RoarFEED (iPhone/iPod App) Development Thread

[Kul]

Hey everyone.

So we're in the process of building (or at least trying to build) an app for the iPhone and your suggestions would be helpful.
Everything depends on a few tweaks to the software that's being installed during the forum update later this year, but assuming that everything goes to plan, the App should feature:

- Latest News (keep up to date with all the latest WT, when ever and where ever you are)
- Team List (On a tuesday afternoon, just power up your iphone, load the app and keep hitting "refresh". It will be updated as soon as it's listed on WT.com.au. Also, when you are at the game you can check to see if there have been any changes)
- Smart Phone Friendly forum interface (check the forum on-the-go without having to resize your screen every time to navigate to a new page)
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This is where your input would be good. It's easy enough to add stuff like "draw", "results", "ladder" and what-not but is this the kind of info that you would like to have on the go? Yes? No? Is there anything else that you would prefer?

as always this will be free. There is no "dividing line" at weststigersforum.com

 

[Sabre]

1\. Match Reviews
2\. Nice looking interface
3\. Tipping comp??
4\. Player profiles
5\. Gallery

 

[Kul]

thanks

1\. Match Reviews - this shouldn't be a problem
2\. Nice looking interface - :smiley:
3\. Tipping comp?? - Maybe. The forum update will feature a tipping comp that everyone can take part in, but integrating it into the iphone app might be a bit harder to achieve. I'll definitely have a stab at it though!
4\. Player profiles
5\. Gallery - A picture gallery would be too much of a resource load on an iphone/ipod. HOWEVER links to bon's (and others) videos on youtube can be done

 

[Sabre]

Theres an app for the daily telegraph tipping comp so i donno u might want to look at how theirs works,,

True about the gallery but the links are a good idea.

Also i wouldn't mind at all if it had ads. Just so your making some money from it even if its just to cover the time/effort thats going into it.

 

[benjibrotown]

Great stuff and will definitely be downloading it, I don't know whether you'd be able to do live scores from all matches but it would certainly add to the app.

 

[Kul]

yeah it can be done, again it just depends on how the website upgrade goes, as well as how well the tipping comp on that works.

 

[redemption]

My suggestion is to join another cult aside from Apple Corp.

The Manson cult - Mormons - Jim Jones and even Hillsong would be a better option!

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

Willows match reviews should be accessible independently of the forum.

Also, a voting interface for Chris' WTF player of the year would be fantastic. In reference to live scores section, a separate live game interface would be great to communicate in real time and I believe that the time that is being invested into the app you could either charge a reasonable yearly fee or get sponsors on board (perhaps the jersey sponsors would be a good first port of call?)

 

[Bazzinator]

My suggestion is to join another cult aside from Apple Corp.

The Manson cult - Mormons - Jim Jones and even Hillsong would be a better option!

android programming is powered by google so that could be the way to go

 

[AJ1]

My suggestion is to join another cult aside from Apple Corp.

The Manson cult - Mormons - Jim Jones and even Hillsong would be a better option!

android programming is powered by google so that could be the way to go

Sorry to be cynical but my concern would be whether Apple will approve it, particularly because it's an unofficial fan app.WT may object to your plans as well as this could impact their deal with YuTiger. On a positive note, great work in coming up with this! Your team and yourself keep coming up with some great ideas to promote the club for no recognition in return. If this app gets the green light, I don't think I will even bother with the official site anymore.

On a side note,as someone else mentioned perhaps you could charge a small fee for people to DL the iphone app. After XX amount is raised we could put it towards sponsoring a player. There would have to be an increase in forum activity after "sponsored by WestsTigersForum" is read out during the team lists. Not sure if the club would allow the site to sponsor a player though. :unamused:

 

[alex]

less graphics the better, so can eliminate things such as avatars and signatures if possible?

 

[Kul]

no fees, this will be free

 

[Saturnalia]

I'd like to suggest a windows phone version (I can probably do it myself actually),

but Android and iOS just make me :brick:

 

[Kul]

by all means dude!

 

[Kul]

Update

The iphone app is coming along nicely. It is integrating well into the new website (which is looking pretty spesh at the moment! :smiley🙂

these are the components of the app that are being worked on at the moment:

- News: latest news and such. self explanatory really. Article also link to the relevant forum thread if you want to chat about the topic

- Draw: complete season draw & match reports

- Team List: up-to-date team list, updated live. Sitting in a meeting, on the train or just on the go and it's a Tuesday afternoon? Just fireup the app and it will display the team list as soon as it's available! Also if there are changes throughout the week or before the game, the app will show these changes LIVE.

- Tipping: integrated into the new website's prediction component which every user can take part, you can lodge your tips over your iphone.

- Other minor things: ladder, smartphone-friendly forum interface

What won't be included:
- player ratings: there are a few issues with linking the forum votes with the iphone app that I don't foresee being resolved any time soon. Eventually this feature will be included but probably not for a while.
- image gallery
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How does that sound? Any more requests?

Assuming it gets approved by apple, the app won't be released until much closer to the new season as we need to make sure it works seamlessly with the new website. However i'll be releasing a few video's and screengrabs to show you all how it's going.

 

[Kul]

enjoy this teaser:


 

[redemption]

Congrats on your work mate - but Apple are like Maccas computers for the 21st century!!

They are an evil cult that have far too much control over content given the democratic platform on which their products rely!!!

 

[Kul]

ahhh but in the process of building this we've coded several "hooks" into the website database to which the iphone latches onto in order to work.
Once the iPhone app is complete, the same "hooks" can be used to develop similar apps for Android, Blackberry and any other platform. All they have to do is simply latch onto the hooks and away they go!

 

[mike]

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[Kul]

**Thread title changed**

The app is approaching a point where it can be released to a few people for testing. If there are any volunteers then please post in this thread and i'll contact you when the Beta app is ready to be distributed.

For the time being, below are series of screen grabs. Any feedback, comments, suggestions or whatever is most welcome.

**Home/Splash:**


The splash page with all the menu options. The background will probably end up changing. Any suggestions for what should go there?
Anyone can use this app, however a few of the features can't be accessed unless you are a registered member of weststigersforum.com as the server/app need to store data like 'tips' and 'votes' on the database.
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**Login/Register:**


Your forum account will work on the app. Additionally, you can registered a forum account through the app.
Your login is persistent, so you won't have to worry about signing in each time you fire up the app.
excuse the typo
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**News:**



All the latest WT and JV related news articles. We are going to be ramping up the content next season, so this should be a great one-stop-shop for WT fans. You will be able to click the "Discuss on forum" button to take you to the forum thread where people are discussing that item.
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**Draw & Results:**


Self explanatory. You'll be able to read match reports and see the result of previous games. Note that we "won" trial 1.
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**Team Lists:**


This page will link you to the team lists. We'll be updating the team list when ever they are announced or change. If the team hasn't been announced you'll receive a message saying so, otherwise the MOMENT that they are announced the app will display the team. Eventually this will be linked to a Push notification system so you will be notified the instant that the team is announced, even if the app isn't running.

Announced:


Not Announced:

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**Tipping:**


**Team Lists:**


There will be a fully-functioning tipping comp running on the new site and accessible via the app. The comp will be linked with your forum account. Ranks, points for the correct score, margin, etc… it's pretty comprehensive. It's still early days, but we recon we should be able to tee-up a prize for the winner.
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**Player of the Year:**


You'll be able to vote for the player of the round which will in turn be used to work out who is the player of the year. This is linked to the new website so you'll be able to vote even if you don't have an iphone.
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**Fan Shout:**


Alien will love this.
It's a fan shout tool where fans can shout out anything. It will show up on the shoutbox and vici-verca. A simple form of twitter, fans will be able to cheer for joy after a win or vent their spleen after a loss.
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There are a few more things that arn't quite done yet such as the friendly forum interface, but with any luck the app should be ready when the new site is launch in mid-Feb.

Any suggestions, comments or questions?