6 ms·

IPad app for Stack Overflow

61 points by brainless 14y ago

zoul 14y ago
Congratulations, this is a very nice app. Finally somebody did more than just an ugly barebones iOS wrapper on top of the API. I just wish I had a similar app for the whole Stack Exchange.
- piotrbyzia 14y ago
  @zoul I'm a creator of StackReader for iPad ( http://stackreaderapp.com/ http://stackreaderapp.com/) with all SE sites. It'll be in App Store soon, if you can't wait, feel free to sign up for beta testing ;-)
  - true_religion 14y ago
    Can you show us some screenshots?
- checkers 14y ago
  Check out http://techiest.blogspot.com http://techiest.blogspot.com to find more about the latest of what technology has to offer. Its still starting so support it everyone! Thank you all! Cheers!
- thelbane 14y ago
  I'm glad to hear you like our little app. As for access to the rest of the SE sites... (drumroll please) Screenshot: http://stacktraceapp.com/images/topics.png http://stacktraceapp.com/images/topics.png It's currently in private beta and should get submitted to the app store in the next couple weeks. This will be released as an update, so current users will gain access to the full SE network. :)
rplnt 14y ago
It took me a while to realize title isn't speaking about some IP-related app. HN's automatic title capitalization really isn't a good idea.
gouranga 14y ago
Isn't that called a web browser?
- jarek 14y ago
  App all the websites!
  - gouranga 14y ago
    Website all the apps!
richbradshaw 14y ago
Overall, it's lovely, but a few small things would improve it massively: 1. Be able to see all the questions I've asked - I often ask something hard, and later need to reference the answers. It would be much easier to use if this info was easy to access. 2. Be able to see all questions from my tags in one view - I usually view SO in that way, scroll around till I find questions that interest me and either read the answers or ask something. 3. Be able to sort by date/most voted/ etc - sometimes I just want to learn - high rated questions are usually of interest. Other times I want to answer questions, so sorting by date/low votes is useful too! Shame the API doesn't allow write access, maybe one day!
- thelbane 14y ago
  You provided great arguments for 1 and 2. Adding a "my questions" view and an "all my tags" view are certainly worth considering and wouldn't be difficult to implement. Number 3 is actually implemented already. Once you select a tag or view all questions, pull the detail view down to reveal search and sort controls. We're considering showing these controls by default as users are not finding them. Thank you for the great feedback and we're glad you're enjoying consuming SO content in a new way! EDIT: Also, as soon as the Stack Exchange API supports write access, we'll be all over that.
  - richbradshaw 14y ago
    Ah, see what you mean about the details. The questions and tags would really make this app brilliant - I was surprised when I first used it that they weren't there. Good luck with this - it's filling a niche that really needs filling!
guynamedloren 14y ago
Interestingly, this seems like one of those concepts that just doesn't make sense as an app. Perhaps I'm missing a use case, but personally, all of my coding is done at a computer... with a web browser... where Stack Overflow already exists, just milliseconds away. I couldn't see myself using this app as an effective replacement. My workflow goes like this: code > hit a problem > google it > open first result (usually SO) > learn (and possibly copy chunk of code) > return to text editor Where does the app fit into this workflow? How does the app improve my workflow? Genuinely curious how this would benefit anyone. Is it meant to sit next to a monitor? Is it meant for those who use an iPad as a coding device? Is it meant for casual browsing of Stack Overflow?
- lovskogen 14y ago
  Replying and helping people from your couch :)
  - dmbass 14y ago
    It appears to be a read-only experience application. Plus, writing code on iPad would be awful whether from a couch or not.
- zarroba 14y ago
  Totally agree with that. The only time I would use an app to interact with SO is when I go out on weekend or vacation and I just want to check if someone answer a question I left there or to check if someone reply to an answer/comment I left.
- sparknlaunch12 14y ago
  Agreed. However the biggest pain point is copying code between workstation and another device. (This is an issue for those who work in offices where sites like SE are locked down.) If this app can make it easier, then great.
  - swombat 14y ago
    What kind of stupid office has developers writing code and blocks StackOverflow?
cageface 14y ago
Nice looking UI. I think it's interesting and fairly ironic that using stock UI widgets in an iOS app is becoming more and more the mark of the amateur.
- lis 14y ago
  Which is very unfortunate. A common set of UI widgets, used for within the right context, are what I like about iOS. I don't want to re-learn how a widget works with every new app.
  - cageface 14y ago
    The fact that users tolerate and even encourage of flashy but inconsistent and impractical UI design says a lot about just how important most mobile apps are to their users.
kmfrk 14y ago
The design on this is gorgeous, but it really needs some screenshots of the biggest concern: the writing screen. Are there Markdown buttons available, or am I going to play finger Twister to reach the backticks, brackets, and asterisks?
- e-dard 14y ago
  The SO API is read-only, so I assume this app won't allow you to submit questions/answers/comments etc.
  - thelbane 14y ago
    Unfortunately correct until SE adds write support to the API, which we're told is in the works. For now, we provide a simple way to open questions in Mobile Safari which of course doesn't have this restriction.
  - BenBBB 14y ago
    Here's a post about it from Kevin Montrose (API dev @ SE): http://kevinmontrose.com/2012/02/01/stack-exchange-api-v2-0-no-write-access/ http://kevinmontrose.com/2012/02/01/stack-exchange-api-v2-0-...
e-dard 14y ago
Is it just me, or is using a proportional font for the code snippets not ideal? Personally, I can't stand writing/reading code displayed in a proportional font.
cheshire137 14y ago
For $5? I think not.
reyan 14y ago
Nice UI but the Slab Serif typeface is not suitable for reading large chunks of text IMO.
iKnowKungFoo 14y ago
Personally, I'd prefer SO update to a responsive layout and leave 3rd party apps out of it. I wouldn't mind paying SO directly for an app, but not a 3rd party.

61 points by brainless 14y ago

zoul 14y ago

Congratulations, this is a very nice app. Finally somebody did more than just an ugly barebones iOS wrapper on top of the API. I just wish I had a similar app for the whole Stack Exchange.

piotrbyzia 14y ago
@zoul I'm a creator of StackReader for iPad ( http://stackreaderapp.com/ http://stackreaderapp.com/) with all SE sites. It'll be in App Store soon, if you can't wait, feel free to sign up for beta testing ;-)
- true_religion 14y ago
  Can you show us some screenshots?
checkers 14y ago
Check out http://techiest.blogspot.com http://techiest.blogspot.com to find more about the latest of what technology has to offer. Its still starting so support it everyone! Thank you all! Cheers!
thelbane 14y ago
I'm glad to hear you like our little app. As for access to the rest of the SE sites... (drumroll please) Screenshot: http://stacktraceapp.com/images/topics.png http://stacktraceapp.com/images/topics.png It's currently in private beta and should get submitted to the app store in the next couple weeks. This will be released as an update, so current users will gain access to the full SE network. :)

rplnt 14y ago

It took me a while to realize title isn't speaking about some IP-related app. HN's automatic title capitalization really isn't a good idea.

gouranga 14y ago

Isn't that called a web browser?

jarek 14y ago
App all the websites!
- gouranga 14y ago
  Website all the apps!

richbradshaw 14y ago

Overall, it's lovely, but a few small things would improve it massively: 1. Be able to see all the questions I've asked - I often ask something hard, and later need to reference the answers. It would be much easier to use if this info was easy to access. 2. Be able to see all questions from my tags in one view - I usually view SO in that way, scroll around till I find questions that interest me and either read the answers or ask something. 3. Be able to sort by date/most voted/ etc - sometimes I just want to learn - high rated questions are usually of interest. Other times I want to answer questions, so sorting by date/low votes is useful too! Shame the API doesn't allow write access, maybe one day!

thelbane 14y ago
You provided great arguments for 1 and 2. Adding a "my questions" view and an "all my tags" view are certainly worth considering and wouldn't be difficult to implement. Number 3 is actually implemented already. Once you select a tag or view all questions, pull the detail view down to reveal search and sort controls. We're considering showing these controls by default as users are not finding them. Thank you for the great feedback and we're glad you're enjoying consuming SO content in a new way! EDIT: Also, as soon as the Stack Exchange API supports write access, we'll be all over that.
- richbradshaw 14y ago
  Ah, see what you mean about the details. The questions and tags would really make this app brilliant - I was surprised when I first used it that they weren't there. Good luck with this - it's filling a niche that really needs filling!

guynamedloren 14y ago

Interestingly, this seems like one of those concepts that just doesn't make sense as an app. Perhaps I'm missing a use case, but personally, all of my coding is done at a computer... with a web browser... where Stack Overflow already exists, just milliseconds away. I couldn't see myself using this app as an effective replacement. My workflow goes like this: code > hit a problem > google it > open first result (usually SO) > learn (and possibly copy chunk of code) > return to text editor Where does the app fit into this workflow? How does the app improve my workflow? Genuinely curious how this would benefit anyone. Is it meant to sit next to a monitor? Is it meant for those who use an iPad as a coding device? Is it meant for casual browsing of Stack Overflow?

lovskogen 14y ago
Replying and helping people from your couch :)
- dmbass 14y ago
  It appears to be a read-only experience application. Plus, writing code on iPad would be awful whether from a couch or not.
zarroba 14y ago
Totally agree with that. The only time I would use an app to interact with SO is when I go out on weekend or vacation and I just want to check if someone answer a question I left there or to check if someone reply to an answer/comment I left.
sparknlaunch12 14y ago
Agreed. However the biggest pain point is copying code between workstation and another device. (This is an issue for those who work in offices where sites like SE are locked down.) If this app can make it easier, then great.
- swombat 14y ago
  What kind of stupid office has developers writing code and blocks StackOverflow?

cageface 14y ago

Nice looking UI. I think it's interesting and fairly ironic that using stock UI widgets in an iOS app is becoming more and more the mark of the amateur.

lis 14y ago
Which is very unfortunate. A common set of UI widgets, used for within the right context, are what I like about iOS. I don't want to re-learn how a widget works with every new app.
- cageface 14y ago
  The fact that users tolerate and even encourage of flashy but inconsistent and impractical UI design says a lot about just how important most mobile apps are to their users.

kmfrk 14y ago

The design on this is gorgeous, but it really needs some screenshots of the biggest concern: the writing screen. Are there Markdown buttons available, or am I going to play finger Twister to reach the backticks, brackets, and asterisks?

e-dard 14y ago
The SO API is read-only, so I assume this app won't allow you to submit questions/answers/comments etc.
- thelbane 14y ago
  Unfortunately correct until SE adds write support to the API, which we're told is in the works. For now, we provide a simple way to open questions in Mobile Safari which of course doesn't have this restriction.
- BenBBB 14y ago
  Here's a post about it from Kevin Montrose (API dev @ SE): http://kevinmontrose.com/2012/02/01/stack-exchange-api-v2-0-no-write-access/ http://kevinmontrose.com/2012/02/01/stack-exchange-api-v2-0-...

e-dard 14y ago

Is it just me, or is using a proportional font for the code snippets not ideal? Personally, I can't stand writing/reading code displayed in a proportional font.

cheshire137 14y ago

For $5? I think not.

reyan 14y ago

Nice UI but the Slab Serif typeface is not suitable for reading large chunks of text IMO.

iKnowKungFoo 14y ago

Personally, I'd prefer SO update to a responsive layout and leave 3rd party apps out of it. I wouldn't mind paying SO directly for an app, but not a 3rd party.