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Creating an app that aggregates new posts/threads from a forum?

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  • 02-09-2014 3:42pm
    #1
    Intifada
    Registered Users Posts: 974 ✭✭✭


    I run a message board using the vBulletin package. I would like to develop an android application that allows greater mobile navigation/use of the forum. I'm aware that there are no doubt several existing applications like this but I want it to be a personal project that helps me learn.

    Can someone give me some pointers here, where to start etc?

    I was thinking starting with something simple that pulls in an RSS feed and pops up a notification where there is a new post on the forum.


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    #2
    Maximus Alexander
    Registered Users Posts: 13,080 ✭✭✭✭Maximus Alexander


    I haven't tried this myself, but there is a mobile API for vBulletin which should be your starting point and will probably make it pretty easy.


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    #3
    The Corinthian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,777 ✭✭✭✭The Corinthian


    Intifada wrote: »
    I run a message board using the vBulletin package. I would like to develop an android application that allows greater mobile navigation/use of the forum. I'm aware that there are no doubt several existing applications like this but I want it to be a personal project that helps me learn.

    Can someone give me some pointers here, where to start etc?
    First thing you need to decide is what smartphone is this for? Android, Windows Phone and iOS all use different technologies and programming languages, and then there are various multi-platform frameworks out there than use different technologies and programming languages again. And not all of them are free, BTW.

    Once you've selected what you're writing for, then you could get stuck in with the project you're suggesting, but it really depends upon whether you know how to program already. If not, I suspect you may be attempting to bite off more than you can chew - development isn't really something you can quickly learn from scratch over a few weekends and the requirements you're looking to fulfill are fairly advanced. If you're a newbie to development, start with Hello World and move from there.

    Either way, you realistically need to decide what you want to write for before you can get any more meaningful answers here.


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    #4
    Intifada
    Registered Users Posts: 974 ✭✭✭Intifada


    Sorry, I copied my post from an Android forum (hadn't got an answer there!). And yes I can program, although I'd definitely be improving that through the course of this project.


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    #5
    The Corinthian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,777 ✭✭✭✭The Corinthian


    Intifada wrote: »
    Sorry, I copied my post from an Android forum (hadn't got an answer there!). And yes I can program, although I'd definitely be improving that through the course of this project.
    You still have to say what you want to develop for.

    I certainly can advise in detail on native Android development, but while I can point you in the right direction for iOS, WP and a few of the frameworks out there, I would be the proverbial one-eyed man in the kingdom of the blind where it comes to them and others could better advise you.


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    #6
    Intifada
    Registered Users Posts: 974 ✭✭✭Intifada


    The Corinthian wrote: »
    You still have to say what you want to develop for.
    Android....


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    #7
    The Corinthian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,777 ✭✭✭✭The Corinthian


    Intifada wrote: »
    Android....
    Upps, just reread your last post where you said you posted originally to an Android forum... I'm sharp today :o

    I would recommend these tutorials; I found them very clear and invaluable when starting out with Android and start from setting up your environment through to Hello World and finally being able to put together some intermediate functionality into apps.

    Do a few of the example projects, step-by-step, before graduating to doing your own thing from scratch.

    As for your proposed app, it comes down to how comfortable you would be with Java and REST. As Maximus suggested, you can pull in vBulletin data using their API. As this relies on REST, you would need to implement this, in your app, before rendering the results to the mobile UI.


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