New Baka-Tsuki Android App: Development

[Nandaka]

Note: If your LN or chapter list is empty, please use the Refresh option in the list's menu.

@ben123: decompile the apk? http://droiddudes.com/2011/05/08/howto- ... xml-files/

Instructions for dummies:

1. Download the apk anywhere on your computer, preferably some place you can quickly get to (ie. desktop). The apk should be named "LNReader-signed-nandaka" or something similar.
2. Turn on USB storage on your phone. The option should automatically pop up on the notifications after plugging in the USB cable.
   
3. Bring up your 'My Computer' folder and open up your phone's removable storage folder. In the case that you have more than one folder, pick whichever one you want as long as you can remember which one it is.
   
4. Drag and drop the apk from wherever you put it in your computer to the removable storage folder. When that's done, turn off USB storage from your phone.
   
5. Download an install app or a file explorer app from the Play Store if you didn't already have one. Like this one
   
6. Before we do anything though, you'll have to enable installing from unknown sources in the settings:
   
   Android 2.3 and below:
   Settings -> Applications -> Make sure the check box next to 'Unknown Sources' is on. It should be at the top of the list.
   
   Android 3.0 and above:
   Settings -> Security -> Scroll down to 'Unknown Sources' and make sure the box next to it is on.
   
   
7. Open up the app you just downloaded and look for LNReader-signed-nandaka. If you don't see it, you might have put it in your SD card so check the external_sd folder.
   
8. Open LNReader-signed-nandaka and click on install.
   
9. You're done!

[ben1234]

That's not something we want to do without the developer's permission, especially if we want to make it our own.

[EusthEnoptEron]

In the worst case, we can just kick up a new project and slap it on GitHub. ...Although someone would have to make a first step for that.

[ben1234]

It's your idea so you do it

[Anonymous192]

is there going to be an app for the iPod/iPhone?

[ben1234]

Only if Apple decides to stop restricting the apps they allow to be uploaded

I knew saving that line somewhere would come in handy!

[Mystes]

I wonder if we could make an app available for iOS through Cydia/jailbreaking.

[ben1234]

Sure, if you want to only make it available to the small percentage of the iOS users who voided their warranty

[EusthEnoptEron]

Alternatively, we could make an online app (or at least a mobile-optimized version of B-T). Although I don't know how well that would work, since I've never tried anything like that.

That being said, I made a quick 'n dirty proof of concept here. I have no idea if it works on any iPhone and whatnot., but at least my old Android seems to handle it.

[Nandaka]

That being said, I made a quick 'n dirty proof of concept here. I have no idea if it works on any iPhone and whatnot., but at least my old Android seems to handle it.

Nice, prefer application though, so I can download and read it offline.

btw, is there any API you use for getting the novel list and the contents? I know there is MediaWiki API, but somehow when I tried to fetch the links, they sort the order by alphabet. (like this: http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/api.p ... splaytitle)

[EusthEnoptEron]

Nice, prefer application though, so I can download and read it offline.

It may or may not be possible to simulate that behavior using the Offline API, which however seems to be rather inconsistent in terms of support and difficult to customize. I guess I'll look into it, but before that, I have to translate Hakomari.

btw, is there any API you use for getting the novel list and the contents? I know there is MediaWiki API, but somehow when I tried to fetch the links, they sort the order by alphabet. (like this: http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/api.p ... splaytitle)

Sadly, no. The only reliable representation of volumes/chapters can be found on the project pages, which can vary largely in format. Thus, I'm using a HTML parser against them at the moment.

[Nandaka]

Soo, is there anyone familiar with Android GUI development? I think we can use JSoup (http://mbcdev.com/2011/05/19/screen-scr ... ith-jsoup/) for parsing the Light Novel List and the chapter order, and use the api to fetch the parsed wikitext (http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/api.p ... format=xml) then show it in the html panel?

[Erakk]

I'm a little familiar, but i only have basic knowledge.
At the moment i'm using the pretense of Learning to build a bakareader-like app for iPhone
but im having problem in the parsing.
I might check the android API when i get home to see.

[Nandaka]

I'm a little familiar, but i only have basic knowledge.
At the moment i'm using the pretense of Learning to build a bakareader-like app for iPhone
but im having problem in the parsing.
I might check the android API when i get home to see.

and put the source code in GitHub

[Erakk]

Well i just created a GitHub acc to do that, heres the initial small code (im doing it in my work free time so its very bland)
git://gist.github.com/3294821.git
Note that:
1> the main purpose of this is to fix the parsing.
2> the rest of the "code" is actually in the storyboard file so the UI is already done.
Even though you can just create your own project and link an interface (xib) file with it.
3> im using Rapture XML with is also on gitHub. BUT i might change since its relativelly simple.
4> Done with Xcode 4.2
5> any questions just post here. i started this yesterday.

PS: im also checking the android version. i just set up the IDE and SDK on my home PC, so if anyone has a java code to read the LNs correctly =D
(as you can see, xmls are my weakness)