I'm a long time Flash user, (since Future Splash Animator) and though I've got some familiarity with other languages, my main development strength is with using Flash Pro and Flash Builder together to create AS3 websites or AIR apps (iOS or desktop).
Earlier this year, I learned enough C++ to start creating plugins for the music software/DAW Reason. I'd now like to create an iPad version of one of these plugins so that it can be used on an iPad as a MIDI source for other DAWs/MIDI devices.
From what I've read, I can use my C++ code with Objective-C (the result is referred to as Objective-C++ apparently), so I don't need to rewrite the entire software in Objective C. However, the Rack Extension (what Reason calls its proprietary plugins) SDK took care of the interfacing between the GUI and the C++ code, so I cannot "re-use" the UI portions and will need to rewrite the UI for the iPad.
I don't know how to code in Objective-C, and for the time being, would prefer not to have to learn (or at least in-depth). Rather, if possible, I would love to use AS3 to create the UI.
NativeExtensions seem like they might be the solution. I've not yet used any ANEs though, so I don't have first-hand knowledge of their capabilities and their limitations.
The way I envision this working is the following:
Write my front-end/GUI in AS3 and interface with an ANE to send UI changes to the ANE, and receive events from the ANE to update the UI. The ANE will be written in Objective-C just enough to handle the events to/from the UI, and interface with the CoreMIDI iOS api, and then will rely on the C++ code I already have for the actual functional engine.
Does that sound like it will work?
Thanks,
Brian