Wikinews:Tech/Android Reader

All about the Android Reader Application
Overall Goals
- Read Wikinews on the phone
- Use as little bandwidth as possible
- Cache data
Features/Requirements Roadmap
1.0
1.0 Overview: Minimal version that functions as a reader application for Wikinews on the Android platform.
- (DONE) Main screen -- Article list, last updated
- (DONE) Settings screen -- Download mode (all/on demand).
- (DONE) About screen -- About wn, who made app, how to support, copyright
- (DONE) Article read screen -- Article title, last updated, article text
- (DONE) Submit bug screen -- user email (optional), bug summary, bug description, device information
- (DONE) Main screen will list most recent 20 articles
- (DONE) Article screen will display text ONLY version of article. No templates (Except sources) or images.
- (DONE) Article screen & main screen will display links to launch browser to big web version
- (DONE) Menu popup needs link to settings & submit bug screen
1.5
1.5 Overview: Add caching support & UI enhancements
- Cache support (SQLLite)
- By default all pages will display cached version, update in background
- Force refresh (Button)
- Make application look pretty
- Ability to "save" stories (specifically mark for retention versus standard cache)
- User side display adjustment, text size
- Show read versus unread articles.
- Main screen tabs: Latest, Saved
- Main screen: Display first line of article text
- Anonymous usage statistics
2.0
2.0 Overview: Multi-lingual support (UI & Articles)
- Popular news list
- UI Themes? Vector, monobook, simple
- Support additional article formatting
- Support for one image per article.
- Support for leads + Main screen tab.
Multi-Lingual Support
- Interface needs translating -- Preferably into as many languages as possible.
- Server side data fetch is biggest challenge
- What languages to support?
- SR/ES have stolen EN's design - _should_ be fairly simple to adapt.
- PL/DE rank 3rd/4th in size.
3.0
- Search?
- Comment - LQT API support dependent. Also would require ability to login to wiki
- Category filtration
Feature Request / 4.0 & Beyond
- Editing
Application Names
Currently named "Wikinews Reader". Might not be the best. Other options?
- Wikinews Reader
- Wikinews
- Wikinews Mobile (WP app is "Wikipedia Mobile")
- Wikinews2Go
Installing Pre-Release Version
Before you install the pre-release version of the application, you need to allow "unknown sources" on your device. Since the application is not yet signed for the market. WARNING: This will allow you to install all sorts of other bad things if you aren't careful. Keep that in mind.
- Launch Settings
- Applications
- Check Unknown Sources
Once you've allowed Unknown Sources, all you need to do is download & install the application.
- Open the android browser
- Goto to: http://code.google.com/p/enwikinews/downloads/list
- Or shorter URL: http://enwn.net/readdl
- Download the most recent APK file
- Open the APK
The application will install as "Wikinews Reader" and you can launch it like any other application.
Screenshot Gallery
Beta/0.4
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The main screen lists the latest 20 articles
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The entire point of the application, to be able to read a story
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You gotta have an about screen - text is temporary
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An easy to use, built in, bug reporting screen
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Getting to all the "extra" functionality is accessed via the Menu popup