How to upgrade Python builds in APK

Overview:

Currently Python 2.7.2 is supplied with the template project and embedded into the APK. This is located in the res/raw directory, which by default contains python_27.zip and python_extras_27.zip. During the installation of the APK, these archives are unpacked and used by the app to execute your scripts.

Modules can be added or removed from this archive, or the Python build can be changed to update or revert to another Python version. This is done by replacing the python_27.zip and python_extras_27.zip archives located in the res/raw directory.

Naming:

The default archive names for Python 2.7.2 are: python_27.zip and python_extras_27.zip. If your zip archives are named differently, then you'll need to change the variables inside the GlobalConstants.java file located in src/ respectively.

Example:

To change the Python build to Python version 2.6.2 as provided by PY4A, download python_r16.zip and python_extras_r14.zip from https://code.google.com/p/python-for-android/downloads/list. The default values in the GlobalConstants.java file are:

public static final String PYTHON_NICE_NAME = "Python 2.7.2";
public static final String PYTHON_ZIP_NAME = "python_27.zip";
public static final String PYTHON_EXTRAS_ZIP_NAME = "python_extras_27.zip";

Change these values to:

public static final String PYTHON_NICE_NAME = "Python 2.6.2";
public static final String PYTHON_ZIP_NAME = "python_r16.zip";
public static final String PYTHON_EXTRAS_ZIP_NAME = "python_extras_r14.zip";

You would also need to change environmentVariables (basically replace python2.7 by python2.6) in ScriptService