Database Info

Non-market .apk file database proposal

Hello everyone. I've a sort of proposal for the developers here, but before I get into that let me first briefly introduce myself:
I'm a communication designer for print, user interface, and illustration that completely advocates everything Android. I've been lurking the Dream development forums here for quite some time, trying to keep up-to-date with the latest ROMs, apps, etc., etc and I fully appreciate everything that goes on here and the endeavors that you devs put yourself through. Amazing stuff, really.
One thing I've noticed is that there are a slew of third-party / beta apps all over these boards, and other places on the internet as well. More often than not, I find myself scouring the cloud just to find a link for these non-market apps, and I usually get referred to them via some obscure site through another site. Despite getting the .apk file or ROM in the end, the process can get to be a bit tedious; especially for incoming users and those new to the Android platform.
My proposal is this: A website with a simple and clean user interface that has direct and succinct navigation with the purpose of consolidating and listing third-party / beta non-market applications into an easy access database. This website database would link these applications and have them be easily downloaded and installed via the Android browser, without having to mount the device.
I've actually come up with a fully-functional concept site, did the branding and everything for it, and also registered a short domain name for quick access while on your G1 or whatever Android device.
Navigate to: http://anda.pk to see what I had in mind, and how the overall layout/concept of the site would work.
I uploaded several .apk files I had backed up as examples for you to see how the database section would function. I also took into account the resolution of most Android phones and made the .apk application database section fit perfectly in the Android browser when in portrait mode right when you the load the site to ensure the best possible user experience when installing these third party apps. When you scroll to the right, you'll see info on what the site is about, and in the footer there are links to the FAQ, the about section, contact, etc.
I had also noted in the about link in the footer that the applications hosted on the download section are in no way accredited to the site, and that credit goes to their rightful developers. My being a communication designer has had the idea of peer collaboration engrained, and as such I give credit it where credit is due.
That said, I hope you guys here and the developers collaborate with me on on this site, possibly help contribute apks, and agree to them being hosted. If anything, I do hope you just embrace the concept, which originally was just going to be a reference for myself and my friends whom I've turned away from the iPhone, S60, and WinMo in favor of Android. I figured since I know the Android community is only going to get bigger, this website concept of mine could be a decent resource to have bookmarked.
Appreciate you reading this wall of text! Do hope to hear some feedback, so let me know what you guys think. Thanks!
Cheers.

I think this is a fabulous idea...automated version control would go over very well -- i.e. yum update
you should post up bits that you need help with and have folks contact you.
also..I love the logo!
question: do you propose a rating system or a review prior to listing type of approach or something new to keep this resource trustworthy?

Been following this on SA and twitter and it's a great idea.
Having the devs here on board would be a fantastic way to get something solid on the go. It's the kind of thing that can really help android become more hackable and useable for the average user...and it just make things easier for the rest of us.

Sounds good to me.
thelilliandivide said:
the applications hosted on the download section are in no way accredited to the site
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Click to collapse
Credit and accreditation are different things. To be accredited is to be given credentials or official approval. I think you meant "credited".

Sounds like a GREAT idea.
My opinion: The color scheme hurts. Love the logo.

i like the logo and the idea. I think the site should be more mobile friendly, or even better, an application for android that can work like the official market. I could help with that part if an application is going to be built.

camalot said:
i like the logo and the idea. I think the site should be more mobile friendly, or even better, an application for android that can work like the official market. I could help with that part if an application is going to be built.
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Click to collapse
i second that.. it should also have update checks if possible

I was going to complain that I didn't like your site layout, but in portrait mode you only see the left side which lists the apps. I like it.
One thing you might have to be leary of is dealing with apps that are considered warez unless your going to spend the time to verify every app that is uploaded or there has to a method in place.
As well there should be some kind of version control in place. You know what works on 1.1 and what works on 1.5. Obviously almost everybody within the next few weeks/months should be on 1.5, but will all the older apps run on 1.5 or does it really matter or does anybody care? The downloader will care.

CBowley said:
Sounds like a GREAT idea.
My opinion: The color scheme hurts. Love the logo.
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Click to collapse
Seconded. The text is much too light. A darker charcoal shade would be much better.
If the site gets an apk wrapper (a la FBook) version checking would be rather easy. Set up the directory tree something like this /downloads/WiFiTether/1.2.3.apk and just have the apk compare filenames. If the file names don't match, it needs to install the update.
EDIT: Now following your progress on twitter.

Some solid input. I'll play around with the color scheme and make some changes later this evening once I get back from class. And I actually do plan on making a mobile wrapper eventually, but as it stands as far as the concept layout goes, the site is best used when in portrait mode for easiest functionality. The rest of the site is to be considered supplemental. I do however, have a lot of things I eventually want to integrate; application tags, search, possibility of user uploaded apk files, etc. But for right now, I'm trying to keep the general site as simple as possible to make the workload on my end less stressful (graduating in 2 weeks).
bahnburner said:
If the site gets an apk wrapper (a la FBook) version checking would be rather easy. Set up the directory tree something like this /downloads/WiFiTether/1.2.3.apk and just have the apk compare filenames. If the file names don't match, it needs to install the update.
EDIT: Now following your progress on twitter.
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Click to collapse
Did not know how that version checker worked. Thanks. I'll re-work the apk directory scheme akin to that later tonight for when I do eventually get the wrapper up.

thelilliandivide said:
Did not know how that version checker worked. Thanks. I'll re-work the apk directory scheme akin to that later tonight for when I do eventually get the wrapper up.
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Click to collapse
That's not necessarily how most version checks work, but that's the simplest method I could think of, and probably one of the easiest to implement.

alapapa said:
I think this is a fabulous idea...automated version control would go over very well -- i.e. yum update
you should post up bits that you need help with and have folks contact you.
also..I love the logo!
question: do you propose a rating system or a review prior to listing type of approach or something new to keep this resource trustworthy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! And I feel I might need some help in the future as far as implementing the features that I want to get working. But I'm not quite sure I understand your question. Are you referring to how I choose which applications get posted onto the site?

i'm a graphic designer and web designer, i'll throw in a helping hand if you want, pm me or whatever.
(think about an android based layout to bring it to the phone like Cough*cydia*cough

very cool and much needed
Xda-dev is great, but there is alot of stuff thats not on the market and they have shown to bow down to the tmobs pressure(ie: tether app) so another place to get apps would be great, and your weppage is beautiful and looks like it would be very finger friendly on the g1, but there is a basic model in linux of repositories(which is about what ur doing) and a simple app to d/l them maybe somebody could just make a market.apk with a modded addy, depending on how much is known about the market and its inner workings... it would be nice to do it as it has been always done....but as I stated above your webdesign is very nice and would work well in the native browser(im heading there now on my g1)
bhang

not a bad idea. I think this is great for all verified apps that are pulled from market...

I really like this idea. Go for it.
Just one (stupid) remark about the logo... it's like it has a big nose and a :-| expression... sorry

apetit said:
I really like this idea. Go for it.
Just one (stupid) remark about the logo... it's like it has a big nose and a :-| expression... sorry
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Haha, I just noticed that actually. Now it's all I see. But yeah, I'm hoping to have a few more apps to upload by the end of next week. Revisions to the site are imminent once I get out of this last class.

I love the idea. One bookmark to check up on all the good non-market apps will be much easier than having several bookmarked threads.
Some applications may benefit from having tags such as [beta], [stable], [experimental], [contains-ads], etc.
As others have mentioned once/if user uploads are implemented an app approval system will be crucial to keep the spam at bay. I can see this really taking off.

im a supporter

zgmf-x322a said:
im a supporter
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Click to collapse
+1 this sounds like a great idea, there was something like this for apps for the dash,mda & sda.

Desire PDF Viewer on N1 ROM?

I've been trying to get Desire's PDF Viewer to work on a N1 ROM (CM 5.0.5.3) with no luck.
I can start the app but get FC when trying to open a pdf-file.
I pushed the following files:
/system/app/FilePicker.apk
/system/app/PDFViewer.apk
/system/lib/libpdfreader.so
(been trying to install the PDFView.apk separate too)
Did I miss a/some file(s) or do you think it will require more than just pushing some files?

Why bother? Quickoffice (which you can pull out of any of the Modaco custom roms, even the prebaked ones) will handle PDFs and most other text based files

Well Quickoffice kinda suck cause it doesn't always show everthing in a pdf-file (think it converts it to some web format? )
And I want the pinch-to-zoom function ;P

IMO you're better served just using QuickOffice, it should render them out just fine unless they were saved with the "adobe compression scheme and not just optimized. then you'll get odd rendering. As for pinch, I believe theres a mod for that if I'm not mistaken.

Well that might be true, but I can't decide how others save their documents. Several times I haven't been able to view the whole content. For example when I download the timetable for the buss line I can't see the days and where the buss stops - which is kinda worthless.
But my topic isn't about how well QuickOffice works or not, but how to make PDF View from Desire to work on a N1 ROM.

bobtentpeg said:
IMO you're better served just using QuickOffice, it should render them out just fine unless they were saved with the "adobe compression scheme and not just optimized. then you'll get odd rendering. As for pinch, I believe theres a mod for that if I'm not mistaken.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please stop posting. It's EXTREMELY frustrating when someone makes a thread and other people try to talk them out of it.
Anyway, on topic, QuickOffice sucks ass. It pixelates the crap out of files when you zoom in. The Desire ROM PDF viewer is the ONLY PDF viewer available for Android that doesn't completely destroy PDF files when zooming in. (And that is including the half dozen PDF viewers on the Market).
Unfortunately no, you cannot export the PDF viewer from Desire onto Stock ROM.

Paul22000 said:
Please stop posting. It's EXTREMELY frustrating when someone makes a thread and other people try to talk them out of it.
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Click to collapse
Really? Well, excuse me for offering an alternative and my opinion. I didn't realized that you were such a prick and that user here weren't allowed to express their thoughts. I'm not trying to "talk him out of it", merely saying, that there is an alternative that will do more, and arguably works just fine with standard files. If you want to know whats more frustrating, its morons like you, who think that they can boss people around. I've probably been involved in more "hacking" and "modding" arena's than you can even think of, and I don't need some self-absorbed narcissist to tell me I'm not allowed to share my thoughts on an open board. So, please, stop posting your stupid derogatory thoughts, which are less than helpful and spurious to say the least.
PS. I don't know what you're doing with QuickOffice, but theres no pixelation or defects for me on any file. Perhaps you should try getting your head out of your bum, that might clear the images on the screen up for you. Also, your comment about QO is offtopic if you bothered reading the post right above yours, and not on topic

Paul22000 said:
Unfortunately no, you cannot export the PDF viewer from Desire onto Stock ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sucks to hear that :/ How come?
Then I guess I have to live with BeamReader, at least I've been able to view the full content of all pdf-files I've tried so far with it.

bobtentpeg said:
Really? Well, excuse me for offering an alternative and my opinion. I didn't realized that you were such a prick and that user here weren't allowed to express their thoughts. I'm not trying to "talk him out of it", merely saying, that there is an alternative that will do more, and arguably works just fine with standard files. If you want to know whats more frustrating, its morons like you, who think that they can boss people around. I've probably been involved in more "hacking" and "modding" arena's than you can even think of, and I don't need some self-absorbed narcissist to tell me I'm not allowed to share my thoughts on an open board. So, please, stop posting your stupid derogatory thoughts, which are less than helpful and spurious to say the least.
PS. I don't know what you're doing with QuickOffice, but theres no pixelation or defects for me on any file. Perhaps you should try getting your head out of your bum, that might clear the images on the screen up for you. Also, your comment about QO is offtopic if you bothered reading the post right above yours, and not on topic
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I have to say (not trying to flame) but I am going to have to agree with Paul on this one. So many times people start a thread such as this one and no where did the guy ask "could you please give me a list of alternative apps I could use" he is strictly wanting to discuss this app and how to get it working on a different rom.
I assure you he knows there are other apps to open PDF files, that was not his issue nor his request.
My two cents

Paul22000 said:
The Desire ROM PDF viewer is the ONLY PDF viewer available for Android that doesn't completely destroy PDF files when zooming in. (And that is including the half dozen PDF viewers on the Market).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had 0 issues with Beamreader, I use it to check the bus schedules for my town every day, it renders them flawlessly, images and text. QuickOffice F's them up majorly.

I use PDF To Go, which works great performance-wise and it's rendering isn't bad either. I wish it had PTZ though...
I also wish you could get the Desire PDF viewer extracted successfully...
BTW, Quickoffice is a joke...

Cant you just flash the desire rom on the nexus one to get the desire pdf viewer ?
Im not sure, Im just confirming. I too want to flash the nexus one with desire rom, but Im waiting for the final build.

Found a reader named RepliGo Reader which seem to render good. And best of all, it have pinch-to-zoom.

[Q] Newbie question regarding Internet functionality

Hello All,
I am a new member and have been lurking here for several weeks trying to learn about the Android tablets and, in particular, the Transformer. This one sounds like the model I want to invest in. I am somewhat on in years so I don't have a lot of the backround knowledge on a lot of the technical types of things I read discussed on this forum so I was wondering if I could ask a favor from the group. One of the main things I want to do with the tablet is read scanned copies of scientific journals, books, magazines, etc. I'm assuming the Transformer can do this easily. However, I also want to read newspapers. I live in the Atlanta area and I subscribe to the Atlanta Journal/Constitution. They have a web-based version which contains the full content of the newspaper. I can read it on my desktop, but I have been unable to load the site on Android demo units at Best Buy (maybe because Flash 10.2 isn't installed?). Could someone try to load a demo of the AJC on their Transformer and tell me if it loads correctly and if you can read the content? The link follows and it is free, requiring no registration.
OK - it appears as a new member I can't enter a link so I'll try to describe it.
the link is e-edition dot ajc dot com. And then click on 'View Demo'.
It is a split screen with kind of a table of contents on the left and the main content on the right. I would be most appreciative if some brave soul could give this a try and report back.
many thanks in advance,
Brian

I wouldnt say the interface was very smooth or anything, but it does work. And the pinch to zoom works too to let you zoom in on the buttons to see them easier. Couple of screenshots attached for you to see. One landscape mode and the other in portrait.
Personally I much prefer PDF files as they work a lot better. But obviously not everything is available as a pdf. There is an app (called PressReader) that lets you subscribe to a huge amount of newspapers included on the transformer, it's not free though, although it does let you test out about 5 copies of papers of your choice first.
Edit: There's a massive list of USA papers and I'm not spending all day looking for the atlanta ones, but a quick search with the search box didnt show up anything with the name "Atlanta" in that app.

Many, many thanks, stuntdouble. I have to admit I was a bit distressed when I couldn't get it to work at Best Buy (I even started looking at iPads). Now I'm sold and will patiently await the next shipment of Transformers.

Another option for your newspaper is to go through PressDisplay. The My Library application included on the TF comes with a 7 day trial. There is also a separate PressDisplay application available in the Market.
I use PressDisplay to read The Washington Post and I really like how PressDisplay makes a full size newspaper work on a 10" screen.

Thanks, Jerirat. It appears the AJC isn't offered by them as yet. Maybe in the future?

AJC is indeed available in the included pressdisplay app.

Hey Brian, I'm in metro Atlanta and read the AJC everyday on the Transformer. It actually looks better to me on the Asus than on my desktop......
ok I just reread ur post and tried the e-edition. at the moment it says the "server application is unavailable"... I'll try again later

Thanks, mb2k. Fool that I am, I was looking under the "A's" in the list for 'Atlanta...' and there it was under 'T' for "The Atlanta..." Should have known <head slap>.
Brian

Thanks, rrushhour - do you use the AJC link or Pressdisplay?

I use the ajc link. As others have said, the e edition does work...just went to it.

[APP][4.0+] Forum Fiend

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ape.apps.forumfiend
So I am the developer of a little known Tapatalk alternative forum reader called Forum Fiend. The app has come a long way since I released it last fall. The reason for my post is that I have noticed XDA is the #3 site accessed through Forum Fiend, so there might be a couple of users around here. Was wondering if people could share their issues with the app or provide feedback on how to make it better. My goal is to provide a fully functional and superior forum browsing experience vs Tapatalk.
Thanks in advance for your input!
Sent from my SM-P600 using Forum Fiend v1.2.5.
Update 20150112 - v1.3.1
Addressed bugs from Google Play error console
Added "Timeline" view and start page option
Added the ability to rename servers on the main screen
Improved server-detection methods
Removed old unused libraries
Forum owners can now collect Google Analytics data through Forum Fiend
Forum owners can now use their own Mobfox ad banners to monitize through Forum Fiend
Update 20141217 - v1.3
All new theme settings screen with real-time preview
Added quick reply on post pages
Brought post pagination stuff out of the menus/actionbar
Can now customize the forum start page
Active Users sidebar can now be turned off for tablets
Inbox/Mail layout updates
Layout updates to sliding drawer menu
Added support for https servers
Now supports Android v2.3 Gingerbread devices
Added Material theme support
Bug fixes
Update 20141128 - v1.2.14
Slight layout changes
Bug fixes
Update 20141123 - v1.2.13.1
Quick bugfix release for Lollipop devices
Update 20141122 - v1.2.13
Increased mail service timer again to further reduce server loads
Slight theme changes
Added a circle border around user avatars
Update 20141111 - v1.2.12
Theme updates for Lollipop devices
Other random slight theme updates
Update 20140930 - v1.2.11
Bug fixes
Update 20140829 - v1.2.10
Increased the mail service timer to reduce loads on servers
Added Meme Maker!
Added user online status indicator to posts
Slight layout rearrangments on posts and topics
Slight layout changes to Chat screen
Added the option to save post pictures to SD card
Update 20140803 - v1.2.9
Addressed bugs from Google Play error console
App now renders smileys
Added support for
Code:
tag
[*]Added a views indicator for topics
[*]Added 'Open in Browser' and 'Share Topic' options for phpBB systems
[*]App now handles file attachments
[/LIST]
[B]Update 20140609 - v1.2.8[/B]
[LIST]
[*]New Theme Options - Forum theme options have been greatly expanded. You can now alter the accent color, background color, text color, forum element color/visibility, forum wallpaper, and turn on/off forum icons/avatars.
[*]App can now be installed/moved to SD card
[*]Kit Kat(+) devices now tint the status and nav bars with forum theme color
[*]Added Favorites list (bookmarks) for forums.
[*]Added more functionality to forums viewed in the Web View (non-tapatalk forums)
[*]Various bug fixes
[/LIST]
[B]Update 20140507 - v1.2.7[/B]
[LIST]
[*]Non-Tapatalk forums can now be added to the app. If you enter a URL that does not work with Tapa, the app will ask if you want to use the forum in a WebView instead.
[*]Added a post preview option to the new posts screen. Also added a select all, and a clear all feature. Find them by pressing the menu button on the new post screen.
[*]Various other bug fixes and layout updates
[/LIST]
[B]Update 20140430 - v1.2.6[/B]
[LIST]
[*]You can now add a direct link on the homescreen to any of your forums. It will behave just like having a stand alone forum app, completely bypassing the forum listing screen. This required the Install Shortcut permission.
[*]Forum elements now have sort of a shaded box theme to them. I think it looks a little nicer, but if people don't like it I can revert back to the old look, or make it optional.
[*]Got rid of the cartoon looking default avatar icon.
[*]Improvements to post link, quote, and other BB code handling.
[*]Forum topics listing now has an infinite scroll (at least until there are no topics left), kind of like the news feeds in Facebook and Twitter apps
[*]The left slideout menu has been rearranged and now contains navigation links such as forum index, subscriptions, unread topics, etc
[*]Added a quick popup tip on how to log in when you enter a forum as a guest
[*]Changed the language on the forum listing screen input box to make it more apparent that a URL is the required input
[*]Forum settings have been moved out of the sliding menu and on to their own screen.
[/LIST]

I just tried it and it's a good start. It needs some work like labelling. Right now, it's just a box with the word "Add". Need a tutorial or something to guide the user into what or how to get into a forum. Right now, I had to guess and put the entire web address in the box. The key at the bottom needs a label. Even something as simple as "login" or something. I'm no IT/Tech expert but I can get around and figure stuff out. Not everyone is tech savvy so they need a little guidance.
Need a way to access favorite forums. XDA, for example, is a large forum. People don't like to scroll through every phone or tablet to find their forum.
Hopefully, this helps a little. I don't want to sound critical but these are things you need to know.
Taptalk is the gold standard right now but I like competition so good luck.

tube517 said:
I just tried it and it's a good start. It needs some work like labelling. Right now, it's just a box with the word "Add". Need a tutorial or something to guide the user into what or how to get into a forum. Right now, I had to guess and put the entire web address in the box. The key at the bottom needs a label. Even something as simple as "login" or something. I'm no IT/Tech expert but I can get around and figure stuff out. Not everyone is tech savvy so they need a little guidance.
Need a way to access favorite forums. XDA, for example, is a large forum. People don't like to scroll through every phone or tablet to find their forum.
Hopefully, this helps a little. I don't want to sound critical but these are things you need to know.
Taptalk is the gold standard right now but I like competition so good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THANK YOU this is the kind of feedback I'm looking for
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Forum Fiend v1.2.5.

I've been looking for something to replace Tapatalk, and I've looked at FF a few times. Figuring out how to get a forum loaded was confusing. The only way I figured out how to get on to XDA was happening to see it on the Play Store pictures. Logging in was a bit awkward too. When I saw the key at the top, I figured it was a link to purchase a pro version or something.
Most of all though, the look of it kept me from switching over. It feels dated. From the default cartoon avatars before logging in to a forum and icons, to the font and colors, it just feels a little off, although the action bar looks fine. I also feel like the slide out navigation is sort of wasted on the settings menu and active users, neither of which I use much. They might be better suited for faster navigation, search, showing subscribed forums/topics.
The number 1 reason, though, that I am looking for a Tapatalk replacement is the ability to bypass the forum selection page since I only use XDA. If it could detect that only one forum is present and automatically enter that one when opening the app, that would be legit.
Sorry to seem like I was going on and on. I think it has good potential, and some easy-ish fixes can make a world difference.

Jesellers88 said:
I've been looking for something to replace Tapatalk, and I've looked at FF a few times. Figuring out how to get a forum loaded was confusing. The only way I figured out how to get on to XDA was happening to see it on the Play Store pictures. Logging in was a bit awkward too. When I saw the key at the top, I figured it was a link to purchase a pro version or something.
Most of all though, the look of it kept me from switching over. It feels dated. From the default cartoon avatars before logging in to a forum and icons, to the font and colors, it just feels a little off, although the action bar looks fine. I also feel like the slide out navigation is sort of wasted on the settings menu and active users, neither of which I use much. They might be better suited for faster navigation, search, showing subscribed forums/topics.
The number 1 reason, though, that I am looking for a Tapatalk replacement is the ability to bypass the forum selection page since I only use XDA. If it could detect that only one forum is present and automatically enter that one when opening the app, that would be legit.
Sorry to seem like I was going on and on. I think it has good potential, and some easy-ish fixes can make a world difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, this is good feedback. I have read other comments in the market also saying the interface looks dated, but I am not entirely sure what a more modern interface looks like. Do you consider the general look and feel of Tapatalk to be a good example of modern, that I can use as a guide to work off of?
As for automatically going to a specific forum, that would certainly be easy to add. I was thinking of letting users place icons for their specific forums on their homescreen, so they could launch each forum just as they would a stand alone app. They would probably be widgets technically, but could look just like a normal app icon.

bastecklein said:
Thanks, this is good feedback. I have read other comments in the market also saying the interface looks dated, but I am not entirely sure what a more modern interface looks like. Do you consider the general look and feel of Tapatalk to be a good example of modern, that I can use as a guide to work off of?
As for automatically going to a specific forum, that would certainly be easy to add. I was thinking of letting users place icons for their specific forums on their homescreen, so they could launch each forum just as they would a stand alone app. They would probably be widgets technically, but could look just like a normal app icon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A holo interface would be nice keeping in time with current Google design and the majority of apps that currently being published.
Sent from my N800 using Tapatalk

Added to Wishlist and will take a look at it when i get time and hello Kansas City from Springfield,MO

bastecklein said:
...I have noticed XDA is the #3 site accessed through Forum Fiend...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you pleae explain what else is tracked and how?

I appreciate the fact you asked for the voice of community. I guess it's somewhat vital for application's life, if anything else for gaining people's attention. Anyway, first thing I noticed when I installed Forum Fiend (yeah, I installed Forum Fiend now for the first time) was the fact that you need to manually enter forum server's URL. It's not a major PITA, but perhaps it would be nicer if it was done the Tapatalk way. The design is quite up-to-date IMHO, but as Jesellers88 said, default icons are cute, but kind of unprofessional, I'm afraid.
Also, BBCode support is a quite handy feature which Tapatalk does not offer (kudos!), but a full-fledged editor with preview, code and other stuff depending on what each forum allows would be even better, though Tapatalk offers nothing.
To summarize: Forum Fiend is quite a nice application, but above mentioned suggestions (mine and from others in this thread) would bring it to perfection, I suppose. This post was intended to be a constructive critique and in no manner something intended to offend your work. I'm not an application developer or anything alike so this is my two cents .

Seems really interesting. Will certainly keep an eye on this project.

nice work. one issue encountered: app crashes when using "Last Page" function on a 1 page post. probably want to handle that better.

rolling56 said:
Added to Wishlist and will take a look at it when i get time and hello Kansas City from Springfield,MO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks!
Sent from my SM-P600 using Forum Fiend v1.2.6.

defim said:
Can you pleae explain what else is tracked and how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes sure, I use Google Analytics to track page views, and also I track an event each time a server connection is made (server URL only, no other information is tracked).
I also send server connection information (again, URL only) to a database at my website, so that in the future I can implement a "most popular" forums section.

I see someone saw my comment.
Thank you thank you thank you. I can't stand the Tapatalk app. You have my thanks and full support!

moorkai said:
I appreciate the fact you asked for the voice of community. I guess it's somewhat vital for application's life, if anything else for gaining people's attention. Anyway, first thing I noticed when I installed Forum Fiend (yeah, I installed Forum Fiend now for the first time) was the fact that you need to manually enter forum server's URL. It's not a major PITA, but perhaps it would be nicer if it was done the Tapatalk way. The design is quite up-to-date IMHO, but as Jesellers88 said, default icons are cute, but kind of unprofessional, I'm afraid.
Also, BBCode support is a quite handy feature which Tapatalk does not offer (kudos!), but a full-fledged editor with preview, code and other stuff depending on what each forum allows would be even better, though Tapatalk offers nothing.
To summarize: Forum Fiend is quite a nice application, but above mentioned suggestions (mine and from others in this thread) would bring it to perfection, I suppose. This post was intended to be a constructive critique and in no manner something intended to offend your work. I'm not an application developer or anything alike so this is my two cents .
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Thanks for the feedback. A preview mode for the BBCode editor would certainly be easy to accomplish, so I will probably be adding that in there.
The primary reason I do not have a forum listing/browsing option like Tapa, is that I do not have access to Tapa's massive forum database (at least, not that I know of). I agree that it sucks having to manually type in the server address though. To try to somewhat get around this, I have been logging which servers are being accessed from the app (server address only, no personal info), and plan on adding a "most popular servers" list, or some other way to browse. It is the best I can come up with for the time being though :-/ If anybody has suggestions on better ways to implement this though, I am open to any ideas!

AbhishekS said:
Seems really interesting. Will certainly keep an eye on this project.
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Thanks, with time and work I hope to be able to rival or surpass the quality of the official app.

natezire71 said:
I see someone saw my comment.
Thank you thank you thank you. I can't stand the Tapatalk app. You have my thanks and full support!
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Thanks. The reason I started this project, and the reason I lost faith in Tapatalk, is because I had previously bought their "pro" app. Then they downgraded it to a free app and released another paid pro version. I wanted something that works without getting nickeled and dimed!

bastecklein said:
Thanks. The reason I started this project, and the reason I lost faith in Tapatalk, is because I had previously bought their "pro" app. Then they downgraded it to a free app and released another paid pro version. I wanted something that works without getting nickeled and dimed!
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I don't mind paying if it works. Tapatalk is awful.

skokielad said:
nice work. one issue encountered: app crashes when using "Last Page" function on a 1 page post. probably want to handle that better.
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oops, agreed!

Definitely need some sort of tutorial. Like how do I go about subscribing to a thread?
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

[4.1+] Writeily Pro: Markdown Text Editor

Hey XDA,
Longtime lurker, but first time poster here. I just launched my new app, Writeily Pro, this past weekend, and I'd love it if you guys checked it out and gave me some feedback .
Here's the Play Store link:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.writeily.pro
If you like it, I'd also appreciate the rating to help give the app exposure! Also, the app is open sourced on GitHub here:
https://github.com/jffrymrtn/writeily-pro
And last but not least, I intended originally to charge for the app and make it paid. But a lot of my past Writeily (the original one) users said they'd rather it be free, while some said they'd donate if they could. So, I set up a separate "donate" version of the app, which is identical to Writeily Pro (except it's red). I just thought I'd put it out here since I don't have a link to Donate in the app yet, so if any of you would like to help out, here it is:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.writeily.donate
Let me know how it is! Thanks XDA

This is really neat, thanks! As much as I love Markdown, I'm wondering if adding other markup languages is planned (it might be out of scope if you consider Writeily a Markdown only app), such as reStructredText, which I find better than Markdown for longer documents?

The PIN setup needs improvement. No double entry to prevent typos?
When unlocking there is no mechanism to undo wrong entry. The only way is to hit enter and re try.
No scroll capability. Once the screen is full, it does not scroll up. Can't see what I typed!

Getting the same issue with the document not scrolling here. Don't get it on the non-pro version so perhaps it's something to do with the extra keyboard row.
It's a nice looking clean material app but would need Dropbox integration if it's going to make me switch from Draft which is my current editor.
Look forward to see where you go with it.

GermainZ said:
This is really neat, thanks! As much as I love Markdown, I'm wondering if adding other markup languages is planned (it might be out of scope if you consider Writeily a Markdown only app), such as reStructredText, which I find better than Markdown for longer documents?
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Translation? XDA can help. Great members translate your app. Check my signature for the link.

benkxda said:
Translation? XDA can help. Great members translate your app. Check my signature for the link.
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Thanks, but I'm talking about markup languages, not "spoken" languages.

Are you considering adding tags functionality? and filter with tags?
Thanks

it will be nice to make it that you can write note with stylus pen behind keyboard..

Writeily
just wanted to say thanks for the app & the hard work. I'm giving it a try. The reviews are great & can't wait to try it!

randomelements said:
Getting the same issue with the document not scrolling here. Don't get it on the non-pro version so perhaps it's something to do with the extra keyboard row.
Look forward to see where you go with it.
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Interesting. I wasn't aware during testing, I'll file a bug and get this fixed for the next version. Thanks guys!

r.albu said:
Are you considering adding tags functionality? and filter with tags?
Thanks
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I'll add it to the list of considerations. Definitely possible

[email protected] said:
just wanted to say thanks for the app & the hard work. I'm giving it a try. The reviews are great & can't wait to try it!
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And many thanks to you for trying it out! I hope I can continue to make it great as updates come out

writeily said:
I'll add it to the list of considerations. Definitely possible
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Thanks.
With tags, I could forget folders, or having to write a note in a specific folder or having to change it to a different one... I could even have two notes, with some tags in common and others not (impossible with folders).
Also, is it possible to do a bulk import/export and not just one txt file at a time?
Finally, about the added keyboard row (nice): it would be great if it were optional or hidden/unhiden with a swipe (it can take a lot of space on smaller screens, and sometimes you just don't really need it).
The preview function is awesome. Thanks for your app and work!

nice app,worth a try
thanks,

New update. Now I can scroll. Can I have the files sort by name? Please? Thank you
Sent from my A0001 using XDA Free mobile app

I have enjoyed using this app for many months, but was disheartened to see development discontinued. The timing is awkward: I just opened a GitHub account with intent to fork it once I learn my way around. On my hard drive, I've added many of the extra features I've long been waiting for: Tables, highlighting, LaTeX Math through MathJax, etc. But I'm not yet confident that I can use GitHub proficiently, since I've only signed up an account just a week ago.
Any suggestions how I should begin rebooting its development?