Fetching Data from the Internet

SDK Get Help
,
1

Hey all,

I have an idea for an app that would update content regularly. I guess the simplest example would be making a reader for someone's blog that downloads and caches the latest information using JSON along with relevant 1-bit images.

I don't see anything in Inside Playdate about how an app could initiate a network connection and do any of the above. It appears as though the networking only exists for the purposes of downloading games at the system level and isn't exposed to developers (yet?).

Is networking just plain unavailable for apps with the 1.12.2 version of the SDK, or did I miss something?

Thanks!

2

Correct, we currently have no public API for network transactions. Sorry about that!

3

Is this something you’re considering? I’m happy to design and do the rest of the legwork for my thing but if it’s suuuuuper far in the future I should probably find a different thing to make for the platform.

4

I unfortunately can't promise one way or the other. We’re aware of the need. I don't want you to abandon your idea, but if you have another project that doesn't require network access, it might be more rewarding to focus on that first. Sorry I can't give you a better answer.

5

Gotcha, and thanks for the super fast response.

Would there be value in moving this to the SDK Feature Requests section (if that can even be done) or making another thread? Or is it known within Panic so there’s no point?

Thanks again. Now I just have to noodle on a completely different idea. Fortunately that’s half the fun!

1 Like
6

Nah, we're well aware of the community's interest in this feature so there's no need to request it again. As soon as we have something we can share about our plans, we'll share it.

Good luck with the noodling!

2 Likes
7

Also bad at things but have ideas. Maybe data fetch could work as a QR code?

Curious if playdate screen resolution would allow for data reads via mobile cameras in the KB range.

If anyone knows, :bowing_man:, and or I will report back sometime in my lifetime.

Obvious this is web -> playdate only, but there are probably crazy ideas to read/write from a mobile device such as accelerometer vibration over a long time. Or haptic plus modem sounds as a two-way conversation would be delightfully retro hacky.