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VolcanoSeason3

The Origins

VolcanoSeason first started as a pseudo-app for an mobile device and has evolved into a fully functional and customizable Android app.

The Setting

Every Spring in the Pacific Northwest I like to partake in what is known as "Volcano Season": When the large and prominent volcanoes of the Cascades mountain range are no longer surrounded by severe Winter storms and are more safely accessible for climbing and skiing. This, however, does not make skiing a volcano risk-free. A lot of things need to line up for a successful trip. One of these many factors that needs to line up is the weather. Because of this, many serious volcano season skiers will find themselves constantly checking the weather forecasts for multiple volcanoes throughout each day for an period of 3-4 months.

To be a little more efficient with my compulsive forecast checking, I thought it would be a good idea to have some sort of quick-link list to all the volcanoes rather than needing to enter the name of each one and repeatedly conduct multiple searches.

The Light Bulb Ignites

After completing the introductory class to web development at OSU-Cascades, I realized that I could make a simle HTML file that linked to all of the forecasts of the volcanoes I was frequently checking. I then realized that I could not only save and render this HTML file in a Google Doc, but that I could save the file directly to the home screen of my Android phone. I then took this momentum and made an equipment checklist using both HTML and CSS. Again, I saved the Google Doc to my home screen.

The real "AH-HA!" moment came when I realized that I could group these two Google Docs together on the home screen. I then had quick and easy access to both the list of forecast links and the equipment checklist! I used this pseudo-app for a little over a year before I had the opportunity to take the next step.

The three versions of the VolcanoSeason app on my phone home screen (don't mind my Motorhead-looking cat in the background). The original pseudo-app comprised of a group of Google Docs is on the left. The second version is in the middle (a recent Android update appears to have affected the logo). The third app version is on the right. When the pseudo-app group is clicked, it slightly expands to give the user an option of which Google Doc to open (pictured on the right).

The VolcanoSeason pseudo-app opened as HTML rendered in Google Docs.

Find the pseudo-app on GitHub

Teaching Myself Kotlin

In July of 2022 I contracted COVID-19 and wasn't able to do much other than lay on my couch for 4 days. However, I used this opportunity to read a bunch of articles and watch a bunch of YouTube tutorials to teach myself Kotlin and Android studio and turn the pseudo-app into a real Android app. It was a very primitive app, and the equipment checklist was just the same stateless HTML/CSS file (albeit this time saved in the app itself rather than Google Docs), but I thought it wasn't bad considering it was made in 4 days with COVID-19 in a language and framework that I had never used before. I was proud of it, but I knew I wanted to improve on it when I had more time.

Screenshots of the second evolution of the VolcanoSeason app. The app is very basic, but it is now an official app made in Kotlin.

Find version 2 on GitHub

The Big Leagues

In June of 2024 I crashed my bike and spent 4 weeks on my couch in a neck brace and a back brace (sensing a theme here?). I used this opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills I gained about Android development from the preceding winter quarter at OSU and recreated the primitive 2nd version into a professional-looking, portfolio-worthy app.

VolcanoSeason3 is simple but highly customizable. It utilizes Material cards and RecyclerView to hold a list of links to forecasts. Each forecast link can be categorized as either a volcano (🌋) or a region (🌤️). The forecasts can also be organized alphabetically listing regions first, volcanos first, regions and volcanos fully integrated, or customized via drag-and-drop so the user can organize them according to personal preference.

The equipment checklist now utilizes an expandable list for better viewing and navigation. Unlike the previous app versions, The app leverages Room Database to keep track of the state of the checklist items which now persist across app restarts. The user can also now add and remove checklist items at will.

Screenshots of the third evolution of the VolcanoSeason app showcasing the Material cards and expandable list.

Find version 3 on GitHub

Next Steps

There are a few ways in which I'd like to polish the app, and as time passes I am prone to realizing new and useful features. Eventually, I'd like to put it on Google Play, if only as a learning experience considering I have never done that before. I'm not really in a rush to do that though. I realize that this app mostly appeals to my personal, niche needs and is unlikely to be used by many others. The primary purposes of building this app were to:

Learn about and practice Android app development
Make something that fit a small and unique need that I had

If you like the app and have any ideas that you'd like to contribute, feel free to add an Issue and open a Pull Request.

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