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ComputerCraft App Store - Input Wanted


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#1 oeed

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Posted 18 August 2013 - 07:25 AM

I may get around to releasing as a standalone program, until then please refer all issues to the OneOS topic.

(OneOS contains the App Store)


Posted Image




In collaboration with Vilsol I am making an App Store for ComputerCraft. It is designed to be the easiest way to install programs and APIs. At the moment browsing for programs is done entirely on the forums, but what about users who don't use, like using or know about the forums. This is also designed to make it quicker and more intuitive.

Here's a brief outline of how it works and the features (many of these are purely ideas and are subject to change):
  • Anyone can submit an app.
  • APIs aren't downloaded by the user, the program calls a function such as appstore.loadAPI('touchpoint'), it then checks the hard drive to check if that api has been downloaded and if not it will download it.
  • You can install programs from your web browser, you click a button and if you are signed in you an select which computer you want to install.
  • You can also install programs from an app on the computer or a command with an ID.
  • Automatic updates or command based updates. (thoughts?)
  • A rating, comment and ranking system.
  • App submissions are all moderated.
  • Each application has an icon, description and optional screenshots.
Here is a list of things we aren't going to have (I will add to this as time goes on, if you believe that one of these should be featured please let me know :)):
  • Cydia/Synaptic style repositories (currently being reconsidered)
  • Tons and tons of moderators, I'm only wanting about 4 or 5. Also, if moderators aren't doing their job (if they don't moderate anything for 1 or 2 weeks) they will be removed from the team and someone else will fill the void.
As usual, if you have any comments or questions let me know.

Beta

Once we have this at a near complete stage we will be running a private beta, this is invite only. Please do not ask about betas or whether you can be in it. A public beta will be in a few weeks.

Edited by oeed, 08 April 2014 - 05:24 AM.


#2 GravityScore

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Posted 18 August 2013 - 10:45 AM

Wow, amazing UI :D

I agree that apps should be moderated. Maybe some sort of web page where apps are submitted that moderators could simply click accept or deny? I'd be happy to moderate for you - it doesn't seem too time consuming.

Were you planning to have the top rated apps actually ranked by number of downloads? What about something like staff picks or featured, which just chooses a random app to feature.

#3 McLeopold

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Posted 18 August 2013 - 03:12 PM

I've tried both turtlescripts.com and cc-get and found them lacking. turtlescripts.com is running on fumes without the creator not being around to support it, but I like the features. cc-get is okay but needs to be installed outside of the game, which I don't like because on SMP you don't have that option, plus you have to arrange your files their way. I've decided to go with a single pastebin script that installs the files my way and also checks for updates from github.

I'd like to see a tool where I can just register my pastebin installer with an easy to remember name. It could then pull the pastebin installer and run it automatically. I wouldn't need an upload feature because I'd be hosting from github.

I'm hoping that one installer method will gain enough support that dan200 will sanction it and include it in the rom.

#4 PixelToast

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Posted 18 August 2013 - 03:37 PM

Sexy UI, not to compact though, you sould have it so they are 3 high and when you click on it it explands
if you have a server that could run lua, i can make a efficient server program (i already have the interface with the http api working)

#5 oeed

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Posted 18 August 2013 - 04:54 PM

View PostGravityScore, on 18 August 2013 - 10:45 AM, said:

Wow, amazing UI :D

I agree that apps should be moderated. Maybe some sort of web page where apps are submitted that moderators could simply click accept or deny? I'd be happy to moderate for you - it doesn't seem too time consuming.

Were you planning to have the top rated apps actually ranked by number of downloads? What about something like staff picks or featured, which just chooses a random app to feature.
Yea, that's what I was thinking. Initially I thought of having to download and test it, but there really isn't much need.

Yes, I may have to add another section however. They would be ranked by some algorithm similar to iTunes'. The featured app would be chosen by moderators or admins. The creator would supply (or we'd make) a banner image for the page, the blue is the placeholder for this at the moment.

View PostPixelToast, on 18 August 2013 - 03:37 PM, said:

Sexy UI, not to compact though, you sould have it so they are 3 high and when you click on it it explands
if you have a server that could run lua, i can make a efficient server program (i already have the interface with the http api working)

I like that idea of the expanding description, that's one of the main issues, the screen is far too small.
The server is running from PHP, it's just easier to integrate a database and website in to it.


Do you guys believe that a non-colour version should be made as well, or just colour?

#6 H4X0RZ

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Posted 18 August 2013 - 05:26 PM

A sugestion from me are permissions like: "internet connection" or "can delete files".
The appstore should override some functions, like http.get/post, so only apps which got the permissions can use the functions.

It has a nice looking gui!

I hope it will be out soon!


Just one question:
Is there a chance that you give us the code you are using on your webspace, then we could create mirror server in different countries cause the ping would then be optimized. You just have to enter your countrie at the first start. I could host one in Germany :)/>

#7 oeed

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Posted 18 August 2013 - 06:38 PM

View PostFreack100, on 18 August 2013 - 05:26 PM, said:

A sugestion from me are permissions like: "internet connection" or "can delete files".
The appstore should override some functions, like http.get/post, so only apps which got the permissions can use the functions.

It has a nice looking gui!

I hope it will be out soon!


Just one question:
Is there a chance that you give us the code you are using on your webspace, then we could create mirror server in different countries cause the ping would then be optimized. You just have to enter your countrie at the first start. I could host one in Germany :)/>

I see where you're coming from. It's something that I'll put in to my next OS, but I won't be putting it in to this because this is designed to only to download and install applications. However, now I think about it I could implement it... I'm going to have a config file that allows operating systems, server admins etc. to change many of the variables such as the server address, the location where applications are install (so you can have an '/Applications' folder or similar) so I could also implement a few functions that you could change that could check if an application that deletes files or something like that and return true or false. It's probably not the best explanation, but hopefully you get what I mean.

With local servers, I'm going to say no. Most of the program files are only a few kilobytes and should only take a few seconds to download. The server I'll be using is hosted by 000webhost, which I believe is in the US. If you ‘do have access to a server which has more bandwidth and download limits then I may consider it. It's just that having multiple content servers really just isn't worth it. Making sure each server has the latest version of every file will be a huge task, and considering how little traffic it will have it's not worth it.

Saying that, if the servers do get overloaded (which I do doubt somewhat) I will consider adding another server.

Just had another thought, how useful would the ability to upload an update and download it similar to the iOS/Mac app store be?

#8 Mackan90096

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Posted 18 August 2013 - 11:36 PM

The UI is sexy. Also a great idea! +1

#9 PixelToast

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 01:16 AM

View PostMackan90096, on 18 August 2013 - 11:36 PM, said:

The UI is sexy. Also a great idea! +1
another thing to block :3

#10 Frederikam

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 02:44 AM

But what about documentation? What if a program (or api) is really complicated to use?

#11 oeed

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 06:07 AM

View PostFrederikam, on 19 August 2013 - 02:44 AM, said:

But what about documentation? What if a program (or api) is really complicated to use?

You'd just include the documentation or a link to it in the description. Bear in mind it's more for programs rather than APIs.

#12 oeed

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 06:12 AM

I'm just implementing a category system, at the moment I've got the ones listed below, if you can think of anymore please let me know!
  • Operating Systems
  • Games
  • Turtle Programs
  • Utility
  • Miscellaneous
I don't want too many (probably 8 max.), but I do need a few more.

#13 Exerro

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 06:31 AM

A few more categories ( these are kind of just the utility category split up )
Multimedia ( Things like paint programs, music makers etc )
APIs ( You should know what these are )
Networking ( Things like email programs, maybe even the 3/4 networking layer things on the forums )
Security systems ( Door locks ( You should have plenty of these ), bank things etc )

Also, for the moderating, maybe have a pixel on the app download button things that shows you whether it has been checked my a moderator, so you can still download the un-moderated programs, but you know that they haven't been checked and could potentially be malicious

Finally, I would suggest that each program should have a page dedicated to it ( somewhat like google play ) where you can see things like documentation, download count, images and a description. Maybe even add in a commenting/rating system, although I can see this would be prone to spam etc.

#14 oeed

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 07:17 AM

View Postawsumben13, on 19 August 2013 - 06:31 AM, said:

A few more categories ( these are kind of just the utility category split up )
Multimedia ( Things like paint programs, music makers etc )
APIs ( You should know what these are )
Networking ( Things like email programs, maybe even the 3/4 networking layer things on the forums )
Security systems ( Door locks ( You should have plenty of these ), bank things etc )

Also, for the moderating, maybe have a pixel on the app download button things that shows you whether it has been checked my a moderator, so you can still download the un-moderated programs, but you know that they haven't been checked and could potentially be malicious

Finally, I would suggest that each program should have a page dedicated to it ( somewhat like google play ) where you can see things like documentation, download count, images and a description. Maybe even add in a commenting/rating system, although I can see this would be prone to spam etc.

Yea, those categories sound good.

I won't be having non-moderated apps on the store, for two reasons:
1. Spam, this is inevitable. Even if it wasn't intended, the use may have enter the command incorrectly.
2. Half of the submission is on the site anyway, so it's really not that much more effort of a moderator to accept.

A page for each is something I will add.

Here are a few screenshots of the (currently unfinished) submission page. Bear in mind, most people (obviously) won't have the moderation page, and no one except me (and possibly one or two others) will have the admin page.

Posted Image
This is the page that lists the statuses of your current and previous app submissions.

Posted Image
This is the page that shows the state of a single submission (accessible from the buttons on the table above). It's where you add the description, images etc.

#15 Exerro

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 07:22 AM

Wow, that looks really good, great work on the GUI! Do you have any idea when it will be available to use?

Also, how will it manage installing programs, will it use your package maker or something slightly more complicated ( I'm thinking like when you install a game from a disk onto your PC/laptop...InstallWizard I think? )

#16 oeed

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 07:33 AM

View Postawsumben13, on 19 August 2013 - 07:22 AM, said:

Wow, that looks really good, great work on the GUI! Do you have any idea when it will be available to use?

Also, how will it manage installing programs, will it use your package maker or something slightly more complicated ( I'm thinking like when you install a game from a disk onto your PC/laptop...InstallWizard I think? )

Well, the installer is based on my package maker. But it actually really quick and easy. All you do is click install and it downloads it and installs it with out you having to do anything. I've uploaded a screen recording to dropbox of a download. Bear in mind that the file is coming from a computer in my network, and I do have two 1 second delays to make it clear. I could only save it as a .mov, so sorry if you can't open it.

Also, near the end I reboot the computer, hence why it loads PearOS.

Find it here: https://www.dropbox....hi/AppStore.mov

#17 supersammy00

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 11:12 AM

possible a progress bar for downloading apps and say how long it will be at that speed and display how big programs are and how long there download would be based on download before.

#18 supersammy00

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 11:15 AM

and maybe a download screen

#19 Zudo

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 12:55 PM

Yay! Bootstrap!

#20 MKlegoman357

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Posted 19 August 2013 - 01:02 PM

This is amazing. I like how great oeed's GUIs looks like. The best thing about this App Store is that you can browse through all the programs.

Suggestions:
It would be cool to be able to add your own images/screenshots to your program. You can only browse through the programs and install them, right? Well maybe you could leave install button there, but when you click elsewhere on the program you get a full scrollable description (comments? maybe not, but user ratings would be cool) and screenshots that would show in full-screen when you click on them.

Another tab: New
To view newly added programs.

Download counter (not sure if it's added):
So users and the Uploader could see how many downloads it has.

View Postoeed, on 18 August 2013 - 06:38 PM, said:

Just had another thought, how useful would the ability to upload an update and download it similar to the iOS/Mac app store be?

The Update feature is a must-be feature. How else are you going to update the program? Deleting the old one, then adding new version onto App Store? But there would be a problem with it: I think people would like to rename or move downloaded apps to another folder.
It could have a notification system. When you download an app the program registers what version you have downloaded it. Every time you would want to check for updates it would check if program's version is different (to allow downgrades too) and if you have uninstalled that program there would be a way to delete it from your downloads list.

I think that's it (for now).

~LEGO





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