The ImProf is a mobile application for Android devices that provides you a random suggestion when practicing with your improv group.
This is done without bias or personal preference, and The ImProf never has a bad day and just can't come up with something.
Create or import lists with suggestions, and export them to share them with the other members of your group.
Where can I find The ImProf?
If you want to install The ImProf on your Android device you can find the app in the
Google Play Store.
If you prefer to compile The ImProf from source yourself, or just inspect the sourcecode, you can find the complete source code on
Sourceforge.
How do I use The ImProf?
This section is still under construction. But, come on, it's an Android application, you can do it!
Like other Android applications The ImProf is controlled by tapping on things and menus.
The one menu item available across all views The ImProf provides is "Export", which allows you to export all your data,
or a specific category, as an XML file you can store or share with other members of your group.
Whenever you are presented with a list you will find a search box at the top, which you can use to filter the lists.
Simply tap on the spyglass icon and enter your search text to filter the displayed list.
The ImProf offers you three different views with their own function and menus. Depending on your device's orientation
(portrait or landscape) you will see either only one (portrait) or two (landscape) of those views at the same time.
The available views are as follows:
Category list
The category list allows you to view, add, edit and delete categories.
The menu of this view contains the following options:
Add Category
In many cases this will be shown as a
in the action bar of the appliation.
Tapping a category will open the random item view, showing an item from the category you selected.
Tapping and holding down on a category will open a context menu with the following options:
Show Item List
Show Random Item
Edit Category
Delete Category
Export Category
Random item
This view shows you a randomly selected item from the chosen category. You can also edit or delete the
displayed item.
The menu of this view contains the following options:
New Choice
Usually this will be shown as a in the action bar
of the application.
Add Item
In many cases this will be shown as a
in the action bar of the appliation.
Show Item List
Edit Item
Delete Item
Item list
The item list enables you to view, add, edit and delete the items in the selected category.
The menu of this view contains the following options:
Add Item
In many cases this will be shown as a
in the action bar of the appliation.
Show Random Item
This will change the view to the random item view, showing an item from the same category you just viewed.
While tapping an item has no function, you can open a context menu by tapping and holding down on an item,
containing the following options:
Edit Item
Delete Item
Why is The ImProf empty after installation?
In order to avoid any copyright or language issues The ImProf comes without any content.
It is therefore up to you to fill The ImProf with the data you need.
You can do so by either adding your categories and items manually, or by importing compatible XML files, which you can create
yourself following the format description below or by using the online list converter
at the bottom of the page.
Once you have a file that you want to import on your Android device, you can either use The ImProf to open the file,
or you can share the file with The ImProf.
Please be aware that the importer will not delete anything. If you are using XML files to synchronize your data between group
members you will need another way to communicate changes or deletions.
You also do not need to worry about repeated imports of the same file, as The ImProf will not create duplicate entries.
What do XML files compatible with The ImProf look like?
Despite my best efforts the following description may be quite technical. If you have problems building your own XML files
I suggest you use the online list converter at the bottom of the page.
All entries are assigned a category. Thus you always import categories with items, and not just a list of items into a new or
existing category. This enables you to import several categories with a single document.
The document structure for a category looks as follows.
Categories can be empty. Like a category you just created using The ImProf. The ImProf will also import and export empty categories.
If, for whatever reason, you want to have an empty category in your XML document, make sure you include an empty list of entries,
instead of omitting the list completely.
The categories are nested inside the actual ImProf document block, which looks like this.
<improf>
[HERE IS WHERE YOU INSERT YOUR CATEGORIES]
</improf>
As The ImProf handles all data in UTF-8 encoding you are required to provide UTF-8 compatible XML documents and describe
the document as such using the following as the first line of your XML file.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
A complete XML document compatible with The ImProf with two categories and two values each looks like the following example.
For the programmers among you I have also created an XSD schema description that can be used to validate XML files for The ImProf.
What happens to the data I input into The ImProf?
The only thing that happens to your data is what you do with your data.
The ImProf will not send your data to a central database for me to pick and choose from.
The same applies to the online list converter at the bottom of the page. No data is transmitted,
the conversion is completedly handled by your web browser.
Online List Converter
This list converter allows you to create XML files importable by The ImProf.
Set a category name, fill the item list with one item per line, and click "Convert" to get an XML file you can import
straight into The ImProf.
in the action bar of the appliation.
in the action bar
of the application.
in the action bar of the appliation.