LTT Forum API/Mobile app

[benjeau]

This may be far fetch, but I'm a React Native developer and a Software Eng student and was thinking of tinkering and building a mobile app for the LTT forum (for Android and iOS) in my spare time.

 

Before getting too deep into developing it, I want to see if it even would be feasible. I did a bit exploring and seems like the website is built with https://invisioncommunity.com/ (in PHP, meaning the website is served using some server side rendering, and not explicitly exposing API endpoints) and they seem to have some API endpoints, such as these ones https://invisioncommunity.com/developers/rest-api?endpoint=forums/posts/GETindex. After some more searching, it seems like they already have an app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.invisioncommunity.app&hl=en&gl=US, but it doesn't seem to work for this forum?

 

I thought about setting up a custom API server scraping the forum, but I assume it wouldn't work well if the forum is rate-limited and scraping in general is a bit flaky.

 

I'm just a fellow Canuck trying to help others, if there's someone that knows something about this or wants to help me getting this done, please message me or reply

[NTDaws]

36 minutes ago, benjeau said:

This may be far fetch, but I'm a React Native developer and a Software Eng student and was thinking of tinkering and building a mobile app for the LTT forum (for Android and iOS) in my spare time.

 

Before getting too deep into developing it, I want to see if it even would be feasible. I did a bit exploring and seems like the website is built with https://invisioncommunity.com/ (in PHP, meaning the website is served using some server side rendering, and not explicitly exposing API endpoints) and they seem to have some API endpoints, such as these ones https://invisioncommunity.com/developers/rest-api?endpoint=forums/posts/GETindex. After some more searching, it seems like they already have an app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.invisioncommunity.app&hl=en&gl=US, but it doesn't seem to work for this forum?

 

I thought about setting up a custom API server scraping the forum, but I assume it wouldn't work well if the forum is rate-limited and scraping in general is a bit flaky.

 

I'm just a fellow Canuck trying to help others, if there's someone that knows something about this or wants to help me getting this done, please message me or reply

From what I recall there was a forum app about 5 years ago (unofficial) but the app developer locked it. Can't find the apk anymore. I would enjoy to see one. 

[benjeau]

I would make the app open source on GitHub, so it wouldn't be "locked" - I could start by doing a prototype and create a simple server scraping the forum and see where it gets me. Just want to see if there's any opposition or if there's even some interest on getting something like that.

[Eigenvektor]

1 hour ago, benjeau said:

Just want to see if there's any opposition or if there's even some interest on getting something like that.

This topic pops up from time to time and mods have shot it down every time (example). The forum works fine on a a mobile device as is, so there's no real advantage to an app.

[Heraldique]

This is a server side app I believe and to work ltt would have to be more JavaScript and that would make this forum waaaay too slow, especially on mobile devices 

[Heraldique]

Also this is of no use because LTT is already available as a progressive web app you can download on your phone or iPad and have in your Home Screen