Making an Arch Linux wiki-reader Android app - Looking for some advice

ioos · 2012-02-10 21:53:19

Hey guys, hopefully this is an ok place to post this. I've just finished a beginning Java course and I'm starting on the next one. I'm learning Java with the intention of creating Android applications as a hobby. Since I've found myself accessing the wiki from my phone on many occasions, and this doesn't seem overly difficult, I think this is a good place to start.

I've been playing with this idea for a couple of weeks and I'm trying to determine the best way to approach this. I'm looking for any pointers/advice from a development standpoint and any (potential) user feedback as well.

So far, with the help of other Archers, I have come up with the following three options:

1) Obvious choice- Connect to the actual wiki online
Pros:
+Always up to date
+Small application size
Cons:
-More difficult to strip current style and "mobilize" layout (there is a lot of clutter and links to outside of the wiki)
-More permissions that other choices
-Requires internet connection

2) Use the arch-wiki-docs package
Pros:
+Offline
+Easier to add css styles
+Hopefully would require zero permissions
Cons:
-Application would be large ~40MB (Maybe it could be reduced by removing non-english languages?)
-Not up to date, but pretty close

3) Use the arch-wiki-lite package
Pros:
+Offline
+Small application size
+Hopefully would require zero permission
+More of a native android application feel instead of a dedicated webpage reader
Cons:
-No links to other pages
-Would need to create style/layout from scratch
-Not really sure how this would work (Searching, etc)
-Not up to date, but pretty close

Right now I'm leaning towards the second option, but only if I can figure out an automated way to strip down the html pages and remove the non-english pages. I'm thinking that I'll start with an English only version, then add international support (or a second version) later on if people want it. What are your thoughts?

rickeyski · 2012-02-11 18:41:11

A few thoughts...
1. Any app you make will require you to generate your own layouts android uses xml layouts there are webviews, which provide some of this functionality if you need to use html, however this will require online access.

2 you could use a wrapper like phonegap, but that would me writing everything in html, css, javascript and you will use virtually none of your java.

3. 40 mb is a huge app, granted its before compression, but its also before all of your code and layouts to make it work.. You would be limiting yourself to only the newest androids, don't know which phone you have in mind, but might not be a problem for you.

4. the biggest plus is the android docs and examples apps are very good, start reading.

ioos · 2012-02-11 22:46:33

Thanks for the response!

rickeyski wrote:

1. Any app you make will require you to generate your own layouts android uses xml layouts there are webviews, which provide some of this functionality if you need to use html, however this will require online access.

The arch-wiki-docs package is in HTML and I'm using WebView to read it locally. The arch-wiki-lite package is a text file. Maybe I could import it into a database? Either way, using that package will require me to create the whole layout.

rickeyski wrote:

2 you could use a wrapper like phonegap, but that would me writing everything in html, css, javascript and you will use virtually none of your java.

I've used Titanium Studio before, which I think is pretty similar to Phonegap, but I do want to make this one with Java.

rickeyski wrote:

3. 40 mb is a huge app, granted its before compression, but its also before all of your code and layouts to make it work.. You would be limiting yourself to only the newest androids, don't know which phone you have in mind, but might not be a problem for you.

40MB is the compressed size. The html docs are over 100MB uncompressed. I think I could significantly reduce the size by removing the non-english pages, but I can't figure out a systematic way to find them. There are 3551 pages and they use names like 00000965.html, 00000967.html, 00000968.html, 00000974.html, etc. (Of those 967 isn't english, but the other three are.)

rickeyski wrote:

4. the biggest plus is the android docs and examples apps are very good, start reading.

Yup. I've been reading through those a lot. They are a big help.

Last edited by ioos (2012-02-11 23:11:05)

Dusty · 2012-02-13 20:42:36

If your primary goal is to learn Java and Android application development, implement all three methods. Then pick the one that seems to be working best for you and improve it.

Dusty

vwyodajl · 2012-02-13 21:28:37

its an older project but here is an opensource example that may be of use to you.

http://wikireader.sourceforge.net/

HTH

ioos · 2012-02-14 00:04:43

Dusty wrote:

If your primary goal is to learn Java and Android application development, implement all three methods. Then pick the one that seems to be working best for you and improve it.

That's good advice. I actually spent the weekend exploring all three options. I've decided to go with the first one, a regular online reader. I'm not sure the other two would be any better and they would require significantly more time.

vwyodajl wrote:

its an older project but here is an opensource example that may be of use to you.
http://wikireader.sourceforge.net/
HTH

Thanks! I'm going to check this out right now.

skanky · 2012-02-14 10:54:52

The 40mb might not be too big a deal if you split the docs out of the app itself, and store them separately on the sd card.
Obviously you'll need to be able to cope with phones that don't have separate sd cards and just internal storage.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-02-10 21:53:19

Making an Arch Linux wiki-reader Android app - Looking for some advice

#2 2012-02-11 18:41:11

Re: Making an Arch Linux wiki-reader Android app - Looking for some advice

#3 2012-02-11 22:46:33

Re: Making an Arch Linux wiki-reader Android app - Looking for some advice

#4 2012-02-13 20:42:36

Re: Making an Arch Linux wiki-reader Android app - Looking for some advice

#5 2012-02-13 21:28:37

Re: Making an Arch Linux wiki-reader Android app - Looking for some advice

#6 2012-02-14 00:04:43

Re: Making an Arch Linux wiki-reader Android app - Looking for some advice

#7 2012-02-14 10:54:52

Re: Making an Arch Linux wiki-reader Android app - Looking for some advice

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