Article Scroller

A clean and fluid platform for discovering and reading scientific papers from arXiv.

Built with Flutter, Article Scroller runs smoothly on Android and Windows from a single codebase. It focuses on simplicity, fast navigation, and an enjoyable reading experience — all without a backend.

The app fetches papers directly from the arXiv API, converts LaTeX/PDF content into clean Markdown using ar5iv, and stores everything locally with SQLite for true offline access and fast performance.

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📱 Demo

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🧠 Overview

Article Scroller is a lightweight, client-side application that makes exploring arXiv papers simple and pleasant. By handling everything directly on the device — from API communication to content rendering and storage — it delivers a responsive experience with full offline support.

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🚀 Features

• Trending Research Feed
  Aggregates relevant papers across domains (AI, CS, Biology, etc.) based on recency and signal relevance.

• Full-Text Extraction
  Integrates with Ar5iv to convert LaTeX/PDF papers into clean, readable Markdown.

• Offline-First Storage
  Uses a local SQLite database to persist articles, bookmarks, and history.

• Cross-Platform
  Runs on Android and Windows using a unified Flutter codebase.

• Advanced Search
  Filter papers by category, timeframe, or custom queries.

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🧱 Tech Stack

• Framework: Flutter (Dart)
• Database: SQLite (sqflite, sqflite_common_ffi)
• Rendering: flutter_markdown
• Networking: http (custom headers for arXiv API compliance)
• Parsing:
  • xml → arXiv API responses
  • html → Ar5iv content extraction

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📂 Directory Structure and Architecture

article-scroller/
├── assets/                 # Branding and icons
├── lib/
│   ├── screens/            # UI screens (Feed, Discover, Library)
│   ├── services/           # Business logic and data layer
│   └── main.dart
├── android/                # Android configuration
├── windows/                # Windows desktop runner
├── docs/                   # Screenshots and demos
└── pubspec.yaml

The project follows a service-oriented architecture with clear separation of concerns:

• arxiv_service.dart
  Handles API communication, XML parsing, and Ar5iv scraping.

• database_service.dart
  Manages SQLite lifecycle, schema, and CRUD operations.

• screens/
  UI layer optimized with IndexedStack and PageView for smooth navigation.

⚙️ Setup & Installation

📦 Prebuilt versions are available — no setup required.
You can download the latest release for Windows and Android (APK) here:
https://github.com/g-brrzzn/ArticleScroller/releases

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Manual building

Clone the repository:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/g-brrzzn/ArticleScroller.git

# Navigate to the project
cd article-scroller

# Install dependencies
flutter pub get

# Generate launcher icons (optional)
dart run flutter_launcher_icons

# Run the app
flutter run

Prerequisites

• Flutter SDK (^3.11.4)
• Android Studio or VS Code
• C++ Build Tools (for Windows)