Smarter LiveSync

[teobugslayer]

Smarter LiveSync without restarts

• CLI: Respect deleted files
• CLI: When sending xml and css files to the device, do not restart the app
• CLI: When syncing JS, images, fonts, or other resources - restart the entire app
• CLI: Implement a dedicated tcp socket as communication channel between it and the runtimes
• CLI: Notify runtimes after the files are on the device that the change had happened
• CLI: Research if we can fast sync for other file types (mostly images)
• CLI: Lower batch time in the cli to 250ms
• CLI: Implement together batch livesync/restart with fast livesync

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• Android runtime: spike tcp socket as communication channel between it and the CLI.
• Android: notify modules when files are changed and the current page must be reloaded - see bellow

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• iOS: notify modules when files are changed and the current page must be reloaded - see bellow

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• Modules: implement a global function (tentative name: __nativeScriptLiveSyncCallback). The run times will call it whenever the current page needs to be reloaded

[NathanaelA]

@teobugslayer, you don't need to restart the app on font changes. The minute you load the css, the font will then be loaded if it is missing (using the auto-registration system). At least that is what I have noticed with my livesync. I suppose their is a corner case where someone might generate a font named x and replace it with another generation of that font. But maybe a file size check or date time check. Restarting the app because I added a new font to the fonts folder would be annoying...

When loading JS files, you really don't have to restart the app unless the JS file is the current page (or maybe a better check, would be to check if it has been ever loaded). Maybe you should add another global command that checks the require cache to see if the JavaScript file has been loaded; if it has never been loaded; don't restart the app. Eliminating any Restarts is a GOOD plan...

Third, I would HIGHLY recommend you add a basic JSLINT and a XMLLint (or a built in XML parse) support; your livesync sucks for people that easily do typo's like me. 😀

[x4080]

I think Nathanael solution is pretty good in Android.the ios simulator version is already pretty fast, maybe Android is urgently need the update or just use Nathanael solution

[teobugslayer]

Thank you for sharing your research about fonts! Did you verify this behavior on both iOS and Android?

Please bear in mind that this issue focuses only on the changes which we are introducing in NativeScript 1.5. We will continue improving LiveSync in the following releases. We need more time to discover and fix all the edge cases on both platforms.

There's a separate issue about linting. We think it is a very good idea and needs to be done at first opportunity.

[NathanaelA]

@teobugslayer I didn't verify this on iOS, as my LiveSync is Android only. However, I believe in v1.5 will have the released the auto font registration system for iOS also; I had put a enhancement request in for it #786 because their was no reason that iOS couldn't do it automatically just like Android did... So I would "guess" that it should work.

But yeah, it should be tested to see if it works the assumed way, before you write any code to make it restart. ;-)

[x4080]

And how about a feature to load script from http server? I think about for development and easy update for production purposes. It will be awesome

[kagha]

Yes livesync from an HTTP server would be great for Native Script @x4080 @teobugslayer

This feature is a requirement of many projects I have coming up and is the only reason React Native is still an option for me. They already have the feature but I prefer Native Script for everything else.

The release of this feature I think would greatly improve Native Script's popularity because it enables devs to support customer deployments in a much faster and efficient way.

I am willing to contribute in any way I can to the expedition of the implementation of this feature.

[amjd]

It would be awesome if support for console.log() is added in LiveSync mode too. Or any other way to debug apps while in LiveSync mode.

[vchimev]

Hi @amjd,

consoloe.log() will be supported with LiveSync in {N} version 1.5.0 (NativeScript/nativescript-cli#1130) for Android device/emulator and iOS device - iOS simulator will be added in the next versions.

[vchimev]

Please refer to https://github.com/NativeScript/nativescript-cli/issues for any LiveSync related issues.