📚 LEARN.md - Astra AI Secretary App

Welcome to the Astra AI Secretary App learning guide! This document will help you understand the project structure, technologies used, and how to contribute effectively to this GirlScript Summer of Code (GSSoC) project.

🎯 Project Overview

Astra AI is an AI-powered personal secretary Android application designed to assist users with various tasks through voice and text interactions. It utilizes a local LLM (LLaMA 3 via Ollama) to provide intelligent responses and features memory-based context and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) capabilities.

Key Features

• 🎤 Voice and text input support
• 🧠 Intelligent responses using LLaMA 3
• 💾 Memory management for context-aware interactions
• 💬 User-friendly chat interface
• ⚙️ Settings management for user preferences
• 🔊 Text-to-Speech and Speech Recognition
• 🎯 Wake word detection with background listening

📱 Technology Stack

• Platform: Android
• Language: Kotlin
• Build System: Gradle with Kotlin DSL
• Architecture: Modern Android Architecture Components

📁 Project Structure

Root Level Files

• build.gradle.kts - Main project build configuration using Kotlin DSL
• settings.gradle.kts - Gradle settings and module configuration
• gradle.properties - Project-wide Gradle properties and build optimizations
• gradlew / gradlew.bat - Gradle wrapper scripts for Unix/Windows
• local.properties - Local development properties (SDK paths, API keys)
• secrets.properties - Secure configuration file for sensitive data
• secrets.properties.template - Template for required secret configurations
• LICENSE - Project license information
• README.md - Main project documentation

Core Directories

📱 /app Directory

The main Android application module containing all source code and resources.

• build.gradle.kts - App-specific build configuration and dependencies
• src/main/ - Primary source code directory
  • AndroidManifest.xml - App permissions, components, and configuration
  • kotlin/ - All Kotlin source code organized by packages
  • res/ - Android resources (layouts, strings, colors, etc.)
• src/test/ - Unit test files
• build/ - Generated build artifacts and intermediate files

🏗️ Detailed Source Code Architecture

Main Application Structure (src/main/kotlin/com/example/aisecretary/)

🎯 Core Application

• MainActivity.kt - Main entry point and navigation host
• SecretaryApplication.kt - Application class for global initialization

💬 UI Layer (ui/)

• chat/ - Chat interface components
  • ChatFragment.kt - Main chat screen UI
  • ChatViewModel.kt - Chat logic and state management
  • MessageAdapter.kt - RecyclerView adapter for messages
• settings/ - Settings and preferences
  • SettingsFragment.kt - Settings screen UI
  • SettingsViewModel.kt - Settings logic and preferences
• memory/ - Memory management interface
  • MemoryFragment.kt - Memory visualization screen
  • MemoryViewModel.kt - Memory operations logic
  • MemoryAdapter.kt - Adapter for memory items display

📊 Data Layer (data/)

• model/ - Data models and entities
  • Message.kt - Chat message data structure
  • ConversationContext.kt - Context for AI conversations
• repository/ - Data access abstraction
  • ChatRepository.kt - Chat data operations
  • VoiceRepository.kt - Voice processing operations
• local/ - Local data storage
  • database/ - Room database components
    • AppDatabase.kt - Main database configuration
    • dao/MessageDao.kt - Message data access object
  • preferences/UserPreferences.kt - Shared preferences wrapper

🤖 AI Components (ai/)

• llm/ - Large Language Model integration
  • LlamaClient.kt - LLaMA 3 API client
  • OllamaService.kt - Ollama service integration
• voice/ - Voice processing
  • SpeechRecognizer.kt - Speech-to-text functionality
  • TextToSpeech.kt - Text-to-speech functionality
• memory/ - AI memory system
  • ConversationMemory.kt - Context memory management
  • MemoryManager.kt - Memory operations and cleanup
• rag/ - Retrieval Augmented Generation
  • DocumentStore.kt - Document storage for RAG
  • Retriever.kt - Information retrieval logic
  • VectorStore.kt - Vector embeddings storage

🔧 Dependency Injection (di/)

• AppModule.kt - Dagger/Hilt module for dependency injection

🎨 Resources Directory (src/main/res/)

📱 UI Resources

• layout/ - XML layout files for activities and fragments
  • activity_main.xml - Main activity layout
  • fragment_chat.xml - Chat screen layout
  • fragment_settings.xml - Settings screen layout
• drawable/ - Vector drawables, images, and drawable resources
• mipmap-anydpi-v26/ - App icons for different screen densities

🧭 Navigation

• navigation/ - Navigation component graphs
  • nav_graph.xml - App navigation flow

🎨 Styling & Content

• values/ - App-wide values and configurations
  • colors.xml - Color palette definitions
  • strings.xml - Text strings and localizations
  • themes.xml - Material Design themes and styles
• menu/ - Menu definitions for navigation and options

🧪 Testing (src/test/)

• kotlin/com/example/aisecretary/ - Unit tests
  • LlmClientTest.kt - Tests for LLM integration

🛠️ Technical Setup

Prerequisites

• Android Studio: Latest stable version (Arctic Fox or newer)
• JDK: Java 17
• Android SDK: API level 21 (minimum) to 34 (target)
• Kotlin: 1.9.0 or newer
• Gradle: 8.0 or newer

Key Dependencies

• AndroidX Core & UI: Material Design, ConstraintLayout, AppCompat
• Architecture Components: Lifecycle, ViewModel, Room Database
• Networking: Retrofit2 with Gson converter
• Async Operations: Kotlin Coroutines
• Navigation: Navigation Component
• Image Loading: Glide
• Testing: JUnit, Mockito, Robolectric, Espresso

Configuration Files

• secrets.properties: Store sensitive configuration (API keys, URLs)
  • OLLAMA_BASE_URL: Local Ollama server endpoint
  • LLAMA_MODEL_NAME: LLaMA model identifier
• local.properties: SDK paths and local development settings

🚀 Getting Started for Contributors

1. Environment Setup

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/A-Akhil/Astra-Ai.git
cd Astra-Ai

# Copy secrets template and configure
cp secrets.properties.template secrets.properties
# Edit secrets.properties with your configuration

2. Project Structure Understanding

• Start with MainActivity.kt to understand app flow
• Explore ChatFragment.kt for UI components
• Check ChatViewModel.kt for business logic
• Review LlamaClient.kt for AI integration

3. Development Workflow

1. Pick an issue from the GSSoC issue tracker
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature
3. Make changes following the established patterns
4. Test your changes using unit and integration tests
5. Submit a PR with clear description and testing evidence

4. Code Style Guidelines

• Follow Kotlin coding conventions
• Use MVVM architecture for new features
• Implement dependency injection for new components
• Add unit tests for business logic
• Use meaningful variable and function names

🎯 Areas for Contribution

🟢 Beginner-Friendly

• UI improvements and bug fixes
• Documentation updates
• Test case additions
• Resource optimizations (strings, colors, layouts)

🟡 Intermediate

• New chat features and customizations
• Voice processing enhancements
• Database schema improvements
• Performance optimizations

🔴 Advanced

• AI model integration improvements
• Memory system enhancements
• RAG implementation features
• Architecture component additions

📋 App Permissions & Configuration

Required Permissions

• INTERNET: For API calls to Ollama server
• RECORD_AUDIO: For voice input functionality
• READ/WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: For file operations and caching

Application Configuration

• Package: com.example.aisecretary
• Target SDK: 34 (Android 14)
• Minimum SDK: 21 (Android 5.0)
• Application Class: SecretaryApplication for global initialization

🔧 Building & Running

Development Build

# Build debug APK
./gradlew assembleDebug

# Install on connected device
./gradlew installDebug

# Run tests
./gradlew test

Configuration Setup

1. Copy secrets.properties.template to secrets.properties
2. Configure your Ollama server URL and model:

   OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://your-server:11434
   LLAMA_MODEL_NAME=llama3:8b
   

📚 Learning Resources

Android Development

• Android Developer Documentation
• Kotlin Programming Language
• Modern Android Development

Architecture Patterns

• MVVM Architecture
• Room Database
• Navigation Component

AI Integration

• Ollama Documentation
• LLaMA Model Information

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Build Issues:

• Ensure Java 17 is installed and selected
• Check Android SDK installation
• Verify local.properties has correct SDK path
• Make sure secrets.properties exists with valid configuration

Runtime Issues:

• Check Ollama server is running and accessible
• Verify network permissions are granted
• Ensure microphone permissions for voice features
• Check device API level compatibility (minimum API 21)

Development Environment:

• Use Android Studio Arctic Fox or newer
• Enable Kotlin plugin
• Install Android SDK Tools and Platform Tools
• Configure proper emulator or physical device

Getting Help

1. Check existing GitHub issues first
2. Search the project documentation
3. Ask in GSSoC Discord community
4. Create a detailed issue with logs and steps to reproduce

🧪 Testing Guidelines

Unit Tests

• Located in src/test/kotlin/
• Run with ./gradlew test
• Cover business logic and data operations
• Mock external dependencies

Integration Tests

• Test complete user flows
• Verify AI integration works correctly
• Test voice processing functionality
• Validate database operations

Testing Best Practices

• Write tests before implementing features (TDD)
• Use descriptive test names
• Test both success and failure scenarios
• Mock network calls and external services

📊 Project Status & Roadmap

Current Version: 1.0

• ✅ Core chat functionality
• ✅ LLaMA 3 integration via Ollama
• ✅ Voice input/output
• ✅ Memory management system
• ✅ Settings and preferences
• ✅ Room database integration

Upcoming Features

• 🔄 Enhanced RAG capabilities
• 🔄 Improved memory visualization
• 🔄 Advanced voice commands
• 🔄 Customizable AI personalities
• 🔄 Offline mode capabilities

GSSoC Contribution Opportunities

• UI/UX Improvements: Enhance the chat interface and memory visualization
• AI Features: Improve memory management and RAG implementation
• Performance: Optimize database operations and memory usage
• Testing: Expand test coverage and add automated testing
• Documentation: Improve code comments and user guides
• Accessibility: Add accessibility features for better inclusion

🤝 Contributing to GSSoC

Code of Conduct

Before contributing, please read and follow our Code of Conduct. We are committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive, and harassment-free experience for everyone in the GSSoC community.

Issue Labels

• good first issue: Perfect for newcomers
• hacktoberfest: Part of Hacktoberfest celebration
• enhancement: New features and improvements
• bug: Bug fixes needed
• documentation: Documentation improvements

Pull Request Guidelines

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a descriptive branch name
3. Follow the code style guidelines
4. Add tests for new functionality
5. Update documentation if needed
6. Reference issues in your PR description
7. Ensure compliance with the Code of Conduct

Code Review Process

• All PRs require at least one review
• Ensure CI checks pass
• Address reviewer feedback promptly
• Maintain backwards compatibility
• Follow GSSoC community standards

📞 Support & Communication

• GitHub Issues: For bug reports and feature requests
• Discussions: For questions and community support
• GSSoC Discord: For real-time communication
• Email: gssoc@girlscript.tech for Code of Conduct violations

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🏆 Recognition

This project is part of GirlScript Summer of Code (GSSoC) - an initiative to encourage open source contributions and provide learning opportunities for students and developers.

Happy Coding! 🚀

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Last updated: July 2025