User Feedback on Custom Font Typeface Support in App Inventor [GSoC-'21]

[preetvadaliya]

Hello everyone! I am Preet one of the students working on Google Summer of Code(GSoC), and I need some Feedback & Opinion about my project for this summer.

About The Project

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Name: Custom Font Typeface Support
Description: An approach to enhance the functionality of MIT App Inventor by adding support of Custom Font typeface.
Mentors: Evan W. Patton @ewpatton, Susan Rati Lane @Susan_Lane

Brief Explanation

Currently, MIT App Inventor does not support custom fonts, the user can only choose between Sans-Serif, Serif, Monospace, or default fonts, so the main abstract of the project is to add custom font support to visible components of MIT App Inventor like buttons, checkboxes, etc...

How can this help the app created with MIT App Inventor?

Custom fonts allow you to use beautiful combinations of different fonts on your app to improve typography and user experience. Aside from looking good, custom fonts can also help you improve readability, create a brand image, and increase the time users spend on your app.

Results

After implementation users can use custom fonts for their apps and its increased functionality allows more flexible user-interface designs.

Other Information

for more information, you can check out my project proposal here. I will be very happy if you suggest to me more ideas or something regarding my implementing approach.

leave your valuable comment on proposal docs or this conversation thread, Especially I request all Power User @powerusers.

Regards
Preet Vadaliya

[SteveJG]

Have a great summer.

You may already know what the most 'popular' fonts are in use by Android professional developers. I asked myself what I would like in new fonts and decided I don't have a preference, but others do. The information in this listing might be helpful https://www.google.com/search?q=Android+most+used+fonts&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS887US887&oq=Android+most+used+fonts&aqs=chrome..69i57.6534j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Looking forward to see what you can come up with to make AI2 more 'beautiful."

-- Steve

[Salman_Dev]

@preetvadaliya

Currently, MIT App Inventor does not support custom fonts, the user can only choose between Sans-Serif, Serif, Monospace, or default fonts, so the main abstract of the project is to add custom font support to visible components of MIT App Inventor like

Are existing extensions not helping MIT enough?

YourFont Extension - Opensource

MyFonts → use your own custom fonts (a modified version of @Ken's YourFont extension)

[vknow360]

That's great project @preetvadaliya

@Salman_Dev

Are existing extensions not helping MIT enough?

Implementing it as a feature and using it as an extension are quite different things.
You need different approach to add custom fonts support.

[Salman_Dev]

@vknow360

Implementing it as a feature and using it as an extension are quite different things.
You need different approach to add custom fonts support.

hmm, almost got it

[vknow360]

Here is a related thread:

How to add custom font in app inventor option?

I want to add fonts in app inventor font option to do so I want to know what I have to edit or change . [IMG_20210109_091554_113]

[preetvadaliya]

@SteveJG thanks for your feedback.

I will try my best.

[preetvadaliya]

@Salman_Dev

Yes you can also use the extension but when you use extension you can not see the preview into designer (into phone mock-up).

Second thing this project add New property editor so that you can only see fonts file into drop-down.

[preetvadaliya]

@vknow360 thanks for your valuable feedback.

[Know_About_IT]

Epic project Will help a lot in UI, I wish you succeed in it and MIT implements it

Wish you a great summer

[Peter]

Great project. I read your proposal. It will make a lot of users, including me, very happy.

[Patryk_F]

The extensions are just some kind of workaround, which is not in ai2. If the function is already in ai2, the extension will no longer be needed. The ios version does not support extensions and it is not known if and when they will be supported. The more built-in functions the better for ios.

[Nisarga_Adhikary]

Nice work.

[Anke]

Great! From my point of view, it would be particularly helpful to be able to use Material icons for Android & iOS.

[Tauqir_Tech_BD]

Ofcourse no.

[Salman_Dev]

Don't talk about old things okay

[ewpatton]

@Anke Could you expand on what you mean by "material icons" in this context?

[Anke]

If custom fonts are added, Material Icons should also be possible, as I do with my MyFonts extension, for example:

[Anke]

Btw, I updated (recompiled) MyFonts extension to avoid the problem of removing a service from the Manifest of another extension. You explained the cause of this issue in detail.

MyFonts → use your own custom fonts (a modified version of @Ken's YourFont extension)

Update v1.2, June 8, 2021 Recompiled version to avoid that a service is removed from the Manifest with another extension. de.bodymindpower.MyFonts.aix (7.7 KB) Details on this issue can be found here:

[preetvadaliya]

After the First Week of Program

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Hello, everyone, I am here to share progress on my GSoC project, after the first week of the official coding period I have completed the designer preview part as well as the android part.

Here are some Images of work...

Designer preview of custom font support

Preview option for font resources similar to other assets resources like pics and videos

New property editor for font typeface...

I will set app-spot insurance as early as possible so you can test it as well as I will create design docs this week.

Thanks and Regards
Preet Vadaliya