Hello,
We are excited to announce that we have been developing a Wikisource reader app for Android mobile users for the last three months and the beta version of the app is almost ready for testing. The development of the mobile app was a much-awaited request from the Wikisource community and when fully released, hopefully, it will help bring more readers to Wikisource platforms and increase the visibility of this resourceful digital library.
*Necessary links of the reader app*
- A documentation page is in draft on meta wiki here - https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikisource_reader_app - The Github repo of the code is here - https://github.com/cis-india/Wikisource-Reader
*Wikidata integration*
We have been using the FRBR data model used in the Wikidata WikiProject Books https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Books to handle the descriptive metadata needed for filtering and categorizing the contents of the app. To be included in the app, an edition should have
- fully proofread or validated - transcluded into the main namespace or NS:0 - a Wikidata item with descriptive metadata property like title, author etc. - Wikisource index page url (P1957) https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Property:P1957 property linked with that item - Wikisource sitelink for the NS:0 transcluded page linked with that item - a proofread and/or validated badge linked with that sitelink.
Here are a few example of the book editions which are included in the app
- An example of a Bangla book edition is this one https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105763275 - A list of all French books to be included in the app can be found here - https://w.wiki/CkMP
*Pilot languages and API*
In the beta version, we have piloted with English, French and Bangla as these three languages are storing their metadata on Wikidata. We will roll out for other languages gradually. An API was built using Django and deployed on Toolforge which serves a catalogue of books following the data model described above. It periodically runs a set of SPARQL queries to retrieve data, processes that data and updates the database.
- Link - https://wsindex.toolforge.org/books/ - Repo - https://codeberg.org/ph4ni/wsindex
*Features*
We have decided to display the books in epub format which will be generated through WS-export tool https://ws-export.wmcloud.org. Any issues related to epub generation can be reported here https://github.com/wikimedia/ws-export.
Right now, the following features are available
1. Browse through a list of works which are completely proofread or validated. 2. Filter based on the language or literary form of your choice. 3. Search for books by title or author. 4. Download books to your local device for offline access. 5. Share links to the Wikisource page of each book. 6. Read, delete, and track completion percentage of books in your local library. 7. Change font size, look up words, and access a dictionary. 8. Switch between dark and light themes for comfortable reading. 9. Use the app in multiple languages.
Currently, we are working on the following areas
- Internal epub reader which can render the styling of the contents as much as possible - Design of the contents and metadata within the app - Fixes here and there
*Next steps*
In coming days, we will
- start conversation with the Wikisource communities to make aware about the app, share the workflow needed to include contents there and get feedback for further development. (We had one call with the Marathi Wikisource community already). - *Next community conversation hour* - Sunday, 26 January 12:00 – 13:00 UTC - Video call link: https://meet.google.com/khd-qvfy-nsr - discuss with all stakeholders regarding necessary steps. - register for Google Play Store and release the stable version of the app there - release the app in other play stores gradually.
We would like to specially thank Sai Phanindra, who has developed the app as an assignment from CIS-A2K.
Regards, Bodhisattwa (Part-time consultant, CIS-A2K)
Hello,
Our current e-book reader, which we are using in the app, has many limitations and does not render the stylings used in Wikisource properly. So, we are replacing it with another open-source ebook reader which has a variety of features and can overcome those limitations. It will take us a few more days to update the new code on Github. For this reason, we are postponing the conversation hour to 2nd February, same time.
- *Next community conversation hour* - Sunday, 2 February 12:00 – 13:00 UTC - Video call link: https://meet.google.com/khd-qvfy-nsr
Regards, Bodhisattwa
On Fri, 17 Jan 2025 at 12:54, Bodhisattwa bodhisattwa.rgkmc@gmail.com wrote:
Hello,
We are excited to announce that we have been developing a Wikisource reader app for Android mobile users for the last three months and the beta version of the app is almost ready for testing. The development of the mobile app was a much-awaited request from the Wikisource community and when fully released, hopefully, it will help bring more readers to Wikisource platforms and increase the visibility of this resourceful digital library.
*Necessary links of the reader app*
- A documentation page is in draft on meta wiki here -
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikisource_reader_app
- The Github repo of the code is here -
https://github.com/cis-india/Wikisource-Reader
*Wikidata integration*
We have been using the FRBR data model used in the Wikidata WikiProject Books https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Books to handle the descriptive metadata needed for filtering and categorizing the contents of the app. To be included in the app, an edition should have
- fully proofread or validated
- transcluded into the main namespace or NS:0
- a Wikidata item with descriptive metadata property like title,
author etc.
- Wikisource index page url (P1957)
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Property:P1957 property linked with that item
- Wikisource sitelink for the NS:0 transcluded page linked with that
item
- a proofread and/or validated badge linked with that sitelink.
Here are a few example of the book editions which are included in the app
- An example of a Bangla book edition is this one
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105763275
- A list of all French books to be included in the app can be found
here - https://w.wiki/CkMP
*Pilot languages and API*
In the beta version, we have piloted with English, French and Bangla as these three languages are storing their metadata on Wikidata. We will roll out for other languages gradually. An API was built using Django and deployed on Toolforge which serves a catalogue of books following the data model described above. It periodically runs a set of SPARQL queries to retrieve data, processes that data and updates the database.
*Features*
We have decided to display the books in epub format which will be generated through WS-export tool https://ws-export.wmcloud.org. Any issues related to epub generation can be reported here https://github.com/wikimedia/ws-export.
Right now, the following features are available
- Browse through a list of works which are completely proofread or
validated. 2. Filter based on the language or literary form of your choice. 3. Search for books by title or author. 4. Download books to your local device for offline access. 5. Share links to the Wikisource page of each book. 6. Read, delete, and track completion percentage of books in your local library. 7. Change font size, look up words, and access a dictionary. 8. Switch between dark and light themes for comfortable reading. 9. Use the app in multiple languages.
Currently, we are working on the following areas
- Internal epub reader which can render the styling of the contents as
much as possible
- Design of the contents and metadata within the app
- Fixes here and there
*Next steps*
In coming days, we will
- start conversation with the Wikisource communities to make aware
about the app, share the workflow needed to include contents there and get feedback for further development. (We had one call with the Marathi Wikisource community already). - *Next community conversation hour* - Sunday, 26 January 12:00 – 13:00 UTC - Video call link: https://meet.google.com/khd-qvfy-nsr - discuss with all stakeholders regarding necessary steps.
- register for Google Play Store and release the stable version of the
app there
- release the app in other play stores gradually.
We would like to specially thank Sai Phanindra, who has developed the app as an assignment from CIS-A2K.
Regards, Bodhisattwa (Part-time consultant, CIS-A2K)
Hello,
Thanks to Sai's commitment, we have successfully switched to a new reader this week and have resolved most of the rendering issues we were having with the last reader. The new reader is rendering the Wikisource stylings as they are. This new reader also comes with a wide range of other features to improve reader experience like search, navigation, highlight, bookmark, underline, annotation, font color options, font size options, font weight options, text normalisation, theme color options, image color inversion, page margin options, different font options, RTL support etc.
We have also included two more languages into the app as pilot i.e. Spanish and Marathi based on their recent contributions to the Wikidata items for book editions following the FRBR book model used in Wikidata:Books and app workflow. Special thanks to Ignacio, Subodh, Ashwini for the valuable contributions on Wikidata.
This is also a gentle reminder that the community conversation hour will happen today at 12:00 noon UTC as mentioned in the previous email.
See you all there,
Regards, Bodhisattwa
On Thu, 23 Jan 2025 at 12:20, Bodhisattwa bodhisattwa.rgkmc@gmail.com wrote:
Hello,
Our current e-book reader, which we are using in the app, has many limitations and does not render the stylings used in Wikisource properly. So, we are replacing it with another open-source ebook reader which has a variety of features and can overcome those limitations. It will take us a few more days to update the new code on Github. For this reason, we are postponing the conversation hour to 2nd February, same time.
- *Next community conversation hour*
- Sunday, 2 February 12:00 – 13:00 UTC
- Video call link: https://meet.google.com/khd-qvfy-nsr
Regards, Bodhisattwa
On Fri, 17 Jan 2025 at 12:54, Bodhisattwa bodhisattwa.rgkmc@gmail.com wrote:
Hello,
We are excited to announce that we have been developing a Wikisource reader app for Android mobile users for the last three months and the beta version of the app is almost ready for testing. The development of the mobile app was a much-awaited request from the Wikisource community and when fully released, hopefully, it will help bring more readers to Wikisource platforms and increase the visibility of this resourceful digital library.
*Necessary links of the reader app*
- A documentation page is in draft on meta wiki here -
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikisource_reader_app
- The Github repo of the code is here -
https://github.com/cis-india/Wikisource-Reader
*Wikidata integration*
We have been using the FRBR data model used in the Wikidata WikiProject Books https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Books to handle the descriptive metadata needed for filtering and categorizing the contents of the app. To be included in the app, an edition should have
- fully proofread or validated
- transcluded into the main namespace or NS:0
- a Wikidata item with descriptive metadata property like title,
author etc.
- Wikisource index page url (P1957)
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Property:P1957 property linked with that item
- Wikisource sitelink for the NS:0 transcluded page linked with that
item
- a proofread and/or validated badge linked with that sitelink.
Here are a few example of the book editions which are included in the app
- An example of a Bangla book edition is this one
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105763275
- A list of all French books to be included in the app can be found
here - https://w.wiki/CkMP
*Pilot languages and API*
In the beta version, we have piloted with English, French and Bangla as these three languages are storing their metadata on Wikidata. We will roll out for other languages gradually. An API was built using Django and deployed on Toolforge which serves a catalogue of books following the data model described above. It periodically runs a set of SPARQL queries to retrieve data, processes that data and updates the database.
*Features*
We have decided to display the books in epub format which will be generated through WS-export tool https://ws-export.wmcloud.org. Any issues related to epub generation can be reported here https://github.com/wikimedia/ws-export.
Right now, the following features are available
- Browse through a list of works which are completely proofread or
validated. 2. Filter based on the language or literary form of your choice. 3. Search for books by title or author. 4. Download books to your local device for offline access. 5. Share links to the Wikisource page of each book. 6. Read, delete, and track completion percentage of books in your local library. 7. Change font size, look up words, and access a dictionary. 8. Switch between dark and light themes for comfortable reading. 9. Use the app in multiple languages.
Currently, we are working on the following areas
- Internal epub reader which can render the styling of the contents
as much as possible
- Design of the contents and metadata within the app
- Fixes here and there
*Next steps*
In coming days, we will
- start conversation with the Wikisource communities to make aware
about the app, share the workflow needed to include contents there and get feedback for further development. (We had one call with the Marathi Wikisource community already). - *Next community conversation hour* - Sunday, 26 January 12:00 – 13:00 UTC - Video call link: https://meet.google.com/khd-qvfy-nsr - discuss with all stakeholders regarding necessary steps.
- register for Google Play Store and release the stable version of
the app there
- release the app in other play stores gradually.
We would like to specially thank Sai Phanindra, who has developed the app as an assignment from CIS-A2K.
Regards, Bodhisattwa (Part-time consultant, CIS-A2K)