Strategy/ Scouting
Scout Ops Suite
Scout Ops Android
Developer Guide

Scout-Ops-Android Developer Guide

This guide is intended for developers who want to understand, modify, or extend the Scout-Ops-Android application. It covers the technical architecture, development environment setup, and contribution guidelines.

Technical Architecture

Scout-Ops-Android is built using the Flutter framework for cross-platform mobile development. The application follows a modular architecture with several key components:

Core Components

  1. Data Layer

    • Uses Hive for local storage
    • Models for match data, team data, and scouting templates
    • Repository pattern for data access

  2. UI Layer

    • Material Design components
    • Custom widgets for scouting interfaces
    • Responsive layouts for different device sizes

  3. Business Logic

    • Service classes for data processing
    • Bluetooth communication handlers
    • QR code generation utilities

  4. Integration Layer

    • The Blue Alliance API client
    • Bluetooth PAN connectivity
    • CSV data export functionality

Development Environment Setup

Prerequisites

  • Flutter SDK (latest stable version)
  • Android Studio or Visual Studio Code
  • Git
  • Android device or emulator for testing

Setting Up the Development Environment

  1. Clone the Repository

    git clone https://github.com/feds201/Scout-Ops-Android.git
cd Scout-Ops-Android

  2. Install Dependencies

    flutter pub get

  3. Configure IDE

    • For Android Studio: Open the project folder and ensure Flutter plugin is installed
    • For VS Code: Install Flutter and Dart extensions

  4. Run the Project

    flutter run

Project Structure

lib/
├── api/                  # API clients and services
├── models/               # Data models
├── repositories/         # Data access layer
├── screens/              # UI screens
│   ├── autonomous/       # Autonomous phase screens
│   ├── teleop/           # Teleop phase screens
│   ├── endgame/          # Endgame phase screens
│   └── settings/         # Settings screens
├── services/             # Business logic services
├── utils/                # Utility functions
├── widgets/              # Reusable UI components
└── main.dart             # Application entry point

Key Features Implementation

Scouting Flow Implementation

The scouting flow is implemented as a series of pages managed by a PageView widget:

// Example of page navigation controller
final PageController _pageController = PageController(initialPage: 0);
 
// Navigate to next phase
void goToNextPhase() {
  _pageController.nextPage(
    duration: Duration(milliseconds: 300),
    curve: Curves.easeInOut,
  );
}

Data Storage with Hive

Match data is stored using Hive boxes:

// Example of Hive data storage
@HiveType(typeId: 0)
class MatchData extends HiveObject {
  @HiveField(0)
  late String matchNumber;
  
  @HiveField(1)
  late String teamNumber;
  
  @HiveField(2)
  late String allianceColor;
  
  // Other fields...
}

QR Code Generation

QR codes are generated using the qr_flutter package:

// Example of QR code generation
QrImage(
  data: jsonEncode(matchData.toJson()),
  version: QrVersions.auto,
  size: 200.0,
)

Bluetooth PAN Integration

Bluetooth communication uses the flutter_bluetooth_serial package:

// Example of Bluetooth connection setup
BluetoothConnection connection = await BluetoothConnection.toAddress(address);
connection.input!.listen((data) {
  // Process incoming data
});
 
// Send data
connection.output.add(Uint8List.fromList(utf8.encode(jsonEncode(matchData) + "\n")));

Extending the Application

Adding New Scouting Metrics

To add a new metric to track during matches:

  1. Add the field to the appropriate data model
  2. Update the Hive adapters
  3. Add UI components to collect the data
  4. Modify data export to include the new field

Example of adding a new field:

@HiveField(10)
late int defensiveActions;
 
// In the UI
NumberStepper(
  initialValue: 0,
  minValue: 0,
  maxValue: 50,
  onChanged: (value) => setState(() => matchData.defensiveActions = value),
)

Creating Custom Templates

The template system allows for customization of scouting forms:

@HiveType(typeId: 1)
class ScoutingTemplate extends HiveObject {
  @HiveField(0)
  late String templateName;
  
  @HiveField(1)
  late List<ScoutingField> fields;
}
 
@HiveType(typeId: 2)
class ScoutingField extends HiveObject {
  @HiveField(0)
  late String fieldName;
  
  @HiveField(1)
  late FieldType fieldType;
  
  @HiveField(2)
  late bool isRequired;
}

Testing the Application

Unit Tests

Write unit tests for business logic and data models:

void main() {
  group('MatchData', () {
    test('should convert to and from JSON correctly', () {
      final matchData = MatchData()
        ..matchNumber = '1'
        ..teamNumber = '201'
        ..allianceColor = 'red';
      
      final json = matchData.toJson();
      final fromJson = MatchData.fromJson(json);
      
      expect(fromJson.matchNumber, equals('1'));
      expect(fromJson.teamNumber, equals('201'));
      expect(fromJson.allianceColor, equals('red'));
    });
  });
}

Integration Tests

Test integration with The Blue Alliance API:

void main() {
  group('TBA API Client', () {
    test('should fetch event details correctly', () async {
      final client = TBAApiClient(apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY');
      final event = await client.getEvent('2025MITRY');
      
      expect(event, isNotNull);
      expect(event.name, contains('Michigan'));
    });
  });
}

Deployment Process

Building the APK

To build a release APK:

flutter build apk --release

Publishing to Amazon App Store

  1. Create a developer account on the Amazon App Store
  2. Prepare promotional materials and screenshots
  3. Upload the APK file
  4. Complete the listing information
  5. Submit for review

Contributing Guidelines

Code Style

Follow Flutter's official style guide:

Pull Request Process

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch
  3. Implement your changes with appropriate tests
  4. Submit a pull request with detailed description
  5. Ensure CI checks pass

Version Control

  • Use semantic versioning for releases
  • Include descriptive commit messages
  • Reference issue numbers in commits when applicable

Resources

By understanding the technical architecture and development workflow, you can effectively contribute to or modify the Scout-Ops-Android application to meet your team's specific scouting needs.

Data AnalysisOverview