Google is bringing scripts to Android. The Android Scripting Environment (ASE) will make development accessible and easy for devs who don’t want to build a full-fledge application. As Google provides these details:
Scripts can be run interactively in a terminal, started as a long running service, or started via Locale. Python, Lua and BeanShell are currently supported, and we’re planning to add Ruby and JavaScript support, as well.
These scripts can:
Handle intents
Start activities
Make phone calls
Send text messages
Scan bar codes
Poll location and sensor data
Use text-to-speech (TTS)
And more
The ASE will greatly increase the customizability of Android phones. This is one of the more interesting developments I have seen for mobile apps. I hope that the Market supports trading scripts. The ASE is not in the Market yet, but you can download it from its project page.
Update: Via Matt Cutts, a 6 line Python script that scans book barcodes:
import android
droid = android.Android()
code = droid.scanBarcode()
isbn = int(code[‘result’][‘SCAN_RESULT’])
url = “http://books.google.com?q=%d” % isbn
droid.startActivity(’android.intent.action.VIEW’, url)
ASE is going to be very powerful.