Re: Adding Group MMS functionality to AOSP

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Jean-Baptiste Queru

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Jun 7, 2012, 10:46:12 AM6/7/12
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We've had good success merging MMS contributions recently, which tells
me that the code structure hasn't changed significantly between the
AOSP master and Google's internal tree.

Based on that, it's reasonable to start working on MMS improvements in
the current AOSP code. That way, after the next Android version gets
released in AOSP, you'll have a good head start, and you'll be able to
quickly rebase your work there, and get it reviewed while the gap
between AOSP and Google's internal tree is minimal.

JBQ

On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 3:57 PM, Robert Nye <rober...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Android needs Group MMS support added to AOSP very badly. IPhone,
> Blackberry, and Windows Phone all support this functionality natively, and
> when Android users encounters these messages it is handled very poorly.
>
> Currently, when a Group MMS is received, it shows up in an individual
> contact's thread and not in a group thread. If the user replies to the
> message, a single SMS is sent only to the specific contact that the MMS came
> from. You can access the info of the message and see that it was sent to
> mutliple numbers, yet Android does not currently sort it into a group
> thread. Also, when sending a message to multiple contacts, multiple SMS
> messages are sent out, one to each contact, instead of one group MMS.
>
> The result from poorly handled group MMS is a jumble of multiple threads,
> and no clear way of communication. This is frustrating for many users,
> especially when group MMS is relied upon as a way to communicate. I believe
> this can and needs to be solved and integrated into AOSP. OEM's such as
> Motorola add this functionality to their custom versions of Android, so it
> is possible. Verizon Messages is the only 3rd party app that currently
> handles Group MMS reliably, but it does not work on all handsets and ROMS,
> and has a terrible UI.
>
> So, what we need is Group MMS to be correctly sorted into threads, and a
> Reply to All setting. I suggest adding a setting in the stock messaging
> application that the user can check to "Reply to All" with a group MMS,
> which means all messages sent to multiple users will be sent out as Group
> MMS and all incoming Group MMS will be kept in the same thread. This way the
> user can turn on and off the functionality based on their needs or
> capabilities.
>
> There are a great number of Android users, mostly Nexus and AOSP ROM users,
> that have been looking for a solution for this for a while. I created an
> issue over at code.google.com (here) which got an amazing amount of traction
> but hasn't received any official response. Thanks to Jean-Baptiste Queru for
> pointing me here, and I hope this can be solved ASAP!
>
> Thanks,
> Robert
>



--
Jean-Baptiste M. "JBQ" Queru
Software Engineer, Android Open-Source Project, Google.

Questions sent directly to me that have no reason for being private
will likely get ignored or forwarded to a public forum with no further
warning.

Jean-Baptiste Queru

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Jun 27, 2012, 5:32:08 PM6/27/12
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I haven't seen any AOSP contribution in that area, neither from Robert
nor from anyone else. so I'm guessing there's been on progress on that
front, and therefore there's no discussion to be had here.

JBQ

On Wed, Jun 27, 2012 at 2:25 PM, Sean Douglass <dougla...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Jean-Baptiste,
>
> Thanks again for posting an update. Many of the people in the
> code.google.com haven't posted anything in here (presumably because they
> haven't read any of the replies).
>
> I downloaded the SDK for 4.1 that was released today and noticed that the
> stock messaging app has had 0 changes made to it to resolve this issue. I'm
> hoping that Google has pushed this change further up the tree and that it's
> getting more attention and that we'll receive an update in a future patch of
> 4.1 or get a messenger app update independent of carriers (please somehow by
> pass VZW -- this is an issue that needs an immediate update).
>
> Copious amounts of my friends have recently discovered the "wonders of group
> MMS" and I have had to ask people to remove me from the texts (which, of
> course, means that if ONE person responds to that messaging tree without
> removing me manually I receive hundreds of texts again -- all from different
> people in a messed up fashion).  I would love to participate in these social
> group texts, but because of the lack of group MMS support, I cannot. It's
> not only annoying, but incredibly disheartening to be left out of the fun.
>
> I hope that the message has been bumped up the chain in the last 20 days!
Technical Lead, Android Open Source Project, Google.

Jean-Baptiste Queru

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Jun 28, 2012, 12:41:53 PM6/28/12
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All right, I think there was some misunderstanding here. This mailing
list is meant to discuss specific code contributions coming from
outside Google for inclusion into Android. Without intending to
contribute, we're off-topic here, and since we try to keep this list
very sharply on-topic this thread is now closed.

Thanks,
JBQ

On Wed, Jun 27, 2012 at 4:08 PM, Robert Nye <rober...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Sean and Jean-Baptiste,
>
> My main goal in creating this post was that a Contributor, either on
> Google's side or a dev who knows the workings of a messaging application,
> would be able to get the ball rolling. My knowledge on the subject is
> limited, but I am working on finding a solution. Ideally, if we could get
> Google's MMS Engineer to take a look at this, things would be much easier.
>
> Robert

Jean-Baptiste Queru

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Jul 9, 2012, 12:00:27 PM7/9/12
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android-discuss

JBQ

On Mon, Jul 9, 2012 at 8:26 AM, Tanner Robinson
<tannermikr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Is there a better forum or group to discuss this issue?

Jean-Baptiste Queru

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Sep 4, 2012, 10:33:36 AM9/4/12
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I don't know anything about that code, sorry.

JBQ

On Tue, Sep 4, 2012 at 12:48 AM, Vivek Vasani <vivek...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Jean-Baptiste,
>
> I am currently working on adding this functionality to AOSP but I am having
> trouble navigating the framework. So far I have it so that there is a
> setting to enable/disable group messaging and the compose message activity
> changes the protocol from SMS to MMS when more than 1 recipient is in the TO
> field.
>
> The final task I have to make is in receiving the MMS(PDU) and calling the
> getOrCreateThreadId function with multiple addresses as opposed to the
> single FROM address of the sender when the MMS arrives. Can you point me to
> the appropriate class that handles the incoming MMS and also calls for the
> MMS/PDU be stored in the DB with getOrCreateThreadId()?
>
> - Vivek Vasani
>
> --

Jean-Baptiste Queru

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Sep 13, 2012, 11:36:21 AM9/13/12
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Contribute to master, please.

JBQ

On Thu, Sep 13, 2012 at 8:12 AM, Vivek Vasani <vivek...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Because I'm running linux from my mac with parallels, i seem to be running
> into a lot of issues and wait times for operations to complete. I am about
> to wipe my entire WORKING_DIRECTORY and start from scratch.
>
> JBQ, which branch would be the best to make changes to? I need to modify:
> frameworks/base
> packages/apps/Mms
> packages/providers/TelephonyProvider
>
> William, I built a CM10 ROM with my mods and details can be found here:
> AndroidCentral | Group Text Messaging for JB - ACHIEVED!
>
>
> On Wednesday, September 12, 2012 3:57:18 PM UTC-4, William Moore wrote:
>>
>> On Sunday, September 9, 2012 7:49:46 PM UTC-5, Vivek Vasani wrote:
>>>
>>> I have figured it out and tested it on my Galaxy Nexus/toro.
>>>
>>> Framework and Mms.apk now:
>>>
>>> - Thread incoming MMS with all recipients
>>> - Send Group MMS when the conversation contains more than 1 recipient
>>> - MMS messages will shoe the sender's name/number just above the body of
>>> the message to help distinguish who is saying what in group conversations.
>>>
>>> The first two features are toggled by a checkbox in the Messaging app
>>> Settings.
>>>
>>> I am now in the process of cleaning up the code and submitting it via
>>> Gerrit.
>>
>>
>> What is the status on the submission of this code? I would really like to
>> see this in AOSP or at least in CyanogenMod. Can you provide a link to the
>> request in gerrit?
>>
>> William
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