how to write app/service like volume manager - Android Software Development

Hi there,
i want to write an app which listen a rotary encoder and a push button.(with ioio)
my goal is, read these things in background, and when push button is pressed show a menu (like when pres vol+ / vol- buttons) on top of active app,
and select one app with rotary encoder(right/left) from a list, and after push button (again), call/load selected app.
its so basic, isnt it?
but i need some code to start, (i write some basic android app, but this is not basic app, something different)
where i can find examle code like this ?
thanks

Related

Jog Button

What is the Jog Button program?
It seems to have installed itself on one of my hardware buttons and ocassionally scrolls through several functions when that button is pressed.
I know how to change the button assignment but am wondering if there is something about Jog Button that we will want to use?
JogButton was just a freeware app we liked which allows multiple functions to be controlled by a single button. Feel free to re-assign the apps using JogButton's 'Tools' menu, or to use the button for something else entirely.
X
Thanks for the quick reply.
Do you know where I can find a help file for instructions for Jog Button?
I couldn't find it within the device and in playing with the program it just doesn't come to me.
JogButton Instructions
Fairly simple once you get the hang of it...
1. Press-and-hold the contacts button to activate JogButton. This causes the programs in its list to scroll/cycle
2. Release the contacts button when the icon of a program that you want to activate appears
Setup
1. Press-and-hold the contacts button
2. Click on the tools menu at bottom of screen
3. Select setup from the tools menu
4. The dialog that shows lists the programs and order of cycle.
5. Add/Delete/Edit as desired
6. The Snd check box is a toggle for sound/no-sound (a beep as each program is shown)
7. Duration is the number of milliseconds that an icon is shown
Hopefully that answers you questions
I'm the author...
Tek
Thanks for the reply. You are a genius!
This seems like a very handy app.
Joe_PDA
other buttons
What about using this very simple app on the calender button.
Have your "serious" stuff on one side,
then "toys" on the other..
I presume you have future plans, so give us a clue please
Perhaps even ask for ideas...
Martin
JogButton - Future Plans...
I started coding an alt-tab like feature into JogButton, but was not sure if that would be useful for anyone other than me. As you may know alt-tab in the Windows world scrolls you through the open list of of apps in a Last-in-first-out/Most Recently Used fashion. This would be useful for switching between two apps, the downside would be that you would have to remember the order. I was thinking of putting a toggle on either the menu or in the setup dialog to select this mode.
As for using two buttons, it is possible,but the way PocketPC handles the programs assigned to a button they have to have different names. I would of course have to make a few minor adjustments to allow for this, but it is possible.
I'm up for any suggestions to make this program more useful. Start a list and let's see what we get.
8)
Re: JogButton - Future Plans...
tekknogenius said:
I'm up for any suggestions to make this program more useful. Start a list and let's see what we get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bug: by timing a quick press just right, I can get it in a mode where it keeps cycling through the programs even though I've released the button already.
I think I was unable to map it to both the hardware buttons using a different list of programs to cycle through for each button. Since a single short press still does the same thing, there's really no reason not to map it to the second button also. (?? Quick hack: map second button to patched Jogbutton2.exe, using different set of registry keys. Better: multiple small stubs which start the real exe telling it which stub was executed. ??)
Maybe map a special action to pressing both buttons at the same time?
Also, something like 'double-press' and 'triple-press' found in some other programs to quickly go to the second and third item (or completely different items) without looking at the phone would be handy. I never really use the rocker-switch, but it could be handy for app starting: just keep the hardware button pressed and hit one of the four directions or the center, giving you 5 new things (per hardware button) to start.
JogButton...
Good suggestions. I can enhance it to use all available buttons. I prefer to use one hand, but others might like to have more options available.
hmm, must be a n00b suggestion, but perhaps it would be possible to use the volume control button? i dont use it for anything anyway.
Only two options... that I know of...
On the XDA/MDA PPCPE there are only two mappable buttons, unlike other PPC that have four or five. It's either the contacts button or the calendar button. Now once an app is mapped to either button and the app is launched, it can control any of the buttons. As a side note, the volume button would be great if it were dual functioning: a press-and-release brings up the volume dialog; a press-and-hold would bring up the record function.

HW keys remapping

Is any useful way to remap the Green and Red Phone button and the volume slider button? I mean for launch application or any function. Thanx.
There are some such programs for volume slider.
The most simple I prefer is attached here.
Just put it to the \Windows\Startup folder. It just "unbind" slider but not remaps it to another buttons. This will allow to use slider as F6/F7 buttons in programs able to hook them e.g. Haali Reader...
Thanx
It seems to be ok but where did you attach it? On my MDA is no offered file to download at this time. ThankU.
I've got it
Ok. Now is the sheet with uploaded file appeared. I've got it and extracted it. After i run the *.exe file it does nothing. Why?
because it should do nothing
This utility just frees slider buttons from default binding to volume control.
If you have an application that understands F6/F7 hardware key pressings (slider up/slider down) you may bind these key in the program.
As for me - I use them to scroll text up and down in Haali Reader text reader program.
But (as I said above) there are another programs to use slider up/down control. Unfortunately I don't remeber where I saw these utilities - but they really exists
And, as far as I'm back to the Andes from (Blue Angel) - I think I will write another one specially for Himalaya/Andes.
Ok, let's wait some days. If there are any results - I'll post the report here
P.S.: BlueAngel is the best HW keys equipped device i've ever saw But...
Thanx once again
Thank you 4 ur help. Now i understand that. And what about the Phone buttons? Any ideas? Ex.I want to use red button as Ok/Close simulation. Any ideas how to do that? Thanks.
Nobody unmaps phone buttons. It is possible but unresonable because of HTC is a phone device also. But I'll implement this feature too.
OK
I will wait for it.
The very first (and buggy) try of HW remapping utility is done. The application setup is available HERE
After installing .CAB file go to Start -> Settings -> Buttons and see the changes...
DO NOT INSTALL THIS APPLICATION ON BLUE ANGEL!!!
It will hide four lower hardware buttons until hard reset!
1. This app was tested on Andes with WM2003se, but should work on Himalaya/Magican with WM2003 and above
2. You will lose the possibility to use hardware key mapping in other applications forl remapped buttons. I need to re-grab buttons from time to time because the system tries to thieve them from me
3. Currently I don't now how to emulate green and reed buttons functionality after unbinding them from the system.
4. I can count any number of button pressings (3,4,5...), but -
5. WinCE reserve codes for only 15 hardware buttons (40C1..40CF)
There are some ideas for future improvement. But it would be nice to know your thoughts.
Just to "stimulate": I can create settings screen during setup to allow flexible configuration where you will
- choose which buttons to handle and how many key pressings to detect;
- choose option to unbind and/or re-map volume and phone buttons
- ???
And let me take a time-brake for 2 days before next programming session
The utility is ready. It allows you to:
remap each standard hardware button to 2 or 3 "virtual", simulated via double or triple clicks;
use volume slider to simulate Up/Down direction keys or create additional "virtual" hardware buttons;
remap Red and Green phone buttons to 1,2 or 3 hardware buttons each.
In a result you may create up to 15 hardware buttons (system limit)
Just install program and check Start -> Settings -> Buttons.
Here is Oficial AEBPlus home page, full desktop-based setup (~27K) and Direct link to CAB file (~30K)
Well done!
Excellent software! Thank you once again for your work. Works very very well!
man this is great really like it
works perfect :lol:
Seems to work great. Haven't had it running long enough to see if the camera button will get stolen back (big problem for me on XDA IIi), but being able to map the volume is great.
In the next version any chance of adding an <enter> option like Vito Button Mapper which I think just sends a <carriage return> to select whatever is highlighted.
Is "<Ok/Close>" option in button settings applet not the same?
NO, <OK/Close> generally tends to close the current window rather than selecting whatever is highlighted.
Also whatever application keeps on stealing back the camera button is still doing it. I don't know if it is part of the UK O2 customisations or the core PocketPC Rom, but eventually whatever function is mapped to the Camera button gets re-mapped back to the camera. This also happened to me with the standard button mapper and Vito button manager. It's a little annoying since the camera button is the most usefully positioned, and it is also easily knocked, starting the camera at awkward times.
Ok, I'll add this option for camera button (a bit later, in a case other suggestions arrives).
As for the re-hooking button by camera application: AEBPlus initializes all of the buttons from time to time. Currently this take place every 30 seconds. So if you will wait a bit - all buttons should be re-grabbed again
This does not seem to help because whatever application that is resetting the camera does it in the same place as you are storing the button mappings. When I go into the Buttons Setup it will now say that the Camera button is mapped to the Camera.
Yes,I see... It looks like Camera application is a pushy application . The solution is to remap "normal" Camera HW button to 3 press instead of one, but I don't like this.
Anyway - utility was released.
New features: added option to emulate Enter key with Camera button.
Hi AE, your utility is great. It is very useful but SIMPLE and SMALL.
I used it instead of other button mapper software.
There're some issues need tobe improved:
1) Mapping "Green" and "Red" button:
Enable mapping when they're iddle only (phone function does not work).
E.g: I'd like using Red button to close running app. But in phone function, Red button is still used to hang-up the phone as original its function. Anytime I have a phone call, I can use Red button to cancel a outgoing/incoming call.
You can refer the program of mamaich in this web site.
2) Single press is too low:
I press a key one time and wait 5 secs or more until it works. It's too slow. Can you improve? Double-press is OK.
3) Press n hold:
Can you add "single press n hold" for all hardware-keys? I think "single press n hold (after 3-3.5 secs)" is more convenient than "double press" or "tribble press". Do you think so?
Hi AE, very usefull application! Is there any way that we can have an options screen, where we can change the key options we get after installing the app? That would be easier to edit our preferences if we want to make changes to our initial choices. Furthermore I added a Mortbutton to one of your simulated hard keys. Each Mortbutton can show a list of 12 apps for a buttonpress. That means That I can now bind more than 60 apps to the buttons in total! Very good for one-handed use of my Magician, thanks!

Modify Button Actions

Is there some way of being able to modify all the buttons? (For example the video call button?)
Or add applications to the pick list of applications and events that can be assigned to the button in the standard Button Settings control?
For some reason Windows Media Player doesn't show up, and I would like to assign it to a hard button.
Also it would be nice to have a buttont that locked the device.
Zilch.
Try this:
http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=21070

How To: Remap Home and Back Keys to Open Applications

Hey, if youre running a custom ROM, and want to use the on-screen buttons, having your capacitive buttons still functioning the same can be pretty redundant, so I came up with a way to remap them to open any app that you choose. All that is required is Tasker and root access.
First off, what you need: Tasker, Root, and a text-editing program
Get your keylayout file. There are multiple ways to do this, but since all phones use different names for them, its best to just open up an app like Root Explorer and move to the file itself, and then copy and paste it. The files name is synaptics-rmi-touchscreen.kl, so if youd prefer to adb pull it, its located inside the /system/usr/keylayout folder.
Edit your button IDs. After getting your .kl file, open it with a regular text editor, and find the keys that you want to change. For mine, I used the home and back keys. Locate where they are; it wont be hard as the keys have their actions next to them, and change one key to CAMERA, and the other the SEARCH.
Map button actions in Tasker. Finally, open Tasker (turn off Beginners view in settings), and hit New > Event > Hardware > and then your button of choice. You can either select the Camera button first, or the Search button. Inside the Event screen, set the priority to Highest, and if youre editing the Camera button, check the Stop Event button. Create a new task in the profile for your button, and create a new action. After, click App > Load app, and then select which application you would like to launch on that button. Do the same thing for the Search button, but you have to long press the search button to access it, as regularly clicking it will open Google Now.
Hope this helps anyone with hardware keys that wanted to switch over to the nav buttons.

mini [Guide] How to press menu key on your phone from ADB (no root needed)

While transitioning some old Apps (FuelLog Pro) from my other Android phones onto my S6 Edge, I discovered that some of the apps needed to use a 'menu' key to backup/export. Obviously no way to add a menu softkey without root, SO I figured out how to do it from ADB.
Once you connect your phone to ADB enter the following command for the 'menu' softkey:
Code:
adb shell input keyevent 82
The 'keyevent' relates to various keymappings, annoyingly, the keymappings for the Samsung are a little different from standard Android, which is why I'm making a record of it here.
So far it looks like HOME, BACK, CALL, and Volume follow standard keymappings. I'll update this list if I spend more time digging and find other differences.
You can find the complete list here:
http://developer.android.com/reference/android/view/KeyEvent.html
This is super useful for running batch commands on Apps from the computer as well.
Use wisely.
Thanks, can we replace the long press on the recent apps button from dual windows to menu key?
I really don't understand where the problem is with just pressing the menu overlay button?
For old Apps without the new Material UI I always get a round overlay button which is acting as a Menu button.
The new one don't have these as they integrate this button themself.
I have not found any app yet where I'm not able to open the menu.
There is no way (as far as I know) but also no need to replace the long press with the menu button.
Menu button is not needed anymore.
I have several apps that don't have the round overlay Menu button (including the aforementioned app, FuellogPro). Mostly it is apps that were written about 2 years ago that got stuck between KitKat and JB. I have quite a few paid apps, so I keep using them (and modifying them) even after support has ended.
You can only reassign the button to 'menu' if you have root.

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