PRS-T1 Modified Sony home screen

[Morkl]

Originally Posted by bardo

>Does anyone else have any requests, irks or other ideas about how to make the stock home screen better?

- I would like to have an easy access to dictionaries or even offline Wikipedias like WikiDroyd or Aard. Could be a link or even an input field.

- A defaults manager, selecting the stock reader or coolreader, same for audio: stock or Mortplayer Audio Books, maybe MIME-based.

Access to dictionary or wiki apps can be accomplished by setting them as custom apps and assigning them to a button. On a related note, setting custom websites and dictionary apps as highlight text-shortcuts might be a nifty feature, e.g. to set your own language version of Wikipedia.

Regarding input fields, a "custom app button that takes data from a text field" type of widget might be achievable.

Originally Posted by ewandeep

Sorry for the stupid question, but How may I find the right componentname, intentaction and intentcategory for other applications I installed on the nook?

See the example:

<customAppDefinition name="app_rootexplorer" title="Root Explorer">
<iconNormal>ic_rootexplorer.png</iconNormal>
<iconPressed>ic_rootexplorer_pressed.png</iconPressed>
<componentName package="com.speedsoftware.rootexplorer" class="com.speedsoftware.rootexplorer.RootExplorer" />
<intentAction>android.intent.action.MAIN</intentAction>
<intentCategory>android.intent.category.LAUNCHER</intentCategory>

Not a stupid question, just a poorly documented feature

I don't really know if there is a "real" way to find out what activities and intents an application can do, I usually just unpack the apk (apktool d filename.apk) and check AndroidManifest.xml.

The AndroidManifest.xml in the stock Reader app on the PRS-T1, for example, begins with (after I've done some modifications):

<manifest
android:sharedUserId="com.sony.drbd.ebook.netapp_mod"
android:versionCode="22" android:versionName="1.0"
package="com.sony.drbd.ebook_mod.reader"
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

So the "package" part of the ComponentName is "com.sony.drbd.ebook_mod.reader".

Then there is a list of activities that the app provides, e.g. the BookReadingActivity:

<activity
android:theme="@style/WindowFullscreen"
android:name="com.sony.drbd.ebook.reader.activities.BookReadingActivity"
android:configChanges="keyboardHidden|orientation">

So the "class" part of the ComponentName is "com.sony.drbd.ebook.reader.activities.BookReading Activity".

Each activity (at least those that can be started with an intent) also has a list of intent-filters that specify how they can be started.
BookReadingActivity has:

<intent-filter>
	<action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
	<category android:name=, />
	<data android:mimeType="application/epub+zip" android:scheme="file" />
	<data android:mimeType="application/pdf" android:scheme="file" />
	<data android:mimeType="text/plain" android:scheme="file" />
	<data android:mimeType="application/fb2" android:scheme="file" />
	<data android:mimeType="application/xmdf" android:scheme="file" />
	<data android:mimeType="application/x-dotbook" android:scheme="file" />
	<data android:mimeType="application/vnd.sony.mnb" android:scheme="file" />
</intent-filter>
<intent-filter>
	<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
	<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>

Which means it can be started either with action="android.intent.action.MAIN" and category="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER", or with action="android.intent.action.VIEW", category="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" and a URI of any of the specified types as data.

I hope this makes some kind of sense; just say the word if you need help with a specific app

Originally Posted by rupor

Done!

Great, thanks! Now that I've got a rudimentary Reader release out, I'll start cleaning and refactoring my code and publishing it

For those who don't follow the font thread, I just posted a modified stock Reader with custom font support.

[ewandeep]

Originally Posted by Morkl

I hope this makes some kind of sense; just say the word if you need help with a specific app

Sure, very clear and detailed, thank you very much, it was just what I (and maybe one or two other users) missed.

[adbosch]

Is there an app that
- can browse my ebooks as I have filed them (in folders) AND
- from there can launch a selected epub book in the Sony standard reader app (or according to set preferences: Coolreader or FBreader or any other)
on the T1?
Edit: without flashing screen refreshes all the time (like relaunch)

[Morkl]

Originally Posted by ewandeep

Sure, very clear and detailed, thank you very much, it was just what I (and maybe one or two other users) missed.

Sweet. The Android Intent system is powerful, but perhaps not so intuitive, at least when one is used to personal computers and the "launch application by launching the executable file" scheme.

Originally Posted by adbosch

Is there an app that
- can browse my ebooks as I have filed them (in folders) AND
- from there can launch a selected epub book in the Sony standard reader app (or according to set preferences: Coolreader or FBreader or any other)
on the T1?
Edit: without flashing screen refreshes all the time (like relaunch)

Rupor is working on a folder based content manager.

Trying to find out how to do things without flashing the screen was actually the reason I first started dissecting the PRS-T1, but I never got around to checking it out. I am still very interested in doing it though. I'm thinking something like an optional "ugly but fast mode" in the home screen and "refresh every N:th page" when reading.

[bardo]

Originally Posted by Morkl

Trying to find out how to do things without flashing the screen was actually the reason I first started dissecting the PRS-T1, but I never got around to checking it out. I am still very interested in doing it though. I'm thinking something like an optional "ugly but fast mode" in the home screen and "refresh every N:th page" when reading.

Hi Morkl,

I cannot agree more and started to lobby with app and OS developers on improving readability on e-ink:

make scrolling and page turns e-ink friendly
https://github.com/aarddict/android/...omment-3512595

Thanks for sharing your work!

[Morkl]

Seems like android.view.View on the PRS-T1 has a bunch of non-standard overrides that take an extra int argument "updateMode" that specifies how/if the view should be refreshed.

While playing around, I made a browser that only flashes on page loads, not while scrolling around: http://youtu.be/inBpc60t_Tc

More on this subject later; gotta catch up on some sleep now!

[j0534ng31]

Originally Posted by Morkl

While playing around, I made a browser that only flashes on page loads, not while scrolling around: http://youtu.be/inBpc60t_Tc

And when are you going to share it?

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by j0534ng31

And when are you going to share it?

After he wakes from that well-deserved sleep...

[bardo]

http://sourceforge.net/projects/sonyfmngr/files/ by rupor-sforge
has two branches
PRS-T1
PRS-T1 (Morkl)
A Readme would be helpful: features, interference with previous root installs?

[adbosch]

Originally Posted by bardo

http://sourceforge.net/projects/sonyfmngr/files/ by rupor-sforge
has two branches
PRS-T1
PRS-T1 (Morkl)
A Readme would be helpful: features, interference with previous root installs?

And some screenshots, installation and removal guide. Please?

[j0534ng31]

Originally Posted by nrapallo

After he wakes from that well-deserved sleep...

Nope...

He did it first... go here

Morkl

[Morkl]

Originally Posted by j0534ng31

And when are you going to share it?

I have uploaded it to SourceForge now!

Originally Posted by bardo

http://sourceforge.net/projects/sonyfmngr/files/ by rupor-sforge
has two branches
PRS-T1
PRS-T1 (Morkl)
A Readme would be helpful: features, interference with previous root installs?

Originally Posted by adbosch

And some screenshots, installation and removal guide. Please?

Documentation will happen; I just don't have as much free time as I'd like

Originally Posted by j0534ng31

Nope...

He did it first... go here

Morkl

I actually uploaded it after I read that post; I just left this post hanging in a tab and forgot to post it!

[bardo]

thx Morkl !

[joaxi]

Originally Posted by Morkl

Seems like android.view.View on the PRS-T1 has a bunch of non-standard overrides that take an extra int argument "updateMode" that specifies how/if the view should be refreshed.

While playing around, I made a browser that only flashes on page loads, not while scrolling around: http://youtu.be/inBpc60t_Tc

More on this subject later; gotta catch up on some sleep now!

Any chance to reenable 16 colors greyscale mode after scrolling/zooming/etc without refresh?

[Morkl]

Originally Posted by joaxi

Any chance to reenable 16 colors greyscale mode after scrolling/zooming/etc without refresh?

I haven't found out how to get back from the mode used in the browser I posted. There are modes that use grey scale all the time though, but they are not as quite as fast.

For example there is the mode I use in the Reader with customizable number of page turn between refreshes that i just uploaded on SourceForge: https://sourceforge.net/projects/son...29/2012-01-20/

Video: http://youtu.be/PC_JMk8tObI

Screenshots show sample quality after 0,1,2,3 and 4 page turns since the last refresh.

Also, I finally got the thumb out and set up an environment compatible with the SVN, and uploaded my code to SourceForge. Yay me!