Extending Elk => Addons => Topic started by: meetdilip on July 15, 2016, 07:20:53 pm
Title: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: meetdilip on July 15, 2016, 07:20:53 pm
Hi, I am offering Android app for your ElkArte forum. The app will have
1. A custom side menu
2. A listing of new posts as main content
3. Support for portal / blog / gallery page in custom menu
4. Browse links within the app
5. A colour scheme of your choice
6. Your logo as icon ( provided you can handover a png within required size limit )
7. A splash screen of your choice ( would be needing png with proper size )
8. No monthly / yearly charges.
9. App will be served as is. You can check the app at the time of purchase. From that point on, we part ways. No strings, no recurring fees, no hidden charges.
Let me know if you need one in this thread or by PM. My skype is dilip_k3 ( mention app for ElkArte when sending friend request)
I have one ready for this forum. Attaching screen shots
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: Jason on July 17, 2016, 02:12:18 am
Wow awesome, i might make use of your service soon bro!
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: ahrasis on July 17, 2016, 08:10:01 am
For those who have no time to pack their own android app, this will be good. ;)
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: badmonkey on July 17, 2016, 10:40:33 am
Interested. Does it provide full functionality? Pic upload and such? Have more screenshots? Price? Looks like nice work!
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: meetdilip on July 17, 2016, 11:05:48 am
Thanks @badmonkey . The app mainly pulls feed from the forum. Elk has set it as 5 latest threads by default. You can click to open the links within the app. Once you do that the app takes benefit of responsive theme of Elk. So it would feel to the same as using a mobile browser. That way, we can ensure that every feature of Elk will work. No matter there is an update or addons to your installation. The app also auto refreshes main screen. So you would be seeing the latest threads all the time.
What would be the ideal price for such an app ? I would love to have some community feedback.
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: radu81 on July 17, 2016, 05:47:41 pm
I have a similar app for my forum, a member did it for free but is not much used (http://s1.postimg.org/inv9ds1pr/Screenshot_2015_01_14_23_27_55.png)
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: ahrasis on July 17, 2016, 11:28:22 pm
Side menu seems nice but I think it can be made part of the theme without any app. Emanuele has shown some his attempts to do so somewhere.
The only good thing to have an app is if the notification can be passed to the app. Other than that, the app, if signed and published in google play / market site, will also help the forum a little.
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: meetdilip on July 18, 2016, 01:48:44 am
In my product, I am offering custom menu. ie, I manually code the whole thing for each customer. You can have whatever link you like in whichever order you like. Helps when you have a custom home page, a blog or want a custom navigation. It is not at all related to the menu Elk is offering.
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: Jorin on July 18, 2016, 02:25:45 am
Quote from: meetdilip – 9. App will be served as is. You can check the app at the time of purchase. From that point on, we part ways. No strings, no recurring fees, no hidden charges.
What about (frequently) updates if bugs are security breaches are found?
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: meetdilip on July 18, 2016, 03:54:05 am
There were 2 possible ways to do the app. One, custom code every bit of it. That way, you are vulnerable to updates in core and addons. I chose a method which uses the responsive theme within the app. So, when you see a new thread, click on it, you get your forum as in a mobile browser. Complete with all features like attachments, avatars, layout etc. Therefore, any update to core or addons should be automatically inherited to the app, provided they are done on your server.
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: ahrasis on July 18, 2016, 10:04:40 am
Well, to me that is just the basic webview function which I already shared the code for the whole app elsewhere.
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: meetdilip on July 18, 2016, 08:18:46 pm
It is a whole different technology in use here. I use Cordova here.
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: ahrasis on July 19, 2016, 02:03:38 am
Cordova is executed in a webview.
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: meetdilip on July 19, 2016, 02:20:39 am
The one you used was Cordova ?
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: ahrasis on July 19, 2016, 05:18:36 am
Nope. I am using eclipse to develop my app. I know I should learn using android studio instead but I have no time for it.
By the way, I did read some about cordova in the wiki where it mentions:
QuoteThe core of Apache Cordova applications use CSS3 and HTML5 for their rendering and JavaScript for their logic. HTML5 provides access to underlying hardware such as the accelerometer, camera, and GPS. However, browsers' support for HTML5-based device access is not consistent across mobile browsers, particularly older versions of Android. To overcome these limitations, Apache Cordova embeds the HTML5 code inside a native WebView on the device, using a foreign function interface to access the native resources of it.[27]
Apache Cordova can be extended with native plug-ins, allowing developers to add more functionalities that can be called from JavaScript, making it communicate directly between the native layer and the HTML5 page. These plugins allow access to the device's accelerometer, camera, compass, file system, microphone, and more.
However, the use of Web-based technologies leads some Apache Cordova applications to run slower than native applications with similar functionality.[28] Adobe Systems warns that applications may be rejected by Apple for being too slow or not feeling "native" enough (having appearance and functionality consistent with what users have come to expect on the platform). This can be an issue for some Apache Cordova applications.[29][30]
From my understanding, it indirectly uses webview and it is much slower.
Title: Re: Android app for ElkArte
Post by: meetdilip on July 19, 2016, 05:28:29 am
Quote from: ahrasis – By the way, I did read some about cordova in the wiki where it mentions:
Here is the app I built for Burning Board. It lacks many features I am offering here. Like custom menu for example since it is from one of my early builds. But you can see the basic function and check if it is fast enough. Thanks.