New Baka-Tsuki Android App: Development

[KuroiHikari]

Don't touch the format without consulting the translator.
As far as things are concerned, we do not change the text in Wiki because of issues with the app.

There's a new app being worked on by volunteers.

[Mystes]

Reminds me, the new app also has some issues with the formats being different. Well, let Erakk explain.

[God Ginrai]

Reminds me, the new app also has some issues with the formats being different. Well, let Erakk explain.

That's because these apps rely on HTML scraping to get the data to format correctly. That's why I am looking into what we can do with this MediaWiki API, and if not, then how we can get XML feeds. Because if we can get some sort of useful XML feed, then we can mostly standardize the experience for readers who are not viewing in the browser.

-God Ginrai

[Nandaka]

@God Ginrai: The scraping is only for getting the novel list and the chapter list. For getting the content, I'm using the wiki API.
As for styling, I'm using the default css from wiki.

[Erakk]

Hello, so I've seen some translations which uses hyperlinks in their text.
This is fine and dandy on a desktop. However, it screws up display in BakaReader, because all the text after the first hyperlink becomes blue, as if there's a <a> tag without </a>
Is this a fix needed for the app or can something be done on the wikitext side?
Example is Golden Time, which the translator uses a lot of external links.

can you tell me specifically what chapter this happens?
I just wen through 2 or 3 and found nothing wrong.

We are displaying the contents (the text) in webView format, wich keeps the original layout, instead of parsing just the text (wich is more complicated and less flexible)
EDIT: Nandaka, the fact that imageActivity is also showing up on my apps is intentional? if not i`m fixing that =)

UNRELATED:By the way, sunday i screwed up something on my smartphone and the launcher went corrupt, so i had to reinstall the kernell and guess what? The lights went off in the middle of the process. I ended up with a computer stuck on loading windows and (lucky me) an almost bricked phone.
It`s all past (corrected windows stuff, reinstalled/factory reset phone). I this actually made me feel very bad, as if a part of my soul was taken from me.

EDIT2:when i get home > time for layout stuff.

[KuroiHikari]

can you tell me specifically what chapter this happens?
I just wen through 2 or 3 and found nothing wrong.

We are displaying the contents (the text) in webView format, wich keeps the original layout, instead of parsing just the text (wich is more complicated and less flexible)

He's referring to the BakaReader, unless you named yours the same too, anyway, he has already adjusted the text in the wiki-page to resolved this.

[Erakk]

can you tell me specifically what chapter this happens?
I just wen through 2 or 3 and found nothing wrong.

We are displaying the contents (the text) in webView format, wich keeps the original layout, instead of parsing just the text (wich is more complicated and less flexible)

He's referring to the BakaReader, unless you named yours the same too, anyway, he has already adjusted the text in the wiki-page to resolved this.

I wanted to know if it could affect the new app. (that actually could be a good way to test, but considering what a webview is capable of, its 99% the same layout).

[KuroiHikari]

Ok, cuz rpapo was putting html tags into the wiki-editor

what acoltyle did to rectify it: http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... did=165372
http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... did=152274

Reminds me, the new app also has some issues with the formats being different. Well, let Erakk explain.

That's because these apps rely on HTML scraping to get the data to format correctly. That's why I am looking into what we can do with this MediaWiki API, and if not, then how we can get XML feeds. Because if we can get some sort of useful XML feed, then we can mostly standardize the experience for readers who are not viewing in the browser.

-God Ginrai

If you want to you can grab the source text, and apply your own formating, which would be quite a lot of work.
http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/api.p ... 2_Chapter7

[Nandaka]

EDIT: Nandaka, the fact that imageActivity is also showing up on my apps is intentional? if not i`m fixing that =)

Which one? DisplayImageActivity? this is a custom handler if the link being opened is image file (check if the url have 'title=File:', this might have a problem if the linked file is not an image), else it will show the default handler (pop-up to select browser). The big image also cached to disk.

Technically, if someone want to use custom css in the view content, it can be done by changing the default injected css. Currently the value is saved to a Constants.WIKI_CSS_STYLE

Anyway, update from me:
- Fix last read position is not saved, somehow using transaction throws null pointer exception. Moving it outside fix the saving, but not the transaction orz.
- Keep the currently read content when the page is rotated, apparently when the display is rotated, Android call onCreate again and reset the state.

Possible addition, if the link is an internal wiki link, probably I treat is an content and no need to open a browser to view.

[Erakk]

EDIT: Nandaka, the fact that imageActivity is also showing up on my apps is intentional? if not i`m fixing that =)

Which one? DisplayImageActivity? this is a custom handler if the link being opened is image file (check if the url have 'title=File:', this might have a problem if the linked file is not an image), else it will show the default handler (pop-up to select browser). The big image also cached to disk..

I meant, displayImageActivity has an intent-Filler tag on the Android Manifest. That is making so when you install the app you get another "icon", wich is the DisplayImageActivity =D
i don't know if you're getting this.

[Nandaka]

I meant, displayImageActivity has an intent-Filler tag on the Android Manifest. That is making so when you install the app you get another "icon", wich is the DisplayImageActivity =D
i don't know if you're getting this.

Ow, when I create the page, I don't define the parent activity. should be updated by now.
Also notice a bug, somehow when you click the watch list -> any novel -> then press the application icon (not the back button), it will show all the novel. I have checked, apparently the extras in the intents is reset to null. This won't happened if you press the back button.

and for others: I have uploaded the latest apk at Git Hub: https://github.com/calvinaquino/LNReade ... signed.apk
notice: quite stable, but use on your own risk requesting for any feedback/comment

[Erakk]

For others: I have uploaded the latest apk at Git Hub: https://github.com/calvinaquino/LNReade ... signed.apk
notice: quite stable, but use on your own risk requesting for any feedback/comment

What to expect:
- Basic functionality (open and read novels)
- View images
- Zoom (both images and text)
- Watch list
- DEBUG MESSAGES (like empty bitmap, null exceptions-rare-, mostly toasts (notifications) with crazy stuff in it)

What NOT to expect CURRENTLY (working on it)
- Invert colors (only partially functional)
- nice layout (our priority being functionality, this WILL be looked at when things get stable)
- Visual warnings (if novel is downloaded) aren`t implemented.
- next/preview needs some work
- download entire novel not functional
- updates not functional

Im at work, i may have forgotten other stuff.
TL;DR - does what its supposed to, dont expect eye candy, expect some errors. Very stable.

[KuroiHikari]

Btw, I'm expecting this template to not look okay in the app, http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... e:Furigana

Could you check it out?
Here's wiki page using it: http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... _Chapter_3

[Erakk]

First and foremost, as some of you may know, there already exists an app for viewing light novels from baka-tsuki on the android.
The intent of this new project is to improve on the already existing one, but since we couldn`t get a hold of the previous developer, we decided to
develop a new app. and here it is.

The people currently working on this: Erakk, Nandaka.

some of the new features to be added include (but are not limited to):

Ability to go to last read novel from main screen.
Ability to mark multiple chapters/volumes as Read.

For others: I have uploaded the latest apk at Git Hub: https://github.com/calvinaquino/LNReade ... signed.apk
notice: quite stable, but use on your own risk requesting for any feedback/comment

But, Erakk, i'm a newb on this thing, how do i install an apk not from the market?
Well, first you have to tell your phone to allow other apk not from the market to be installed.
From the main screen click menu and go to settings. then go in Security. Under Device Administration, check "Unknown Sources".

Now the first part is done. The second is getting and installing the apk. (App is for Application, .apk is for Android Package).
Go in the quoted link on github, and you will get a download (LNReader-unsigned.apk).
After downloading, plug your device on the computer, and on windws explorer, copy the .apk to a folder inside the device (Documents, etc.).
Then, on the device, go to "my files" or any folder explorer you have installed (ES file manager/ASTRO/etc) and find the folder you put the file.
click on the file, and select install.
Accept permissions, and there. The app has NO icon currently so it might show a "blue overlapped page" icon
Test at your heart content.

"But man, i couldn`t find the file after putting it on my device!"
if this happens, unplug the device. This will cause the system to recheck the files to see any new files, so it will detect the new file.
(this is rare though, you may not need to do this.)

What to expect:
- Basic functionality (open and read novels)
- View images
- Zoom (both images and text)
- Watch list
- DEBUG MESSAGES (like empty bitmap, null exceptions-rare-, mostly toasts (notifications) with crazy stuff in it)

What NOT to expect CURRENTLY (working on it)
- Invert colors (only partially functional)
- nice layout (our priority being functionality, this WILL be looked at when things get stable)
- Visual warnings (if novel is downloaded) aren`t implemented.
- next/preview needs some work

So how do i do?
- use it as you normally do on the BakaReader the layout is the same (almost).

[Erakk]

If possible, any moderator could move the last pages of this thread (specifically from the start of page 19) to the new one?
(New one) viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5389