Haxe on iPhone (Simulator) – First Look

iPhone Dev
iPhone Dev

The c++ backend for haxe generates standard c++, suitable for the gcc compiler. iPhone dev uses gcc, and can link against c++, which make you think that iPhone dev can use haxe. Simple? Well, actually it was pretty simple. The hardest bit for me was to grok the components of an Xcode project, moving from dynamic libraries to static ones and getting SDL working.

The iPhone SDK requires you statically link everything, and I wanted to make it easy as possible to change haxe code -> generate cpp -> link to Xcode -> test of iPhone (or simulator). The solution I am currently using is to generate a library from the haxe code using the standard command line make, and include this library in the Xcode project. I hope to add a “pre build” step to drive the make system automatically.

Hxcpp executables typically use the “NME” library for graphics, which is in turn based on libSDL. The good news is that the source version of libSDL compiles for the iPhone! I tried the svn download first, but this does not seem as nicely bundled as the Apirl 13 version, which worked very nicely indeed (besides a small problem with RenderRect args changing).

Getting the hxcpp backend to generate a library was almost trivial – you take the same obj files and put them in a lib instead of an exe. The only minor difference is you do not explicitly create a “main” (ie, program entry point) call, but instead create a function (currently called \_\_hxcpp\_lib\_init) that the user supplied main line must call. This may also be good for windows applicaions that want to use a “WinMain” instead of console based main function.

Compiling the hxcpp runtime as a static library was also pretty easy after the post 0.4 code reorganisation that assimilates thirdparty code rather than linking to it. Again, it was a matter of taking the same objs and putting them in a lib instead of an dso. Initally I got link error when linking with Xcode, but if you include 1 real, small c++ file in the project, these link error go away.

Compiling “plugin” modules as static libraries (eg, NME) was slightly more difficult. I could use c++ static initialisation to auto-register the exported functions, if I could get Xcode to link to the required obj. To force objs to be included, I needed to put a special symbol in each cpp file that exports functions, and make reference to these from the main code base. It is really only something that needs to be sorted out once, and it is done now, so it should not really be a problem any more.

I also have to cull out quite a bit of code (eg fonts, image loading, opengl & sound) from NME, but I can look at adding these bits in one by one.

The astute ones among you will notice that the colour of the above circle if RGB/BGR reversed. This is something that will obviously need to be fixed.

Not being used to Xcode, it took a bit of getting used to – things like frameworks etc. However, I think that ultimately, we could end up with a very nice solution. The idea would be to create frameworks for hxcpp and nme, and a project template to link it all together. You would then create a project from the template, modifiy the boiler-plate haxe code and hit build. This would also be good for standard mac apps (rather then iPhone apps). Still a way off this, but moving in that direction.

SDL, LGPL and you

Dynamically linking against SDL (or NME) normally discharges your obligations to the GPL, however in this case, we are statically linking to it so there are still some issues. However, all is not lost because my interpretation is that you must allow others to relink your application. (ie “so that the user can modify the Library and then relink to produce a modified executable containing the modified Library”, where Library is “SDL”). So you must forefiet your hxcpp compiled library file (rather than haxe or cpp source), as well as you project files (which should be boiler-plate anyhow). So this is actually borderline acceptable, although I will work towards a GPL free solution).

Hxcpp 0.4, NME 0.9, Neash 0.9 Released!

What the flash?

What is Hxcpp? Hxcpp is the c++ backend for haxe. This means you can compile haxe code to c++ code, and then compile this to a native executable, for Windows, Linux or Mac.

What is NME? NME is the “Neko Media” library that wraps SDL, providing gaming interfaces for neko, and now native compiled haxe code.

What is Neash? Neash is a compatability layer that presents the flash API to haxe code running on other systems, such as js, neko or c++ native code.

Together these allows you to write code to target flash SWF files, and also cross compile to native code for Windows, Linux or Mac.

Hxcpp on haxelib

I have finally packaged up a bunch of changes into offical haxelib releases. Hxcpp is now on haxelib, which means you can get it with “haxelib install hxcpp”. This effectively creates a whole separate install of haxe, which can be run side-by-side so you can test it out without risk.

The cpp backend now supports Mac(intel) and Linux as well as the original Windows platform.

The main change to hxcpp is the packaging – moving towards a the final installation form. Currently there are a whole bunch of files distibuted in this release that should become redundant once the c++ backend is merged into the main branch. Also, the library coverage has been expanded a bit, but it is still not complete.

Usage

Firstly, you will need to run “haxecpp” instead of “haxe”. This executable is found in the appropriate bin subdirectory. I’m not sure if the “executable” flag will survive the compression, so you may need to “chmod a+x” the file.

It is probably best to place the appropriate bin directory in your executable path. On windows, this will also solve the problem finding the dynamic link library, hxcpp.dll. And on all systems, this will allow you to use the “make\_cpp” command from the hxml files. On Linux systems, you will have to allow the executable to find the hxcpp.dso. This is most easily done by setting LD\_LIBRARY\_PATH to the bin/Linux directory, or copying this file into an existing library path. Similarly on Mac, you should set DYLD\_LIBRARY\_PATH.

To build haxe code, use “haxecpp” inplace of “haxe”, with a target specified by “-cpp directory”.
This will place source code and a makefile in the given directory. Then you need to do a “make” on linux/Mac, or “nmake” on Windows to build the executable. You may need to set the environment variable “HXCPP” to point the the directory that contains this file. On windows, this will be something like: c:\Progra~1\Motion-Twin\haxe\lib\hxcpp\0,4\

As a shortcut, if you are using a hxml file, you can use “-cmd make_cpp” which will do the build for you assuming you used the “-cpp cpp” directory.

Neash/NME

The big changes for NME is that it now supports Linux and Mac(intel) for neko ac c++ targets. There have been a few bug fixes as well as a few new features:

  • Bitmap class
  • Expanded and optimised TileRenderer for render scaled and rotated sub-rects from a surface
  • A few smarts for finding fonts, if no ttf is supplied
  • Some blend modes have been added
  • Added scale9Rect
  • Added drawTriangles, with perspective correct textures

ToDo

There is still plenty to do, including, but not limited to:

Hxcpp:

  • Proper coverage of all APIs.
  • Resolve the order-of-operation problem: In c++ f(x++,x++) is ambiguous as to what order the increments are performed. Or perhaps agree to live with it.

NME:

  • Add all blend modes
  • Add all filters
  • Discuss with experts the merits of static vs dynamic linking Mac and Linux.

Neash:

  • Sound is a big ommision
  • Loader code
  • Unit testing of supported APIs.

Despite these issues, I think there is a useful core of functionality here.

Let me know what you think.

C++ backend for haXe

I have just completed an alpha release of a c++ backend for haxe. This means that you can complile haxe code into a 100% compiled executable. You can download the demo file in hxcpp-01.zip. Sorry, windows only at this stage.

The distribution contains a new cpp backend for haxe. It has been based on a 2.0 version of haxe, which may be a tiny bit out of date. Most of the changes are in the new “gencpp.ml”, and to the standard library files, with a few little extra bits here and there. You can re-compile the
haxe compiler if you have ocaml by using the supplied install.ml script.

To try this version for yourself, first backup your haxe distro and copy then supplied “compile/bin/haxe.exe” and “compiler/std/*” files over the top. Use the “-cpp cpp_directory” command line to generate a directory that contains src, include and nmake files. You can then compile these using the microsoft visual studio “nmake” utility. The build system requires the library, include, make and dlls from the “hxcpp” directory. To access these, you should set the environment variable “HXCPP” to point to hxcpp directory extracted from this distribution. This can be done from right-click-“My Computer”/Properties/Advanced/Environment Variables, or from the commandline before compiling.
These resulting “exe” file also needs the hxcpp.dll file from the hxcpp/dll directory. The should be in your “path”, or simply copy it next to your exe.

You can recompile the hxcpp.dll using the nmake file in the directory. You can change the compile flags from the $HXCPP/nmake.setup file (eg, turn on debug).

Demos

Two demos have been included – “perf”, a small benchmark program I found on the net
and a “Physaxe” demo. The source is included (slightly modified), and so are the binaries.
The cpp src and include directories have been included to give you taste of the
output if you can’t be bothered setting up the compiler yourself.
The binaries can be found in demos/bin, and are compiled for neko, swf and cpp.
The neko version can be run with “neko phx.n” or “neko TestRunner.n”. You do not
need a very recent version of neko, but you do need the included “nme.ndll” findable
by neko (next to it will work).

The cpp version of Physaxe uses the cpp verion of NME. This was compiled from
the same code base as the neko version, except it uses the “neko.h” file found
in the hxcpp directoty instead of the one that comes with neko. The nme.dll should
be next to the compiled exe.

If you want to compile the nme versions yourself, you will need the latest nme and neash
versions from code.google.com:
http://code.google.com/p/nekonme/source/checkout
http://code.google.com/p/neash/source/checkout

Performance
————
The flash version of physaxe runs the fastest, with the cpp version about 70% of the
speed (when using the opengl version), and neko about 20% of the speed.

One of the problems is that the cpp version uses the neko api, which required fields
to be looked up by name, which is quite slow in this implementation. A faster version
could link directly to the hxcpp objects – but then it could not use the same API.
This problem is made far worse by the fact the physaxe re-renders each point in each
object every frame, rather then simply adjusting the matrix of existing objects.

I think the most significant loss of perfromance is coming from the reference counting
housekeeping. I will look into a garbage collected system soon.

The results from the “TestRunner” are mixed with flash being faster for stings, but
cpp faster for maths and looping. Neko is fastest for the sting sort in this case,
but this is unusual because the stings are already sorted. When they are not, neko
is very slow. The cpp string code is very simple, so there is scope for improvement there.

TODO
—-
There is still plenty to do.

  • A lot of the operators (eg, “*=”) have not been looked at.
  • The actual formatting of the generated code needs a complete overhaul.
  • The ml code needs some simplifying/cleaning.
  • The standard libraries (eg, xml,regex)
  • Need some way of locating the various dlls etc.
  • Splitup/refactor the HObject.h et al files.
  • Returning values from blocks/swithes.
  • Complete neko.h
  • Look at GC.

Plenty more, I’m sure.

Neash/NME 0.8 released

While this blog may have been quiet, I have been busy. The next version of Neash and NME has been released on haxelib, making it very easy to upgrade. Some cool features include:

  • Fonts
  • Filters (some)
  • Bitmap Caching
  • Improved opengl speed
  • SWF reading/playing
  • Scroll rects (axis aligned)
  • Haxe 2.0 upgrade
  • But perhaps an introduction is in order. The purpose of Neash is to allow you to create programs that run on both flash and also natively, say as a downloadable program. You start with a simple (or complex) haxe program, targetting flash.


    import flash.display.Sprite;
    import flash.display.Shape;

    class Simple extends Sprite
    {

    public function new()
    {
    super();
    flash.Lib.current.addChild(this);

    // creating a new shape instance
    var circle:Shape = new Shape( );
    // starting color filling
    circle.graphics.beginFill( 0xff9933 , 1 );
    // drawing circle
    circle.graphics.drawCircle( 0 , 0 , 40 );
    // repositioning shape
    circle.x = 80;
    circle.y = 80;

    // adding displayobject to the display list
    addChild( circle );
    }

    static public function main()
    {
    new Simple();
    }
    }

    And you get a SWF that renders something like this. This works well in a browser, but what if you wanted to distrubute this as a stand-alone exe? You would of course use one of the may flash-to-exe tools around. These all, one way or another, involve packaging up the flash runtime, and this has licensing implications. Also, it can be difficult to add DRM or other native extensions to the code. So the alternative offered here is to compile it to neko!

    There are 3 simple steps for compiling to neko. 1. Get the libraries, 2. create the compiler command-line and 3. some very minor source code mods.

    1. Getting the libraries. Simply use the “haxelib” tool that comes with haxe to download and install the “NME” and “Neash” libraries. From the command (shell) prompt, type: haxelib install nme followed by haxelib install neash
    2. Create the compiler command. Rather that typing haxe -main …… every time, you can create a “.hxml” file that contains the commands, then you can simply use haxe file.hxml. The hxml file contains flags or key-value pairs of command-line arguements. You can also use the “–next” to compile to more than one target from the single invovation of haxe.

      To use neash, you will need the nme and neash libraries. To add these, you can use the command-line options “-lib neash” and “-lib nme”. For the neko target, you will also need to redirect the “flash” code to use “neash” instead. This is easily done with the “–remap flash:neash” command.

      So a hxml file that targets both flash and neko looks something like this:

      -main Simple
      -swf Simple.swf
      -swf-version 9
      -swf-header 640:480:100:334433
      -lib neash
      -cmd echo SWF done
      
      --next
      -main Simple
      -neko Simple.n
      --remap flash:neash
      -lib nme
      -lib neash
      -cmd echo Neko done
      

    3. Source code mod. You need to do some very minor modifications to run the neko version using neash. Specifically, you need to call “Init” and “Run” and the first and last things you do in your main routine. eg:

         static public function main()
         {
            neash.Lib.Init("Simple",640,480);
            neash.Lib.SetBackgroundColour(0x334433);
      
            new Simple();
      
            neash.Lib.Run();
         }
      


      Currently there is no way to get the command-line flash header data into the neko programme. The neash calls are perfectly safe under flash, so it is safe to include these in both flash and neko projects. However, you will then need “-lib neash” when compiling your flash version. The alternative is to have some “#if neko” directives in the static main routine, and carry on normally from there.

    So running haxe on this hxml file will produce both “Simple.swf” and a “Simple.n” files. You can run neko Simple.n to run the neko program, producing much the same result. You can use neko Simple.n -opengl to run with opengl acceleration – although that will no be much use in the simple case.

    All these project files, along with many others, can be found in the “samples” area of the neash library that you get when you use haxelib to install neash.