Android app realtime spreadsheet? Help Please

[xRANDBOx]

I have an idea i for a android app i would like to create. However, i don't know where to start exactly on research. I am not expecting a step by step here. Perhaps, just a general idea.

 

Think of the app as a Excel spreadsheet. The client can enter a value in a cell and [if it passes parameters] updates that value for other clients. i am assuming there would need to be a server for the clients to connect to. unless there is a way for them to see each other without a central point, which would be nice.

so as it stands Client<>Server<>Client .

I am completely new to programming, though i have built a couple python_based.exe's messing around. which was just basic gui's with math input.

 

Q: What would be the process for taking a client value and passing it to a server which would push a value update to other clients?

Q: Would Python be able to handle this entire process? Is Python able to be compiled to a Android.apk? If not what language should i be looking at?

 

I will be adding logic so that it will validate the value before updating. I don't know how the client>server works or where to start with it though.

 

any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

[0x21]

1 hour ago, xRANDBOx said:

What would be the process for taking a client value and passing it to a server which would push a value update to other clients?

You'll want to look into WebRTC and conflict-free replicated data types (CRDTs).

1 hour ago, xRANDBOx said:

Would Python be able to handle this entire process? Is Python able to be compiled to a Android.apk? If not what language should i be looking at?

Technically, yes. Though Java and Kotlin are the two with first-party support.

[xRANDBOx]

Thank you! I'll look in to this.

[wasab]

Using python for Android app is like using an adator to plug your headphone into your USB type c port.

[MisterWhite]

There are great intro courses on udacity.com by Google. You could start by getting familiar with android. And for client and server part Firebase might be the answer. There is an option for listening to changes in a certain node in a database.

[geo3]

So.... you want to recreate Google Sheets?