Quinoid 0.0.7alpha - Sharing. Auto-loading.

[Mark S.]

This version rolled back the ability to "completely" exit from Quinoid just by backing out of the app. Instead, if you want to completely exit Quinoid (usually in order to refresh a TW file), you can use the "exit" option from the 3-dot menu. The reason for the roll-back is to facilitate the new "sharing" feature. I'm not sure if sharing will work if Q. is not already launched, and it's really tedious to do *all* testing from an emulator. I'm sure people here will provide feedback if it's a problem ;-)

You can share text with Q from other apps now, though you have to visit Q in order to see the results (because TW has to be loaded into a web viewer in order to pick up the files).

BE CAREFUL! The capture facility writes to your TW file, and it did generate RSOE's, though I *think* I found and fixed the bugs.

When you download an empty, it goes to a Documents/TwFiles directory that may or may not be on your "real" external drive. It needed to be a public directory, and not a private directory as I originally speculated, because the Android Downloader can't get permission to download to your private space directly. Once again, I will be interested to hear where it's working. Also, any additional HTML files added to that directory will automatically go on your Q. list (I may have to dial this back to prevent abuse, but that's it for now). This gives you a new way to add files to Q, and makes sure that anyone who closed out their device before a download completed will still get it.

Here's some of the notes extracted from the readme. Especially pay attention if you want to try the sharing. Currently saves from any given session go to one tiddler. Possibly it might make sense for each save to go to it's own tiddler. It's kind of 6 of one and a half dozen of the other at the moment.

https://github.com/Marxsal/Quinoid01/releases

Thanks!

-- Mark

Usage Notes

Note that there are two file selection mechanisms. "File Explorer" and "System Exlorer". "File Explorer" is now inside the overflow menu. The "System Explorer" appears as a "+" icon on the action bar. File Explorer will probably only work with files that Android considers "internal". This is due to changes in Android permissons starting with Android 4.4. However, the File Explorer is probably more efficient than System Explorer, so if you can get it to work that might be the first choice. In future editions, the File Explorer may be disabled for Android 5 and greater.

A long press on the line item in the list view will bring up a dialog where you can change the display name (not the internal TiddlyWiki name), mark the file as browsable, mark the file as a clipboard, or mark the file to be removed (in which case, the file will be removed as soon as you confirm your choice).

When you've made modifications to a TW file and need the page to refresh, you have two options. The first is that you can use the "exit" button to exit all of the way out of Quinoid. Then return to Quinoid and continue as before. This seems to work.

The other is to import the small tiddler, "Refresh-for-Quinoid.json", which should be available along with the releases. After importing and refreshing (either before loading into Quinoid, or by backing out of Quinoid as outline above), you should be able to use the normal refresh/reload buttons made available by TW.

Capturing/sharing text with Quinoid

You can send (share) text with Quinoid, though I don't know how robust it is, so test carefully.

In Quinoid, you can long-press on an item and select it to be a "clipboard" for Quinoid. If you do not make a selection, then Quinoid will use the first item in the list by default.

In your 3rd-party application, select some text the usual way and then choose to "share". From the selection menu, pick Quinoid. The screen will go blank momentarily before returning to your app. Behind the scenes, it's activating Quinoid and saving your text.

Back in Quinoid, navigate to your target page. After the page loads you should wait until it says "wiki saved." If you check under the "recent" tab, you'll see that there is one or more tiddlers with the name "Quinoid-Clip-". Currently (vsn 0.0.007) all the text that you shared will be in one tiddler. A new tiddler will not be created until you have visited the page once.

Various notes and warnings: I don't know if it matters whether Quinoid is launched for this to work. Perhaps people can provide feedback. I've tested it with Quinoid always launched. I also don't know if it matters whether you are the dashboard page or on the browse pages, though it seems to work for me either way. Awaiting feedback.

Note really well: The text that is captured is not transferred to the target TW file until you visit it. So if you use some other tool (e.g. web-browser) to visit the page, the new text will not be available.

Using the File downloader and auto-loading of TW-files.

Under the activity-bar 3-dot menu, you can tell Quinoid to download an empty file. If you are connected to the internet it will fetche the latest empty release. It will save this to a TwFiles sub-folder of your public documents folder. This subfolder may be on your physical internal drive or your external drive, depending on Android version and manufacturer. I targeted the external drive, but as far as I can tell, I don't have full control. I'll be interested in hearing reports back.

Whatever location is chosen, any TW files (or html files) placed in that directory will be automatically added to Quinoid's file list upon start-up.

[TonyM]

Mark,

I will test soon. Thanks for the ongoing development. Sharing will be an invaluable tool of which ultimatly import and export should also be part of.

Regards
Tony

[Watt]

Hi Mark
Old version uninstalled. Permission to install from unknown source granted. Android 7.

Installed but won't open for me. Creates an icon and on press gives a bit of a flash, but nothing opens. Downloaded twice, same story.

Thanks for your hardwork and perseverance, it's really appreciated.

[@TiddlyTweeter]

Ciao Mark S.

Just started looking at it. Small design issue. Perhaps it should not indicate checkboxes in the main menu since you can't click them? They are set elsewhere.

Just a thought

Josiah 

[@TiddlyTweeter]

Ciao Mark S.

This is just a comment--I'm neutral on the solution. 

The question: With advent of clippo-function does the install need a Help Wiki built in? Or some link to instructions? 

At the moment I find myself having to read notes via my desktop to understand what to do on my dumb-arse-phone.

A dopo.

Josiah

[Watt]

I got it working Mark, forgot to grant 'storage permission' to the new version! Having done that it opens fine.
Downloaded a test empty tw- works.

Long press on title lets me check browse andd clip - works.

Sharing works! A bit jumpy, and some quirks but succeeded in sharing tiddly tweeter's comment into a tiddler and a weblink into another. Really, well done. It's very useful.

The shares didn't show until after I'd exited to the list and back but they are there, each in individual, timestamped tiddlers.

I'm going to play with it some more and come back to you but so far so good! Thanks.

[Mark S.]

Hi Watt,

Thanks for letting me know it's working now.

Did it ask you for permissions when you installed, or do you have to remember to grant permissions every time you install? If the latter, perhaps I need to add some notes to the readme. The problem is (one of the problems is) that Android has done some tweaks to the security system for every version from 4.4 to 9.

Yes, I didn't think of that. You probably do need to move out of the browse pages in order to see the shared text. The reason is that there isn't a "live", ongoing connection between the TW file and the environment, because TW files are javascript. The live connection is between the environment and the Q app. The Q app saves the shares and then inserts them into the TW page when it gets loaded. Maybe this should be added to the notes too. It's the best I can do at the moment. The main thing is that the shares will eventually make their way into the TW file.

Thanks!

-- Mark

[Mark S.]

The Brw and Clp give visual reminders of which items have been selected for browsing or as clipboards. I greyed them out to indicate that they can't be clicked here. If my rusty memory serves, I chose to go this route with the long-press because if I made it edit in place (1. people would always be accidentally making the wrong choices 2. I lose the long-press ability) I felt putting it all under long-press was useful because that way not everything relating to a tiddler file would have to appear on the list. For instance, the "remove" option is inside the long-press menu where it won't be accidentally invoked by someone just trying to browse up or down the list.

I tend to be utilitarian in my approach, figuring that the aesthetics can be tweaked later after I know the base technology is somewhat solid.

Thanks!

-- Mark

[Watt]

Hi Mark
No, it didn't ask for any permissions here. In my case I had to allow install from unknown source, install, then go back to settings and give storage permission. I gave location permission too but I doubt you've had time to wizard that.

Downloading empty test TWs works and files open in quinoid. (Found the empty files outside of Quinoid in Documents/Twfiles if anybody else is looking - they're named empty and timestamped which is great).

Sharing from a variety of apps works for me.

If you share from an app but don't look at the share in quinoid immediately, and carry on browsing and sharing, clips are added cumulatively to the same tiddler.

If you look at the 'share' on Quinoid before continuing to clip then a new tiddler is created.

For me a new tiddler for every 'clip' is better, but others may disagree. You are still getting the basic functions working I know, so don't take that as a criticism. It works!

Standard 'highlight and share' only shares unformatted plain text. Images, audio, video don't share by default at the moment.

However, an rss reader I use offers a 'share source' option and that put the html into Quinoid with working links and images. In firefox, 'view page source', select all, share to quinoid does the same. Nice!

Everything else is working - I'll keep you posted if I find anything but it's looking really good, thanks!

[TonyM]

Looking great mark

Sharing a link into tw from the google group conversation - the browser address bar is fab.

Love your work
Tony

[@TiddlyTweeter]

Fully agree.

I think the long-press is good.

Re greying--it never occurred to me :-)

Best wishes

Josiah

[TonyM]

Hi,

I just installed Qunioid on my new phone (Android 7.0.0) and and it failed, until I went  into app permissions and granted storage and Location.

Yes, I seem to of moved from Android 8.0.0 to 7.0.0 I bought a new LG V20 for a measly $268 AUD which is a fantastic price but it happens to be the 910 not the 990ds model I originally had. I am yet to see  if the android version will update, but now I have a second platform on which to test Quinoid.

Regards

Tony

[Mark S.]

Thanks for your feedback!

Do you remember if you had to go into permissions on your 8.0 device? Or did it ask you?

In theory it should ask about permissions, but I don't know at what generation that feature gets activated.

Did anyone here get *asked* about storage permissions when they installed? Obviously I should have been taking better notes ...

Thanks!

-- Mark

[TonyM]

Mark,

I remember getting asked about storage permissions in the past (8.0.0) but I also upgraded the existing install, by installing the next version without removing the last and this may have retained the previous permissions.

I have done a fresh install Q 190302a to a fresh android 7.0.0 (I could not download apk on the phone, got a Forbidden Message before download finished) Instead used my desktop connection copy apk to phone. Enable install from Foreign sources, 

1. Ok Installing "Do you want to install this application?, It does not require any special access" > Install > "App installed" Open > unfortunately Quinoid has stopped Reload? 
2. Attempted opening from App Draw, similar result, stopped
• This seems to be because the permissions were not asked for
3. Settings > General > Apps > Scroll to Quinoid Press > "No Permissions Granted" Storage and Your location available and selected
4. Open Quinoid from the app draw now opens Fine
5. Recent TW (odd TW5GDrive.html is in recent) From my Google Drive, Opened Tiddlywiki and it works well
6. Quinoid > Download Test > Took time but appeared in List, Found in Documents TwFiles
   
7. Dropped another tiddleyWiki into TwFiles , Closed App, Re-opened app, Appears in List

Set lasy Wiki as clp yes

• Shared GitHub Page to Quinoid datestamp tiddler contains working link
• Selected Text from Google Group Post and Shared with Quinoid text and links in tack Quinoid datestamp tiddler
• Shared a ToodleDo Task into TiddlyWiki
• Attempt to share 3gp file, an audio file To Quinoid not available
• Shared a news item from ABC (Aus) SNipit and Text captured

I will try more share items and document

Regards

Tony

[Mark S.]

Thanks for the feedback Tony. It's possible that Android didn't have the "ask for permissions" in place yet at A7. Or the technique I'm using is broken for 7 but works for others. The problem is that Guugle keeps changing things up. I spend about 90% of my time just studying approaches to various problems.

The sharing is definitely just for text right now. I imagine that, among other things, there would need to be coding to prevent over-sized documents from crashing the app altogether.

Thanks!

-- Mark