Bounty on Auto-Scroll in FBReader
 

One of the biggest disappointments to me when I first got my n810 and installed FBReader was a lack of an Auto-Scrolling feature. So I'm wondering if it will make any difference if we offer a bounty. I know this sort of thing has been done before (though maybe not very well organized) and the FBReader Devs didn't seem to care. It's been on their "to-do" list since mid 2006. If it's an impossible task then let us know and it will be forgotten.

I offer that if an Auto-Scroll* type feature is added to FBReader I shall donate $10 USD to the developers. Is there anyone else who would join in?

*Auto-Scroll is defined as a method of scrolling the text, pixel by pixel, with no interaction from the user (other than to initiate it). It should probably include options in the preferences to control the speed.

Re: Bounty on Auto-Scroll in FBReader
 

I like the sound of this. I use auto-scroll all the time on my desktop browsers.
I realise it's a bit early to talk about implementation, but I for one would like to be able to adjust the scroll speed interactively rather than having to jump into preferences. E.g. press different parts of the screen for different speeds. Releasing your finger from the screen should make it continue to scroll though.

Re: Bounty on Auto-Scroll in FBReader
 

Not possible to implement for FBReader on OMAP2 hardware, as the speed of fullscreen updates (particularly with zlib) are just too slow to support anything but full page turns. Talk to lcuk about liqbase if you want smooth auto scrolling.

Re: Bounty on Auto-Scroll in FBReader
 

killdeer, I was also miffed off with coming from a pda with autoscrolling to one without..

The way fbreader is written would make it very difficult to directly translate the work I have started within liqbase into fbreader though.
However the new liqbase library will include a method to just open the screen and do the technical stuff, maybe someone else can go further from the fbreader side itself.

the other alternative will be to expand liqbook itself with the options required to read various formats. Its already under development myself and will be a documented document reader (just with document types I specifically need and others assist with).
Other formats could be coded and used directly from there.

Re: Bounty on Auto-Scroll in FBReader
 

Not only lack of auto scrolling but, for me, much more important is the lack of 'tap on a word to open the dictionary and display its meaning' facility.

This was a great feature in Tim Wentford's Opie Reader for the Zaurus http://www.timwentford.uklinux.net/

Put me down for a bounty for that feature too.

Re: Bounty on Auto-Scroll in FBReader
 

I figured as much.

It's amazing to me that n810 is so underpowered. I realize theres a lot more screen real estate but even an ancient device like my Palm Zire 71 can auto scroll the entire screen.

I suppose I'll give liqbase a try once I finish my current book. I've heard the suggestion before but I didn't act on it.

Re: Bounty on Auto-Scroll in FBReader
 

It has nothing to do with "underpowered", it's just a combination of a poorly designed framebuffer (which is unrelated to the power of the CPU), and zlib's total lack of optimization.

You can't compare a Zire 71 (320x320) to the N810 (800x480) it only has to push updates to 1/4 the number of pixels, and that's a lot less intensive. The tablets are more than capable of smooth fullscreen updates, just see liqbase.

Re: Bounty on Auto-Scroll in FBReader
 

As long as you have stardict running (with scanning enabled), a dictionary window with the definition will open if you select a word. Will that suffice?

Re: Bounty on Auto-Scroll in FBReader
 

Is the N810 really underpowered? After looking a the speed at which Liqbase operates, it makes me wonder if it is not something else.

Re: Bounty on Auto-Scroll in FBReader
 

I'm a little confused:

As killdeer points out above, General's first post seems to indicate that there is a hardware limitation preventing autoscroll in combination with software issues. He does imply that liqbase may be able to do it.

My first thought was, like killdeer, that hardware plays a role in this. Although, I do have liqbase installed, and it does just fine autoscrolling (Thanks, Lcuk). This would lead me to believe that it is a software issue, not hardware.

Generals' second post seems to indicate that it is software, with some hardware (framebuffer) issues, but again indicates that the tablets via liqbase are more than capable.

Since I assume that installing liqbase doesn't change my hardware, I assume that this can be achieved through software.

Therefore, unless I am mistaken, it would be possible (though perhaps very difficult, per lcuk) for fbreader to implement?