[BRX]

Mike, I'm curious how the new win 10 version will affect the development of the Android one and vice versa. Will they have the same features and can you use the same code base or some of it for new ones? Or do you have to develop them independently?

[Zubersoft]

They will both have the same features. I am manually converting over the Android code base (because the two are different enough that I have no choice), but I'm able to reuse the basic design and business logic for most things which saves a lot of time. So I will have to develop them independently, but my plan is to always release updates for both versions at the same time.

[jubbajubbjubb]

I'm working really hard on it (part of the reason I haven't released an update in a little while).  I'm switching back to Android to put out another update with some enhancements, and then I will be going back to Windows 10 to see if I can get a beta ready in the next couple months.

ah no worries! I was just curious. I can't even imagine the work that goes into programming- keep up the good work!
I'll volunteer as a win 10 mobilesheets beta tester

[sciurius]

I am manually converting over the Android code base (because the two are different enough that I have no choice), but I'm able to reuse the basic design and business logic for most things which saves a lot of time.

Is it too early to ask for a Linux version? When using the right toolkits on Windows this should not be that hard anymore.

[Zubersoft]

I'm not sure how feasible a Linux version is. I'm not using toolkits that make cross platform development easy or simple. Those toolkits often have drawbacks in that they don't always perform (or look) like a native app on each OS. There are also a lot of different permissions to handle on each OS. For example, Windows 10 is very restrictive when it comes to what directories applications are allowed to access (even more so than Android), and in Android 6.0+, many permissions have to be requested from users now.

On Android, MobileSheetsPro is written in Java, and the user interfaces are designed using XML. For Windows 10, it's all written in C# as a UWP app using XAML for the user interfaces. I don't see how either of those can easily be ported over to Linux where I'd probably have to write everything in either Mono (for C#) or C++ using something like Qt for the user interfaces. It would most likely be another rewrite for Linux, and almost no one has requested a Linux version of the app. I have gotten a few requests for Linux versions of the companion app, but I've actually gotten far more requests for a Mac version of the companion app (or an iOS version of MobileSheetsPro).

Mike

[GraemeJ]

Are there really enough Linux users to warrant the effort required? I wouldn't have thought so.

[sciurius]

I'm one -- I don't have any Windows or Mac systems.

The better part of the work I do with MSPro is getting it ready for gigs. Importing, organising, tuning settings and so on. I would very much like to be able to do this on the desktop that I also use for all my other music work. The Companion does only part of the job, and isn't really useable via the Wine emulator anyway.

I'm not critisizing the decision to go for C#. It is just that when you had chosen a development platform like C++/wxWidgets you would get native(!) versions for Windows, OSX and Linux at (presumably) very little extra costs. And in some near future I expect a new range of cheap but powerful tablets that run embedded Linux instead of Android. I'd love to have a dedicated tablet for MSPro that doesn't do all kinds of weird things in the background.

But maybe it's just me that is weird .

[itsme]

Will the database be the same? So that it is possible to backup / export the database on an Android tablet and import it on a Win10 tablet?
My understanding is that for Win10 the API is the same for Win10 tablets and Win10 desktop computers. Do you plan to build also MSP for PCs? If so, will MSP for PC replace the companion? By now, i don't use the companion at all, but MSP on my notebook would be nice to have.

[Skip]

I'm one -- I don't have any Windows or Mac systems.

The better part of the work I do with MSPro is getting it ready for gigs. Importing, organising, tuning settings and so on. I would very much like to be able to do this on the desktop that I also use for all my other music work. The Companion does only part of the job, and isn't really useable via the Wine emulator anyway.

I'm not critisizing the decision to go for C#. It is just that when you had chosen a development platform like C++/wxWidgets you would get native(!) versions for Windows, OSX and Linux at (presumably) very little extra costs. And in some near future I expect a new range of cheap but powerful tablets that run embedded Linux instead of Android. I'd love to have a dedicated tablet for MSPro that doesn't do all kinds of weird things in the background.

But maybe it's just me that is weird .

You're not alone, I dual boot just so I can use a couple of Windows programs, everything else I do on Ubuntu.

[Zubersoft]

Yes, the database will be the same. By choosing to develop the Windows 10 as a Universal Windows Platform application, it will work on any Windows 10 device (phone, pc, tablet, etc). I will also be able to distribute it through the Windows Store. If I had chosen to write MobileSheetsPro with a cross-platform library, I would not have been able to sell it on the Windows Store, and it probably would not work on phones. It certainly would not have looked like a Windows 10 app either. I also would not have been able to handle touch gestures and such, as that is built in to Microsoft's new API.

It will be your choice if you want to use the Window 10 version to manage your library, but it is not set up like the companion application. It is not designed to manage the library of an external device - it is going to be identical to the Android version in terms of functionality and behavior. If you mirror your library between your PC and your tablet, then you could use the Windows 10 version for this purpose. Once I add more synchronization features, this may become a feasible option for replacing the companion app.

If a huge demand for a Linux version develops at any point, I will certainly consider porting over the code to something like C++/wxWidgets, but I will have to figure out how to sell/license that version, as I'm currently relying on App stores to do this for me which eliminates the need for me to handle transactions and licensing. I think I would need to be working on MobileSheetsPro full time for this to become an option though.

[GraemeJ]

I'm one  .......  But maybe it's just me that is weird .

I wouldn't say you were weird, but I suspect you (and others like you) are in quite a small minority - which means that anyone developing programs for Linux is unlikely to get much in return.

Most of the musicians I know can barely use an Android tablet and would run a mile from a Unix based OS.

[GaardenZwerch]

I'm one  .......  But maybe it's just me that is weird .

I wouldn't say you were weird, but I suspect you (and others like you) are in quite a small minority - which means that anyone developing programs for Linux is unlikely to get much in return.

Most of the musicians I know can barely use an Android tablet and would run a mile from a Unix based OS.

I am also weird, I would definately buy a Linux version.
Maybe Canonical/Ubuntu snaps will offer an 'app-store-like' platform for developers....

[gail white]

I too would like a Win application. In atticipation, I will keep all my pdf's on external hard drives so I'll be able to do a batch import at the time Mike has a Win 10 program. I love my Samsung tablet, but as I get older the eyes get weaker and a larger screen would be nice. The old Toshiba is going to fail and would like to replace it with a tablet like PC.

[MATTHEWHARRIS065]

I have to say, I just got a hold of a Surface Pro for a great deal and I am AMAZED that there is no great option for a sheet music reader for Windows 10! I love MobileSheets on my Android Tablet and I use it daily as a college music student. I love having the ability to take my entire library with me anywhere and I know it would be great to have this app on Windows. If you get a Beta version out in the next few months I would definitely be interested in being a tester. I would use it enough to be able to give pretty good feedback on functionality.

Can't wait!

[Russell Ault]

I have nothing much to add (except my name and support, I suppose), but I can't find a way to subscribe to this thread without replying to it. Looking forward to hearing more about the Windows 10 port!

Thanks!

-Russ