I'm using an upload image plugin and was wondering how I might go about creating a way to display a number in the app icon to show when a new image has been uploaded. http://s27.postimg.org/cgmmr0e6b/icon_number_ex.png Ideas?

The 'counter' shows notifications to the app. It counts the number of notifications that the app has given since you've last opened it. The way to get to a number when a new image has been uploaded would be to send out a notification along with it. I'm not sure how you would do this automatically, but you could manually send out a push notification when you upload a new photo. The user would then get a notice on their home screen too (if they accepted the push notifications request).

That's one idea, but I don't really want something as obtrusive as a push notification (image if you got a PN everytime you received a new email), and I don't want to make updates manually, but does seem like there should be a way to trigger a counter when a photo has successfully been submitted.

The 'counter' won't know what to count outside the app, unless you send a message to the device, and not to the app. This is because without the app open, it won't be able to get any information from the app. Therefore, a message sent directly to the device is required. As far as my knowledge goes, push notifications are the only way to contact the device directly without going through the app. I do realise that push notifications are intrusive. There are probably ways to automate a message, however beyond this, I'd have to do some intensive research. Probably one of our fellow forum users will know. Let's hope we get another reply!

That's actually called a BADGE. You can use them for things other than Push Notifications. This is a great sample tutorial/code that will give you some idea how they work in an app- http://www.touch-code-magazine.com/how-to-add-a-badge-to-the-application-icon/ You'd basically be adding the line of code- [UIApplication sharedApplication].applicationIconBadgeNumber = 13; Somewhere in a method of the upload image plugin after it sucessfully uploads. Play with that sample app they provide, it's good stuff to learn how to use Badges. There's tons of good "ios add a badge" tutorials out there.

There you go: someone with better knowledge than me!

That's it. Thanks!

Although what ATRAIN says is correct that is the method to change the badge number and is commonly uses to update the badge number from a local notification. The question is why would the user want to see a badge number when they have uploaded an image them selves, strikes me as a bit pointless. What ideally would be done is you would post the images to your own server not email but data. When an image is updated a php script would then send a push notification to update the badge number. (note if there is no text or sound it will just update badge number with no banner) This get's a bit more complicated a push notification cannot increase a badge number it can only set one. This means that the back end/webserver needs to dynamically set up the correct badge number. This would be achieved by everytime the user goes to the gallery or opens the app that a message is sent to the server to say hey I've looked at these images reset the number. It would reset the number by querying how many images it has seen and send that number back up to the server. The server would then be able to work out what the badge number is to send. This sounds complicated and it is, imagine App starts off with no images Number of images images seen push number sent 1 0 1 image posted 2 0 2 image posted 2 2 (count ing in gal) na app opened 2 sent t web 3 0 1 image posted 4 3 (count ing in gal) 0 app open 3 sent to web etc hope that makes a little bit of sense.

Sorry formatting a bit off.

Thanks for the detailed response Kittsy. I figured it couldn't be that easy:) The badge number wouldn't be for the person uploading the image, it's for the other users to know new content has been added.

exactly it is a common question, just responding to your email now

What plugin are you using? If you dont mind sharing

@cmcoffee It's Image Upload plugin

its an open source plugin??

@cmcoffee, Sorry, it was called image uploader in 1.5. It's basically a customized Email Image http://www.buzztouch.com/plugins/plugin.php?pid=A9C6C1CF0FEE84403C554B8. But a badge should work the same for RSS, MacImage Gallery, anything that gets updated - if I understand correctly.

Oh ok I see. Maybe these sites have something you can use. Www.code4app.com Www.code4app.net

Very cool @cmcoffee. You always seem to come across some great stuff. Thanks for sharing!

A possible alternative to Push, if it's iOS7. http://www.itworld.com/mobile-wireless/403359/how-get-app-icon-badge-numbers-ios7-without-push-notifications Cheers! -- Smug

yup I seen that yesterday, I was playing with it last night, just a shame about backwards compatibility, plus even with the minimum settings it absolutely zapped the battery 100% to 8% in a 5 hour snooze.