Dreamwidth for iOS

[bcholmes]

Shortly after WisCon, I decided that I wanted to be able to work with my Dreamwidth journal on my iPhone. An iOS app seemed like a natural thing that should exist in the world and, conveniently, I know how to make one.

Sadly, I was quickly impeded by the state of the existing API. The API was designed in another age: back before Rest/JSON, and at a time when people expected “LJ/DW clients” to be desktop apps that’d download all your entries for off-line reading. There are some glaring omissions from the API (and it’s certainly… old-timey).

But, hey, it’s open source, no? I mean, I suppose I could send them a pull request. True, I don’t really know Perl and find that LAMP development is about five times harder than it should be. But, hey, minor stuff.

Over the summer, I started talking to some of the folks at Dreamwidth about this, and that started me into conversations about a new Rest/JSON API and whatnot. But progress on that front has been slow. Which I get. They have their own priorities, and some weirdo from the Internet is pestering them with, “hey, if you added an X I could make you a Y.” I just think it’s a Y that’s interesting.

A few days ago, I was hit with another urge to work on the Dreamwidth iOS app, and I built out a quick app that implements some of the basic functions. I can login, see my recent entries, view some basic profile information, and post a simple entry. That’s not nothing.

But I’m still stuck with those API limitations that seem to prevent me from really making this thing useful. Le sigh.

Mirrored from Under the Beret.

Comments

[jiawen]

I hope they broaden access for you! In the unlikely event you haven't thought of this - show them your WisCon app, and mention how it went from 'there's an app?' to 'kinda useful' to 'utterly indispensable' in the space of about three years.

With the shift from LJ, hopefully they will be open to people helping make DW able to do more.

[subbes]

Is the API the same as the current LJ API, or did the LJ API change after the fork?

[bcholmes]

The older APIs are mostly the same. There are some (minor) new APIs exist only in the Dreamwidth world.

[subbes]

Good to know, thanks!

[emceeaich]

As much as I love and believe in the Open Web, an app would be a nice thing (primarly because I hate login management on mobile, even with 1Password it's a pita, and yes HTTP/S and JSON are part of the open web.)

Is building out DW's APIs a thing that an Outreachy intern could help with next cycle?

And an App would help me use DW more.

[egret]

This app would be a dream come true.

The main reason I am ever on Tumblr is that Dreamwidth is a pain on iOS.

*Lighting a candle for your success*

[mlerules]

AMEN. I currently only use DW on my laptop, and there's no easy way to get photos from my iPhone into my entries. I'd love to be able to upload photos and entries directly from the iPhone. *fingers crossed for an app eventually*