HarmonyOS port of V

[programmingkidx]

Could we have a port of V for HarmonyOS?

https://www.harmonyos.com/en/

[JalonSolov]

I don't speak Chinese, so can't tell what it is based on, or what it might be similar to... so I have no way to tell if it's even possible to make V run there.

If it has a C compiler, V should mostly work, thought some pieces may not work at all, depending on what's available on the system.

[Wajinn]

This would be fantastic if V could be ported to work on that OS. It is a rapidly growing challenger and alternative to Android OS and ChromeOS.

It appears that Android apps might possibly be able to run on newer versions of HarmonyOS, through emulation, but this is reported to be problematic. Therefore native would be better.

[programmingkidx]

I agree, a native solution would work best.

[CryingN]

I don’t think this is necessarily a good direction. At least for now, as one of the three major mainstream systems, ensuring smooth compatibility with Windows, Linux, and macOS is the most important thing. I’ve often encountered various issues when trying to run things on Windows. Rushing to support more systems could make maintenance more difficult and slow down the overall iteration progress.

Moreover, based on my understanding, most current users of HarmonyOS are enterprise-focused. They primarily rely on mainstream software for compatibility rather than exploring something like Vlang, so it may not be that helpful for Vlang at this stage. I’ve also tested it in experience stores — the HarmonyOS terminal environment is relatively closed, and from my personal perspective, adapting to it would be quite challenging.

In my opinion, it would be better to consider adapting to HarmonyOS either with direct support from Huawei’s ecosystem, or after Vlang has matured enough — for example, after the release of version 1.0.

[programmingkidx]

You might be right. Maybe we need to let V mature a little more before expanding.
I was watching a video demonstrating HarmonyOS when the idea of V code running on it came up. Maybe one day.

[Wajinn]

I think vlang confining itself to only the desktop is very hurtful to its growth and too limiting. It should be embracing mobile OSes too, which means Android, iOS, and even HarmonyOS.

[CryingN]

I think vlang confining itself to only the desktop is very hurtful to its growth and too limiting. It should be embracing mobile OSes too, which means Android, iOS, and even HarmonyOS.

I don't do mobile development myself, so I'm not really in a position to comment on supporting Android/iOS — no judgment there.

But when you say 'embrace HarmonyOS,' I think the concept is a bit vague. From what I understand, HarmonyOS now refers to at least three different things: OpenHarmony, HarmonyOS (with the AOSP compatibility layer), and the future HarmonyOS NEXT. Which one are you asking Vlang to support?

Also, if we're talking about HarmonyOS on phones, as far as I remember, it doesn't expose a shell directly. Would development have to go through a virtual machine or container approach like Termux on Android? If that's the case, then it's essentially still adapting to Android, and there doesn't seem to be a need to single it out as a 'new mobile operating system' for discussion.

As for using it as a desktop system, from my own experience, it's quite troublesome to achieve compatibility. So I'm not against expanding to more platforms — I just think you need to clarify what exactly your goal is.

[Wajinn]

The setup to compile to HarmonyOS, would likely be somewhat similar to VAB (repo), that is used for Android. It would also help go through the steps which are specific to HarmonyOS. The new versions of HarmonyOS (5 and up), use the Hongmeng kernel. HarmonyOS/NEXT split from direct Android compatibility, after adopting the Hongmeng kernel. So the OS and kernel are under Huawei control and is for specific devices that they are selling.

OpenHarmony appears to run on multiple different kernels and various kinds of hardware. Looks like their intent is an alternative OS that can compete with Linux or ChromeOS and be on a wide array of devices, but still has a strong connection to HarmonyOS and their goals.

[programmingkidx]

Thank you @Wajinn for this information.