Android Question Separating between two libraries

[jackdev65]

Hi

I am currently using a modified NFC script that was written in 2014, I have an existing app thats using methods from the latest NFC version. I want to use both libraries as the modified nfc script allows me to access NFCV tag data which i need to add for my existing app. Is there any known way of running both scripts and referencing the new one for the existing app logic and the old script for the NFCV capabilities I am adding?

This doesn't actually compile but just to show what I require:

Private nfc As NFC.NFC
Private nfcold As NFCOld.NFC

Thanks

 

[DonManfred]

edit NFCold.xml and change the ShortName.
At least do it on a copy.

BTW: Only NFC Library should be in internal dir.
All others should be in the additional libs folder.

 

[jackdev65]

edit NFCold.xml and change the ShortName.
At least do it on a copy.

BTW: Only NFC Library should be in internal dir.
All others should be in the additional libs folder.

Hi @DonManfred Thank you for this, only just getting round to testing this and getting the below error:

I have tried:

Renaming the <name> to ...objects.NFCOld.NfcVWrapper - no luck
Changing all the <name> attributes to ...objects.NFCOld.xxx - no luck

Hoping it's something simple as i really need both versions of this NFC library (the nfc old one supporting NFCV scanning)

 

[DonManfred]

Renaming the <name> to ...objects.NFCOld.NfcVWrapper - no luck
Changing all the <name> attributes to ...objects.NFCOld.xxx - no luck

i NEVER told you to rename the files. I told you to CHANGE the XML and change the ShortName inside.

 

[jackdev65]

i NEVER told you to rename the files. I told you to CHANGE the XML and change the ShortName inside.

Thanks for the quick reply, apologies I am a little confused as I thought the old NFCV library needed to have a differently named .jar and .xml file.

So in Internal Dir I have the latest NFC library .jar and .xml
In External Libraries I have the NFCV-supported one (named NFCOld.jar with NFCOld.xml)
I was under the impression they needed to be named like this?
I have only changed the shortname (from NFC to NFCOld) in the NFCOld.xml file and that error is what shows

Where exactly have I gone wrong?

Thanks

 

[DonManfred]

Where exactly have I gone wrong?

DO NOT change any FILENAME.

Again (and the last time): EDIT the libary XML-File. Change the ShortName annotation in it to another name. Save the XML.
Reload the library in xyou project and try again.

 

[jackdev65]

DO NOT change any FILENAME.

Again (and the last time): EDIT the libary XML-File. Change the ShortName annotation in it to another name. Save the XML.
Reload the library in xyou project and try again.

Okay so have done as you say:

Internal Dir:

Additional Libraries:

AdditionalLibraries/NFC.xml

Refresh in B4A - Now it's Only showing internal NFC lib

Not finding NFCOld shortname

Feel like its almost there, I appreciate your help

 

[DonManfred]

Upload BOTH libraries please. Both jar and XML.
I´m pretty sure you did something wrong.

I´ll have a look at it later today

 

[DonManfred]

1. REMOVE the files NFC.* from yopur additional libs folder. You can not have two Libs of the same NAME.
Rename the nfc.* files in your ADDITIONAL library folder to nfcnew or something. At least another name than NFC

Edit the NFC.XML inside the internal library folder. Change shortName to NFCold.

 

[Daestrum]

I think you will still have a problem as the class name is same same in both files 'anywheresoftware.b4a.objects.NFC' - the linker won't know which one to use, and probably the last one entered will overwrite the previous one.

 

[jackdev65]

Sure thing, the first two are internal, second two are the NFCV one

 

[jackdev65]

I think you will still have a problem as the class name is same same in both files 'anywheresoftware.b4a.objects.NFC' - the linker won't know which one to use, and probably the last one entered will overwrite the previous one.

Yeah this was my thought as when i had NFC and NFCOld, the error would change depending on which one I enabled first

 

[jackdev65]

1. REMOVE the files NFC.* from yopur additional libs folder. You can not have two Libs of the same NAME.
Rename the nfc.* files in your ADDITIONAL library folder to nfcnew or something. At least another name than NFC

Edit the NFC.XML inside the internal library folder. Change shortName to NFCold.

Also, "NFCOld" is the NFCV library since it's based on an older version of the NFC library, so I believe this is the one that needs to be in the additional libraries and have its shortname changed correct?

 

[MicroDrie]

Also, "NFCOld" is the NFCV library since it's based on an older version of the NFC library, so I believe this is the one that needs to be in the additional libraries and have its shortname changed correct?

A few thoughts on my part. First, there is a challenge when you use the same library name for both an internal and an external library. In that case, the IDE must choose the internal library that may be found first, but can also choose to choose an external library to override the internal library.

In addition, to display a help text in the IDE, the IDE uses the corresponding XML doctype file with the same file name with the extension xml. If you give the XML file a different name, you break that relationship. This argues for renaming the jar file and the associated XML Doctype file name to the same filename (NFC and NFCOld).

Finally, renaming a java source file in Eclipse also requires renaming the java class name to prevent an error.

Based on these thoughts, I advice to try the following:

1. Choose the NFC as the file name for the most commonly used library (probably the new one because that is the way to go in the future).
2. Rename the old NFC short name if it is NFC to NFCOld.
3. Rename the library shortname to NFCOld.jar
4. Rename the Doctype help file to NFCOld.xml.
5. If necessary, adjust the text to reflect the difference between NFC and NFCOldin the NFCOld.xml file.

Note I use the term filename meaning without the jar or xml extension.

 

[jackdev65]

A few thoughts on my part. First, there is a challenge when you use the same library name for both an internal and an external library. In that case, the IDE must choose the internal library that may be found first, but can also choose to choose an external library to override the internal library.

In addition, to display a help text in the IDE, the IDE uses the corresponding XML doctype file with the same file name with the extension xml. If you give the XML file a different name, you break that relationship. This argues for renaming the jar file and the associated XML Doctype file name to the same filename (NFC and NFCOld).

Finally, renaming a java source file in Eclipse also requires renaming the java class name to prevent an error.

Based on these thoughts, I advice to try the following:

1. Choose the NFC as the file name for the most commonly used library (probably the new one because that is the way to go in the future).
2. Rename the old NFC short name if it is NFC to NFCOld.
3. Rename the library shortname to NFCOld.jar
4. Rename the Doctype help file to NFCOld.xml.
5. If necessary, adjust the text to reflect the difference between NFC and NFCOldin the NFCOld.xml file.

Note I use the term filename meaning without the jar or xml extension.

Thank you for this,
I believe steps 1-4 are what I've done, I have NFCOld.jar and NFCOld.xml in the AdditionalLibraries folder with the .xml having the shortname "NFCOld"

Which is where I was at to start, as it shows that same error

Can you confirm if thats steps 1-4 done correctly, and guide me through step 5 as I'm slightly confused what you mean!

Thanks

 

[MicroDrie]

Can you confirm if thats steps 1-4 done correctly, and guide me through step 5 as I'm slightly confused what you mean!

5. If necessary, adjust the text to reflect the difference between NFC and NFCOldin the NFCOld.xml file.

Well, simply put, you should be aware that this difference:

Private nfc As NFC.NFC
Private nfcold As NFCOld.NFC

is expressed in both XML Doclet files for the distinction when you use both libraries at the same time to prevent the two libraries from being used interchangeably.

 

[jackdev65]

Well, simply put, you should be aware that this difference:

is expressed in both XML Doclet files for the distinction when you use both libraries at the same time to prevent the two libraries from being used interchangeably.

I still don't understand, steps 1-4 were what I had done before making this post initially, I'm confused about what else needs doing?

Thanks

 

[MicroDrie]

I still don't understand, steps 1-4 were what I had done before making this post initially, I'm confused about what else needs doing?

Thanks

For the experts its easy to see why your solution leads to compiler errors. Simply put: if you paint a red car blue on the outside, the inside will still remain red colered. If you then say to someone: use the car with the red colored inside, there are still two equal options. Then there are two and that is one possibility too many.

And when we look inside that blue-painted red car, it turns out that it also has an old engine. Back to the jar, this old jar does not work in the current Android version in the current B4A environment.

All you can do is to adapt the old NFC script to the current internal NFC version.

There is also a chance that old NFC hardware will no longer be supported by Android API 33 in the current new jar and B4A versions.

What I don't quite understand how to help is this comment:

I want to use both libraries as the modified nfc script allows me to access NFCV tag data which i need to add for my existing app.

The internal structure and therefore also the method of calling the jar has changed. We can't help you without the script. Without the script nobody can't help you with this.

You can also send the script to me in a private email so that I can help you with the conversion.