KUAL: Kindle Unified Application Launcher (v2.7)

[stepk]

Here we go, I think I added all of kc1's suggestions, and took care of twobob's requests. The labels are cleanup up a bit, with some ugly characters removed and spaces coalesced. As label format I chose "xml_name.json_name" when they differ, or simply "json_name" when they coincide. See aloop.out.

edit: version bump 20130122,c
- adds sort option (aloop.sh -s)
- adds TouchRunner compatible output option (aloop.sh -f=touchrunner)

[stepk]

version bump 20130122,c post #106
this version adds a TouchRunner compatible output option, ref. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=297.
TouchRunner seems to be very similar to Kindle Launcher in this thread. It's an active content book, it reads its menu from /mnt/us/touchrunner/commands.txt, and displays up to 12 labels on a single page, whilst Kindle Launcher displays up to 30.

I think 12 isn't enough, and 30 isn't that many. Since neither menu can be nested it's easy to run out of entries. Consider that Komic alone adds 6 or 7 entries to yfanlu's menu. Can an active content book be made to scroll? Maybe by defining page bookmarks and navigating via GoTo?

[knc1]

Originally Posted by stepk

version bump 20130122,c post #106
this version adds a TouchRunner compatible output option, ref. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=297.
TouchRunner seems to be very similar to Kindle Launcher in this thread. It's an active content book, it reads its menu from /mnt/us/touchrunner/commands.txt, and displays up to 12 labels on a single page, whilst Kindle Launcher displays up to 30.

I think 12 isn't enough, and 30 isn't that many. Since neither menu can be nested it's easy to run out of entries. Consider that Komic alone adds 6 or 7 entries to yfanlu's menu. Can an active content book be made to scroll? Maybe by defining page bookmarks and navigating via GoTo?

Nested menus are on the "to do" list.
It was Komic that demonstrated a need for them.

[twobob]

Originally Posted by stepk

version bump 20130122,c post #106
this version adds a TouchRunner compatible output option, ref. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=297.
TouchRunner seems to be very similar to Kindle Launcher in this thread. It's an active content book, it reads its menu from /mnt/us/touchrunner/commands.txt, and displays up to 12 labels on a single page, whilst Kindle Launcher displays up to 30.

I think 12 isn't enough, and 30 isn't that many. Since neither menu can be nested it's easy to run out of entries. Consider that Komic alone adds 6 or 7 entries to yfanlu's menu. Can an active content book be made to scroll? Maybe by defining page bookmarks and navigating via GoTo?

Mind reading.

In hand.


EDIT: Huge thanks

[eureka]

I've found a way to run KindleLauncher with swipe over Menu button. Tested on Kindle Touch 5.3.2.

Run provided shell script (make sure launcherPath is set to path of your KindleLauncher) and then swipe over Menu button in search bar, starting from top or right. It works even in browser. It will work until Pillow restart, so it's enough to run script only once after reboot.

Simple press on Menu button will work as usual.

It's possible to implement toggling of this additional functionality without reloading of Pillow, but ATM disabling isn't implemented and could be done only with restart pillow (UPD: toggling is implemented in another version made for using in Upstart script). This script is a simple POC, so there could be also other quirks.

Spoiler:

SCRIPT=`cat << 'JAVASCRIPT' | tr -d '\n' | sed -e 's,",\\\\",g'
(function () {
  var launcherPath = "/mnt/us/documents/KindleLauncher-2.0.azw2";

  var menuButton = document.getElementById("menu");
  var swiped = false;
  var launcherApp = "file://" + launcherPath;

  menuButton.addEventListener("mousedown", function () {
    swiped = true;
  });
  menuButton.addEventListener("mouseup", function () {
    swiped = false;
  });

  document.body.addEventListener("mouseout", function () {
    if (swiped) {
      swiped = false;
      nativeBridge.setLipcProperty(
        "com.lab126.appmgrd",
        "start",
        launcherApp
      );
    }
  });
})();
`

MESSAGE='{
  "__id__":   "0",
  "pillowId": "search_bar",
  "replySrc": "",
  "function": "'${SCRIPT}'"
}'

lipc-set-prop -s com.lab126.pillow interrogatePillow "$MESSAGE"

[stepk]

Originally Posted by eureka

I've found a way to run KindleLauncher with swipe over Menu button. Tested on Kindle Touch 5.3.2.

This is exciting! I don't have my KT with me right now so I can't test it, will do. Meanwhile I noticed how to speed it up (on my Windows PC by a factor of about 20) by eliminating the sh line that squeezes $SCRIPT. Note that I reversed the role of single and double quotes! Please try this script (untested on KT, tested on Windows busybox)

Spoiler:

#!/bin/sh - 

set -o nounset # Treat unset variables as an error
set -f # No filename expansion

# note: misprints lines that start with '-n'
SCRIPT=$(while read line; do echo -n ${line//$'\"'/$'\"'}; done << 'JAVASCRIPT'
(function () {
  var launcherPath = "/mnt/us/documents/KindleLauncher-2.0.azw2";

  var menuButton = document.getElementById("menu");
  var swiped = false;
  var launcherApp = "file://" + launcherPath;

  menuButton.addEventListener("mousedown", function () {
    swiped = true;
  });
  menuButton.addEventListener("mouseup", function () {
    swiped = false;
  });

  document.body.addEventListener("mouseout", function () {
    if (swiped) {
      swiped = false;
      nativeBridge.setLipcProperty(
        "com.lab126.appmgrd",
        "start",
        launcherApp
      );
    }
  });
})();
JAVASCRIPT
exit
)

MESSAGE='{
  "__id__":   "0",
  "pillowId": "search_bar",
  "replySrc": "",
  "function": "'${SCRIPT}'"
}'

lipc-set-prop -s com.lab126.pillow interrogatePillow "$MESSAGE"

[eureka]

Originally Posted by stepk

Note that I reversed the role of single and double quotes!

No, thanks. I enjoy my double quotes in JavaScript code.

(Just a joke. However, double quotes are syntactically valid in JavaScript, so remembering to avoid or to escape them could be mentally painful.)

EDIT: just realized that my original code didn't handle single quotes in JavaScript as expected. Fixed.

[silver18]

Another nice way to run the launcher is using the store button.
Just use this tweak placing:

file:///mnt/us/documents/KindleLauncher-2.0.azw2

(or any other path)
instead of:

app://com.lab126.store

Personally I use this to run Komic, but I tried with the launcher and it works.

Someone could also join the two things together and use the tap/swipe gesture to run launcher/something else.

(Amazon "obfuscated" the searchbar.js file, but what's needed it easily findable).

PS So it's time to make a nice 67x67px icon for the launcher...

[eureka]

Originally Posted by silver18

Another nice way to run the launcher is using the store button.

Well, my script does it's work completely in runtime and doesn't change any system files. In fact, it should be possible also to change Store button icon and action in this way without editing of search_bar.js.

[silver18]

True, I didn't read it carefully!
Personally I prefer using the store button as I never use the store itself!
Anyway that's a nice way to have the launcher always there to be used!!

[stepk]

Originally Posted by eureka

EDIT: just realized that my original code didn't handle single quotes in JavaScript as expected. Fixed.

I can't find the closing 'JAVASCRIPT' token.

[eureka]

Originally Posted by stepk

I can't find the closing 'JAVASCRIPT' token.

I didn't put it. But it works on KT!

[stepk]

Originally Posted by eureka

I didn't put it. But it works on KT!

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but on KT 5.1.2 when I swipe over the Menu button nothing happens. I do see that the button flashes as I swipe over it. I did check that the path to KindleLauncher az2 is correct.

P.S. I updated my mod to escape double quotes so you need not change your quoting style

[twobob]

Right. Thanks to all. Having a look now at these things. Super awesome as ever.

Thanks!!!

[twobob]

Originally Posted by stepk

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but on KT 5.1.2 when I swipe over the Menu button nothing happens.

Hmm. That's a good point. I don't have a device (of each point release) to check the implementation of this for each (for each point release)

perhaps I will rollback my device later to check that out.

I can confirm it working on the 5.3.2

Excellent appreciation nevertheless.

P.S. I updated my mod to escape double quotes so you need not change your quoting style

Do I have that? thanks
I'll play around with aloop-20130122c in the interim.