Mobile S2ki?
Administrator
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 20,274
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From: Toronto, Canada
re: tapatalk
I've looked at their package. It's nice. It doesn't work with our software, present or future. It has been mentioned many times and the answer is the same unfortunately. We will have a mobile solution in the not-to-distant future, working on it now, but it won't be tapatalk.
I have nothing against it, it just doesn't fulfill our needs going forward.
I've looked at their package. It's nice. It doesn't work with our software, present or future. It has been mentioned many times and the answer is the same unfortunately. We will have a mobile solution in the not-to-distant future, working on it now, but it won't be tapatalk.
I have nothing against it, it just doesn't fulfill our needs going forward.
Administrator
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 20,274
Likes: 4
From: Toronto, Canada
It's both a conflict with the software which could probably be solved but it's also a dependency issue which would restrict our ability to modify or change parts of the site.
Tapatalk works by installing an API layer of software on the servers which bypass the website and act on the forums software directly. If we change that software or the database we would probably break tapatalk which adds a significant restriction.
Our mobile app, when we have one, will work through a thin API layer which is separate from the forum/gallery/blog/etc code of the site.
The ideal arrangement that I trying to get to is one where the website is one way to look at s2ki, the mobile site another and a mobile app possibly another.
Right now too much of the logic which defines the site software is wrapped up in and part of the logic which displays the web pages you see. I've spent the last 3-4 months working to separate the view of the site (the web pages) from the control and data objects which sit behind it.
For example, the code to upload an avatar for your profile is part of the code which displays the avatar upload form. The feature of uploading an avatar, scaling it, cropping it and attaching it to your profile is only available through that single HTML page. How would you set your avatar from a mobile app or even a mobile web version of the site? You would have to write another, second version of the code to upload an avatar which could be used by the mobile app or the mobile site.
There are 4 functions within the site's software which set your profile photo. They all do exactly the same thing in that same way. When they originally wrote the software and they needed a function to set a profile photo they just copy and pasted the code from where it was used before to the new place that function was needed. You would think that they would write it once and just call the same function from 4 different places, but no, that is not what they did. That is only one example. I change one little thing and the software breaks in 50 places.
Sorting that out is my highest priority right now.
This is why we don't have a mobile version of the site yet and why it seemingly takes so long to get one. It will come but it is going to take a good deal of prep work which I've been pounding away at for the past few months and will keep working on for a couple more.
Tying into add-ons like tapatalk which assume the site's software is fairly virgin is a hinderance to the process. Even if I got it working this week I can guarantee it would stop working next week because I will have pulled the rug out from under it.
Tapatalk works by installing an API layer of software on the servers which bypass the website and act on the forums software directly. If we change that software or the database we would probably break tapatalk which adds a significant restriction.
Our mobile app, when we have one, will work through a thin API layer which is separate from the forum/gallery/blog/etc code of the site.
The ideal arrangement that I trying to get to is one where the website is one way to look at s2ki, the mobile site another and a mobile app possibly another.
Right now too much of the logic which defines the site software is wrapped up in and part of the logic which displays the web pages you see. I've spent the last 3-4 months working to separate the view of the site (the web pages) from the control and data objects which sit behind it.
For example, the code to upload an avatar for your profile is part of the code which displays the avatar upload form. The feature of uploading an avatar, scaling it, cropping it and attaching it to your profile is only available through that single HTML page. How would you set your avatar from a mobile app or even a mobile web version of the site? You would have to write another, second version of the code to upload an avatar which could be used by the mobile app or the mobile site.
There are 4 functions within the site's software which set your profile photo. They all do exactly the same thing in that same way. When they originally wrote the software and they needed a function to set a profile photo they just copy and pasted the code from where it was used before to the new place that function was needed. You would think that they would write it once and just call the same function from 4 different places, but no, that is not what they did. That is only one example. I change one little thing and the software breaks in 50 places.
Sorting that out is my highest priority right now.
This is why we don't have a mobile version of the site yet and why it seemingly takes so long to get one. It will come but it is going to take a good deal of prep work which I've been pounding away at for the past few months and will keep working on for a couple more.
Tying into add-ons like tapatalk which assume the site's software is fairly virgin is a hinderance to the process. Even if I got it working this week I can guarantee it would stop working next week because I will have pulled the rug out from under it.
Community Organizer
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,941
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From: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Thanks for all of the hard work! I look forward to seeing what kind of mobile site/app you guys roll out for us!
I browse from my iPhone on occasion and although it isn't as smooth as my regular web browser it sure beats nothing.
I browse from my iPhone on occasion and although it isn't as smooth as my regular web browser it sure beats nothing.
Administrator
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 20,274
Likes: 4
From: Toronto, Canada
Originally Posted by warshan,Sep 6 2010, 02:48 PM
Tapatalk is a great mobile app for forum access.
however, S2ki is does not have tapatalk access enabled.
that would be a great help.
thanks.
however, S2ki is does not have tapatalk access enabled.
that would be a great help.
thanks.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,055
Likes: 3
From: Westchester/Fairfield County
sorry to make things more complex, but if you could also try to support WM7 devices that would be great. I think we will start seeing WM7 taking significant market share from iPhone.
Former Moderator
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 14,847
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From: Emmett
Originally Posted by josserman,Nov 28 2010, 08:48 AM
sorry to make things more complex, but if you could also try to support WM7 devices that would be great. I think we will start seeing WM7 taking significant market share from iPhone.
I think a mobile version is a waste of time and effort with the way mobile browsers are coming along right now, 3 or 4 years ago that would have been different.
I think an album update would be way more useful, being able to delete multiple photos or move photos from one folder to another as well as support for mobile uploads.