Applicationcraft and friends - programming Native Mobile Apps for all platforms

  • Print
Details
Last Updated on Monday, 14 May 2012 14:20

 

Even though it has been a while since I discovered this method - I think it is about time i described it. 

The main tool in my method is www.applicationcraft.com (AC) and it is an online tool that allows you to make an app with HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery Mobile (Java coding). If you are not the big code-shark the AC homepage have a brilliant help section (with videos) and provides both wysiwyg interface and a wide range of widgets (drag and drop units).

The main advantage of using AC (or in fact jQuery Mobile) is, that you can programme one code insert jQuery Mobile scripts and get control over the hardware units of the mobile device (camera, memory, GPS etc.).

When your app is finished you can use PhoneGap:Build ("how to register guide" below) to export your AC app to a wide range of Native Mobile app packages (iOS, Android, Windows Mobile 7, Symbian etc.). 

Small guide on how to create a PhoneGap:Build account, bind key files to it, and how to activate it on AC:

  1. go to build.phonegap.com and click the blue "Create an account" button
  2. At the next page that appears you insert your user information
  3. Enter the activation mail you receive and activate your account
  4. Go to your PhoneGap:Build account and click "edit account" in the navigation menu in the lower left corner
  5. Under "Signing" upload your key files (I have shown you how to make an Android Keystore file in an older blog post)
     
  6. Go to AC (www.applicationcraft.com) and log in
  7. On your personal site you click the "More" menu and choose "Account"
  8. In the left side menu choose "PhoneGap Parameters"
  9. Insert your PhoneGap:Build account details in the fields and click "Save" in the bottom of the page

Now whenever you have finished an AC app, you are able to export your AC app to a Native Mobile App package file. The only thing you have to do is to choose your app in the "Apps" top menu , and click the PhoneGab button in the current AC app description site.

NB! The reason why you need the key files is to implement your personal information in the Native Mobile App Package (Ensures that your uniquie key file made the app).

UPDATE: When you have compiled the APK file though AC... go to build.phonegap.com, and rebuild the APK again! Otherwise your APK won't connect correctly to your keystore file.

Remember, if your build i outputted as a debug... Check if your keystore file is binded to you app (Phonegap:Build -> Admin -> Certificates)


Create an Android keystore file in Windows 7 (Tool: “JDK 7.0_03”)

  • Print
Details
Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 April 2012 08:21

 

I’m fairly new at developing apps for the Android platform and really had a hard time figuring out how to create my own Android Keystore file. So here I have made a small guide for creating one.

 

1.  Why do we need an Android Keystore file?

“The Android system requires that all installed applications be digitally signed with a certificate whose private key is held by the application's developer. The Android system uses the certificate as a means of identifying the author of an application and establishing trust relationships between applications. The certificate is not used to control which applications the user can install. The certificate does not need to be signed by a certificate authority: it is perfectly allowable, and typical, for Android applications to use self-signed certificates” (http://developer.android.com/guide/publishing/app-signing.html).

 

2. What tools to we need to develop an Android Keystore file?

The Android Keystore file can be created in Java Development Kit, and to download the installation file, click on this link: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html - install JDK.

 

3.  How do we create the Android Keystore file?

·         Standard procedure: First you need to open the command prompt.. Easiest way is to click the “Start menu” in the bottom left corner and in the search field write: cmd [Push the Enter button]. Afterwards the Command Prompt appears and you find your installed JDK.

·         To go from a directory to its parent directory write cd.. [Push the Enter button].

·         When you are at c:/ write cd Program files [Push the Enter button].

·         cd Java [Push the Enter button].

·         cd jdk1.7.0_03 [Push the Enter button].

·         cd bin [Push the Enter button].

·         keytool -genkey -v -keystore Your_personal_file_title.keystore -alias Your_personal_alias -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000 [Push the Enter button].

Remember to edit the two textbits Your_personal_file_title & Your_personal_alias.

·         And enter your profile information.

·         Afterwards it will create your Android Keystore file in your C:\Program files\Java\jdk1.7.0_03\bin directory, with the name you gave it…

 

You now have your Keystore file, and can activate it in whatever application you generate your Android apps in (ex. build.phonegap.com).