Android: More integrated Calendar & Contacts sync?

[jancborchardt]

Calendar and Contacts sync is possible through DAVx5, which we try to make as simple as possible, but it does remain a bit nerdy simply for the fact that you have to install another app too.

There’s currently also a lively thread about it on the forum: https://help.nextcloud.com/t/why-is-contact-syncing-so-convoluted/61757/19

Would it be possible to have something like a "headless" version of DAVx5 integrated in the Android app which makes the UX much more seamless?

What do you think @tobiasKaminsky @AndyScherzinger? and cc @rfc2822 @devvv4ever of DAVx5

[tobiasKaminsky]

We have multiple options, but all have in common that we do not include davx5 library in our app, as of

• dev capacity
• "stealing" their work somehow (even though it is FOSS)

So ideas to enhance this are

• on davx5 integration click, start weblogin to generate app token and pass this to davX5
• integrate weblogin directly in davX5
• when server supports it, generate new app token from existing one, to put it directly into davX5 (https://github.com/nextcloud/server/issues/17459)

[jancborchardt]

Right, ok. Some possible improvements then:

Since many people probably don’t have DAVx5 installed yet, the first click on "Sync calendar & contacts" will lead to the Play Store for installation. Then you basically have to know to click on "Sync calendar & contacts" _again_ to take over your data.

• We could make it so that when you are in the Nextcloud app, and we notice that DAVx5 is now installed, we could show a modal or so prompting for sync of calendar and contacts and how it works, with a button to click to do that whole weblogin flow.
• One thing that people mentioned in the thread is that they are confused by being asked about if they want to install OpenTasks or not. Why is it necessary to choose this _before_ setting up DAVx5, do you know?

[tobiasKaminsky]

* One thing that people mentioned in the thread is that they are confused by being asked about if they want to install OpenTasks or not. Why is it necessary to choose this _before_ setting up DAVx5, do you know?

No idea and this is totally unrelated to this thread.
Please ask this the davX5 crew.

[devvv4ever]

* One thing that people mentioned in the thread is that they are confused by being asked about if they want to install OpenTasks or not. Why is it necessary to choose this _before_ setting up DAVx5, do you know?

AFAIR this was necessary for older Android versions where the permissions system was different to the one which is present now.

We've now implemented Nextcloud login flow (can be called from Nextcloud app) in DAVx⁵ 2.6 – which is currently in beta and will be released next week hopefully! So in newer versions of the NC app and DAVx⁵ the login process can be a lot easier for Nextcloud users :)

[rfc2822]

On SDK level <23, you have to install OpenTasks before apps which access OpenTasks because of the permissions system.

DAVx⁵ shows an additional message on API level <23, see https://gitlab.com/bitfireAT/davx5-ose/blob/cd9518c6194752d172d06f2bb12e2ec802419f2a/app/src/main/java/at/bitfire/davdroid/ui/StartupDialogFragment.kt#L127

On >= 23, there's only a hint to users that they can install OpenTasks when they want to synchronize tasks.

[tobiasKaminsky]

@jancborchardt Ricki integrated use of login flow in DavX5 and I enabled to use it on our side.
So if you no click on "set up davx5" and have 2.6 installed you can login directly via login flow.

Thank you @rfc2822 for the integration :tada: :tada: :tada: :tada: :tada:
I think this is as close to perfect/easy as possible :tada:
(I keep this open to not forget the idea about "auto generate app token".)

[ghost]

Well done everyone! ☺

There was another main topic in the forum thread. They want to be able to sync contacts from other android accounts to import them in a more real time manner. The only way today is to export a vcf and then import that in the webui. Of course not practical if you want to pick up new or changed contacts.
Nextcloud app does seem to be able to export vcf contacts, but I'm not what I'd they are from all local android accounts.

Thank you.

[raphaeljolivet]

I totally agree with this feature request.
This is mainly the reason why non-nerds don't go to FOSS : usability.
Calendar & Contact sync should be integrated by default and easy to configure (2 checkboxes for enabling / disabling it).

""stealing" their work somehow"
This is an invalid argument. That the exactly the spirit of FOSS : enhance, reuse

The recent integration of login flow is a great improvement (thanks for that) but still a useless step from a user point of view.
You may consider to embed DAVx completely.

Thanks for your work and for this great app !