Mobile SCD Cribs

Everyone seemed to find projects to keep themselves busy during the Covid lockdowns. My way of keeping out of my long-suffering wife’s hair was to learn a new computer script and create an application which, I hoped, would be useful to dancers with mobile phones who would like to dispense with paper copies of social programs, ball programs and the like. The app is an attempt to provide easy mobile access to some of the features of the Scottish Country Dance Database (SCDDB) on https://www.strathspey.org. Using a package called ‘Flutter’, I was able to generate the app to run on both Android (phones and tablets) and Apple (iPads and iPhones) devices. Although the app was originally designed for simple access by dancers, I have added several features, based on feedback, which could assist teachers who want to use the app in their class teaching. The current features of the app are: l The user can search for dances and create lists for socials, balls and classes. l For each dance on the list created, the user can display the crib instructions, Keith Rose diagrams, videos and additional information including links to full dance instructions which are available online or whichever of these 4 categories are available on SCDDB for that dance title. l Once a list is created, it can be saved, and a new list can be created. Up to 6 lists can be saved and retrieved. l The saved lists can be retrieved even when the user is offline (crib instructions and additional information only). l Public lists already created on SCDDB can also be downloaded directly into the app and have all the same information as dances added individually on the app. l Users can add personal notes for each dance saved in the app. Full information about the app can found by accessing https://mobilescdcribs.ca Here are some screen shots of the app. For those who have access to Apple devices that use the new M1 chip, the app can be downloaded and used on those devices as well. I am happy to receive requests for additional functions for the app and will look into adding these. Thanks to Anselm Lingnau (SCDDB), Keith Rose (KR diagrams), David Haynes (Minicribs) and Lydia Hedge for their help and suggestions in developing the app. Also, I would like to thank the members of the strathspey mailing list round the world who volunteered to be beta testers for the app. To access the app on the google play store search for "mobile scd cribs" or click here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.rscdsottawa.mobile_cribs

To access the app on the Apple store search for mobile scd cribs or click here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mobile-scd-cribs/id1569432915

Charlie Inglis, RSCDS Ottawa Branch