.uix.button import Button

class HelloApp(App):
def build(self):
return Button(text='Hello Berlin')

HelloApp().run()
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www.DLR.de • Chart 15 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Development with Kivy

• Python for widgets, input, program logic

• Language KV for layout und graphics

• Cython for low-level access to graphic routines

www.DLR.de • Chart 16 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

“Hello Berlin” with KV

from kivy.app import App

class HelloApp(App):
pass

HelloApp().run() File hello.kv

defines root widget

#:kivy 1.0

Button:
text: ‘Hello Berlin’
www.DLR.de • Chart 17 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Example: Pong

import kivy
from kivy.app import App
from kivy.uix.widget import Widget

class PongGame(Widget):
pass

class PongApp(App):
def build(self):
return PongGame()

if __name__ == '__main__':
PongApp().run()
www.DLR.de • Chart 18 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Pong Graphics
#:kivy 1.6.0

<PongGame>:
canvas:
Rectangle:
pos: self.center_x - 5, 0
size: 10, self.height

Label:
font_size: 70
center_x: root.width / 4
top: root.top - 50
text: "0"

Label:
font_size: 70
center_x: root.width * 3 / 4
top: root.top - 50
text: "0"
www.DLR.de • Chart 19 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Pong

Full example: http://kivy.org/docs/tutorials/pong.html

www.DLR.de • Chart 20 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Accessing Java Classes from Python

• Smartphones have many APIs

• Camera, Compass, Contacts, Location, …

• Access from Python via PyJNIus

• https://github.com/kivy/pyjnius
• Implemented with JNI and Java reflection

Example

from jnius import autoclass

Hardware = autoclass('org.renpy.android.Hardware')
print 'DPI is', Hardware.getDPI()
www.DLR.de • Chart 21 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Packaging

• Creating packages for Windows, OSX, Android und iOS:

http://kivy.org/docs/guide/packaging.html
www.DLR.de • Chart 22 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Build Tools

Tool chain
• Python-for-android
• Cross compiler for ARM
• Android SDK & NDK
• Python and some Python packages

Buildozer
• Hides the complexity: Downloads, compiles, packages Kivy source code
• https://github.com/kivy/buildozer

% buildozer android debug deploy run

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Demos
www.DLR.de • Chart 24 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Kivy Showcase
www.DLR.de • Chart 25 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Kivy Pictures
www.DLR.de • Chart 26 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Small Dragon Luki

Speech therapy game for kids
www.DLR.de • Chart 27 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Small Dragon Luki

www.DLR.de • Chart 28 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

MQTT Client
www.DLR.de • Folie 29 mobile.cologne > Andreas Schreiber • Plattformübergreifende Apps entwickeln mit Kivy und Python > 08.11.2012

Steering Plant Growth

• Webcam takes picture of plants

• Computer detects plant

• Computer generates an image for

lighting

• Light source (e.g., a projector)

illuminates the plant using the
generated image
www.DLR.de • Chart 30 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013
www.DLR.de • Chart 31 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013
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www.DLR.de • Chart 34 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Other Examples…
iOS-App Deflectouch

https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/deflectouch/id505729681
iOS/Android-App ProcessCraft

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/processcraft/id526377075
http://showgen.com
www.DLR.de • Chart 37 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Limitations
www.DLR.de • Chart 38 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Missing, but Planned (or In Progress)

User Interface Designer

• Design tool for Kivy Language KV
• Planned for GSoC

Abstraction of mobile APIs

• Platform-independent Python wrapper for platform APIs (Android, iOS,
Linux/Mac/Windows)
• Project Plyer will start as GSoC project maybe

Porting to Raspberry Pi
• Useful for small/cheap standalone systems
• Founded via Crowdsourcing (bountysource.com)
www.DLR.de • Chart 39 > droidcon 2013 > A. Schreiber • Developing Apps for Android and Other Platforms with Kivy and Python > 09.04.2013

Credits

Thanks to the Kivy developers

• Mathieu Virbel (@mathieuvirbel)

• Thomas Hansen (@hansent)

• Gabriel Pettier (@tshirtman)

• and many others

 www.DLR.de
> droidcon 2013
• Chart
> A. 40
Schreiber • Developing
Apps for Android and
Other Platforms with Kivy
and Python > 09.04.2013

Questions?

Summary
• Kivy allows platform-independent development of
apps for Android, iOS, Meego, Windows, OSX
and Linux
• Suitable for multi-touch and graphics applications,
such as kiosk systems, exhibits, games, …

Andreas Schreiber
Twitter: @onyame
http://www.dlr.de/sc
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