Anonymous: it's just a WebKit app and thus is using WebKit's JavaScript engine.
The unofficial position from Apple seems to be that there's nothing wrong with having a virtual machine in an App Store application so long as it can't be used to run arbitrary content.
Well, that is weird, as the SDK license is 100% clear (I think!) that no scripting is allowed, unless using script engine build into public APIs on the ipod ... otherwise I'd have coded 2d games mainly in Lua or JavaScript... wish they'd clear this up
And then they let it in, at least until they discovered that you could break into BASIC.
It's well known that (say) Sonic on the iPhone is just an emulator which is restricted to playing one game. As I said, Apple's de facto policy seems to be that interpreted code is OK, so long as users can't run arbitrary content, whatever it may say in the SDK license agreement.
A little addendum to this... an updated version of the app Mr Boesch ripped off in the first place.
ReplyDeleteDid I read this right: is the emulator implemented using JavaScript (and therefore presumably with an embedded JavaScript engine)?
ReplyDeleteI'm puzzled as I thought scripting languages aren't allowed in iPhone apps.
Anonymous: it's just a WebKit app and thus is using WebKit's JavaScript engine.
ReplyDeleteThe unofficial position from Apple seems to be that there's nothing wrong with having a virtual machine in an App Store application so long as it can't be used to run arbitrary content.
Thanks Philip ...
ReplyDeleteWell, that is weird, as the SDK license is 100% clear (I think!) that no scripting is allowed, unless using script engine build into public APIs on the ipod ... otherwise I'd have coded 2d games mainly in Lua or JavaScript... wish they'd clear this up
This is the sort of thing I mean...
ReplyDeletehttp://toucharcade.com/2009/06/20/full-commodore-64-emulator-rejected-from-app-store/
"...Apple had rejected their app based on the SDK clause specifically prohibiting interpreted or executable code..."
And then they let it in, at least until they discovered that you could break into BASIC.
ReplyDeleteIt's well known that (say) Sonic on the iPhone is just an emulator which is restricted to playing one game. As I said, Apple's de facto policy seems to be that interpreted code is OK, so long as users can't run arbitrary content, whatever it may say in the SDK license agreement.
Interesting stuff - thanks Philip!
ReplyDeleteI hate that there is so much uncertainty in the SDK license. Makes developing things a lot more fraught that it should be! :-(