Hi.
I was wondering how hard it would be to create a simple application that would connect to a server or website checking for updates. I plan on loading font .apk's on the server or website, and would like a application to periodically check for updates or manually check for updates, be able to preview the font, and then download the .apk if wanted. How hard would it be to create such an application?
Thanks.
Jzero88
jzero88 said:
Hi.
I was wondering how hard it would be to create a simple application that would connect to a server or website checking for updates. I plan on loading font .apk's on the server or website, and would like a application to periodically check for updates or manually check for updates, be able to preview the font, and then download the .apk if wanted. How hard would it be to create such an application?
Thanks.
Jzero88
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Well, this depends on how you approach it, but I think the easiest way to do this would be to create a feed using XML. So if you were doing your font updater, you would load a file like this:
<FontDetails>
<Font name = "Font1" example = "http://www.myfontsite.com/FontExamples/Font1.png" location = ""http://www.myfontsite.com/Fonts/Font1.apk"\>
<Font name = "Font2" example = "http://www.myfontsite.com/FontExamples/Font2.png" location = "http://www.myfontsite.com/Fonts/Font2.apk"\>
</FontDetails>
The problem with this is that you will have to maintain this XML file, making sure its always up-to-date(Easily manageable with some simple scripts).
If you aren't willing to do this, you could go down the road that is wrongly mislabeled as "The Easy Way" and hard-code the locations of all your APK's and all of your example images, but I would only do this if you were planning on dumping all the APK's and images in the same place(For example, if all your APK's were here: http://www.myfontsite.com/Fonts/). You would request the directory information from the server and parse that into your list of font APK's and correspond them with their example images(probably by naming them the same; i.e. Font1.apk and Font1.png).
If you decide to use the first option, you could do a bunch of cool things with the organization, like break things into categories and apply taggings and it would only require one request to the server per update. If you go with the second method, organization is guaranteed to be a mess if you try anything large scale, and adds a layer of complexity if you try to break things into folders and categories. This would require a ping per folder you have to check, which can have a high complexity factor if you have a lot of folders.
I just want to point out that even though this is directly related to development, this is a type of question that belongs in the General section(Questions ALWAYS belong in General). I'm sure a Mod will come around, scold you, then move the thread.
Anyway, I do hope this helps,
Good luck,
Tyler
Edit: Having a bit of problems getting the XML looking correct. Sorry if it looks ugly :S
Even easier would be to manage the updater as an RSS feed. Then it becomes quite trivial, as there are several examples of RSS readers online already.
Great! Thanks for the reply!
Yeah, the XML approach I think would be the better option as well, just because we could use this thread to hold everything I currently do no have any hosting at this time. Would you be up to making such a application? It seems you have the know abouts to so.... I would be the one to maintain everything and update it. I would monitor this thread and when new ones pop up, I wouldn't mind adding it to in the XML.
Also, how would the RSS feed work?
Thanks
jzero88 said:
Great! Thanks for the reply!
Yeah, the XML approach I think would be the better option as well, just because we could use this thread to hold everything I currently do no have any hosting at this time. Would you be up to making such a application? It seems you have the know abouts to so.... I would be the one to maintain everything and update it. I would monitor this thread and when new ones pop up, I wouldn't mind adding it to in the XML.
Also, how would the RSS feed work?
Thanks
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Click to collapse
Wish I could...I've got about 50 projects already on the back-burner and no time to finish them Tell ya what though...I've finished a mini project a couple weeks ago with some buddies at school for my friends website. Its an Open-Source RSS reader that was made to read in the latest articles of his site. With some slight tweaking, I'm sure you(or some other dev) could mod it to work in your favor...Here's the github address:
http://github.com/pencilo/Absolute-Android-RSS.git
I don't think this is the latest code, but all the working elements you need are in here.
I've used Winamp for many years. When Google Music was released, I hated it right away, despite loving Android. When I bought my Xoom a few days ago, I noticed that Google had finally fixed many old bugs that I had encountered many times when I'd occasionally retry their software. Seeing the integration, I again considered seriously using it as my default player. Google obviously wants it this way, since there doesn't seem to be an easy way to uninstall it from vanilla ICS.
There is only one issue left I am having trouble withstanding - the album art that doesn't match the standard square is distorted and unacceptable. After thinking about it a long time, I've decided that I will attempt to fix the offending covers by customizing them myself. I was thinking that I could add black borders around the image to force the program to render the picture in its original aspect ratio with blacks to fill in the gaps that would otherwise be cut from the image in Google Play Music.
I have tried searching Google for a program that could easily help me do this, but all I have found are programs to grab art, rather than allow me to customize original pictures at the proper aspect ratio. I'm thinking that I may have to resort to using a picture editor to achieve my goals, but I don't even know the first thing about editing images to get what I am looking for.
Could you help me with some ideas?
FaceDesigner is pretty cool - I used to use a similar app on my Tizen Gear 2 Neo to use some cool backgrounds made into watchfaces with my preferred "template" of where I like the battery, weather, step, etc. widgets.
The problem is I've made a bunch of these watchfaces now and it would give me piece of mind of being able to back up these watchfaces so if I get a new phone or have to reset the watch I don't lose what I've created. I've looked around with root explorer trying to ascertain the directory where these things are stored by FaceDesigner, but haven't found it yet.
Would anyone happen to know what's the best way to save my work? There's not an "export/import" feature either which would have been nice.
Thanks to anyone who can help.
I am 99% sure this isn't possible but figured I'd ask in a more general forum (GS8+ was a bust) on if there is a way to replace system apps without root(or an easy way to change a system apk to 'clone' and install on the user side by looking like a different app.)
I've figured out what needs done to force the Samsung Dex app to run without the dock, but due to many reasons cannot side load the altered apk. Changing the app name, installation directory, etc. the phone still sees it as the same apk/app and will not install it. Can't change the version and overwrite from what I can tell because I can't sign it with the samsung key obviously.
thoughts? Directions?
Only thing I can see to do, is rewrite the app complete (names, folder structure, etc. of the needed parts) to actually make it a completely new app to the phone. This looks to be many many hours of work and the route I least want to go. If I can help it.
i know its a old thread, but what needs to be done to force Dex? I have a hard time on my note 10+ it keeps saying faulty usb-c port due to some kind of water not there.
I ran into a few syncing problems after downloading some watch face from the internet and it makes me wonder...is it safe to use the custom watch faces on some random website or links? Is there any possibility something bad might come from the script files in the watch faces?
IDK, most of them are fairly simple xml files. If you suspect it you can open .wfz same as zip file, look into files and folders structure.
xml files just point to various display features, x,y, where to place them, folder for digital, analog dials and bg images.
There's no 'suspicious' code in them as far as I seen.
Again, this goes for .wfz clockfaces ... I think there are some .apk watchfaces too, for custom rooted Paces , I think those can be safe or not.