new Timer.Timer(); Error: Permission Required ; Details: Module 'Toybox.Timer' not available to 'Data Field'

I'm writing a library (maybe it'll be a barrel) which I also use in a datafield (for on-device settings input) and in other types of apps.

It uses a timer, which isn't available in datafields. When I try to create a timer I get:

var timer = new Timer.Timer();

Error: Permission Required
Details: Module 'Toybox.Timer' not available to 'Data Field'

This is OK, the rest of the functionality is still useful, but I am not able to catch the error and "Timer has :Timer" returns true. Is there a way to know programmatically that I am running in a datafield or check for whatever this required permission is or that I can use Timer.Timer?

0 SpitRider over 1 year ago

As one of the possible workarounds, you can try to get the AppBase object via Application.getApp() and verify the existence of some non-datafield method via "has". Or maybe exceptions from that class will be more "catchable" than permission-related error

0 flocsy🤠 over 1 year ago in reply to SpitRider

I thought about that, and looked in Application, AppBase, System and DeviceSettings classes but couldn't find any of such thing (based on my understanding of the documentation). If anyone has a working solution let me know.

0 SpitRider over 1 year ago in reply to flocsy🤠

I just tried from the datafield app

Application.getApp() has :getGlanceView

and it returned false. I suppose it should return true for full apps and widgets

0 flocsy🤠 over 1 year ago in reply to SpitRider

I don't know. For example watchfaces have glances?

But the other problem is that it'll also return false for all apps on devices below API Level 3.1.0

0 jim_m_58 over 1 year ago in reply to flocsy🤠

No glances in watch faces, and only device apps on CIQ4 or greater devices have them. And widgets,

"Since:

API Level 3.1.0"

0 jim_m_58 over 1 year ago in reply to flocsy🤠

What ever app is calling your code will know what app type it is, so just add a parameter to the call if timers are available or not. Then this might be a case where type checking complains about something that isn't really a bug.

0 flocsy🤠 over 1 year ago in reply to jim_m_58

Or annotations... I was hoping that there is a better way.

0 FlowState over 1 year ago in reply to jim_m_58

jim_m_58 said:
Then this might be a case where type checking complains about something that isn't really a bug.

- this isn't a type checking error or even a generic compile time error, it's a runtime error

- type checking isn't even mentioned in the thread

- it is a bug, since timers aren't available in data fields

0 flocsy🤠 over 1 year ago in reply to FlowState

Yes it's a bug in the user code from the CIQ's perspective. But I think there could (should?) be a way to check in runtime if you can call new Timer.Timer() or at least catch the exception. And my question is about this, not the "bug" in my code. I understood why it happened at the moment I saw it in the simulator.

Just checked another idea: "Timer.Timer has :start" but it returns true in datafield :(

0 jim_m_58 over 1 year ago in reply to FlowState

I guess you didn't read the line before the one you quoted!