Native XenForo App in Development.
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Robust
Well-known member
I found it harder
Depends what background you come from I think, though. I knew Java well when I looked into Android development (very basically). I didn't (and still don't) know C, so Obj-C programming was going to be more difficult. Plus, using Xcode is disgusting and the layout of it all is just weirder. C is more useful than Java though, I think. C is a base for literally everything these days.
RobinHood
Well-known member
Really looking forward to this, happy you've managed to make some progress.
With regards to the design, I would suggest changing the bubble like design with a large gap and separation between each post have have it more like the default XF style where there's simply a single line separating posts.
This would not only keep it more in keeping with the stock XF theme, but it makes the entire screen less busy, putting more focus on the content of each post and allows you to view more thread content at any given time.
Additionally it would reduce the amount you have to scroll to get through thread.
Navigating large web pages, especially forum pages with lots of long posts can be a chore on mobile devices as (at least on Safari iOS) frustratingly mobile browser developers still haven't incorporated any kind of scrubber to quickly and accurately scroll up and down pages, leaving us to flick over and over again to scroll down large pages quickly.
I'm sure this isn't a priority, but might as well mention it while on my mind, a nice feature to potentially incorporate at somepoint would be a scroll position scrubber, like dropbox has implemented in their mobile app, so you can quickly and accurately scroll up and down through a thread. You can see it as the hamburger circle on the right here.
If you want a bit more inspiration from a mobile app that has implemented a decent forum thread system, download and have a play with the HotUKDeals app.
It's not perfect, but they've done a good job simplifying the interface to maximise the amount of content viewable on the screen at any given time.
Their page navigation is uniquely implemented too. It's takes the good user reading experience obtained from having a continuous scrolling effect throughout the entire thread, but makes it easy to navigate by retaining pagination buttons to jump to various page positions.
With regards to the design, I would suggest changing the bubble like design with a large gap and separation between each post have have it more like the default XF style where there's simply a single line separating posts.
This would not only keep it more in keeping with the stock XF theme, but it makes the entire screen less busy, putting more focus on the content of each post and allows you to view more thread content at any given time.
Additionally it would reduce the amount you have to scroll to get through thread.
Navigating large web pages, especially forum pages with lots of long posts can be a chore on mobile devices as (at least on Safari iOS) frustratingly mobile browser developers still haven't incorporated any kind of scrubber to quickly and accurately scroll up and down pages, leaving us to flick over and over again to scroll down large pages quickly.
I'm sure this isn't a priority, but might as well mention it while on my mind, a nice feature to potentially incorporate at somepoint would be a scroll position scrubber, like dropbox has implemented in their mobile app, so you can quickly and accurately scroll up and down through a thread. You can see it as the hamburger circle on the right here.
If you want a bit more inspiration from a mobile app that has implemented a decent forum thread system, download and have a play with the HotUKDeals app.
It's not perfect, but they've done a good job simplifying the interface to maximise the amount of content viewable on the screen at any given time.
Their page navigation is uniquely implemented too. It's takes the good user reading experience obtained from having a continuous scrolling effect throughout the entire thread, but makes it easy to navigate by retaining pagination buttons to jump to various page positions.
re: advertising...
I guess my question is native app vs JS based ad embeds. i'm a bit out of the loop on what is allowed in apps these days, but last i heard, one needed to run abmob or similar instead of adsense JS code on native apps. is that not true any more?
I'd like to be able to include a basic navbar unit and have it function, responsively, to both my website and my app.
I guess my question is native app vs JS based ad embeds. i'm a bit out of the loop on what is allowed in apps these days, but last i heard, one needed to run abmob or similar instead of adsense JS code on native apps. is that not true any more?
I'd like to be able to include a basic navbar unit and have it function, responsively, to both my website and my app.
Also, I'm interested in having an app that would embed into the core 'share' application.
Ie, if i'm in my android core photo gallery and hit the < share icon, I want to see my forum as an option in the list because I installed my web site app to my phone. Where it goes can be configured - ie, albums, or some default forum, etc (that's a bit inconsequential at this point).
Can we get our websites as share options? This is why we (as forum owners) are losing to things like FB groups and Instagram. To get it on a forum requires a forum PULL from the phone. What we need is an app that can PUSH to our app from other native apps.. It's backwards, and it's simply EASIER to put stuff on fb than it is our boards, and it's killing our marketshare as a whole.
Ie, if i'm in my android core photo gallery and hit the < share icon, I want to see my forum as an option in the list because I installed my web site app to my phone. Where it goes can be configured - ie, albums, or some default forum, etc (that's a bit inconsequential at this point).
Can we get our websites as share options? This is why we (as forum owners) are losing to things like FB groups and Instagram. To get it on a forum requires a forum PULL from the phone. What we need is an app that can PUSH to our app from other native apps.. It's backwards, and it's simply EASIER to put stuff on fb than it is our boards, and it's killing our marketshare as a whole.
Will definitely be getting this at some stage, just trying to decide if to jump in now or wait a little while.
A few questions/comments that it'd be good to get answers too if possible.
1) Do you guys just handle all push notifications and we don't need to worry about that side of it at all, regardless of forum size/traffic/etc?
2) Presumably with push, etc it means there's some kind of callback to your server. What happens if your server isn't reachable for some reason?
3) Can you elaborate any more on the differences between the forum-specific and branding-free options? Whilst I can see the benefit of branding-free, $120/year is just about at the level where it's not a given that's the one we'd go with depending on any other benefits.
4) Is there a XF minimum version requirement? We're still on XF 1.4.1 and haven't got around to upgrading for a while now (as I've just not had time to sort our custom style, etc out).
5) What's the plan for when XF 2.0 comes out? I'm presuming you have some insight into details of that which you can't go into but I'd be happy with some kind of comment from you that things should be a seamless update of the app once XF 2.0 is out. Having to wait 6 months for the app to be re-developed when XF 2.0 comes out and either choosing between losing that functionality for that time or not upgrading XF until the app is ready would be an issue.
6) I assume access through the app can somehow be limited via usergroups? I'm also assuming that the app would be free for our users to download through the app store (published from your iOS developer account)?
7) Given 6, I assume there are no license issues with us charging our users for access to the app usergroup to recoup some of the costs?
There's probably a few other things I'll think to ask later but this looks excellent and seems to be nicely priced
A few questions/comments that it'd be good to get answers too if possible.
1) Do you guys just handle all push notifications and we don't need to worry about that side of it at all, regardless of forum size/traffic/etc?
2) Presumably with push, etc it means there's some kind of callback to your server. What happens if your server isn't reachable for some reason?
3) Can you elaborate any more on the differences between the forum-specific and branding-free options? Whilst I can see the benefit of branding-free, $120/year is just about at the level where it's not a given that's the one we'd go with depending on any other benefits.
4) Is there a XF minimum version requirement? We're still on XF 1.4.1 and haven't got around to upgrading for a while now (as I've just not had time to sort our custom style, etc out).
5) What's the plan for when XF 2.0 comes out? I'm presuming you have some insight into details of that which you can't go into but I'd be happy with some kind of comment from you that things should be a seamless update of the app once XF 2.0 is out. Having to wait 6 months for the app to be re-developed when XF 2.0 comes out and either choosing between losing that functionality for that time or not upgrading XF until the app is ready would be an issue.
6) I assume access through the app can somehow be limited via usergroups? I'm also assuming that the app would be free for our users to download through the app store (published from your iOS developer account)?
7) Given 6, I assume there are no license issues with us charging our users for access to the app usergroup to recoup some of the costs?
There's probably a few other things I'll think to ask later but this looks excellent and seems to be nicely priced
Valid and great points, however as you yourself pointed out, it comes with some fundamental issues such as, where should the default upload be? Definitely something to be considered however.
This was chosen to allow for a more functional set of options, as per the screen with the report, quote, reply buttons, eventually this will also contain the moderator actions etc.
1) That is the idea
2) We have a few options in the pipeline, and are currently assessing the best option for reliability and performance.
3) Exacting details will be available nearer the initial releases. In general whilst all apps will aim for all the core XenForo functionality, any "value added" features will be focused on the branding free apps first. However we appreciate some people may not see the need, or want branding free, and likewise we do not want to hinder them or have them lose functionality because of that. It's a fine balance to strike and we are aiming to get that right without rushing into specifics.
4) So far the addon side should work on anything 1.2+
Download the new addon for 2.0, and install it, no updates will be needed to the App unless something unexpected happens. The aim is to have the addon available and fully functional from the day 2.0 is released as stable.
Usergroup limitations are a suggestion under consideration, and highly likely.
The specific agreement is yet TBD, but shouldn't be a problem.
Just an idea
For Add-on support you could make an API in the APP where add-on developers can hook in to. This way you support the API and don't need to program the 2000 add-ons.
Any 3rd party integration will be a long way off. But thanks for the suggestion.
This is the hands down #1 game changer in my eyes. push notifs are a much lower #2 (seeing as email can already send notifications). Everything else is just a different way to use a responsive web app and honestly has little to no value to me/my websites. Native Share is THE reason why I want an app.
There should be an admin panel option screen to choose what to do with mobile share. Some things that come to mind:
- image becomes a (user selected) album image [image easily gets lost/buried like this though]
- image uploads to official gallery addon in (user selected) album [not everyone bought they gallery]
- image becomes attachment to a new thread in a (user selected) or (admin specified) forum [might create a lot of clutter on heavy activity boards]
- a new widget/display activity in a sidebar or new tab for 'user feed', etc.
- video support would be awesome too.
There's options. And none are great because the core XF platform wasn't really designed to do this natively so there's no real good place to display it in the user profiles, or a 'wall' like instagram/flickr. But, there is an activity api and image api's and with a little creativity and white-boarding i'm sure it will work and end up being a game changer.
People who own sports boards will be able to take a picture at the football game and immediately share it to the topic board without having the login and create a thread, clicking attach, browsing their phone's horrible filestructure to try to find DCM20151212_132212132132.jpg which may or may not be the correct image.
Or the guy at the track can post to his car forum.
or the music forum member can post a concert photo...
this is what we are losing traffic to. I see my forum friends on fb post stuff to fb right away. a day or 2 later, it ends up on my board as an after thought, now old news...
you have the power to help us save forums from the mega social sites, and in return, we will pay for it and make you rich
The whole suggestion is a really great one so will be high on my priority list, ive got a few ideas on how to make it work.
Fayettemat
Member
Since you are talking about ads in the opening post is there going to be anyway to do analytic-based functionality for the app?
Kintaro
Well-known member
It will be possibile to have option 1 and 2 at the same time?
Kintaro
Well-known member
This could be great! Instead of directly support 3rd party's add-ons (too much difficult to do) they will "open" to 3rd party with their own API so the most of the work have to be done from 3rd party devs.
Maybe with API available only for the forum specific app?
Fayettemat
Member
I wonder if their will be a "tablet UI" as well as phone one.
vbresults
Well-known member
There is no monthly license.
More plainly written.
p.s. no problem with the prices themselves for me. It just isn't monthly.
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Please don't try and push information regarding this as fact thank you.
The prices are marked "provisional" for a reason. Our focus lies with creating the highest quality app first, the exact billing and purchasing structure will be worked out once our billing and publishing system is complete.
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