/Ebook

E-book Reader app

Primary LanguageC++

Ebook Reader and Note-taking App

This document describes how to develop an ebook reader and note-taking app using Flutter.

Table of Contents

Setting Up the Environment

Follow the official Flutter installation guide: https://flutter.dev/docs/get-started/install

Creating a New Flutter Project

In VSCode, open the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS) and type "Flutter: New Project." Follow the prompts to create a new Flutter project.

Structuring Your App

Create the following directories in the lib folder of your project:

  • screens (for different app screens)
  • widgets (for reusable UI components)
  • services (for handling API calls and file operations)
  • models (for data models)
  • utils (for utility functions)

Adding Dependencies

Add the following dependencies to your pubspec.yaml file:

dependencies:
  flutter:
    sdk: flutter
  path_provider: ^2.0.8
  flutter_pdfview: ^1.2.1
  provider: ^6.0.1
  shared_preferences: ^2.0.12
  sqflite: ^2.0.1
  in_app_purchase: ^2.0.2
  flutter_slidable: ^1.0.0
  animations: ^2.0.1

Developing Features

Opening and Displaying Ebooks

  • Use the path_provider and flutter_pdfview packages to open and display PDF files within your app.
  • Create a dedicated screen for displaying the PDF content and utilize the PDFView widget from the flutter_pdfview package.

Library View for Stored Ebooks

  • Create a screen to display a grid or list of stored ebooks
  • Use a GridView.builder or ListView.builder to create the layout.
  • Store the ebook metadata in a local database using the sqflite package.

Starting from the Last Exited Page

  • Use shared_preferences to store the last exited page for each ebook.
  • When reopening the ebook, retrieve this value and navigate to the stored page.

Adding Bookmarks

  • Create a bookmark model and store bookmarks in the local database.
  • Allow users to add, delete, and navigate to bookmarks from a dedicated bookmarks screen.

Half-screen Note-taking

  • Utilize the flutter_slidable package to create a slidable note-taking panel that appears when the user swipes left while reading an ebook.
  • Store notes in the local database and allow users to view, edit, and delete them.

Stylus Support

  • Flutter has built-in support for stylus input.
  • Use the GestureDetector widget to handle touch and stylus events for drawing and note-taking.

In-app Purchases

  • Use the in_app_purchase package to handle subscription purchases.
  • Create a subscription product on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
  • Check the user's subscription status and enable or disable features accordingly.

Page Turn Animations

  • Use the animations package to create page turn animations when navigating between pages in an ebook.
  • You can use the PageTransitionSwitcher and SharedAxisTransition widgets for smooth transitions.

Testing and Deployment

  • Test your app thoroughly on both Android and iOS devices to ensure proper functionality and compliance with platform guidelines.
  • Once you are satisfied with your app, follow the deployment guidelines for both platforms to submit your app to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Directory Structure

my_ebook_reader_app/
|-- android/
|-- ios/
|-- lib/
|   |-- screens/
|   |   |-- ebook_reader_screen.dart
|   |   |-- library_screen.dart
|   |   |-- bookmarks_screen.dart
|   |   |-- notes_screen.dart
|   |-- widgets/
|   |   |-- ebook_item.dart
|   |   |-- bookmark_item.dart
|   |   |-- note_item.dart
|   |   |-- slidable_note_panel.dart
|   |-- services/
|   |   |-- file_service.dart
|   |   |-- database_service.dart
|   |   |-- subscription_service.dart
|   |-- models/
|   |   |-- ebook.dart
|   |   |-- bookmark.dart
|   |   |-- note.dart
|   |-- utils/
|   |   |-- constants.dart
|   |   |-- app_theme.dart
|   |-- main.dart
|-- test/
|-- web/
|-- pubspec.yaml
|-- README.md