Database Develop

[WIP] New Gallery Application

Hey everyone,
After wrestling with the HTC Album for a while, I've got tired of it not doing what I want it to do and have therefore started developing my own. I'm still in the algorithm writing stage but it's coming along very nicely as yet.
Here's some of the features that I'm planning:
Database Backend - This will be extensible through the use of 'tagging'. You will be able to add an 'infinite' number of tags to each photo.
UI - Will allow swiping through pictures and other enhancements over the standard app.
Different Browsing Views - Can browse via the database (and tags) or the normal file based directory views.
EXIF tags - Ability to read them. Not sure on where I'm going with this feature yet.
There's no time frame when this will be first released, but it will be out when I have it in a nice stable state, and feature-wise, similar to the HTC Album. Further features will then be added in further (quick) releases. I have a name of the application in mind but I don't want to announce it yet as this application is very much in progress. I also don't want someone to steal the name.
So why have I posted this? Well I know the good people of XDA are full of good ideas so I'm asking you this: what would you want from this new Gallery app?

Reserved for future use.

will you try to add in multi touch like the demo photo app of long ago that was never refined? i cant wait for you to finish, the htc album gets on my nerves too. it always reorders the pictures as it pleases even though i have "sort by date" selected after a wipe.

yea, add multitouch

As long as there are more sorting options ill be eternally grateful

Not sure on multitouch as I don't really see a need for it (plus can't be bothered with the potential Patent infringement stuff). I will include a nicer way of zooming in and out than the simple buttons though, and I think it's more elegant than multitouch.
Regarding sorting, there will definetly be better sorting options. And i'll make sure they actually work too. This is probably the number one thing that annoys the hell out of me with the HTC Album.

Have the ability to pick a folder of images or folders.
I hate using gallery on my phone and it picks every picture on my SD card. Kinda annoying honestly, but hey it is what it is.

Also implement features such as double tap to zoom...hate using the zoom toolbar
And auto rotate with animation
Refer to app called "Picture Viewer" to understand wht i am talkin about...its a nice app just lackin features...
http://www.cyrket.com/package/rip.android.GlImageView

an idea for zooming: clockwise to zoom in and counter-clockwise to zoom out ... i dont remember where ive seen that before but just seems like a cool idea if able to be implemented

xidominicanoix said:
an idea for zooming: clockwise to zoom in and counter-clockwise to zoom out ... i dont remember where ive seen that before but just seems like a cool idea if able to be implemented
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm the app i refered to in the above post has zoom in / zoom out by moving ur finger up or down
Different implementation possibilities lol

Check out the Albums program from Hero. It has some nice features: pinch zoom in/out, sd card/facebook/flicker albums, swipe to navigate, slideshow animations, autorotate animation, grid or directory view, etc.
The tags feature you are adding would be great since I have them in directories for now (basically 1 tag only).
The ability to add pictures from a remote "gallery" server (or similar remote server you can run at home) would be great since I don't put all my pictures on facebook/flicker (nor do I want to).
http://gallery.sourceforge.net/

I think a zoom feature like this would be nice if you think that you could do it. You can watch it in action if you watch the video. It two minutes and six seconds in.
http://phandroid.com/2009/03/18/androids-circular-zoom-on-the-htc-magic/

What annoys me the most is the phone generating thumbnails for all 1600 of my pictures, I have to leave it there for 10 minutes or so to let it do that. My old phone, which a dumb phone never had to do that when browsing all the pictures and was way faster.

I second SolemnWishing's request. I would like to see the thumbnail part in the default gallery done away with in the app. Are you going for a complete default gallery replacement app or will this piggyback in anyway off the default one? I would like to be able to replace it completely just like the launcher.apk and the mms.apk.

SolemnWishing said:
What annoys me the most is the phone generating thumbnails for all 1600 of my pictures, I have to leave it there for 10 minutes or so to let it do that. My old phone, which a dumb phone never had to do that when browsing all the pictures and was way faster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm yea tht is frustrating, i hope the OP finds a way around it..perhaps read the images n instead of creating smaller ones it shud just resize the images n display them or somethin....

tmjonesva said:
will you try to add in multi touch like the demo photo app of long ago that was never refined? i cant wait for you to finish, the htc album gets on my nerves too. it always reorders the pictures as it pleases even though i have "sort by date" selected after a wipe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a few great features in the demo app. If you could get a hold of the source ... WOW ... it could save you a lot of time and give you a great start on creating a kick ass gallery app. Good Luck!!

I don't agree with the request to eliminate the thumbnailing. Thumbnailing is a great feature and only happens the first time you open a particular image set - it is then databased so the thumbnails load instantly later. A more customizable approach would be a better idea, like the option to disable thumbnailing selectively.
It would be nice to have the option of EXCLUDING and/or HIDING certain paths, for example, some programs add in their own images that you most likely don't want visible in the gallery. I don't like those image hiding programs that screw with the file extensions, and suggest that password protection and obfuscation isn't necessary -- just the ability to keep the crap out.

E-Paper: Simple drawing app

Due to the lack of good open source drawing apps to port to the NST, I wrote myself a simple one specifically for the NST, taking advantage of the fast refresh mode (A2).
The app is quite simple: it is multi-page, can export and import pages from PNG files, and the usual basic stuff you'd expect from a (basic) drawing app. See some screenshots below.
Actually, you can import any PNG images folder by long pressing the folder at the import screen. However, for now you can't erase pixels from imported pages. This is because the drawer is curve based (you create and delete curves), not pixel based.
In addition to the icons at the bottom of the screen, the left side keys perform undo/redo and the right side switch pages.
Comments and suggestions are welcome, also if some is willing to help me port this to the PRS-T1, let me know.
Source code is available at: https://github.com/marspeople/E-Paper
Changelog:
1.1: Background of exported images is now white instead of transparent.

I would like to ask, are there any text mode, allowing users to type in some text?
Support your great app!

Nice work. Just tried it out. Pushing the limits of what an e-paper device can do (actually, it's a bit beyond...) but still pretty rad that you were able to make it! Thanks!

pretty great app. really liked the simplicity and such.
but i would want to have some options on saving images, by default on png images, drawing is black and background is transparent, so previewing on a different app makes my images weird. it could has some options, like background and text colors, image size and jpg/png output etc. And also it would be cool to add some texts to my drawings as wheilitjohnny said.
cheers

Marspeople, I think this app is great. I've looked for apps which my kids can use for drawing and this answers the need.

drmxmyt said:
pretty great app. really liked the simplicity and such.
but i would want to have some options on saving images, by default on png images, drawing is black and background is transparent, so previewing on a different app makes my images weird. it could has some options, like background and text colors, image size and jpg/png output etc. And also it would be cool to add some texts to my drawings as wheilitjohnny said.
cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right, I forgot about fixing the transparent background. Fixed now.
Regarding your other requests, I think they defeat the simplicity purposes of the app. However, adding typed text may be interesting, I will consider that.

E-Paper app
Great little app! Would be great if you could add a button to refresh the page once in a while. After many deletes the shadows can be overwhelming and distracting. I am currently deciding which one I like better: E-Paper or FreeNote (more features but also more complicated). I think in the end simplicity trumps flexibility.

Here is a small tip: you can draw straight line segments by touching the screen with two fingers (one after another) and releasing them at reverse order.
nrseife said:
Great little app! Would be great if you could add a button to refresh the page once in a while. After many deletes the shadows can be overwhelming and distracting. I am currently deciding which one I like better: E-Paper or FreeNote (more features but also more complicated). I think in the end simplicity trumps flexibility.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you can simply press the n button twice (don't press too fast or it will create ghost at the bottom).

=>> App for making lecture notes
Hi!
I would like to suggest some simple upgrade to your app, which equivallent I failed to find on Market.
Since E-Ink Multi Touch screen of NST seems to be great also for making lecture notes, but for what I have failed to find any suitable app, althought only simple thing would make your app to be great for this purpouse. You could then even start of selling it.
Here is the simple idea:
Screen divided into 3 frames:
1.) Overlook-frame of printable-part of A4/A5 -- used for scroolling/scalling of the Zoomed-frame around paper - which should look like small box on large A4,
2.) Zoomed-frame -- used for handwritting text, drawing pictures, writting formulas into the small box on Overlook Frame
3.) Toolbar-frame -- same as yours only with zoom +- buttons. also scalling of Zoomed-frame box on Overlook-frame could be done by multitouch.
Would be great hack for students of Natural arts - could provide ability to write mathematical formulas and schemes and so on, not loosing possibililty of hand writting.
What do you think?

That looks like a really nice, polished app.
I was just wondering if anybody uses the capabilities of ezPDF Reader to do similar things.

ezpdf
Renate NST said:
That looks like a really nice, polished app.
I was just wondering if anybody uses the capabilities of ezPDF Reader to do similar things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes i use comments for correcting LATEX generated i write pdfs or for commenting some books for studying. However i think that ezPDF is mainly for reading pdf and is not suitable for making lecture notes.

Very nice and simple app...thanks

Is there any way to exit this app? (I mean alternative to terminating a process)

~windrider~ said:
Is there any way to exit this app? (I mean alternative to terminating a process)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You normally don't exit android apps, the system will terminate it if needed. This app will be totally idle when it isn't at foreground.

I tried using your app on my prs-t1. It works and runs but there's a lag when drawing. For example if you draw a line, it takes about half a second or so to show up on the screen.
I wish I could help you port it and optimize but I have no clue how to Lol > < I really wish it were possible because the native drawing app on the prs-t1 saves in some weird format.
Sent from my Liberty using Tapatalk 2

..

bug
i had probably found a bug.
scenario:
1. made note
2. saved it
3. load it
4. cannot delete erase what was written there
i had earned some developement skills for android. So i may probably do enhancements to the app I had proposed here earlier.

the simple answer to that is this app save it as png, not svg or another vector method. so you cant edit it, it just an image file. its not a bug.

drmxmyt said:
the simple answer to that is this app save it as png, not svg or another vector method. so you cant edit it, it just an image file. its not a bug.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's correct. The reason for this is being easier to handle a png file than a curve-based specific file format.
mrWax said:
i had earned some developement skills for android. So i may probably do enhancements to the app I had proposed here earlier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This app has large room for improvements. If anyone want to contribute, just send me a patch.

Huawei Private Space vs Samsung Secure Folders: how do they compare?

A few questions on Huawei Private Space vs Samsung Secure Folders
As per the subject, I’d like to understand how the two compare. I have a Samsung and am considering getting the Huawei P20 Pro. I have found a broad description of Private Space in this manual: https://www.devicemanuals.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/P20-user-guide-EN.pdf
However, there are a few things I haven’t understood:
With Samsung Secure Folders, not all apps are immediately available: you have to manually select which ones you want to be made available and ‘reinstall’ them within Secure Folders. Does Private Space work the same way? Or does it immediately give you access to a ‘blank’ version of all your apps?
If it’s the latter,does Huawei provide an isolated sandbox like Samsung, or how do the two differ? The way I understand it, if you move Chrome to Secure Folders and then run it, you are not running the same executable file, but the one you have installed in the sandbox. With Huawei, are you running the same executable but then data is stored in a separate folder, eg the way a program is available to multiple users on the same PC?
Do the two offer a comparable level of protection and isolation, or is one of the two much better (if so, why?)? For example, if you download a file from a private space browser session, is it available outside of it? With the third-party app Parallel Space it is, for example https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lbe.parallel.intl&hl=en_GB .
Does the Huawei thing work if you already have a work app to access work email set up as device administrator? This is what prevents Island from working on my Samsung, for example: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oasisfeng.island&hl=en_GB
Thanks!

SF vs PS
I used SF on Galaxy and since recently use PS on Mate 20 Pro, and a bit disappointed with PS, so looking for a better way of using it and see this thread which nobody seems to answer (?)
Both need to install selected apps, which is fine for me. However while SF is a space that can be used in parallel/concurrent with the normal space, PS is likely to create another user profile with encrypted data (true?), so it must be used exclusively.
However, switching from one mode to another is a pain with PS: needs long step (turn off screen then login, or long steps in setting); SF allows to be used in parallel (so same time) with main space (out of SF) and can quickly access the SF apps per task list. This is good, as we used the app in normal space but for certain data and apps we need to be in encrypted mode or protected with separated password/lock. PS can't do so, it must get out of PS to use normal mode and vice-versa, a pain for me, unless we have to install many more apps in PS as well, but then it will be redundance with normal space.
Another negative point with PS is app notification from PS, for instance, if we setup WhatsApp or another messenger in PS (or email? not tested) which use another account than the ones in main space. While we are in main space, the notification of new message in PS won't be shown so impossible to know that's there is new message. It's not a case with SF: notification still pass out of SF that we know to switch to SF to read, quickly, by task list for instance.
Data sharing or moving in out is not optimal from my viewpoint. Both work on main memory only, SF move in/out but limited number of files at a time, a pain if you have many files; PS... hum, the only way I find is thru obb folder, but this sounds to share and be visible to other users on this phones as well!!!! It is likely a Public folder rather than only for this user within both mode PS and non PS. Also, SF can be customised in setting to enable/disable clipboard between 2 areas while PS can't which is a pain too.
By the way, both SF and PS allow fingerprint to access this private space, but fingerprint is a joke for me (easily to hack) and I would not recommend it unless for temporarily use. I like the face recognisation (with eyes, a must, otherwise it's a weakness) mode of M20P, unfortunately this does not work in PS mode!

Samsung Secure Folder lacks multiple instance feature
Samsung's Secure Folder is more user friendly in term of ease of use than Stock android version of multiple user feature.
copying and moving files, opening app from the interface of main phone without logout and login another user like Stock android multiple user mode.
android's multiple user feature is shipped with some android devices, but others like Samsung just replace this feature with it's secure folder.
The biggest drawback of Samsung's Secure Folder is not possible to have multiple instance of it. you can only have one such Folder per phone.
every not fully trusted android app should run in an isolated space like Secure folder, and should offer some high level of control like, suspending(like power off), giving mock GPS, mock IMEI, IMSI etc.

[APP][NST/G] Today's Comics

9-5-21: Well...there are new SSL issues with all comics in the list that have an "a" designation. All of the "u" comics continue to work and if you exclude "a" selections from your list, the app functions properly. I'm looking at this but so far have come up empty. It's a shame. If I can find a workaround or alternate source for the affected comics (or at least some of them), I'll update the app. Otherwise.... In the meantime, the Washington Post has an Opera Mini-friendly comics page which includes quite a few selections (many on the "a" list): https://washingtonpost.com/entertainment/comics/
*updated to version 1.4--uninstall any previous versions first
fixed issue with Sunday comics
This app is designed to shamelessly emulate one of my favorite little apps that never did run below Jellybean and is now gone from the PlayStore anyway. A long time ago I posted a simple HTML template to enable viewing a selection of newspaper comic strips from a few sites in your browser. Time marches on and now those sites have mostly left browsers like Opera Mobile in the dust
Today's Comics is a Tasker-created app that allows you to download any of 157 newspaper comic strips at present. It has a simple GUI designed for the NST/G and relies on apps you might already have for ancillary tasks like viewing the comics and editing the list of comics to download. See screenshot below.
How to install
Download the attached zip. Unzip the file and transfer the contents to your Nook SD card. If you already have one of my other Tasker-generated apps or have previously installed GApps, you don't need the two Google maps library files and can delete them. If you do need them, copy the two files into the locations shown below:
/system/etc/permissions/com.google.android.maps.xml
/system/framework/com.google.android.maps.jar
Set permissions for both files to rw-r--r-- and reboot. Without these files resident, the app will not install.
Next, create in the root of your SD card the folder "TodaysComics" (exactly as you see here--this has changed from earlier versions!). Move the comics_list.txt file from the contents of the zip to this folder. This is where your comics will end up.
Install the app by tapping on it in your file manager (wherever you put it).
Download the CURL zip package, unzip and follow the instructions contained inside to install CURL on your device. Reboot after the install.
How to use
The comics_list.txt file lists all of the comics currently available. The file as you get it has every choice "commented out" by a period (.) at the beginning of each line. That means if you select the "Get Comics" option without doing anything else, you will get NO comics! You can edit the file on your NST/G if you have some kind of app that handles txt files. I use the text editor that is part of ES File Explorer [included with the zip]. You can also pull the file, edit the text file on a PC and then put it back on the NST/G. To select a comic for download simply remove the period (.) from the beginning of the line. Don't make any other changes, introduce line breaks, etc. If you designate your chosen editor as the "default" for the action then it will automatically open when you select the "Edit Comics" option in the future. On closing the editor you will return to the Today's Comics screen.
Even if you select only 5 comics, the app must scan the entire list. This actually does not take too long, but if you want to streamline things, you could create your own comics_list.txt file containing only the comics you want (i.e., there would be no lines beginning with a period). Put the original in a safe place or rename it comics_list.bak
Once the list is edited you're ready to download comics!
In the current version you have the option to autoview the comics once the download is complete. You can tap on that box if you like ("x" should appear and will be remembered until you tap again). Then tap on "Get Comics".
You need to be connected to WiFi (in fact, you will be warned about that if you are not). As comics download there is a toast for each one and then finally a completion toast. Basically the system is "locked" until that point. You can actually make the app screen disappear by tapping either "Exit" or the "Back" button, but the collection of comics will continue until done. I do not recommend trying to force an exit. You might be left with a screen artifact that is difficult to get rid of.
Once the download is complete, you will be taken to the viewer of your choice if you have the "autoview" box checked. Otherwise you can select the "View Comics" option. You can also "Exit" and return to view the comics later. The next time you download comics the new ones will overwrite the old ones. You can, of course, use your file explorer to find the comics and view them outside the app menu system. If you are using the app, you will be presented with a variety of choices based on what else you have installed. Again, I happen to like ES File Explorer's Image Viewer but QuickPic also works (and is in the zip file). Some viewers run in full screen and you need a way out so I have added a discreet semi-transparent "back" arrow at the upper left corner of whatever viewer you have (root required to access keyevent). If you need it, it's there. If you don't, ignore it until you're done and then tap it to make it go away. The "Exit" button of the app will also clear the back arrow. Unfortunately the "Gallery" app that is on the NST/G only sees .pngs and only in the /media folder--and doesn't update. I'm sure there are other options. I highly recommend landscape mode, considering the shape of most comic strips.
Can I run this app on other devices?
Maybe. There's no reason why the "innards" would not perform correctly, but the one drawback of Tasker-generated apps is that the GUI is device specific. That means this is designed for an 800x600 screen. On larger screens you'll probably see a floating app, while smaller screens will scrunch things up.

Question Why is adding apps to a folder so frustrating?

Hello! So I'm keeping my apps list to a maximum of two pages for practical reasons, and whenever I install a new app, it becomes the first and only app on the third page of the list. That's why I have some of my apps organized inside folders, to always have two pages filled with apps. The thing is, whenever I drag that last app to a folder that is located at the beginning of the first page, the app order gets messed up. All the apps located after that folder get shifted by one place to the right, leaving an empy space on both pages, requiring me to drag the apps (one by one) back to their original positions. I find that extremely annoying. Why would they make the apps behave in such manner? Is there any other way of moving apps to a folder?

crossdeath said:
Hello! So I'm keeping my apps list to a maximum of two pages for practical reasons, and whenever I install a new app, it becomes the first and only app on the third page of the list. That's why I have some of my apps organized inside folders, to always have two pages filled with apps. The thing is, whenever I drag that last app to a folder that is located at the beginning of the first page, the app order gets messed up. All the apps located after that folder get shifted by one place to the right, leaving an empy space on both pages, requiring me to drag the apps (one by one) back to their original positions. I find that extremely annoying. Why would they make the apps behave in such manner? Is there any other way of moving apps to a folder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, there is another way to add apps to existing folders.
Just open the folder and click the plus at the top of it (see my screenshot). Then you can select all apps you want to add to this folder. So your apps drawer will not be messed up accidentally.