MyBible for Android – extra module registries

What is this about?

With years of the MyBible project existence a number of active users have joined efforts of producing modules they need, to add them to the MyBible modules arsenal. However, once such a labourer has produced some version of a module, a question arises: how to conveniently distribute it among the potentially growing audience, if it is not ready for, or cannot at all be placed to, the main MyBible module repository?

Yes, MyBible automatically picks up a module if it is placed to the MyBible data directory on the device. However, this is not a one-tap action, especially since Android 11 (it limits apps to their private data directories, located rather deep in the file system).

Besides, modules tend to have defects which are being iteratively corrected, as defects are found and reported.

Also, there are ongoing Bible translation efforts out there, with frequent updates wanted by eager users.

So, new module versions periodically appear as the result, and a periodic update of modules on the end users’ devices, requiring a not-straight-forward manual procedure, quickly becomes an irritating burden, distracting from the main goal of MyBible – deep studying of the Word of God, the Bible.

What’s a solution?

The MyBible core team, Denys and Oleg, who maintain the main MyBible module repository, decided that it is time to equip MyBible module creators outside of the MyBible core team for feeding of their audience conveniently. So starting MyBible 5.5.0, the app supports entities called “extra module registries”.

Here is how it works (see also the usage tips in the MyBible Modules window):

• In the MyBible system, the list of available modules is maintained in the cloud (on several diverse file hosting servers) as a “module registry”. The MyBible app downloads this registry.
• The “Extra module registries” menu item in the Modules window lets you control your list of extra module registries.
• In order to add an extra module registry, you need to know a downloading URL for the extra module registry file.
  • One of the extra module registries known to the MyBible team can be selected by a button on the right of the registry file downloading URL entry field, when you add an extra module registry.
• Once an extra module registry is added on your device, modules from it become available in the common list in the Modules window and can be used just as modules maintained by the MyBible team, including automatic updating of already downloaded modules on your device when they are updated in the module registry by the maintainer.

So what do I do?

If you create and update MyBible modules:

• study the MyBible Extra Module Registry Specification and apply the gained knowledge

If you want to use MyBible modules being produced by someone not from the MyBible core team, then:

1. get in touch with the module producer, obtain from them a URL for downloading their extra module registry file
2. in MyBible:
   1. open the Modules window
   2. select the “Extra module registries” menu item
   3. observe, think and use the obtained URL – you will figure it out
   4. consider enabling automatic module updates in MyBible settings