Recently we did internal experiment with Android apps. First, short clip:
Now, a few words of explanation. I have quite a few NAMs running at home, and not only that. And although they all send data to Influx, some are connected to HomeAssistant, and each device can be checked through its web interface, I needed a convenient way to quickly check a specific value.
So, I created a JSON browser – you enter a URL, the app downloads the JSON and displays a tree – you browse and select a field, name it, and from then on, you have the value from that field displayed on the main screen. You can refresh all entries at once or just one. This isn’t shown in the video because I quickly realized I mainly use NAMs, and when the app recognizes the JSON structure as “NAM-based,” it immediately suggests quick selection fields, which can be selected with a single click.
This way, without having to click around in Grafana, I can quickly see that the fermentation is nearing completion 😉
After using it for a while, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a useful tool and that maybe more people would find it useful?
Creating a Google Play store is a bit of a hassle, though, so I’m wondering if anyone would install something like this on their Android (but not iOS, unless Apple allows apps to be built on Linux…).
Let’s summarize – what does the app currently do?
- You can enter the URL of any JSON file, download it, and select a single value from it. Name it, and it will be displayed on the main screen.
- It finds NAM devices on the local network and recognizes the JSON structure, allowing for a shortened method of selecting a value (in this variant, it’s resistant to changes in the JSON structure; for example, after a sensor configuration change, it should still provide the correct reading, provided it’s available).
- You can refresh all values at once or select them individually.
Is this worth developing and making available to a wider audience?