Iridium is an open-source multiplatform e-reader Software Development Kit developed with Dart and Flutter by Mantano.
Iridium keeps the platform-specific code to the bare minimum (zero for now, in fact…). Hence, it does provide a really unified codebase. Until now, only the precompiled LCP DRM native library is specific to each platform, and is provided in binary form by Edrlab that simply must be dropped into the source tree.
Test it right now!
Pre-built versions of the Iridium Demo App are available:
- For Android: Beta on Play Store
- For iOS: IPA here
Note: The Iridium Demo App is based on the excellent Jideguru’s Flutter Ebook App.
Supported platforms
Iridium is currently developed and tested on Android and iOS first, but large parts of the code should be reusable for desktop and web apps. Such desktop and web versions are not currently on the roadmap, but will be considered if we can collect external funding or aggregate external contributors.
Components
This SDK provides open-source unofficial Dart/Flutter ports of Readium 2 (R2) components1, following the Readium 2 architecture:
| Name | Usage |
|---|---|
| mno_shared_dart | Shared Publication models and utilities |
| mno_streamer_dart | Publication parsers |
| mno_server_dart | Local HTTP server |
| mno_navigator_flutter | Navigator |
| mno_opds_dart | Parsers for OPDS catalog feeds |
| mno_commons_dart | Other misc. utilities (specific to this Flutter port, not found in Readium) |
| mno_lcp_dart | Service and models for Readium LCP |
| mno_lcp_native_dart | Native interface for Readium LCP |
| iridium_demo | Iridium SDK demo app (based on JideGuru’s Flutter eBook App) |
Why this name?
Iridium is named after the chemical element, which is known for being extremely corrosion-resistant: this reader will stand the test of time 😎
Iridium vs Readium
Developed in the continuity of Readium 2, Iridium could pave the way to a “unified reference implementation” for Readium, with a unique codebase working across all platforms. However, Iridium is purely a Mantano initiative, and does not reflect any official Readium move towards Dart/Flutter development.
The Readium SDK is funded by public grants and membership fees. Iridium is completely funded and developed by Mantano, which is a private company. As a consequence:
- You can support this work by becoming a sponsor;
- One of the sponsorship tiers gives full access to Iridium’s optimized “navigator” component.
Migrating an existing R2-based platform-specific app
Since the purpose is to allow full multiplatform development, these modules aim at being integrated into Dart/Flutter apps. Some of them could probably be integrated into existing apps.
However, packing multiple Flutter libraries into an application isn’t supported by Flutter for now. Integrating multiple modules could be achieved by developing some kind of “super-module”, but this has not been tested.
Applications based on Iridium
OK… Let’s face it, Iridium is brand new. So this list is currently reduced to Mantano’s own forthcoming app, but good surprises could happen ;-)
1: Readium is a trademark of the Readium Foundation)