About Android/TV app plugin integration

[Boodikii 5]

I read on another post from a few years back that plugins for app store based clients need to be approved by the devs, for like android/tv clients,
Is this still the case? I am making a very simple textbox based parsing plugin. For both recommending things or for pointing out problems.
[Users get a page in their settings w/ a textbox, a drop-down menu w/ their library list, submit button, and a list of their submissions they can delete]
[Admin gets a config page that's just a list of the text submissions, they can delete, with the user who sent them, when they sent them and for what library the submission is for]
Simple text save and retrieval. Might play with notifications.
I got it working in the web client flawlessly using user settings, but ideally I'd like to get it on those other platforms.
Is this something you'd want a plugin to officially be pushed through the catalog process in order to get working?
or is there a way to get something simple like config parsing plugin pages working on these clients without doing a whole thing?
I totally understand if it's a dev approval process thing.

Alsooo, while I'm here, is there a way, in the web client, to make something appear in the sidebar where "My Media"/"Playlists"/"Collections" are? Am I restricted to adding pages to settings? Is that sidebar restricted to channel types? Are Channels the only things I can display on the homepage? Are channels only capable of having the typical item layout? If I keep digging, will I find these answers in the SDK? lmao Sorry, that thing is huge and I'm a novice. I just spent like, 4 months, of genuine work, trying to get a plug working to replace Game Browser, complete with individual supplied metadata provider and remote trailer support, I couldn't figure out system creation though So after failing so many times, giving up and then working with game browser instead of trying to replace it, I have somewhat of a grasp of it but straightforward confirmation on things, or a point in the right direction, would be very incredibly useful. Please and Thank you.

[ebr 16169]

Hi.  There is not currently any way for the app store apps to have plug-ins that would alter their behavior or add/remove functionality.

[Boodikii 5]

7 minutes ago, ebr said:

Hi.  There is not currently any way for the app store apps to have plug-ins that would alter their behavior or add/remove functionality.

I just want to create a config/settings page accessible by users. Not necessarily alter any behavior or functionality?
Sorry if I'm misunderstanding what you are saying or if I wasn't clear enough,
GameBrowser or Addic7ed are both plugins with working config pages on the mobile app.
In the app I can go into the settings, scroll down and click on their plugin under the "Advanced" settings section and have access to settings,
I want that, but under user preferences. Like, just simple config parsing that feeds to a list sent to the plugin's actual config page.

I have it set up like that on web, I'm just wondering if there is a way to translate that into the settings menu of the apps, like make a plugin config page for both user and admin.
Does that make sense?  

[softworkz 5065]

@Boodikii

Your observations are correct. There's a whitelist for plugins which are allowed to have their configuration pages shown in certain client apps (some are showing all, though).

There are two reasons: Technically, it's about showing only those config pages which are made for and are actually working fine on mobile layouts and then it's also about avoiding violations of store compliance rules. There are also community plugins on this list (as you have noticed). Whether a plugin can get on that list more like a case-by-case decision, but I'm not in charge, so that's all I can tell.

Also for the question about adding entries to the per-user section, it's rather something for @Luketo answer.

 

[ebr 16169]

You are basically trying to back-door functionality into the app using the plugin configuration pages.  I don't see how this will work for you though - unless you make all your users admins.

Can't your family just send you a text when they want something added?

[Boodikii 5]

It does work for all my users, no admin access needed. I'm not sure what you mean by backdoor functionality? It's just a simple text configuration saved to a list that congregates to a bigger list run by the admin. It already works I have the plugin working, that button is already there for my users, I was just wondering about getting it to work on those clients as well, but if there is a whitelist, that would explain why I couldn't figure it out, so thanks for that info! and Sure, they could, but I have short term memory problems so I have an easier time congregating it all to a list and coming back to it every so often, for when I go shopping.

[softworkz 5065]

What's always working is the web app. You can explain to your users how to create a bookmark on their mobile device which brings them directly to your plugin page in the web app of your server.