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1JonathanGorman
There might be a better place for this but I haven't found any groups for it. If there's enough interest in a separate group for those interested in Android app development I might make one.
In any case, I don't know if I have the time to create my own android app, but I certainly wouldn't mind helping someone else. I was thinking of some of the things I'd like to see in a mobile app and hoping to start looking through the apis to see where there are gaps. I don't know if these would all be in one app or a few different ones.
* Talk - I'd like to see a list of talk messages. When I go into options I can then choose some of the filters that appear on the left of the talk page. Maybe integrate groups in here as well to jump to a group page for a group or just see the talk there.
* Reading/Owning log - some quick and easy way to add a book to my collection (or change the status of it if it already exists). do some simple searches or browse. I'd like it to essentially combine both "your books" and "add books". If it can't find the book in your collection it offers to add the book to your collections. Then something similar to the quick edit would come up. Ideally it would also include start & end time for books for those of us who track it. More extensive editing would probably be somewhere else.
It could also have some pretty views for looking through the history of your reading. Ie what have you read in the last month etc.
* Adding books to a category - particularly "To Read" or something like that.
* Do I own it - some quick check to see if I have recorded a book already and some status info. I wonder if this needs to be separate because I've seen a lot of people request similar functionality in a mobile app.
* Would I like it? - feature to put in isbn/title and see if it was in my recommendations.
* Find me a book - trickiest, but essentially I'd like to go into my public library or bookstore and then ask LibraryThing to limit by that location. Weak point here is while LibraryThing has been doing hard work on this front but so many bookstores/libraries just don't make this info available in an easy to deal with way.
When I get time I'll try to see what the apis provide now that could work with the above and what would need to be added to the apps to make it work. Is there anything that does some of these functions now?
In any case, I don't know if I have the time to create my own android app, but I certainly wouldn't mind helping someone else. I was thinking of some of the things I'd like to see in a mobile app and hoping to start looking through the apis to see where there are gaps. I don't know if these would all be in one app or a few different ones.
* Talk - I'd like to see a list of talk messages. When I go into options I can then choose some of the filters that appear on the left of the talk page. Maybe integrate groups in here as well to jump to a group page for a group or just see the talk there.
* Reading/Owning log - some quick and easy way to add a book to my collection (or change the status of it if it already exists). do some simple searches or browse. I'd like it to essentially combine both "your books" and "add books". If it can't find the book in your collection it offers to add the book to your collections. Then something similar to the quick edit would come up. Ideally it would also include start & end time for books for those of us who track it. More extensive editing would probably be somewhere else.
It could also have some pretty views for looking through the history of your reading. Ie what have you read in the last month etc.
* Adding books to a category - particularly "To Read" or something like that.
* Do I own it - some quick check to see if I have recorded a book already and some status info. I wonder if this needs to be separate because I've seen a lot of people request similar functionality in a mobile app.
* Would I like it? - feature to put in isbn/title and see if it was in my recommendations.
* Find me a book - trickiest, but essentially I'd like to go into my public library or bookstore and then ask LibraryThing to limit by that location. Weak point here is while LibraryThing has been doing hard work on this front but so many bookstores/libraries just don't make this info available in an easy to deal with way.
When I get time I'll try to see what the apis provide now that could work with the above and what would need to be added to the apps to make it work. Is there anything that does some of these functions now?
2MMcM
I believe much LibraryThing data derives from the Amazon Product Advertising Data Feed.
So, you need to consider clause 4(e) of the API License Agreement.
So, you need to consider clause 4(e) of the API License Agreement.
3brightcopy
This message from Tim and the surrounding discussion is apropos.
4JonathanGorman
I don't mind discussion of possible legal pitfalls, but I was wondering more if some of my desires were similar to other folks? I mean, how do you see interacting with librarything on a mobile device?
For adding books, I can always use non-Amazon sources. The biggest sacrifice would be cover images.
For adding books, I can always use non-Amazon sources. The biggest sacrifice would be cover images.
5Inis
Good ideas! I would like to have an android app too. Key features for me are adding new books via barcode, view/search the books I own and rate them.
6cuffs
Yeah I would be interested in coding some android app to do the "Do I own it" stuff, if I can find an LT API to do the query. It would be nice to list the books in my collection also to see if I have other works from a given author.
7geoffgibbs
I already use my android phone as a barcode scanner to add new books. But the need to go through the "add books" web page (possibly logging into the site first) and selecting the sources, collections and tags (I often buy a series of books in one go, all with the same tags) to import into is a bit of a pain.
I have been looking into the possibility of writing an app just for adding books, but the APIs don't seem to support importing books at the moment.
Having said all that, I would definitely be glad to help on writing an app.
I have been looking into the possibility of writing an app just for adding books, but the APIs don't seem to support importing books at the moment.
Having said all that, I would definitely be glad to help on writing an app.
