Boards.ie App

v.e.r.b.a.l

Anyone out there fancy making an app for boards.ie for android?? I'm nothing to do with boards.ie (just a user! ), but I think it'd be well handy to have an app.

Maybe one that has a more mobile-friendly GUI than the desktop site has on a phone like the Desire, but better than the mobile-version that's there already.

And it'd be cool if you could get notifications when somebody PMs you, replies to a thread you're in etc.

Any of you programmers out there have some spare time????

OI

I get notified on the mobile site if I'm pm'd. If mobile site had a thanks button I'd be happy. Don't see a need for a dedicated app myself.

v.e.r.b.a.l

the mobile site is lacking visually. plus i'm pretty sure it's missing a lot of important options like quoting etc.

BeciMester

Quoting is there too. My only grief is that in a long thread the 'buttons' (links, whatever) that switch to the next page are so bloody tiny that I constantly have to zoom far in and aim carefully. I'd love 'previous page' - 'next page' style buttons. Otherwise I don't see the need for a standalone app either.

OI

v.e.r.b.a.l wrote: »

the mobile site is lacking visually. plus i'm pretty sure it's missing a lot of important options like quoting etc.

Just quoted this on my desire.m. boards. IE

You can edit send pms the works. I get a notification when i recieved a pm. I genuinely can't see what value a dedicated app would add bar a thanks button. Imo even the main desktop website is not that visually impressive. V bulletin forums by their nature are functional and content driven rather than visually appealing. Just my opinion.

flynnduism

A dedicated app seems like a lot of work, it would be much easier to just have Boards.ie indexed by some of the existing forum apps

I use Tapatalk for reading my favourite forums from my mobile, it's a great app but sadly no Boards.ie on it. Would be an ideal solution imo

BaconZombie

The lack of been able to view

SPOILERS

on my HTC Desire making reading the Doc Who and Stargate threads VERY painful...

Keith186

BaconZombie wrote: »

The lack of been able to view

SPOILERS

on my HTC Desire making reading the Doc Who and Stargate threads VERY painful...

Highlight it, copy and paste or hit the look up button

BeciMester

Keith186 wrote: »

Highlight it, copy and paste or hit the look up button

Or just hit the 'Quote' button, it expands the spoilers in the quoted text. Fairly quick too, better than messing around with the highlighters.

partyatmygaff

There is Tapatalk...

That depends entirely on boards admins though. It supports a lot more than Android so it may be plausible.

Keith186

BeciMester wrote: »

Or just hit the 'Quote' button, it expands the spoilers in the quoted text. Fairly quick too, better than messing around with the highlighters.

Nice one

Trevor451

The normal site works perfectly for me on my HTC tattoo? Is it because of bandwidth limits ?

BeciMester

Trevor451 wrote: »

The normal site works perfectly for me on my HTC tattoo? Is it because of bandwidth limits ?

It's not that the normal site doesn't work, the mobile site suits those like me who have only 250 meg a month so have to watch their usage. 3gWatchdog is a godsend.

00sully

what exaclty would you like the android app to do that mobile doesn't? list some features I might have a go at this if it's feasible. But I would only be able to re-format the existing site so it wouldn't help data useage much - can block images/adds/banners though so that would help.

It might be possible to do a decent app for HVGA and WVGA screens using oilcan (think greasemonkey http://oilcan.jsharkey.org/) some javascript and css

BaconZombie

It's like something along the lines of the Reddit App.

00sully wrote: »

what exaclty would you like the android app to do that mobile doesn't? list some features I might have a go at this if it's feasible. But I would only be able to re-format the existing site so it wouldn't help data useage much - can block images/adds/banners though so that would help.

It might be possible to do a decent app for HVGA and WVGA screens using oilcan (think greasemonkey http://oilcan.jsharkey.org/) some javascript and css

Bluefoam

A subscribe button would be handy. I like simplicity of the mobile site.

Keith186

I think an app would be a good idea as the mobile site is missing quite a few features.

Editing in the comment box isn't as good as editing in a normal text message say. It zooms in too much, its unresponsive, if you click to place the cursor somewhere it usually end up a couple of lines up from where you pressed it and sometimes the screen doesn't auto scroll to show what text you're typing.

Definitely room for improvement either by normal web interface it creating an app.

I'm using a desire with swype as keyboard at the moment.

Abelloid

By Swypeing (?) from the Info key to the SYM key you get full cursor control, just in case you missed that...

Shzm

Being able to have a list of favourite forums would be handy too, rather than having to navigate the mobile menu to some of the more hidden ones.

heebusjeebus

Shzm wrote: »

Being able to have a list of favourite forums would be handy too, rather than having to navigate the mobile menu to some of the more hidden ones.

Definately, the "drop down" menus are very flakey on touch screens.

Gryzor

heebusjeebus wrote: »

Definately, the "drop down" menus are very flakey on touch screens.

Agreed, just saw today XDA have their own app for their forum, maybe its out a while..works well though

Something like a Tapatalk plugin is probobly the route to take though, as Tapatalk is available on the major platforms....

squire23

The XDA app is a good comparison to what can be done as that also has a hell of a lot of sub-forums. It's basic but it does the job