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.

The application will install as "Wikinews Reader" and you can launch it like any other application.

Screenshot Gallery

Beta/0.4