Chapter 12: Finale! Publishing Your Android App

Transcription

1 Chapter 12: Finale! Publishing Your Android App

2 Objectives In this chapter, you learn to: Understand Google Play Target various device configurations and languages Prepare your app for publishing Create an APK package by exporting an app Prepare promotional materials Publish your app on Google Play 2

3 Understanding Google Play There are many distribution networks Apps can be published to: Google Play (Google s Android Market, the largest marketplace) Amazon Appstore AppBrain SlideME 3

4 Understanding Google Play(continued) Steps to publish the App: 1. Test your app. 2. Prepare the app for publication. 3. Create an APK package and digitally sign your application. 4. Prepare promotional materials. 5. Publish your app to Google Play. 4

5 Understanding Google Play(continued) Google Play is the online storefront for paid and free Android apps Contains features and services of the Android Market, Google Music, and Google e-books Provides free cloud storage services Used by over 130 countries Apps install directly on the Android device Part of the default setup on new Android devices 5

6 Targeting Different Device Configurations and Languages Reach a larger audience by translating your app into multiple languages Create two resource directories in the strings directory (the strings.xml file) to write one app that recognizes many local languages Use to translate into 58 different languages Note: translation is not perfect! 6

7 Testing Your App on an Android Device Use the Eclipse built-in emulators to test design and functionality Check real-world functionality by using the Android Debug Bridge (adb), which will communicate with a connected Android device 7

8 Testing Your App on an Android Device (continued) Creating an APK Package An Application Package File (.apk) is similar to a zip file Contains the application, the manifest file, and all associated resources, such as image files, music, and other related content Created by the Eclipse Export Wizard All Android apps must be digitally signed with a certificate that identifies the author and establishes trues relationships between applications 8

9 Testing Your App on an Android Device (continued) Figure 12-2 Export dialog box Figure 12-3 Exporting an Android application 9

10 Testing Your App on an Android Device (continued) Figure 12-4 Selecting the project Figure 12-5 Selecting the keystore 10

11 Testing Your App on an Android Device (continued) Figure 12-7 Entering a password Figure 12-6 Keystore file is selected 11

12 Testing Your App on an Android Device (continued) Figure 12-8 Key Creation form Figure 12-9 Destination APK file 12

13 Preparing Promotional Materials to Upload Google Play requires images from your app to assist with marketing Your image should standout Use screen shots Figure Angry Birds Space Android from Google Play 13

14 Preparing Promotional Materials to Upload Providing Images Application icon size should be 512 X 512 pixels Stored in a PNG file 2 screen shots are required 480 X 320, 800 X 480, or 854 X 480 PNG files Up to 8 screen shots can be uploaded Videos can be used to demo the app» Should be between 30 seconds and 2 minutes 14

15 Preparing Promotional Materials to Upload (cont.) Figure Angry Birds Space Android app Overview tab 15

16 Preparing Promotional Materials to Upload (cont.) Providing a Description An app description provides a quick overview to the purpose of the app and what it does Include features the app provides You want to sell the app to the widest audience possible Motivate users to download the app Revise the description as you update the app 16

17 Preparing Promotional Materials to Upload (cont.) Figure Angry Birds Space app description 17

18 Preparing Promotional Materials to Upload (cont.) Including App Information Table 12-1 Application categories 18

19 Registering for a Google Play Account A Gmail account is needed Register at A one-time payment of $25 is required to register as an Android application developer and enrolls you in a Google Checkout account If you charge for apps, Google Checkout disperses revenue for application sales You get 70 % and the phone carriers get 30% 19

20 Registering for a Google Play Account (cont.) Figure Google Checkout registration Figure Google Play Android developer console 20

21 Registering for a Google Play Account (cont.) Figure Developer Distribution Agreement Figure Google Play registration fee 21

22 Registering for a Google Play Account (cont.) Figure Google Play Account Order 22

23 Registering for a Google Play Account (cont.) Figure Add Users to a Google Play account 23

24 Uploading an App to Google Play (continued) Figure Upload application Figure Upload new APK dialog box 24

25 Uploading an App to Google Play (continued) Figure Edit Application page 25

26 Uploading an App to Google Play (continued) Figure Listing details 26

27 Uploading an App to Google Play (continued) Figure Publishing options 27

28 Uploading an App to Google Play (continued) Figure Contact information and consent sections Figure Developer Program Policies page 28

29 Summary Google Play is the storefront for Android devices and apps, and provides access to Android Market, Google Music, and Google e-books To reach a larger audience within the Google Play market, you should target multiple Android devices and translate your app into multiple languages Provide alternate resources such as strings of text translated into multiple languages that change depending on the default locale detected on the device 29

30 Summary (continued) Before publishing an Android app, test it on various devices Using different built-in emulators in Eclipse, you can test the design and functionality of your application on a wide range of devices and see how your development application performs in a real-world environment Using the Android Debug Bridge (adb) tool in Eclipse, you can develop and debug an Android application on an Android device 30

31 Summary (continued) After testing an Android app, you must create an.apk file (application package file), which is a release-ready package that users can install and run on their Android phones and tablets An.apk file is a compressed archive that contains the application, the manifest file, and all associated resources, such as image files, music, and other required content. Using the Eclipse Export Wizard, you can build a release-ready.apk file that is signed with your private key and optimized for publication 31