Database Info

[App] Prepay Widget needs testers!

Hello everyone! I am the developer of Prepay Widget, a powerful app that allows you to monitor your account balance through USSD requests.
You can find more info about USSD on Wikipedia, but basically these are short, SMS-like messages used by most GSM and some CDMA providers to deliver information
or control account services. The actual information comes to you in the form of popup toasts, which thids app hides and parses into widgets.
You can find the apps landing page on XDA at the following thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=12348102
However, i want to stress that its important that we get some device-specific feedback, so please post in this thread if you have issues,
this helps me keep track of bugs and requests better.
You can use the Lite version of the app - it has all the functionality of the full version apart from automatic updates (not really that important imo).
As I haven't got one of these phones in my pocket, I need some testers to track down problems. Please, use this thread to comment or
suggest features. It is my belief that addressing issues is best done individually by phone, so if something doesn't work, let me know and I will fix it ASAP.
Market link:
https://market.android.com/details?id=fahrbot.apps.ussd.widget.lite
Debugging:
Please use the "Write to developer" item in the Settings menu to send logs. Enable debugging, reproduce your error and then send the logs.
Make sure you include a description - the more detailed the description the better.
Screens:

The PERFECT APP. Glad i found this, its working very well!

Well thank you! Any suggestions?

Whats with 1.1.8? Any issues?

Guys, you know i appreciate feedback...

Any issues with the latest update?

Oke i am testing
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

Please let me know what you think...

No no issues - works perfectly.
I use all the time to test my themes and things

Anything to report?

1.3.3.0
Added full Russian translation
Fixed many small errors from user logs
Fixed rare radio restart issue on some ICS builds

[APP]Log This - End-User Friendly Debug Logs!

Log This
by Mgamerz Productions
<50 downloads, 1 ratings (5 avg)
Free
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Download Log This from Android Market
^^^This info does not update on it's own^^^
I have created a very simple but useful application called Log This. In short, it lets end-users get logcat logs (perhaps the app didn't crash - but it isn't working right.) without all the ADB fuss that surrounds logcat. It is meant to be simple for end users and powerful for developers.
It includes pastebin support that makes it easy to paste to your favorite android development forum, not mentioning any names that start with X.
Android Market Description said:
Log This is an application that can read logs given a provided tag and log level - and send them to developers. This saves them the hassle of having to use logcat on their computer with ADB.
As a developer, requesting the READ_LOGS permission is risky - it scares away a lot of users. Log This uses this permission, but is meant to be used by developers to request their end users to send in debug logs - one app to log em' all.
As an end user, you can install the app and help out your developers when they need debugging on specific phone models - provided they have logging enabled (perhaps via a logging mode).
It also can fetch kernel (panic) logs, as long as you supply the location of the log (a kernel developer can tell you if it does or not - not all kernels do)
This application is NOT optimized for tablets, but it should work on them. I don't have one to test with.
Permissions Explained:
READ_LOGS: Application has to be able to read the logs - the only data read is displayed in the email
INTERNET/CHECK_NETWORK_STATE: Advertising
WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: Used for building the log file. I leave the latest log as log.txt on the root of your media area (internal SD) so that you can always check it yourself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know there is an app called Log Collector already but I want to create some additional features.
Some new features that will be coming soon:
Three Click Logs - click on a file, accept the preview, click send. (file association)
I hope someday this app will be really useful.
Thoughts?

More otpions is always good. Thanks.

Balancing school, work, research (GibberTalk) and this app will be one great task

My friend and I were just discussing making an app like this. You beat us to the punch and you did a great job at doing that. Will it be okay to include your app in custom ROMs?

Of course! Just make sure it is linked to android market (so it will update itself). And as long as the rom isn't sold for money (I hear some roms are?). Happy cooking!

Awesome thanks a bunch!

Thanks! This should help a novice like myself.

just
want to say thanks

as6 said:
want to say thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, but did you hit the "THANKS" button?

Hi,
I'm quite new to Android.
It definitely will be helpful to me when I want to help a developer.
I have a question.
Does this app run itself in the background or do I have to enable it?

You must run this app yourself. A logging service would seem kind of creepy Logcat is ~10000 long (thats as far as my eclipse one goes anyway) so you should have a good 10 minutes, unless your device just booted, then DLNA parser (at least on my atrix, perhaps its just the media scanner) will flood your logcat for like 10 minutes.
The way this app is intended to work (end users wise, not as devs)
Devs either have logging/debug mode or have logging on by default
end-user experiences odd behavior/crash (crashes on 2.2 can be sent through 'reporting' to the market)
End user asks dev why this doesn't work
Dev either A) gives user file that auto collects needed info (they just have to send), and they open it after they start the app/it doesn't work properly or B) dev gives them the needed info (not much) to fill out the forms and send it in.
PROFIT!

ja
MobileWon said:
Yes, but did you hit the "THANKS" button?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i did already hit the button

Forgive me for not fully understanding the logging process. I'm on Serendipity VII. Will your program 'turn on' logging, or is there something I still have to do to enable it?

Android has a user-hidden system called LogCat that is always running. You can oly see it with the logcat command built into the system (also accessible through ADB, its very VERY useful for developers for debugging/seeing what is going on). This just runs the 'logcat command' (prints out text) and filters it out. This app just captures that log command (with the filters)

Mgamerz said:
Android has a user-hidden system called LogCat that is always running. You can oly see it with the logcat command built into the system (also accessible through ADB, its very VERY useful for developers for debugging/seeing what is going on). This just runs the 'logcat command' (prints out text) and filters it out. This app just captures that log command (with the filters)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. I thought I'd read that you had to enable it in recovery or something - thank you for the education!

Hello,
I'm planning to communicate a procedure to use this app to the users of my own app who encounter problems.
There are however some questions / remarks I already have :
"Log an application tag" field : is this the TAG constant we pass to the android.util.Log.* calls ? In this case, I personally use several different tags in the same app so this would not be enough for all cases.
internationalization : the app is in english only, is it possible to help translating ? I can do it for french...
in the screenshots at the market, there is a screen that I don't have on my device : ss-480-1-1 (the one with the nice looking arrows "keep it private" / "make it public"), is it an old screen ?
From my first tests, it looks like there is not a lot of logs extracted, but I didn't tested it extensively. I'll will test it more and give you more feedback, thanks for this possibly great alternative to Log Collector !

I am soon going to add multiple tags, but they will all have to use the same level. I've been incredibly busy with my schoolwork that just started (and it sucks too!)
The app right now is english only. I can work on making it more translatable, but I throw a mix of R.string.xx with string literals.
The 'keep it private' screen isn't there cause it was a GIMPED photo. To promote your app you should add text. That would never fit on a small screen. Still trying to make screen scaling better than just scroll panes. It'll get there though.
How long before your app is released?
Edit: Or how long would you need? I have some ideas that could be wrapped around this:
Should all the tags be inline?
Should they be spread across .txt files? (Although that would be a bit more difficult as iirc the gmail app only supports up to 5)
I'd list more but my class is about to start

Mgamerz said:
I am soon going to add multiple tags, but they will all have to use the same level. I've been incredibly busy with my schoolwork that just started (and it sucks too!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry, just do your schoolwork, I am not in need, just thinking about the next features I could implement in my app(s)
The app right now is english only. I can work on making it more translatable, but I throw a mix of R.string.xx with string literals.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, no pb. If you need a translator in the future you know where to find me
The 'keep it private' screen isn't there cause it was a GIMPED photo. To promote your app you should add text. That would never fit on a small screen. Still trying to make screen scaling better than just scroll panes. It'll get there though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyway, I was just curious. Using images to give important indications to user is probably not a very accessible thing...
How long before your app is released?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've just released one already, soon in the app forum of xda, if I manage to get some time to do it right...
As I said, I'm not in need of any blocking feature... I think using "Log this" doesn't need to be programmatically integrated in the application, and that's a good point for me. We just need to tell users to install it and what parameters to use, on a per case basis.
Edit: Or how long would you need? I have some ideas that could be wrapped around this:
Should all the tags be inline?
Should they be spread across .txt files? (Although that would be a bit more difficult as iirc the gmail app only supports up to 5)
I'd list more but my class is about to start
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't thought about it yet, but a txt file looks too much complicated for users... Maybe it's best to uncheck the corresponding checkbox if there are multiple tags, or to use some generic patterns like "my.package.*"...
Also I was wondering if a simple URI like logthis://tag=TAG1&tag=TAG2&level=debug&... could be easily parsed as an Intent by some BroadcastReceiver...? This would help the developer give the user the right parameters via e-mail or other...
Again, this would require more thinking before considering those as good ideas and implement them... Maybe this will give you a starting point...

Nice tool, thanks a lot

@Mgamerz : Here is my app "SwitchDataSwitch" at xda : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1287025
I will soon include a chapter on how to use Log This in case of problem on the website : http://bitbucket.org/nicobo/switchdataswitch
Fyi, the next version might include a direct link to use Log This.
---------- Post added at 12:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 PM ----------
By the way, this is a first test, I think I will generalize the use of both Log This and Log Collector in my future apps, thanks.

Tips about a good customer support

No matter if the app is free or paid, as a developer you want to offer a good support to the end users. Why? Because as long as they are happy they will continue to use your app and they will recommend it to others. So it is in your best interest to do your best and resolve issues that customers are reporting, implement requested features and solve as many bugs as possible.
To that end, you must ensure you provide easy to access means of communication between you as a developer and the end users. There are many ways you can achieve that and I will list a few I am using and the more you can provide the better so we can put together a list:
Create an email address or use one you already have (I prefer the former) and provide links on Google Play and inside the app. It is nice if you add an accessible menu item that says (Suggestions/Bug report/Support/Etc) that will start an intent chooser for sending emails to this email address
Use forums (XDA ) and post your app and frequently visit and answer suggestions/questions. There are a lot of helpful users there that will test the app and discover bugs, suggest new features and it is very good if you can keep the thread hot so you keep the interest up. Users like feedback and makes them feel important (which they are) so try to answer as many posts as possible even though you don't have a solution to the problem yet
Get social! Social networking is very helpful these days both for spreading the word about your app but also for customer support. Create profiles for the app on all major social networks (Facebook, Google +, Twitter, etc) and try to get as many users as possible. Post as many updates as possible and keep the users informed about changes to the app, answer to their comments and implement suggestions
Prioritization - build yourself a TODO list with priorities: for each update try to solve major bugs first that are heavily reported or that are causing big problems. Always find some room for improvements and user suggestions. Then fix small bugs and try to improve UI.
Localization is an important part of today's apps. Try to support as many languages as possible making easy for the users to understand the app and to better communicate their findings
Use the publish console to check for crash reports. Many users use this feature and send crash reports along with the stack trace and it is very helpful to keep track of major crashes and identify the root cause
Please reply with more tips so we can create a big list for everyone

Email is the number 1 way people ( from my experience ) contact the developer to ask questions, recommendations, etc. What I did in addition to all the things in the op was create a cheap 5 page website with Godaddy website tonight its like $100 bucks a year or something. They also auto optimize your site for mobile viewing!Then made a contact us page, were users can choose a reason for contacting us. This works really well and you can set up an auto responder to send them a message letting them know you got the email.
I always try to answer emails immediately (during business hours) but always within 24 hours. Having a great customer service program even if your a solo dev like I am will translate into 5 star ratings based solely on customer service!
Have a lax customer service program and you will see the negative 1 or 2 star ratings pop up again based solely on customer service. It shouldn't take anyone more than say 48 hours to re connect with someone and at least start the process of answering their concern.
You can see the contact us page here
Good policy will turn into good reviews and good downloads!
:good:

I've put a feedback page in all my apps.
You don't even need to create a new email address. Just use your personal email address and create an alias. That way it looks formal on the outside but messages go to same inbox as your personal one, only have to check one inbox everyday.

HMMMMMM!
FIRST OF ALLL EMAIL AND AFTER THAT XDA POSTS.........:victory:

email or the message box is very important. But it's also important to reply to their questions promptly.

Free Customer Service SDK
Replying promptly to customers is essentially the first step towards good customer service. If you are an iOS app developer, looking to impress your customers with excellent customer support, try out Freshdesk's Mobihelp SDK ( [freshdesk.com/mobihelp) you can snap-in to your app and start communicating with your customers from right within your app. I'm sure it will be of great help in your customer service efforts!

Thanks for the tips! Just a question: I have got one Crash report in google play console very early, but since then nothing. I have put email in the game and on the play store. But nobody used it. I do not have many installs, but I wonder what is the usual percentage of people who actually report bugs?

kulisgames said:
Thanks for the tips! Just a question: I have got one Crash report in google play console very early, but since then nothing. I have put email in the game and on the play store. But nobody used it. I do not have many installs, but I wonder what is the usual percentage of people who actually report bugs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my experience, if the app is something people desperately need (e.g. utility) or want (e.g. game) but it isn't working quite as they expected, they will be vocal. Not hearing anything from users is usually a warning sign that nobody was too excited about the app in the first place, or that not that many people downloaded the app in the first place.

If I see a crash on Google Play I assume that the same crash occured for 10 others who didn't bother reporting it. So I try to fix it ASAP.
You could use Google Analytics to report crashes without user prompt.
Regardless of the above, it sounds like you have a general marketing challange which is much more critical than that crash report, so you should investigate marketing and promotions in general.
kulisgames said:
Thanks for the tips! Just a question: I have got one Crash report in google play console very early, but since then nothing. I have put email in the game and on the play store. But nobody used it. I do not have many installs, but I wonder what is the usual percentage of people who actually report bugs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Bad reviews on google play
slackydroid said:
No matter if the app is free or paid, as a developer you want to offer a good support to the end users. Why? Because as long as they are happy they will continue to use your app and they will recommend it to others. So it is in your best interest to do your best and resolve issues that customers are reporting, implement requested features and solve as many bugs as possible.
To that end, you must ensure you provide easy to access means of communication between you as a developer and the end users. There are many ways you can achieve that and I will list a few I am using and the more you can provide the better so we can put together a list:
Create an email address or use one you already have (I prefer the former) and provide links on Google Play and inside the app. It is nice if you add an accessible menu item that says (Suggestions/Bug report/Support/Etc) that will start an intent chooser for sending emails to this email address
Use forums (XDA ) and post your app and frequently visit and answer suggestions/questions. There are a lot of helpful users there that will test the app and discover bugs, suggest new features and it is very good if you can keep the thread hot so you keep the interest up. Users like feedback and makes them feel important (which they are) so try to answer as many posts as possible even though you don't have a solution to the problem yet
Get social! Social networking is very helpful these days both for spreading the word about your app but also for customer support. Create profiles for the app on all major social networks (Facebook, Google +, Twitter, etc) and try to get as many users as possible. Post as many updates as possible and keep the users informed about changes to the app, answer to their comments and implement suggestions
Prioritization - build yourself a TODO list with priorities: for each update try to solve major bugs first that are heavily reported or that are causing big problems. Always find some room for improvements and user suggestions. Then fix small bugs and try to improve UI.
Localization is an important part of today's apps. Try to support as many languages as possible making easy for the users to understand the app and to better communicate their findings
Use the publish console to check for crash reports. Many users use this feature and send crash reports along with the stack trace and it is very helpful to keep track of major crashes and identify the root cause
Please reply with more tips so we can create a big list for everyone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
how can we deal with bad reviews on google play, reviews that comes from pepole that didn't understand the meaning of the app?
Thanks.

If you're looking for app support best practices, contact a big startup like Buffer or Squarespace and see how they respond to your question. Notice the friendly tone of voice, the detailed answers they try to give you, and the call for action at the end of every support ticket - whether it's to try and recreate the event that caused the bug or read a FAQ section. Do that a dozen times and you'll learn more about 'proper' support than any how-to article can teach you.

dimnikolov said:
If you're looking for app support best practices, contact a big startup like Buffer or Squarespace and see how they respond to your question. Notice the friendly tone of voice, the detailed answers they try to give you, and the call for action at the end of every support ticket - whether it's to try and recreate the event that caused the bug or read a FAQ section. Do that a dozen times and you'll learn more about 'proper' support than any how-to article can teach you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep makes sense in my experience - personalise as much as possible and reflect the tone of voice of your app. Users will really appreciate it. Stay social.

Why not have some kind of in-app help?
Having a suggestions/feedback menu item seems to be the common thread here to provide good customer support.
But wondering - why not some kind of in app help itself? Sort of a Whatsapp inside the app? I feel email being a separate channel breaks the context - help within the app itself and in context would be so much easier for the end user.
Thoughts?

I know it is an old thread but there are SDKs that help you integrate a support chat right within the app. I have seen zomato use one of these.

Thank you for a list!

[APP][2.2+] AddMeNow - Free Download for XDA Community Members!

[Exclusive Showcase & Download for XDA Users only] - Get it now, its Free!
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EXPRESS YOUR THOUGHTS &
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RELEASES. THIS IS MY FIRST ANDROID APP
SO BE HONEST AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK :good:
XDA USER EXCLUSIVE DOWNLOAD [THIS IS THE PRO VERSION] - SHARE WITH YOUR FRIEND IF YOU THINK THIS APP IS USEFUL LINK: http://goo.gl/eBZxyW

[APP][2.2+] AddMeNow
Exclusive Showcase and Free Download for XDA Community Members can be found in the next post!
Hello guys, this is my first android application I have released. Please support me I have a FREE and PRO version.
The application is simple and too the point. Please click on the link to the Play Store too read the description.
If you guys have any recommendations please don't be shy and state them below.
____________
Everyone has had the moment when they need to add a new contact to their phone
when they go out and meet an old friend or meet someone new in general.
This Android-exclusive app gives users a rapid, worry-free way to add a new contact to their phone.
This is how:
AddMeNow makes adding the people you meet and care about faster than ever.
You have two options, add contacts via "Add with Text" or "Add with Call." If you add with text you simply click on the button, then enter your friends information and click add & if you do add with call you click on the selected button then enter your friends info and click add. Your friend will automatically be saved to your phone and they will receive a call from you.
You can decide if you want to (Add) / save contacts to your phone or to your Google account. Simple as that! AddMeNow lets you save time and energy so try it now!
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Here is a simple screenshot view of how the UI looks like on each tab.
Mr. Kitty will be my test subject
FREE Features
-Add contacts ONLY to your phone and NOT to your Google account
-Doesn't allow you to set a custom text when you do the "Add with Text"
-Free copy has annoying advertisements.
-Link: http://goo.gl/jpBPmH
PRO Feature
-No annoying ads,
-Shake to add NFC functions
-Set your own custom text message when you use the "Add with Text" option free does NOT allow you to do this.
-Link:http://goo.gl/BofBrs
Coming soon features:
-Add with MMS functionality
-New prompts for adding user
-Other things to come, Stay tuned!
Tested & Working on Rooted/Non-rooted :
-Samsung Galaxy S3
-Samsung Galaxy S4
-Samsung galaxy s advance
-Blu Quattro 4.5
Should work on ANY Android device 2.2 & up
Tested & Working on Rooted/Non-rooted :
-Samsung Galaxy S3
-Samsung Galaxy S4
-Samsung galaxy s advance
-Blu Quattro 4.5
Should work on ANY Android device 2.2 & up
Future updates will bring:
*MMS Text feature
*Intructional step by step on what to do on splash screen
*Social Media intergration
**MORE COMING SOON**
Official-FAQ:
Q: What does it actually do?
A: It allows you to add contacts MUCH faster
than you would normally with Text + Call options.
Q:What does it add my contacts too?
A: With FREE it automatically adds contacts to PHONE
With PRO it lets you pick from PHONE or Google Account.
Q: Why are there advertisements?
A: Simple, Get the PRO version & they wont be there anymore.
Q: What's the square in the middle or the screen on the ME tab?
A: Its to upload your own photo. You touch it and select your own pic from your gallery.

This app is simple and useful, love it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am always on the mobile app and am always 'trying' to help others and moderators on the forum and learning something new everyday. I make stupid posts sometimes, but I never repeat a mistake more than once. I may not be a developer, but I know alot of stuff, so feel free to messsge me any questions and I'll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm starting a video game company with my friend where we will be making Android games. message me for more info or go here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2290843

-Falco said:
This app is simple and useful, love it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am always on the mobile app and am always 'trying' to help others and moderators on the forum and learning something new everyday. I make stupid posts sometimes, but I never repeat a mistake more than once. I may not be a developer, but I know alot of stuff, so feel free to messsge me any questions and I'll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm starting a video game company with my friend where we will be making Android games. message me for more info or go here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2290843
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! Means a lot to me :good:

Just wanted to say that I have tested this app on my Stock rooted S3 and it works perfectly fine. This is a great app for someone like me that always runs into people. Usually I have them call me so I can have their phone number, but then I usually flash a new ROM and lose their number...this is going to save me. Good work!
Sent from my Poon-Handler using xda premium

Ok...that is a damn good app. Love it!

Thank you guys I appreciate it, Im currently looking for feedback that'll help me shape this into a fully useful app "more than it is now" but any response is bettet than none c:
If you have ANY recommendations please let me know. For the first 20 users who post their ideas for the next future update will get PRO copies.:good:

EddyBalls said:
Just wanted to say that I have tested this app on my Stock rooted S3 and it works perfectly fine. This is a great app for someone like me that always runs into people. Usually I have them call me so I can have their phone number, but then I usually flash a new ROM and lose their number...this is going to save me. Good work!
Sent from my Poon-Handler using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im glad to hear that! I have added the S3 to the tested and working phone list. Thanks a ton
nlygamz said:
Ok...that is a damn good app. Love it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Show some love then (; ive dropped the price of the PRO version & if you can't get the PRO copy just spread the word around to others! Thanks for trying it out. Stay tuned for future updates.

hey, nice app
some things i would like to have in the future:
- an option to choose the default tab (i dont need to start with my own number screen, cause i have my own number in my head, i want to start with "add"-screen)
- different colors to choose from
- camera button in "add"- screen to quickly add a contact photo to the new contact
cheers

rob rich said:
hey, nice app
some things i would like to have in the future:
- an option to choose the default tab (i dont need to start with my own number screen, cause i have my own number in my head, i want to start with "add"-screen)
- different colors to choose from
- camera button in "add"- screen to quickly add a contact photo to the new contact
cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will deff look into adding those features! Thanks bro
Also dont forget the PRO verison send me your email in a PM and ill give you a free copy

Nice app with an exceptional ease of use.
I'm currently enjoying the benefits of Pro and will in the near future purchase this app
As a user noted above, more theme/colour options would be great.
Only one problem so far, I cant seem to find an option to turn off the NFC functionality
and as such get prompted to shake the device on every start up of the app. I don't use
nor need NFC so it stays off. This option would be greatly appreciated!
Love these kind of time saving apps and I hope we see more
Forgot to mention, I'm testing this app on a rooted SGS4 (i9505) running JB 4.3 (Jamals).
And no offence at all, but I have a keen eye and have noticed your Sig needs adjustment, "UI Design"

Hi!
Great app! Good job...
Nitpick - Typo on 'Shake Phone' pop-up : Should be "your", not "you're".
Bug - I'm using a Nexus 4. When, I'm in the 'Add only' tab, I can't see the 'Last Name' and 'Phone Number' fields when entering data into them, with the keyboard open, The list should scroll down, ideally.
Neat app, though!
Thanks!

hi
Hi!
Great app! Good job...

Great app. But as already mentioned please don't have the NFC info pop up every time the app starts
Sent from my GT-I9210T using xda app-developers app

Nice & productive

Rizur said:
Nice app with an exceptional ease of use.
I'm currently enjoying the benefits of Pro and will in the near future purchase this app
As a user noted above, more theme/colour options would be great.
Only one problem so far, I cant seem to find an option to turn off the NFC functionality
and as such get prompted to shake the device on every start up of the app. I don't use
nor need NFC so it stays off. This option would be greatly appreciated!
Love these kind of time saving apps and I hope we see more
Forgot to mention, I'm testing this app on a rooted SGS4 (i9505) running JB 4.3 (Jamals).
And no offence at all, but I have a keen eye and have noticed your Sig needs adjustment, "UI Design"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha you made my day! Yess everything you said is correct I am releasing an update very soon within a couple of days and I will add much needed functionalities. Also I will change up my signature (im not the best at spelling/grammar nor does photoshop have spelling check xD )
Edit: Changed up my sig haha

sicHiRsch said:
Great app. But as already mentioned please don't have the NFC info pop up every time the app starts
Sent from my GT-I9210T using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im changing that on the next update. Thank you sir!

Many thanks buddy for being so kind go give the pro version freely to us!

Kurama21 said:
Many thanks buddy for being so kind go give the pro version freely to us!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not a problem man! please be so kind as to share my app to others and spead the word (;

Suggestion: In addition to personal info add fields for business name, address, phone number, fax number. This could develop into something really nice. Business cards are soooo low tech. lol.

[OLD version][APP][dev] The Box v3- a lightweight app for custom ROM devs 12Aug2014

**Wrong thread!** GO TO THE NEW THREAD FOR LATEST APP!​
As of 24 May 2015 - find The Box v.4.0 here. Watch the youtube demo video in the OP For answers to most questions.
Announcement: Can everyone who is using The Box in a ROM or theme collection project please post a link to your thread and a screenshot of your personalized layout of The Box?? I keep hearing that it's used in more places, and I've asked that you just let me know. Please do so. Thanks.
The Box
The simple app that any custom Android ROM developer or themer just might want to have…​
New! You can check out one ROM's implementation of The Box on the play store at the following link. This is only useful for users of that one ROM. It's their version of The Box. Here you can easily make your own version. The Box sample here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.erikalin.box1
Want people to stop asking you for updates and mods you've already uploaded? Tired of thread clutter with people asking repeatedly for certain download links or theme threads? Include this lightweight app that gives your ROM/theme users instant access to your updates, fixes, themes, etc., as soon as you upload. No additional service setup is required. Keep using whatever file hosting service you already use (i.e. AndroidFileHost, Dev-Host,your own, whatever).
From start to finish, I estimate it will take you 45-60 minutes to get this ready to go for yourself. This includes time for you to learn "what goes where". If you were to do it a second time, it would take ten minutes. You decompile the app, change a few strings, and make a few other XML edits, a few smali edits, and put in your own desired images and app icon. Build it up and you have a nice addition to your custom ROM or theme package. Minimum SDK is 11; app will work out of the box on any version of Android 3.0 +. There are some other apps, more complex than this one, for you to choose to integrate in your projects. The Box is intentionally simple.
Demo video for an earlier version of The Box:​
https://vimeo.com/97699006​
​
Written instructions for customizing – See Post #3 for step-by-step instructions on exactly where you need to make your edits.
Downloads –
SIX BUTTON VERSION as shown here in the OP is attached to the OP
TWO BUTTON VERSION is found here.
Change Log –
V3.0 August 12, 2014
- completely redid the layout
- added space for smaller buttons
- new package name to avoid conflict with Play Store
V.2.0 June 12, 2014
- restructured app to remove webviews; buttons now call browser, or forum-browser (i.e. Tapatalk) per user's default settings (faster, smoother)
- thanks talkingmonkeys for requesting this change.
V 1.0 initial release June 9, 2014
Known Issues –
Do NOT upload your version to the play store. Don't do it. Users will get app updates to someone else's project, because it will have the same package name. Avoid.
Contributor –
erikalin
Latest version – 3.0
Latest release date – August 12, 2014
Created on – June 9, 2014
FAQ –
See Post #2.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

Frequently Asked Questions​
What is the main purpose of The Box?
Very simple: Include this app in your ROM and users can check for ROM updates, fixes, modifications, themes and whatever else you would normally link to in your thread. Use AHF or whatever you normally use for hosting, and just create a useful file structure for your uploads.This app can really save thread clutter with people asking for links to mods and updates. You can customize The Box one time and literally never have to touch it again.
Do you have a sample of The Box that is in use already in a custom ROM?
Yep. The Box is currently being used in several different ROMs and theme collection projects. One version is on the play store. Download it to check it out as a functioning example: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.erikalin.box1
How is The Box different from OTA Updater apps?
Thanks for the question, @gcrutchr. The Box is much more simple than OTA updater apps. This is basic, lightweight, clean and will just always work. More features means more places to experience errors. The Box is not meant to compete with feature-rich updater apps. You can customize The Box one time and literally never have to touch it again.
Who is The Box for?
This is primarily for custom ROM developers who do not want to create an app from scratch. The other possible users are themers who offer a library of themes and updates, and cannot create an app from scratch. Just because you can theme an app doesn’t mean you can make one. If you know how to create an app from scratch then do that. If not, theme this one for your own use.
Who is this not for?
*This* thread here is not for end users. The Box is useless until it has been customized for someone’s ROM or other project. If an end-user downloads The Box from this thread, he/she will be getting a fully-functional dummy app with placeholder images. The Box is also not for app developers who are good at what they do. One can make a much more complex and personalized app for one’s specific needs. This is intentionally simple in order to be quick, easy and universal.
How long would it take me to customize The Box to use in my project?
An hour maybe, or a little less? If you go back later to update again, it'll probably take five minutes to revise a link or something like that.
Do you have default images?
Yeah. I put a folder of the placeholder images in a zip file attached to the OP. Replace those with your own and drop them back into the template apk file.
Can you tell me all the places I need to get in and edit to customize?
Yes. See post #3.
What permissions does the app require?
This app only needs one permission: Full internet access.
What permissions do I have to use this app?
Take it, customize it and use it in your own projects. Please post a link on this thread to your project in which you're using The Box. You NEED to leave the “About” tab on the bottom of the main activity (screen) and you need to not edit my About activity string. There are no ads, no fees, no hidden costs or other obligations. Please leave my credit as-is and my app name as-is. Don’t remove the About. I made The Box and have offered it to you for you to customize and personalize. Let’s just not pretend you made it, mkay?
So what can I not modify if I use The Box in my own project?
Don’t remove the visibility of the About tab from the main activity (“main screen”) and don’t edit the string content of that activity, which is located in strings.xml file and works in the AboutActivity.java class file. Do not rename the app. These are my credits and need to stay. Change whatever else you want.
Can you add in this feature or that feature?
Doubtful. This is intentionally simple in order to be both lightweight and universal, and easy for you to customize too! If you want a more complicated app then by all means go make one. If you have light suggestions, consistent with a basic, universal app such as this, feel free to make them on this thread. I’ll definitely consider all feedback, but offer no promises. This is supposed to be a SIMPLE solution.
Why no splash screen?
I see no reason to make end-users wait three seconds. It’s annoying. Nobody wants to be shown an ad when they open an app. They want to be shown an app. Also no facebook integration, ads, other device permissions or complicated programming which would just be harder for you to customize and thus defeat my purpose.
What if I don't like this app?
No problem, and I respectfully ask that you not share that with me. Just don't use it. I'm not seeking critique but sharing my work for free.
If you have any questions, ask them in the thread and I’ll add to this FAQ post.​

Customizations Guide - rev. August 12, 2014​
Reminder: Please leave my credits as-is and obviously don’t rename The Box. It is illegal for you to take this code and call it your own app. I am letting you customize and use The Box pretty much however you want. Just don't take my credit away, please. Other than that, let’s do this.
DIRECTIONS​
Download the latest version of The Box template from the OP.
Decompile the app.
Edit strings.
In res\values\strings.xml edit only the following values:
Code:
<string name="ROMtitle">"Awesome ROM Name Here"</string>
<string name="ROMsubtitle">"subtitle for your ROM here ~ by yourname"</string>
<string name="action_settings">Hi :)</string> <!-- This is what shows on pressing the menu button -->
<string name="themes">Themes</string> <!-- This is in the middle of the screen - you might want to leave this or change it -->
Replace images.
These placeholder images are in a zip file attached to the OP. Note: You can adjust the background transparency for behind the button images in res\layout\activity_main.xml. For each button you’ll want to modify the android: background entry for that image button from the default which is as shown below:
Code:
android:background="#[B][COLOR="Red"]33000000[/COLOR][/B]"
Edit smali for buttons’ URL destinations.
Specify the URLs for the websites you want each button to go to. To edit MainActivity.java in an app you can make the edits in:
smali\com\erikalin\box3\MainActivity.smali
Find the website URLs and replace them. They have obvious names so you can easily modify them to be your desired URLs. Do not touch anything in the MainActivity.smali file except to edit the URLs, or you will probably mess things up. Each URL is matched with a method with an obvious name. These are the methods, and you'll edit the URLs for each:
goToRepo
goToXDA
goTobuttonA
goTobuttonB
goTobuttonC
goTobuttonD
goTobuttonE
goTobuttonF
Let me show you one example below. I will put in red what you would edit. Don't touch anything else. Just change the URLs.
Code:
.method public goTobuttonA(Landroid/view/View;)V
.locals 1
.param p1, "view" # Landroid/view/View;
.prologue
.line 29
const-string v0, "[U][B][COLOR="red"]http://google.com/#q=letter+A[/COLOR][/B][/U]"
invoke-direct {p0, v0}, Lcom/erikalin/box3/MainActivity;->goToUrl(Ljava/lang/String;)V
.line 30
return-void
.end method
Build it back up, sign and test. Enjoy!

This is an AWESOME app!!! Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
It will definitely come in handy. Nice work @erikalin.

Thank you very much! Looking forward to playing around with this and adding it into my rom. Great work!
Sent from my SGH-I747 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

nice
nicely explained!!!

Great!

prateek.khurana31 said:
nicely explained!!!
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itskapil said:
Great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad you like it. Try it out! :good:

Edit: QUESTION
Push Notifications
Yes / No?​
ANSWER
No. There's no way to include push notifications in The Box as a universal template in which you can just go make a few personalized edits and you're ready to use The Box on your own. Basically for me to set it up so that you can insert a few things and then be able to send your own push notifications, it would be much more complicated than the intent of this project, and I would have to host server resources. The Box is more simple than that. If you are curious, here's a good tutorial that will work. My guess is that if you can follow this tutorial then you're probably creating your own app rather than customizing The Box.

erikalin said:
Features?
I am considering integrating push notifications... in other words, you as the ROM or theme developer (the person customizing this app to use in his/her project) can send a push notification to users. I would have to make it so the user can turn push notifications on/off too, obviously.
I think this is a nuisance feature though, isn't it? What would you do if some notification woke you up at 3:00 AM because you didn't realize you had to turn it off? I'd be livid. And... who the heck would leave them on anyway?
Push Notifications
Yes / No?​
Edit: I could look into silent push notifications...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I like this idea. Maybe setting them to off as default?
Sent from my SGH-I747 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Just curious...how does this differ from the open source project "OTA Update Center"?
ota update center
Thanks

gcrutchr said:
Just curious...how does this differ from the open source project "OTA Update Center"?
ota update center
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi. The Box is a lot more simple than that. This is lightweight, able to load the file repo and the xda thread. More features means more places to lose compatibility or encounter errors. This will just always work clean and simple on every device. It isn't meant to replace or compete with feature-rich OTA updater apps.

erikalin said:
Hi. The Box is a lot more simple than that. This is lightweight, able to load the file repo and the xda thread. More features means more places to lose compatibility or encounter errors. This will just always work clean and simple on every device. It isn't meant to replace or compete with feature-rich OTA updater apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback. Will look into using this in my next rom.

As much as I want to try it, I cannot download from the main server or alternates. Nothing happens when I click on any server.

gcrutchr said:
As much as I want to try it, I cannot download from the main server or alternates. Nothing happens when I click on any server.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah? It's all on Android File Host. I just tested and it's working for me. Are you looking for the three button demo? I can attach that one file to this post, I think. Let's see... If you're looking for the working example from the Project X ROM let me know and I'll grab it and attach that instead of this one. Do me a favor and try one more time with AFH. It should be okay...
gcrutchr said:
Thanks. Tried again this time using shift+select and now getting 404 error file not found. I am in Thailand but I do not think that is an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I'm not sure then. They don't show any server errors... Anyway, I attached the file you're probably looking for here to this post on xda.

erikalin said:
Yeah? It's all on Android File Host. I just tested and it's working for me. Are you looking for the three button demo? I can attach that one file to this post, I think. Let's see... If you're looking for the working example from the Project X ROM let me know and I'll grab it and attach that instead of this one. Do me a favor and try one more time with AFH. It should be okay...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Tried again this time using shift+select and now getting 404 error file not found. I am in Thailand but I do not think that is an issue.

erikalin said:
Features?
Push Notifications
Yes / No?​
Edit: I could look into silent push notifications...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I say yes as long as they are off by default.

I'll have mine up soon. Well probably next week when I get the time to finish everything.
One small request would be to remove the webview thats in the app just because it loads slower than the browser. It only comes up for the 2nd button and I'm just wondering if you could teach me how to remove it. Thank you for this great app.

talkingmonkeys said:
One small request would be to remove the webview thats in the app just because it loads slower than the browser. It only comes up for the 2nd button and I'm just wondering if you could teach me how to remove it. Thank you for this great app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know how to use Eclipse?
Sent from my Verizon HTC One M8 using Tapatalk

erikalin said:
Do you know how to use Eclipse?
Sent from my Verizon HTC One M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't but I can look up how to