New Baka-Tsuki Android App: Development

[Erakk]

I created a placeholder.
It's better than nothing =)

I'll try a pool.

By the way, im reading some docs on intentService, but some tutorials just vomit the code all over my face.
I got the hang of it but got some stupid issue
It's not clarified the extact time the service starts, or if it requires the app launch to start. (and the context to instantiate it):

My head is full of Objective C so i keep thinking iPhone all over the place... sorry, jobs being a Mikuru.

EDIT: i just grabbed the new apk (cannot get it on the job...) and on initial test... the landscape problem doesn't occurs anymore.

[Nandaka]

See here: http://developer.android.com/reference/ ... rvice.html
IntentService is a base class for Services that handle asynchronous requests (expressed as Intents) on demand.

Also see: http://developer.android.com/guide/comp ... vices.html for comparison between unbound and bound service (on bottom page).

I prefer to use IntentService because only one application using it. Maybe can use the main page as trigger: start service if there is no running one. Then in the service, just loop using while(true) and put Thread.Sleep(checkInterval) at the end of the loop. Probably add check to manually stop the service?

EDIT: i just grabbed the new apk (cannot get it on the job...) and on initial test... the landscape problem doesn't occurs anymore.

[Erakk]

You make it much more simple...
By the way i dont know how "Mikuru" ended up there.
In the end i can ditch Alarm and BroadCastReceiver then? (Since this guy waits for a internal timer set by the AlarmManager...)

[Nandaka]

Not sure which one is the better approach as I'm also new in Android development

Spoiler! :

My plan is to just run the update action as new thread and after it finished, it will sleep as per configured in the settings page, rinse-repeat until the thread is manually aborted or hit a stop flag. I'm not sure if there is ManualResetEvent (C#) equivalent in Java/Android.

How do u plan to use the Alarm? Is it possible to set an alarm to repeat an action? Is it possible to change the interval after the Alarm created? Is it possible to cancel the alarm when the job is running (should cancel the alarm, but not the running job)?

I just read http://developer.android.com/reference/ ... nager.html quickly, I think your approach is better.

Probably we can schedule an alarm (non-repeating) for running the job and keep the reference in case we want to cancel/modify the interval. After the update job is complete running, we set up the alarm again.

I'll handle the update logic, maybe you can put Thread.sleep(random) as placeholder

EDIT: See http://www.vogella.com/articles/Android ... ownservice for reference

[Erakk]

In theory, Using an AlarmManager and the BroadcastReceiver will just tell the system "Hey, set an alarm to run this service at xx:xx"
That means, only run the service when the system tells you to.

The cool thing i noticed reading is that, i don't need to check if the service is already running, it will not start a new service (intentService).

By the way: I noticed some novels not showing the volumes, two of them being
Heavy Object
Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei =P
is it the project format on BT?

EDIT: your reference (last link) is Sick/awesome =O

[Nandaka]

Those novels are using different format for marking the chapter list section.
1. The parser detect the start of chapter list by finding a span with id containing "_by" or 'Full_Text' or start with Page Name

• Heavy Object => The "HEAVY OBJECT" Series <= doesn't matches the rule 1, either they change the section title to add by, or I need to update the parser to also check if the section have Page Title in the id.
• Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei => The Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei series by Sato Tsutomu <= matches rule 1, should calling parseBooksMethod1(). Must check the log file, probably because of the book cover for each chapter?

Probably I'll check it tomorrow.

[Erakk]

Either we ask the editors to normalize the format or we modify and hope they keep it constant.

Small update:
- Fixed an annoying Orientation Lock problem
- Reduced some code
- Placeholder Icon
- Removed Preference Screen "menu". That was useless.

Apk: http://www.mediafire.com/?6qsp67669nslk8r

[Nandaka]

Change Log:

• Update small screen detection to include the display density in calculation
• Update parser to handle double chapter listing, ex: Mahouka_Koukou_no_Rettousei
• Update parser, change startWith(page title) to contains(page title) ex: HEAVY_OBJECT + add contains(Side_Stor*) ex: Infinite_Stratos's side story

APK: http://www.mediafire.com/?07zc0nwmsayakyr

EDIT: Found a bug for the external storage, apparently I must store the folder in /"external_storage"/Android/data/<package_name>/files/, if not the gallery will parse the files and also the size won't be counted in the application page (http://developer.android.com/guide/topi ... esExternal)

[Erakk]

And all the pictures will be detected by the Pictures app and you will have 700+ pictures there =D
I just noticed.

[Nandaka]

... and my friend just told me that when I use his phone as guinea pig

EDIT: Update the file path to the proper folder, you might need to move the old folder "/sdcard/lnreader_cache" to "/sdcard/Android/data/com.erakk.lnreader/files" and refresh the chapters.

Trying to play with Service, but still not working. @erakk: Can u follow the tutorial from http://www.vogella.com/articles/Android ... ownservice? Remove the intentService and just use format from the tutorial.

[Erakk]

Trying to play with Service, but still not working. @erakk: Can u follow the tutorial from http://www.vogella.com/articles/Android ... ownservice? Remove the intentService and just use format from the tutorial.

Acknowledged
Just let me get home =D

[Nandaka]

Change Log:

• Refactor ToggleColorPref to UIHelper
• Moved preferences key to use Constants
• Change Recreate to be only triggered if there is changes in the invertColor properties (might have some bugs)
• Remove more useless Toast
• Update Logging message
• Update parser: fix null pointer exception when reach the end of page

APK: http://www.mediafire.com/?pws8w99d2j9xkg7

[Koakuma]

Might I ask how you install this? =\

[Nandaka]

Might I ask how you install this? =\

• Enable Installation from Unknown Places/non-Market Apps. Go to Settings > Security > Tick Unknown Sources.
• Download the APK to your device.
• Run/Open the APK, it will ask for installation and permission.
• Click OK, the app will be installed in your device.

[ben1234]

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!