Download Uploading an App to Google Play

Chapter 12: Finale!
Publishing Your
Android App
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
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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
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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.
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Understanding Google Play
(continued)
• Google Play is the online storefront for paid and
free Android apps
– https://play.google.com
– 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
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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 http://translate.google.com to translate into 58
different languages
– Note: translation is not perfect!
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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
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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
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Testing Your App on an Android Device
Figure 12-2 Export dialog box
Android Boot Camp for Developers using Java
(continued)
Figure 12-3 Exporting an Android application
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Testing Your App on an Android Device
Figure 12-4 Selecting the project
Android Boot Camp for Developers using Java
(continued)
Figure 12-5 Selecting the keystore
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Testing Your App on an Android Device
(continued)
Figure 12-7 Entering a password
Figure 12-6 Keystore file is selected
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Testing Your App on an Android Device
(continued)
Figure 12-9 Destination APK file
Figure 12-8 Key Creation form
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Preparing Promotional Materials to Upload
• Google Play requires images from your app to
assist with marketing
• Your image should standout
• Use screen shots
Figure 12-10 Angry Birds Space Android from Google Play
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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
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Preparing Promotional Materials to Upload
Figure 12-11 Angry Birds Space Android app Overview tab
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(cont.)
Preparing Promotional Materials to Upload
• 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
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(cont.)
Preparing Promotional Materials to Upload
Figure 12-12 Angry Birds Space app description
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(cont.)
Preparing Promotional Materials to Upload
• Including App Information
Table 12-1 Application categories
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(cont.)
Registering for a Google Play Account
• A Gmail account is needed
• Register at
http://play.google.com/apps/publish
• 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%
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Registering for a Google Play Account
Figure 12-13 Google Checkout registration
Figure 12-14 Google Play Android developer console
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(cont.)
Registering for a Google Play Account
Figure 12-15 Developer Distribution Agreement
Figure 12-16 Google Play registration fee
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(cont.)
Registering for a Google Play Account
Figure 12-17 Google Play Account Order
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(cont.)
Registering for a Google Play Account
Figure 12-18 Add Users to a Google Play account
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(cont.)
Uploading an App to Google Play
(continued)
Figure 12-19 Upload application
Figure 12-20 Upload new APK dialog box
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Uploading an App to Google Play
(continued)
Figure 12-21 Edit Application page
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Uploading an App to Google Play
(continued)
Figure 12-22 Listing details
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Uploading an App to Google Play
(continued)
Figure 12-23 Publishing options
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Uploading an App to Google Play
(continued)
Figure 12-24 Contact information and consent sections
Figure 12-25 Developer Program Policies page
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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
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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
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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
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