WP 8.1 Hubs. How do we achieve more integration? Suggestions welcomed

[pengfoong]

WP 8.1 has removed many of the integration that we came to love about WP. The trend now is to delegate tasks to the apps instead of having them in the OS. Thus, the integrations are removed.But we love the integration, don't we? It is what makes WP so special.
So here is my take on what we can do to have integration while still able to delegate the tasks to the apps. Feel free to suggest more.

First let us look at some of the problems with the current hubs.

• Messaging Hub - Cannot post messages using Facebook.
• People Hub - Cannot post updates directly (and to multiple social networks)
• Pictures Hub - Visual downgrade instead of upgrade.
• Games Hub - Can't uninstall games, have to do it via app list. It just doesn't feel right without this ability.
• Music Hub - I don't even know where to start. LOL
• Video Hub - ?
• General - Quiet hours - Inner circle useless with 3rd party apps (no sound).

What can we do to fix some the problems listed above?

Messaging Hub Integrations.
Many people have been lamenting the loss of Facebook integration. Personally, I was hoping to have Whatsapp(and other messaging apps) integrated. But alas, any sort of integration was removed. We need to go to the Facebook app to send a Facebook message. Not good. However, we can achieve the same functionalities while delegating to the apps. All that needs to be done is by adding some new APIs. Examples given below.

Registering the app with Messaging Hub (Suggestions needed on how to handle apps that allow multiple accounts)

1. Apps are required to be compiled with additional information indicating the additional integration functions(just like how lockscreen apps are i presume)
2. Go to Messaging Hub -> Settings -> Integrated Apps. The apps with these functionalities are listed. Check the ones that you want to be integrated.

Receiving a message via Messaging Hub

1. App receives push notification
2. App process message. Deciphers it.
3. App calls MessagingHub.AddMessage function with contact information and message.
4. The MessagingHub.AddMessage function returns success or failure message. Messaging Hub creates a toast if it is succesful. The toast will break through quiet hours if it's in the inner circle
5. App adds the message to its own database. Create toast if the previous step fails. Otherwise the toast is suppressed.

Sending a message via Messaging Hub

1. Switch to the "method" that you want to be using to send the message.
2. Messaged typed into messaging hub. The send button is pressed.
3. Messaging calls the app's SendMessageFromHub function with contact information and message. App sends the message. Returns success or failure

Note

• Group messages are not passed to MessagingHub.
• Multimedia messages(pictures/video/audio) are shown as something like this. "John sent you an image. Press here to open in app"
• 3rd party apps messages are shown in a different colored/designed textboxes. Eg: SMS = blue(accent color), 3rd party = orange.
• Reality check. Since this requires third party to do the work, this might never come to fruition. Look at the Unification.

People Hub Integrations.
Similar with how the apps registers themselves with Messaging Hub, the same is done on People Hub.
Then we can select which apps that we want to use for updates, check-ins etc. (Suggestions needed on how to handle apps that allow multiple accounts)
Posting a message update

1. Type the status update and press update.
2. People Hub loops and calls the registered apps' PostUpdateFromHub function with contact information and status message. App updates and returns success/failure

Check in

1. Press check-in
2. People Hub loops and calls the registered apps' CheckInFromHub function with contact information.

Appearance in Contact
Apps that have registered themselves with People Hub appears in the Contact (just like skype would).

1. Contact details opens. People Hub calls the registered app's CheckContactFromHub function. Results are stored in cache so that People Hub does not need to query the apps each time.

I'll post more when I'm free. Feel free to comment.

 

[Richard Durishin]

Frankly, it is a pain that you can no-longer change your profile photo and have that change reflected across all your social networks....looks like you have to enter each app separately and change your profile photo. That's moving backwards, IMO. :-(

 

[ListenUpGuys]

Er, get some experience, get a job at Microsoft, present your ideas, take feedback, present again, feedback, action.

Off you go

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