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Apple's App Store Guidelines Now Allow Executable Code in Educational Apps and Developer Tools (macstories.net)

Posted by msmash on from the opening-up dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Apple made several changes to the App Store Review Guidelines during WWDC last week, including an easing of the prohibition against downloading and executing code on an iOS device. The ban on executable code remains intact, but rule 2.5.2 now also provides that: "Apps designed to teach, develop, or test executable code may, in limited circumstances, download code provided that such code is not used for other purposes. Such apps must make the source code provided by the Application completely viewable and editable by the user.

13 comments

  1. rofl by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    apple fatigue?

    first!

    1. Re:rofl by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      apple already lost education to Chromebooks. This is just embarrassing now.

  2. Part of this was because of Apple Playgrounds... by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Now that Apple has opened up Playgrounds in iOS11 to allow for easy loading of third party playgrounds, it makes sense they would modify the agreement to allow similar use elsewhere.

    It also may mean they feel more secure about the sandboxing in apps in iOS11...

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  3. Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now after 10 years, the Scratch programming language can come to the iPhone! Too bad my kids are all grown up now... Thanks for waiting so long for some common sense!

    1. Re:Finally! by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      Now after 10 years, the Scratch programming language can come to the iPhone! Too bad my kids are all grown up now... Thanks for waiting so long for some common sense!

      Kids at some point in the last decade could have considered using a different sort computers to learn to program. I understand there are things called PCs which seem to work for that purpose.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
  4. Codea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Codea has been available for years! ( lua-based dev environment)

  5. What does Apple not allow? by 91degrees · · Score: 1

    What exactly are Apple's rules regarding programmable apps? Did they ban Conway's Game Of Life, for example?

    1. Re:What does Apple not allow? by serviscope_minor · · Score: 3, Informative

      Deeply stupid and annoying is what Apple's rules are.

      You're not allowed an interpreter in your app for which you can download or just write code. Technically yes, game of life is banned. In practice unless they catch you you're fine.

      The fucking huge massive exception is JavaScript in a web view of some sort. And a web view can be connected to your app via some API so. And it can be hidden. So what everyone who wants downloadable code does is embed a hidden JS interpreter: completely legal under the rules nd you won't get booted for it.

      So, it doesn't remove downlaodable code, it just makes it shitty and annoying because instead of embedding a nice simple LUA interpreter which gives identical results on all platforms you have to use two perverse and stupid APIs on different platforms if you want portability AND deal with any other platform differences that happen to come up in the JS interpreters.

      Because fuck you, that's why.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    2. Re:What does Apple not allow? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So what everyone who wants downloadable code does is embed a hidden JS interpreter: completely legal under the rules nd you won't get booted for it.

      You don't fxxking embed javascript interpreter. The webview already has THE javascript interpreter.

    3. Re:What does Apple not allow? by tepples · · Score: 1

      you have to use two perverse and stupid APIs on different platforms if you want portability AND deal with any other platform differences that happen to come up in the JS interpreters.

      The webview already has THE javascript interpreter.

      Then how would a developer of an application available for both iOS and a non-Apple platform work around "two perverse and stupid APIs" and "other platform differences that happen to come up in the JS interpreters"? Or translate the code that the user entered into JavaScript for execution, particularly from an original language whose semantics do not resemble those of JavaScript?

  6. I won't last, at least not without modification by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    So the rules are must be for testing or education and must allow looking at source.

    I'm going to setup a site call "open source app store" and an app that can download the source. I'll call the App "Learn from Open Source". You'll be able to download open source apps that run in my app. View all the source. There will be messaging apps, video players, ebook readers, browsers, games, etc..

    You can bet Apple will reject that app even though it follows the letter of their new terms.

  7. Share Codea? by tepples · · Score: 1

    Has Codea had a feature to share projects with other users of Codea? If not, it was probably a result of the rule as it existed before it was just softened.