User Guide on creating .apk and list it under Google Play Store

Hi David,

Is there a guide on how to compile my application into .apk and to submit to Google Play Store? I would like to compile my Apps to .apk for testing on my device but not sure if I did it correctly or not. Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks a million.

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Hello Danny,

I am not an expert in the store (now I just develop the apps!), but, what App Builder provides are various BAT files (talking about Windows, also creates SHELL files for Mac OS, to be used in the same way and for the same purpose). These files names are "debug", "run" and "release".

When we execute the "run" BAT file Apache Cordova generates a debug APK of our apps, and, if we have a device connected to our PC (or an iPhone connected to our Mac OS), after the APK for Android (or IPA for iOS) is generated the app is launching in the device.

To do the above we just must connect our device in the computer, if everything is ok (the drivers are ready, etc.) we can use the "run" BAT to compile and launch the app into the device, so this is the best way to debug the app in a real device.

If we have no devices connected and execute the "run" BAT file, Cordova try to launch the device emulator configured in the Android SDK / Android Studio. I told you this is the best way to debug the app... but talking about the device... because normally we can debug the app in a browser, which is more easy and fast. Only when need to try something that only works in a device... we need to test it in the device, of course.

Then we have the "debug" BAT file (or SHELL file). Executing this Cordova prepares a "debug" compilation of our app that we can copy to our device or another, etc. It's the same than "run", except that with the "debug" the app is not launched in any device nor emulator.

Finally we have the "release" BAT file (or their SHELL version for Mac OS), and, when we execute it what Cordova prepares is a release compilation of the app. This generated APK is ready to be uploaded in the Android Store.

In order to get a release, if I am not wrong, we need to sign the APK, so you need to fill the App Options -> Cordova -> Android -> Signing. Once you fill the edit boxes that you can see there, App Builder generates the right JSON file, which Cordova uses to sign our apps.

Probably I miss something that you can be interested in, so, please, go ahead if you have any further question, and, I will try to help you as best as possible.

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Thank you David. You have been a great help. I will try to document my journey and if I get it right, I will share it over here so everyone can benefit from it. Thanks again!

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Hello Danny,

Thanks for your kindly words. Yes; we know that our products documentation (specially App Builder) can be better or in other most effective way. Here in the forum we have also post like this, for example, and probably others if we search for it, because I remember some of them can may can help.

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After the BAT file creation, where do I make APK or where is the AB CLi located?

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Hello Michael,

The App Builder's created BAT files use Apache Cordova in order to get our app's APK files. What you need is to be ready with Apache Cordova and Android Studio / Android SDK Manager. The DecSoft App Builder CLI is the command line compiler of the program: can compile our apps and prepare the icons, configuration files, etc., from the command line, instead to use the IDE.

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