Codename One Expands: CarPlay, Sensors, Commerce, Video
Codename One's new release adds CarPlay, Android Auto, motion sensors, a Commerce SDK, and video tools, expanding its open-source core further.
This week's Codename One release re-tests last week's promise of funding open source without a bait-and-switch, since two new features touch paid infrastructure directly. At the same time, the framework's reach is expanding well past the phone screen into cars, sensors, and video generation.
A new com.codename1.car API maps driver-safe list, grid, message, and navigation templates onto CarPlay and Android Auto, adding zero cost when unused. com.codename1.sensors unifies accelerometer, gyroscope, orientation, and gesture data (shake, flip, tilt) under one core API, while richer pointer events, stylus pressure, foldable posture, and desktop windowing make the framework aware of real, non-phone hardware.
The new Commerce SDK validates purchases and normalizes entitlements without replacing IAP or taking a cut; if quota runs out, only validation degrades, the actual purchase still completes. The Secrets API, which keeps API keys out of source code, is available to everyone. Versioned builds are back too, letting teams pin to a released version or build against master to verify unreleased fixes, with that access now extended further down into free tiers.
Finally, VideoIO, a sample-accurate AudioMixer, and timed Whisper transcription enable frame-accurate video encoding, PCM audio mixing, and SRT/VTT subtitle generation. Smaller but notable changes include a move to upstream JCEF and bundled ffmpeg, Skin Designer's migration to the JavaScript port, and MorphTransition gaining opacity, rotation, and scale support.