Thank you for purchasing my template, I really appreciate. Please read the documentation carefully, and if you have any questions, just contact me :)
Again thank you for downloading my template, let me give you a small introduction to the features:
Now there are three options for you:
Installing JRE
In this step we are going to install the java runtime environment.
Adding Java to our path
After java has successfully been installed, we have to add java to our path (if you are a Mac user, skip this).
Windows 7
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows (all)
Linux
Follow the instructions on the Java website: http://www.java.com/en/download/help/path.xml
Installing ADT bundle
Go to http://developer.android.com/sdk/installing/bundle.html
In this step, we will import the project & the required libraries to eclipse. You can download the required libraries manually, or use the libraries packed in the libraries.zip file, the last option would be the easiest, if you are a more advanced user, you can also download the required libraries manually from their websites to have the latest updates.
Preparation
Importing the project(s)
Google Play Services
Link the libraries
Error solving
Note: You don’t need this step if you do not have any errors (project with error looks like: ).
You have now succesfully imported your project
We are now ready to configure our template. There are 2 files we need to edit:
Also, we need to change our assets (the apps logo), and change our package name.
Section oGeneralSection = new Section("General", null);
Adding a Rss Feed Item (where content is your rss feed url):
oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("title", null, RssActivity.class, "RSS_URL", "content");
Adding a Twitter timeline Item (where content is your twitter username):
oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("title", null, TweetsActivity.class, "TWITTER_USERNAME", "content");
Adding a Youtube channel Item, here you can use the following as content:
Find out how to retrieve the PlaylistId for a channel as well as the ChannelId here
oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("title", null, VideosActivity.class, "YOUTUBE_CONTENT", "content");
Adding a Webview Item (where content is the url you would like to load):
oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("title", null, WebviewActivity.class, "WEB_URL", "content");
Adding a Radio Item (where content is the url of the live streaming audio media):
oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("title", null, MediaActivity.class, "RADIO_URL", "content");
Adding a Map Item (where content is the url to your ):
oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("title", null, MapActivity.class, "MAPS_CONF", "content");
Adding a Wordpress Item, here you can use the following as content:
Learn more about installing the JSON API for Wordpress here
oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("title", null, WordpressActivity.class, "WORDPRESS_API_URL", "content");
Adding a Tumblr Item (where content is your tumblr username):
oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("title", null, TumblrActivity.class, "TUMBLR_USERNAME", "content");
Section oGeneralSection = new Section("General", null); //Tag 2 oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("NYTimes", null, TweetsActivity.class, "TWITTER_USERNAME", "nytimes"); oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("A Googler", null, TweetsActivity.class, "TWITTER_USERNAME", "google"); oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("New York Times videos", null, VideosActivity.class, "YOUTUBE_CONTENT", "UUqnbDFdCpuN8CMEg0VuEBqA,UCqnbDFdCpuN8CMEg0VuEBqA"); oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("Android Police", null, RssActivity.class, "RSS_URL", "http://feeds.feedburner.com/AndroidPolice?format=xml"); oGeneralSection.addSectionItem("Google", null, WebviewActivity.class, "WEB_URL", "http://google.com"); //Tag 3 sectionList.add(oGeneralSection);
This example with output the a menu with 1 section, containing, 2 twitter timelines, 1 youtube item, 1 rss item & 1 webview item. The url of the webview in this example is "Google.com" and the title of this item in the sliding menu will be called "Google". So when the user clicks "Google" He will see the google website in a webview.
Add More Sections
To sort your items, you can use sections. In the example above, all items are in one section, but this is not very structured for the user.
Add a Section (between tag 1 and 2)
Section oSecondSection = new Section("Section Name", null);
To add an item to a Section (between tag 1 and 2), simply replace oGeneralSection with your section name.
oSecondSection.addSectionItem(......);
To finish, we need to add the section to the sectionList, we do this (below tag 3)
sectionList.add(oSecondSection);
The order, in which you add sections or items to sections, does not matter. Every sections needs to have an unique name (in the sample oSecondSection) you can choose any type you would like oVideosSection for example. In the example the section is called Section Name but you can choose any name, just make sure it does not include invalid characters and that it is not to long.
We now are going to change your app's name & icon also, we are going to set up the template with the required Google Api codes
<string name="app_name">The Awesome Band News</string>
We also have to enter our API access keys, note that the keys for twitter & youtube are required for the app to work. You only have to enter your Maps API key, if you are going to use it (add a map item).
Setting up notifications
<string name="rss_push_url">YOURFEEDURLHERE</string>
Entering your api keys (twitter)
<string name="twitter_api_consumer_key">YOURCONSUMERKEYHERE</string>
<string name="twitter_api_consumer_secret_key">YOURSECRETKEYHERE</string>
Entering your api keys (youtube)
<string name="youtube_api_key">YOURYOUTUBEAPIKEYEHERE</string>
Entering your api keys (admob) / turning on ads
<string name="ad_id">YOURPUBIDHERE</string> <string name="ad_visibility">@string/ad_on</string>
Configuring Maps
If you would like to use google maps, and have added a Google maps item to the menu, you need to configure Google Maps.
<string name="maps_api_key">YOURMAPSKEYHERE</string>
For every google maps item you would like to add, you need to create a Google Maps Configuration Array in the strings.xml file, this stores information like the location, description, zoom level, etc. It looks something like this:
<string-array name="maps_1"> <item><![CDATA[ <b>Adress:</b> <br>SomeStreet 5<br>Sydney, Australia<br><br> <i>Email: Mail@Company.com</i> ]]></item> <item>Company</item> <item>This is where our office is.</item> <item>-33.864</item> <item>151.206</item> <item>13</item> </string-array>
<item ><![CDATA[ <b>Adress:</b> <br>SomeStreet 5<br> Sydney, Australia<br><br> <i>Email: Mail@Company.com</i> ]]></item>
Make sure to online edit between "[CDATA[" and "]]"
<item >Company</item> <item >This is where our office is.</item>>
<item >-33.864</item> <item >151.206</item>
<item >13</item>
Installing the JSON Api plugin
Changing the images
Add images to your sliding menu items (optionally)
If you would like so, you can add images to menu items.
First, take an .png image that you would like to use as icon for an item or section, resize it to 100x100 and place it in the res --> drawables folder.
Now, head back to the slidingmenufragment.java file and scroll to the line that says "//Tag 2" and browse to the item that you would like to set an icon for.
oXXXSection.addSectionItem("xxxxx", null, xxxActivity.class, "XXXXX", "xxxx");
Now replace null with "nameoftheimagewithoutextension" so if you had the image football.png and placed it into the drawable folder. The rule will now be:
oXXXSection.addSectionItem("xxxxx", "football", xxxActivity.class, "XXXXX", "xxxx");
Now replace the text between the second brackets, in this example: "globe" with "nameoftheimagewithoutextension" for example "football"
In this step, we are going to change the package name, and compile our app.
Changing the package name
The package name is you apps unique identifier. It is mentioned in your manifest and all your java files, and it is your project structure. Luckely Eclipse has some build in features to change the package name.
Righ click the project --> android tools --> rename application package
Now chose your package name, this is usually com.yourcompany.name
If everything went correctly, com.universal.xxx packages in the project explorer should be changed into com.yourcompany.name, just as the package name in the manifest.
Compiling our app
In this step we are going to create an apk, and you can run it on your phone!
You can now put this file: Xxx.apk on your phone, you will be prompted to check the unknown sources checkbox if you have not checked it already, you users won’t have to do this if they download the app from the google play store.
Submitting to the Play Store
In this step we are going to publish your app to the Google Play store.
What you will need:
Basic instructions:
We hope you have successfully submitted your app to the Google Play Store! You can always use Google Analytics to find out what part of your app your users like the best and make your content even better!
Monitizing
Support
If you get in any trouble using this guide, you can visite our support website: sherdle.com/support where you can ask questions to other users, view our FAQ & more.
License
For more license information, open the license.txt file found inside your template.
Translating
You can easily translate this template into your own language. You only have to translate the text inside the strings.xml file. As example, I'm going to translate the following string into german.
<string name="play_button">Play</string>
Just translate the word Play
<string name="play_button">Aufspielen</string>
It's just as easy as that, just repeat this with all the strings. But be carefull with special characters!