Modernize Architecture and Implement Settings Export/Import by RajnishKMehta · Pull Request #146 · gazlaws-dev/codeboard

RajnishKMehta · 2026-06-26T06:36:49Z

This Pull Request modernized the legacy Java codebase and introduces a new Settings Backup & Restore feature.

Key Changes:

Modernization: Upgraded the project to target SDK 37 and JDK 21. Migrated build scripts (build.gradle, settings.gradle) to Kotlin DSL (.kts) and upgraded Gradle to 9.6.0 with AGP 9.2.1.
Hybrid Support: Configured the environment for Kotlin/Java interoperability, allowing future development to be entirely in Kotlin.
Settings Export/Import: Added a robust backup feature in the settings screen. Users can now export their configuration to a JSON file and import it back.
Security & Stability:
- Implemented strict validation for imported settings files to prevent crashes.
- Added a 512KB file size limit for imports to ensure memory safety.
- Updated broadcast receiver registration in CodeBoardIME.java to use ContextCompat with explicit export flags for API 34+ compliance.
Bug Fixes: Resolved the Release APK installation issue by correcting the AndroidManifest.xml structure and ensuring proper signing.

Close #123
Closes #92

- Upgrade Gradle to 9.6.0 and AGP to 9.2.1. - Set target and compile SDK to 37. - Enable Kotlin support and configure Java 21 compatibility. - Remove legacy support-v13 and modernize dependencies. - Update test configuration to modern AndroidX Test methodology. - Add MigrationVerification.kt to set foundation for Kotlin development.

- Update checkout to v6 and setup-java to v5 (JDK 21). - Use gradle/actions/setup-gradle@v4 for efficient caching. - Add pull_request trigger to verify builds on every PR. - Update upload-artifact to v6 with 60 days retention. - Target Ubuntu runner for faster build times.

Update CI workflow to trigger on all branches for pull requests.

- Use buildscript classpath for AGP 9.2.1 and Kotlin 2.3.10. - Leverage AGP 9.0+ built-in Kotlin support (removed explicit plugin apply). - Fix SDK property to compileSdk 37. - Use optimized proguard-android-optimize.txt. - Use stable v4 GitHub Actions for CI. - Fix dummy Kotlin class to avoid direct Activity instantiation. - Verified successful local build and unit tests.

- Split CI into release.yml (push to main) and debug.yml (PRs). - Configure debug build type with applicationIdSuffix ".debug". - Implement dynamic versionCode using GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER in CI. - Set versionNameSuffix for debug builds to include run number. - Ensure 60-day artifact retention. - Refine app/build.gradle for AGP 9.x compatibility.

Updated versionNameSuffix handling for debug build type and enabled resource shrinking for release build.

- Implemented comprehensive Proguard rules in app/proguard-rules.pro to ensure stability with minification. - Updated app/build.gradle.kts to use GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER for versionCode on CI. - Maintained existing minification and resource shrinking settings. - Verified successful local release build.

- Overhaul app/proguard-rules.pro to prevent aggressive shrinking of essential classes (IME, AndroidX, libraries). - Increase Gradle JVM heap size in gradle.properties to resolve CI 'GC thrashing' failure. - Strictly maintain project state as requested.

Set versionCode to a fixed value of 23 and disabled minification for release builds.

Added steps to generate and sign a release APK with a temporary keystore.

Removed signing configuration for the release build type.

- Corrected AndroidManifest.xml structure: moved <uses-library> inside <application> and removed deprecated 'package' attribute. - Fixed Release APK installation by signing release builds with the debug key and disabling minification. - Resolved API 34+ lint error in CodeBoardIME.java by using ContextCompat.registerReceiver with RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED flag. - Reverted unwanted changes to versionCode. - Verified successful local builds for both debug and release.

- Implemented Settings export and import functionality in Kotlin (SettingsManager.kt) using JSON format with .codeboard extension. - Integrated Export/Import into SettingsFragment.java using modern ActivityResultLauncher and SAF. - Fixed Release APK installation by signing the release build with the debug key and disabling minification for stability. - Corrected AndroidManifest.xml structure (moved <uses-library> inside <application>). - Resolved API 34+ lint error for broadcast receiver registration in CodeBoardIME.java. - Reverted unwanted dynamic versioning changes.

- Refactored Settings export/import to handle invalid JSON and I/O errors gracefully. - Replaced hardcoded strings with resource-based strings in `app/src/main/res/values/backup_strings.xml`. - Updated `SettingsFragment.java` to display error reasons using `Toast.LENGTH_LONG`. - Improved `SettingsManager.kt` with better error reporting and resource management (try-with-resources equivalent). - Fixed XML entity error in `preferences.xml`. - Maintained previously implemented hybrid API 37 modernization and installation fixes.

- Implemented robust error handling in `SettingsManager.kt` by catching `Throwable` to prevent crashes during malformed JSON imports. - Added file extension validation in `SettingsFragment.java` to restrict imports to `.codeboard` or `.json` files. - Added a 512KB file size limit to prevent memory issues with non-settings files. - Moved all UI strings and the default export filename to `app/src/main/res/values/backup_strings.xml`. - Updated error reporting to use `Toast.LENGTH_LONG` with specific failure reasons. - Maintained previously established hybrid API 37 modernization and installation fixes.

Change JSON output formatting to remove indentation.

- Implemented strict Settings validation in `SettingsValidator.kt` to verify JSON syntax and recognized setting keys. - Restricted file imports to `.codeboard` or `.json` extensions and specific MIME types (`application/x-codeboard`, `application/octet-stream`). - Added 512KB file size limit check in `SettingsFragment.java` using ContentResolver query. - Enhanced error handling in `SettingsManager.kt` by catching `Throwable` to prevent crashes on any malformed input. - Moved all UI messages and the default filename to `backup_strings.xml`. - Updated all error toasts to use `Toast.LENGTH_LONG` for better readability. - Cleaned up JSON export by removing indentation for consistency.

…rror handling - Added SettingsValidator.kt to verify JSON syntax and ensure the file contains valid CodeBoard settings keys. - Implemented file size validation (max 512KB) in SettingsFragment.java before processing. - Restricted export MIME type to application/x-codeboard and import to application/octet-stream and application/x-codeboard. - Added file extension validation (.codeboard or .json) during import. - Wrapped all import/export logic in broad catch blocks to prevent any potential crashes. - Replaced all hardcoded strings with values from backup_strings.xml. - Ensured all error messages are displayed with Toast.LENGTH_LONG. - Refined SettingsManager.kt for better resource management and key validation.

- Deleted SettingsValidator.kt and removed specific key validation to allow any valid JSON field mapping. - Removed file extension (.codeboard/.json) restrictions from the import process. - Refined SettingsManager.kt to use simple JSON syntax validation and handle malformed input gracefully. - Maintained 512KB file size limit for security. - Updated SettingsFragment.java to support all file types while maintaining specific MIME type hints for the system picker. - Ensured all UI strings remain externalized in backup_strings.xml. - Maintained Toast.LENGTH_LONG for error reporting.

Removed file extensions from export and import settings titles.

Update release signing configuration to use release key if available, fallback to debug key.

Updated release build configuration to enable minification and resource shrinking.

…ive inputs

RajnishKMehta · 2026-06-26T06:56:49Z

@gazlaws-dev

Namaste! Here is a PR after almost a year. 😄

First of all, thank you so much for creating CodeBoard.

I don't have a laptop or PC, only an Android phone, so this keyboard has been a huge part of my learning journey (I'm still learning 😊). I started coding on my phone, and CodeBoard made that much easier. I probably use the Select All, Copy, Paste, and Cut features hundreds of times every day.

What's even more special is that every change in this PR was made using CodeBoard itself, entirely on my Android phone. I used AI to help generate and speed up parts of the code, but I reviewed the changes, made adjustments, tested them, and handled the development workflow on my phone. CodeBoard was my primary development tool throughout the whole process.

I really appreciate the work you've put into this project. Thanks again for building such a useful keyboard. I hope this PR is helpful!

By the way, I'm curious about one thing: why is CodeBoard only available on the Play Store? Have you ever considered publishing it on GitHub Releases or F-Droid as well?

RajnishKMehta · 2026-06-26T07:14:28Z

One more thing 🙂

If you're interested in publishing CodeBoard on GitHub Releases, I'd be happy to help set up the automation for it.

I've already added a GitHub Actions workflow that builds a debug APK for every PR to verify that the project still builds successfully:

If you'd like, I can also help set up a release workflow that automatically builds and uploads signed APKs to GitHub Releases whenever a new version is tagged. Play Store publishing can also be automated through CI/CD. I haven't implemented that part myself yet, but I'd be happy to work on it as well.

I can also help with publishing the app on F-Droid. I've already gone through the process for my own app, DhwaniControl, and my merge request is here:
https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroiddata/-/merge_requests/38520

Of course, only if you're interested. I'd be happy to contribute. 🙂

RajnishKMehta and others added 30 commits June 24, 2026 06:36

Update Gradle and upload artifact actions

a8b905a

Add workflow_dispatch trigger to android.yml

07f6d95

Modify Android CI workflow configuration

fd879d2

Update CI workflow to trigger on all branches for pull requests.

Update android.yml

0a3d0d7

Update build.gradle

2fb1768

Update GitHub Actions for Android Debug CI

061f38f

Update GitHub Actions to use newer action versions

9193fad

Update debug.yml

ad1d02c

Update release.yml

9e033a3

Update build.gradle

c53f721

Rename build.gradle to build.gradle.kts

6279994

Add debug app name to strings.xml

bfb6244

Refactor build.gradle.kts for versioning and optimization

de95fb8

Updated versionNameSuffix handling for debug build type and enabled resource shrinking for release build.

Test release build

28dde0a

Update versionCode and disable minification

286fdb6

Set versionCode to a fixed value of 23 and disabled minification for release builds.

Update build.gradle.kts

a94d365

xyz

4bbacec

Add debug IME string to strings.xml

d2184b8

Enhance release workflow with APK signing and zipalign

1c2c577

Added steps to generate and sign a release APK with a temporary keystore.

Add signing configuration to build.gradle.kts for release APK signing

79e3544

Update release.yml

3af4612

Remove signingConfigs from build.gradle.kts

3b5f929

Removed signing configuration for the release build type.

Update release.yml

83febd7

RajnishKMehta and others added 18 commits June 25, 2026 11:24

Add debug IME string to strings.xml

f420698

Remove indentation from JSON export

f7b3310

Change JSON output formatting to remove indentation.

Update export and import settings titles

b735699

Removed file extensions from export and import settings titles.

Modify release signing configuration in build.gradle.kts

f58b45a

Update release signing configuration to use release key if available, fallback to debug key.

Delete faltu .idea files

c0d4e5a

Migrate build.gradle to build.gradle.kts format

b00f7ac

Migrate settings.gradle to settings.gradle.kts format

d3f53e3

Enable minification and resource shrinking for release

e0e52f4

Updated release build configuration to enable minification and resource shrinking.

Update version code and version name

eb9b30a

Update release.yml

3b38153

Update Backup & Restore category title reference

e0ebdc0

Address PR feedback: null streams, incremental reading, and non-negat…

83a10e2

…ive inputs

RajnishKMehta marked this pull request as ready for review June 26, 2026 06:38

RajnishKMehta force-pushed the feature/modernization-and-settings-backup branch from 46899ff to 83a10e2 Compare June 26, 2026 08:22

Provide feedback

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

Modernize Architecture and Implement Settings Export/Import - #146

Modernize Architecture and Implement Settings Export/Import#146
RajnishKMehta wants to merge 48 commits into
gazlaws-dev:masterfrom
RajnishKMehta:feature/modernization-and-settings-backup

RajnishKMehta commented Jun 26, 2026 •

edited

Loading

Uh oh!

RajnishKMehta commented Jun 26, 2026

Uh oh!

RajnishKMehta commented Jun 26, 2026

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

1 participant

Conversation

RajnishKMehta commented Jun 26, 2026 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

Uh oh!

Key Changes:

Uh oh!

RajnishKMehta commented Jun 26, 2026

Uh oh!

RajnishKMehta commented Jun 26, 2026

Uh oh!

Reviewers

Assignees

Labels

Projects

Milestone

Development

Uh oh!

1 participant

RajnishKMehta commented Jun 26, 2026 •

edited

Loading