Mobile apps using web view wrappers

I created a simple app with MIT's App Inventor (WebViewer), for Android only. No push notifications yet. I'll release some information about it as a resource if anybody is interested.

I think push notifications can be added with an additional framework, but I wanted to see if App Inevtor was really the thing I wanted to use first.

Easy and free.
Lately I've been playing around with the Android Studio package; just wondering what led you to MIT's App Inventor over Android Studio?
 
Lately I've been playing around with the Android Studio package; just wondering what led you to MIT's App Inventor over Android Studio?
Before MIT took it over, App Inventor was part of Google, and I did a little work with it, so I was more familiar with it. Took maybe 45 minutes to drag and drop some basic stuff.

Might have to give Android Studio a look, didn't realize it uses the Jetbrains type of interface.
 
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Most people won't trust an app from a random site, not to mention you cannot do this with iOS without it being jailbroken anyways, and you have to specifically toggle an option in Android to do this.

Not entirely true.

I have an apple and Google dev account. To install apps on android without the store you need to enable installation of 3rd party apps on your phone, as you said.

iOS easier, just add the file in iTunes. It's what I did with phpfox when I had my apps for that so my guys could test it, all without the store or setting up development devices. It doesn't have to be jail broken.

Your users can trust your apps even if their not from the App Store providing you're a trust worthy forum which I'm sure most are.
 
^ but the iCloud push from Apple has gotten people away from plugging in their phones. Ambitious apps like these really have to focus on user convenience first and foremost.
 
Well if you have money to burn, more power to you, but the last thing this community needs is another dev releasing half backed addons, sub standard addons.
Did someone say *******? :rolleyes:
How could you derive that I have money to burn from my post? Did you quote me in error or did a flame just shoot past my screen?

I can't see how it is possible to have true mobile app for something as extensible as xenforo. I would guess that most big forums include functionality that would simply not be present in any true mobile app because that app would absolutely need to be generic. If apps were important then xenforo would have developed one. Let's look at the core benefits of a true app..... 1. it has push notifications 2. it has a homescreen or app drawer icon - thats pretty much it in my opinion.... both of these are solved with this app, but unlike a "true" app this solution supports add on content - this offering is still in it's infancy and I would guess there are plans to develop it further.
 
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I created a simple app with MIT's App Inventor (WebViewer), for Android only. No push notifications yet. I'll release some information about it as a resource if anybody is interested.

I think push notifications can be added with an additional framework, but I wanted to see if App Inventor was really the thing I wanted to use first.

Easy and free.
As an update, and proof of concept, I created a web wrapper app for XenForo.com for Android. No push notifications though, a really lame logo, and it could be made a little more polished using Android Studio.

This complete process took me literally 2 hours from starting it, to getting it uploaded to Google Play. It took about 2 hours to be approved to the store.

Once installed, the app is called "testxfwrapper"

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=appinventor.ai_davidjamesdotson.testxfwrapper
 
As an update, and proof of concept, I created a web wrapper app for XenForo.com for Android. No push notifications though, a really lame logo, and it could be made a little more polished using Android Studio.

This complete process took me literally 2 hours from starting it, to getting it uploaded to Google Play. It took about 2 hours to be approved to the store.

Once installed, the app is called "testxfwrapper"

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=appinventor.ai_davidjamesdotson.testxfwrapper
That's actually pretty neat. (y)
 
s an update, and proof of concept, I created a web wrapper app for XenForo.com for Android. No push notifications though, a really lame logo, and it could be made a little more polished using Android Studio.

Ha, I did the same today for iOS. :)
It took app. 1 hour to finish it. I did not publish it however.

I also read through documents regarding push notifications and think 1 more day could be enough to implement it. Almost everything is freely available with example code.

No, I do not intend to make an add-on of it. But I may make apps for our forums myself ...
 
Ha, I did the same today for iOS. :)
It took app. 1 hour to finish it. I did not publish it however.

I also read through documents regarding push notifications and think 1 more day could be enough to implement it. Almost everything is freely available with example code.

No, I do not intend to make an add-on of it. But I may make apps for our forums myself ...

selfish :(
 
The argument for a wrapper working better than a 'real' app when it comes to add-ons is the most valid argument on this topic. Actually has me thinking it might not be so bad, but someone should start working on an iOS and Android themes. Ones that make it so the wrapper isn't noticed as a wrapper right away since the site itself would appear the same way as a native app on both platforms. Then they could make an add-on that sets the theme for the visit based on user agent (iphone -> set ios theme, android -> set android theme, else -> set default theme). That could actually work very well for end users.
 
I think the complexity with push notifications is that it requires a web service to send those out, right? Something set apart from XenForo, or the app itself? It needs to register the device with the XenForo installation, and that device can then accept messages from the service?

Maybe I'll take a look at Chris D's Pushover addon and copy the entire thing, and charge many monies for it see how that's working, assuming it works in a similar fashion.
 
I have a mac and just thought i'd try to noobie my way through this. I have no knowledge of swift or objective-c. Can anyone who has started this point me in the direction of noob friendly resource,

i'm on xcode 7.1
 
I think a wrapper is an excellent way to go, if it is combined with a mobile friendly style(which I do not consider the default skin to be), PUSH and Share functions.
As @Rob pointed out, full Apps will not work for addon based software like XF.
 
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