Mirah is a new JVM language that offers Ruby-like syntax, type inference, closures, metaprogramming, and macros. It lets you write expressive code without the penalty of requiring its own runtime environment. As such, it is very well-suited for platforms in which introducing additional runtimes would be impractical; to wit, Android devices.
This talk will introduce using Mirah for Android development by way of the following topics:
- A basic overview of JVM languages on Android and potential pitfalls.
- A brief introduction to Mirah and its relation to Java/Ruby.
- Using Pindah to start and build a toy Mirah application.
- Mixing Mirah code into an existing Java/Ant application.
Rudimentary knowledge of Java, Ruby, or Android would be useful, but not necessary.