I've looked through MSDN on both the Store API and the Launchers collection, and can't seem to find a task or launcher that would open up an application in the Marketplace application ready for a user to rate, as we could really easily do in Windows Phone 7. Is there an alternative way that I can easily point a user towards leaving a review/rating, or are we going to have to wait until MS provides this, or does it already exist?
I believe, or should I say "I hope", that the "rate and review" command appears automatically under the settings charm for all applications downloaded from the store.
Can anyone confirm this?
Yes it looks like you are right, in the Guidelines for app settings (Windows Store apps) http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/Hh770544.aspx#user_experience , says that in the charm setting under Rate & Review, the user can rate and review your application.
However: "Only apps that are installed through the Windows Store have the Rate and review entry point."
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I published an app to the App Store using Titanium Studio in 2013. I have recently found a bug in the code that I want to fix and publish.
I logged into Appcelerator's website to download the latest studio since it's been three years, only to find out that it's a paid platform now.
I just want to make a quick bug fix and publish. I don't need any of the services that come with the platform.
I realize there is a free SDK that you can compile yourself, etc, etc.
I don't mind paying for a $36 for one month only if it enables me to just publish a new version of my app.
My question is, if I publish the app after paying the $36 and then cancel my subscription, will the cancellation affect my app? Does the IDE inject some sort of "call home" time bomb?
I tried asking the support at appcelerator but they answered like a politician and dodged it.
Thanks for any help.
A published/compiled app has no direct connection with appcelerator. So if you cancel the subscription nothing happens.
However, if you use paid services... things might go wrong.
Statistics for example is a paid service. If you cancel subscription I assume the app keeps working but will make calls to their backend that most likely will fail (not sure about this). App should keep working.
If you use any cloud service (push notifications, arrow storage etc) your app will stop working of course.
If you don't use any of the services, you can just cancel and be done with it.
That said, if you just want to make 1 change to an app you could just dive in and compile without the Appcelerator Platform and just use the Open Source code.
I am working on a Hybrid Application, targeting (for the moment) iOS. Does Worklight have a utility to handle application settings/preferences for iOS? I know how to write the native code to do this, but do not yet know how to gain access to the application settings from the JavaScript. Can anyone point me in the right direction or provide a working example?
In application-descriptor.xml, there is a worklightSettings flag you can set, however the settings page it creates is not user facing. That is, it is meant only for development time, or internal usage, and not production. It allows control of the server address that athe client connects to and change the web resources it will fetch.
So the answer is, no.
The mentioned settings page has set items in it that cannot be altered much (settings.bundle which does not allow much room for play. Maybe you could change it a bit, but doing so would void giving support to you if problems arise). I would recommend against doing so.
So this leaves you the option of creating this on your own. Maybe there is an existing Cordova plug-in that does something similar. Review these training modules of how to incorporate Cordova plug-ins to your application. Cordova bridges between JavaScript to native code, so it could be what you're looking for.
I am looking to offer a Metro app with my desktop application. The problem is that users will be getting the desktop app, while the Metro app would just be a companion that is practically useless without the desktop application. So since it's not possible for consumers to get Win 8 apps without the Store (as far as I know at least) I am looking for alternatives. Is it, for example, possible to call the Windows Store during installation and get the user directly on the store page for the companion app? Even better, would it be possible to get that process automated?
Thanks in advance
You would just have to document the fact that there is a sister app avalible from the store. As you know, this companion app would still have to undergoe the rigorous Microsoft test proceedure so could not be shipped with the desktop version. I suppose you could have a "Get Metro App" link somewhere in your main application that would go to your metro page ready for the download...
You will have to modularise the desktop app to work both with and without the Windows 8 Metro app (something I am sure you would do anyway).
I hope this helps.
Your app must be fully functional to pass Store certification. You wrote ...
"... Metro app would just be a companion that is practically useless
without the desktop application."
Section 1.2 of the Certification Requirements reads ...
The Windows Store offers only fully functional apps to provide
customers with the best experience. Anything that might cause our
testers to think that your app is not completely finished will cause
your app to fail certification.
The testers will not install a companion app and therefore your app will fail certification. It will also likely fail 1.1 ...
Your app must offer customers unique, creative value or utility in all
the languages and markets that it supports
It is not clear from your question if the "Store" app will be communicating with the desktop app. If there is a requirement to have a desktop app installed in order to fully use the Store app, the certification process will be a lot more complicated. You will need to supply a copy of the desktop app to the certification team for testing, and there is no guarantee that this sort of app will be accepted into the store.
Forgive me for what may seem as a stupid question but, after some rummaging around on the web, I can't seem to find how to test my Windows Phone Application. I'm not referring to the guidelines, I'm actually referring to sending it to Microsoft for them to check if it's "okay" or checking it on Visual Studio as I think there is a way of doing that in VS.
Any help is highly appreciated.
Thank you.
This should help. Keep in mind that before you send it to microsoft (or appHub) your app needs to be fairly perfect. Submissions aren't free :)
edit: this is assuming you were asking how to submit it for review. When you submit your app, the review process starts.
For app testing you need the sdk... With the sdk you have a perfect emulator for test your apps. For app deploy on your device, after you've bougth the annual subscription to be a developer, you have to associate your phone and install zune on your pc (read here).
After you tests you can submit your app through this process (read here).
Is there a way I can add support for syncing my program's settings with Windows Live Mesh, so that it would appear in the list below?
That's where I would like to see my program offering to "Turn on syncing for your settings". Is there some sort of a plugin API for this?
Unfortunately not. Microsoft struggled with opening this thing up to developers, and I believe something similar actually was available for some time during the old Mesh beta days (before they renamed Sync to Mesh). I doubt they will ever allow it since Mesh is being replaced with SkyDrive (I'm pretty sure they actually announced it, but I can't find where, but this basically says the same: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/is-microsofts-live-mesh-on-its-way-to-the-graveyard/12540). Setting syncing like you want is available to Windows 8 Metro apps through Skydrive and Microsoft Account/Live ID roaming (http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/26/signing-in-to-windows-8-with-a-windows-live-id.aspx and API: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/windows.storage.applicationdata.roamingfolder.aspx)
But of course, in exchange for that you restrict your audience to Windows 8 users.