Android SDK Attention!

[nitrag]

Sorry to post this in the wrong place, on purpose. The Android SDK is in dire need of some TLC. I however am not an Android Dev. I am here to encourage experience Java devs to step-up, as flovilmart has done for parse-server, and ask Facebook (@nlutsenko) for administrative rights to Parse-SDK-Android so we can push development forward. The iOS SDK is getting some love but no attention at-all for Android.

There are many many nuance bugs, many are already in PR Stage waiting to be approved thanks to some of the devs listed below.

I would hate to see all this work going into parse-server be for naught because the SDK's have major flaws that results in hours of troubleshooting and causes new devs to become frustrated and walk away.

@sashakhail, @natario1, @jianwatertown, @mlauwers-edentify, @Joelo14, @rebahbouchaib, @dkuspawono, @nonda, @Ilhasoft, @evocodes just to name a few, please also comment your concerns to bring attention to this issue.

Even though this is in the wrong place, can we please keep it open for 7 days to get the attention it needs?

[MartinHerman]

Fully agree, the saddest part is that Parse Server and the iOS SDK are actually powerful, well maintained repos.

To be honest, I am pretty confident a major update of the ParsePlatform might be coming up soon, based on numerous answers (scroll down). Too bad there are no official news.

Still - even with no update to the client SDKs - if ParseServer keeps moving forward like it did in 2016, it will stay a viable development tool for me. The speed/cost at which you can develop apps at a proof-of-concept level isn't comparable to any other PaaS out there. Even without the client SDKs, the REST API is a reasonable fallback.

[natario1]

and causes new devs to become frustrated

Old devs as well. FWIW I agree with the OP.

I’d like to contribute, but we need a present, experienced developer doing at least some coordination (and that is not me for sure). Current maintainers sadly have stepped down from this role as well. We have issues that end with ‘please at least say something’.

I am pretty confident a major update of the ParsePlatform might be coming up soon

I am not. Plus, it might introduce LiveQuery, but there are 100+ open issues, ignored PRs (this one being the saddest), minor and major flaws. Don’t want to get technical, but I can’t believe ParseObject is still not Parcelable. That itself should make every experienced dev to not even consider Parse.

I have already seen comments here and there @ stack overflow discouraging newcomers about Parse. And I myself would go for something else if I were to start from scratch.

The SDK was an incredible effort, I am grateful to whom worked on it, and it’s sad to see it go. I wouldn’t say the REST API is a reasonable fallback, honestly. There are alternative services out there. We need client libraries. Moreover, the Android SDK crumbling down will have an impact on other SDKs as well. Quoting @benitech from the other post,

yea, doesn't seem to be much going on in the "Android-SDK" repo at all. Doesn't make sense to use any feature which is released for iOS and almost 4 months later has no compatibility with Android.
If it continues like this, better consider other options.

I hope the Parse Server team would let this issue open until it is solved somehow.

[jiraya85]

@nitrag , @natario1 : I totally agree with you. Parse for Android needs more consideration and some issues have to be resolved.

[MartinHerman]

@natario1 would you elaborate on

There are alternative services out there.

While I've worked on Firebase projects last year, it wasn't a match to Parse's simplicity. The same goes for AWS Mobile Hub.

I fully agree with you on the necessity to upgrade the client SDKs - but why still maintain / add features to Parse Server without the intention of upgrading the client SDKs? I believe most projects running on Parse are mobile apps...

If its really over with the Parse Platform, someone should already rip the bandaid and get it over with...

[natario1]

While I've worked on Firebase projects last year, it wasn't a match to Parse's simplicity

It might not, but hey, corporate backing is better than no backing at all. Also, ‘simplicity’ breaks down when you find yourself spending weeks debugging nasty internal bugs. I agree Parse is still the best service for AnyPic / AnyWall apps. But for anything more complex, the SDK needs some love at this point, IMO.

but why still maintain / add features to Parse Server without the intention of upgrading the client SDKs?

Yes, that makes no sense. If Parse Server wasn’t so incredibly improved in the last year we probably wouldn’t be here struggling about android.

[flovilmart]

@natario1 Most of the (almost every) new features added to parse-server have been contributed by people outside parse/facebook. I don't believe anyone has risen to take over that SDK and start contributing and fixing those issues you mention.

I am not part of Facebook or parse, I contributed on my own time to parse-server. I haven't seen this kind of activity on the Android SDK, and no one can force the community to come together to maintain that project.

It seems that you all want to see those SDK well maintained, and evolving, I would love to see it too. This starts with contributing, answering the issues etc...

If no one is ready to take over, the community 'ripped the band-aid' themselves.

[natario1]

@flovilmart sure, this is not a corporate rant against Facebook or Parse (not mine at least).

I think the goal of the OP is ask Facebook to open up the maintainance part to someone else, and to find that someone else. Right now no one is even merging PRs. And that is discouraging for anyone else.

That’s what I would like.

[benitech]

As someone who is not a developer, i was very disheartened by the minimal progress on the Android SDK personally, especially after i had made the choice to start my project with Parse (even after the parse.com shutdown announcement) assuming that the community would really step in big time. Which they did on the Parse-Server for sure.

As of now, i have had to spend considerable time and effort in moving away from whatever i was using in Parse Server. I would personally not recommend any new project with Parse.

Harsh but real from a PM perspective.

[benitech]

On another note, the amount of time i had to spend to simply get oAuth working was just unreal. @flovilmart was very helpful always, but everyone will note there is still not a simple writeup "how to for dummies" anywhere

[flovilmart]

assuming that the community would really step in big time

The community is not something magic you can invoke to solve your project, if you're a PM, you know developers, and if you know developers you could have enticed them to become that community.

i have had to spend considerable time and effort in moving away from whatever i was using in Parse Server

So you don't use parse-server anymore? Not sure you're adding anything constructive to the discussion besides criticizing the lack of community support for the android SDK.

everyone will note there is still not a simple writeup "how to for dummies"

No there isn't, also nothing prevents you to do it once you managed to get it working.

I am really sorry you guys feel that way, and abandoning ship, but I can't do much about that either. Unless someone / many ones are wanting to step up and maintain the android SDK, I'm not sure it's relevant to discuss much more over here. (also this feels more like a bashing than a discussion).

I'll close the discussion here, feel free to reopen on the Android SDK.

[natario1]

@flovilmart sorry, but let’s pretend I am an experienced Java developer. I start working on it, make ParseObject parcelable, implement LiveQuery, stop using undocumented, deprecated GCM stuff. Then my PR lies open, just like 95% of what was opened in the last months. What do we do?

I think some words are needed from current maintainers, e.g.

• sorry, we are still alive and will try to merge PRs and guide community efforts
• please fork the library as we have absolutely no time
• please, if someone wants to step up, join our team as a maintainer <- this is not obvious

[flovilmart]

please, if someone wants to step up, join our team as a maintainer

The best way to get that would be to open those PR, start commenting on issues etc...

[nitrag]

@natario1, slow down. Let's stay on target.

The point of this thread was not to rant and re-hash what is already known but to get Android developer support in the community.

@flovilmart I understand you are encouraging the community to step up but as mentioned before the PR's just sit there unapproved. Can you ask FB or Android maintainers and to spend a few hours of their time approving the PR that are already out there? Once we get the ball rolling on PR's more people will contribute. Finding a maintainer within a 5 day window here was never likely. Let's focus on breathing life into the SDK first. I'd really hate to fork it, that just get's messy and confusing for new devs.

[benitech]

I have been a part of opensource community for many years on various Apache projects and know well how it works.

I am happy to have left parse totally and @flovilmart 's comments make me feel even better about doing so.

Good luck and good riddance.