Author Topic: Updating my Android Apps (Read 69,314 times)

mouser · « **on:** August 08, 2018, 05:58 PM »

It's been a while since I worked on my Android Apps.. I'm just updating them now to work with the latest version of Android Studio, and I think what I'd like to do next is add an option where you can scale the font text easily.
For some of my apps (I'm thinking ScoreTracker in particular), being able to go easily into a large font mode would make all the difference.

You can find all of my apps here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=DonationCoder.com&hl=en

mouser · « **Reply #1 on:** August 14, 2018, 12:48 AM »

Ok I've finished updating my android apps, to allow a custom font scaling option in preferences. For some apps it's not particularly useful, but for others it could definitely be useful.
Now I have to remember how to publish beta versions on the play store, and ask for some beta testers to try out the new versions.

mouser · « **Reply #2 on:** August 14, 2018, 01:18 PM »

I logged into google play store today to find half of my apps had been removed from the google play store recently, because apparently i failed to log in and check a box for them saying that they were not "primarily marketed to children".
Sigh.

Apologies to anyone who had any issues with their install of one of these apps, I', fixing it now.

mouser · « **Reply #3 on:** August 14, 2018, 03:10 PM »

And now half of my apps are rejected for "Issue: Violation of Payments policy : Apps that employ in-store or in-app purchases must comply with the following guideline..." even though there are no in-store or in-app purchases, or anything even close, and these are just pure free full functioning apps without any way to pay or upgrade, etc.

Sigh.. And getting human help from google is an ordeal and a half...

mouser · « **Reply #4 on:** August 14, 2018, 10:03 PM »

In the world we live in, one does not argue with Google -- you might as well try arguing with a mountain.

The voice of google god has now informed me that the following text is offensive to them and in violation of the google play store and is not allowed in my app descriptions, for my totally free apps that I make no money from:

"This app is completely free of ads, purchases, bundled software, etc. It collects no personal or anonymous information and sends no information to our servers. It does what it says it does and nothing more (the file and network permissions required are only for import/export/sync functions).

Please show your appreciation for this app and support its development by donating at http://www.donationcoder.com/Donate"

Asking for donations to support out work is forbidden. We can charge for the app, but we are not allowed to ask people who like our work to consider making a donation to our website.

mouser · « **Reply #5 on:** August 14, 2018, 10:05 PM »

It's ironic that free software is thriving, as is small cheap apps, which have gotten easier to sell (as long as the big boys get their cut), but independent donationware seems to be getting squeezed in the middle and slowly stamped out.. I hope we will be here long enough to see a resurgence..

Deozaan · « **Reply #6 on:** August 14, 2018, 10:42 PM »

Quote from: mouser on August 14, 2018, 10:03 PM

The voice of google god has now informed me that the following text is offensive to them and in violation of the google play store and is not allowed in my app descriptions, for my totally free apps that I make no money from:

Please show your appreciation for this app and support its development by donating at http://www.donationcoder.com/Donate"

Google has to get their 30% cut of the donation.

wraith808 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 15, 2018, 02:43 AM »

Quote from: Deozaan on August 14, 2018, 10:42 PM

Google has to get their 30% cut of the donation.

Deo has the right of it, methinks. Thankfully, many companies are starting to chafe at the robbery of the platforms. Not sure that will make any change though.

cyberdiva · « **Reply #8 on:** August 15, 2018, 05:46 AM »

Mouser, in addition to Google's being annoyed that you're suggesting the possibility of donating (horror of horrors!), you may also be irritating them with the following statement: "This app is completely free of ads, purchases, bundled software, etc. It collects no personal or anonymous information and sends no information to our servers." It's an implicit reproach to Google and its way of operating. Indeed, Google is coming under increasing attack for its violation of everyone's privacy.

If there's any justice in the world, you will eventually prevail. However, that's a big IF.

mouser · « **Reply #9 on:** August 15, 2018, 06:29 AM »

The real problem with a behemoth company like Google is that we are ants to them.. There is no real way to interact with such a monstrosity on a human level. A machine like google simply cannot be asked questions or give answers or make decisions the way you can ask a human running a small business. You might as well go ask the mountain. So when google tells you to jump, you just have to jump.

Truthfully in this case, it doesn't really matter.. It's not like anyone was making any donations for my android apps or discovering donationcoder because of them, etc. So removing language asking people to consider donating doesn't have any effect on me. It just rubs me the wrong way that their rules hurt donationware developers.

Deozaan · « **Reply #10 on:** August 15, 2018, 06:33 AM »

Quote from: mouser on August 15, 2018, 06:29 AM

So when google tells you to jump, you just have to jump.

You can also host the APK yourself, and/or on some site like F-Droid.

That said, the fact of the matter is that most people with an Android device will prefer using the Google Play Store.

wraith808 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 15, 2018, 02:18 PM »

Can you put that text into the about or splash screen and be OK? Rather than in the store listing?

mouser · « **Reply #12 on:** August 15, 2018, 03:22 PM »

Not sure.. But im not going to worry about it and risk waking the beast, since it won't have any impact on me. Hopefully the few people who use my android apps will find there way here and one will take the time to learn about us and decide to make a donation

wraith808 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 15, 2018, 03:56 PM »

Quote from: Deozaan on August 15, 2018, 06:33 AM

Quote from: mouser on August 15, 2018, 06:29 AM
So when google tells you to jump, you just have to jump.

You can also host the APK yourself, and/or on some site like F-Droid.

That said, the fact of the matter is that most people with an Android device will prefer using the Google Play Store.

Yeah. The few apps on F-Droid that I use, I also see on GPlay. I might install F-Droid in any case, if I can figure out how to sideload it. Haven't really done anything with any software on my android devices outside of the play store.

mouser · « **Reply #14 on:** August 15, 2018, 05:26 PM »

Just wanted to note that someone just donated to me, mentioning one of my android apps

I really do appreciate hearing from anyone who uses them, as I get rarely any feedback or feature requests on them.

mouser · « **Reply #15 on:** August 15, 2018, 08:01 PM »

I have pushed out new beta versions of my apps. The one addition to them is new option in preferences that lets you scale the font size.
For a couple of apps, like ScoreTracker DC, this can make all the difference in the world if you are using the app to keep score of like a two player board game and want to see nice big scores.

mouser · « **Reply #16 on:** August 15, 2018, 08:24 PM »

I'm considering, though I know this is part of my option-overload tendencies, to make it so there are actually TWO font scale override settings, one for landscape mode and one for portrait mode.

daddydave · « **Reply #17 on:** August 18, 2018, 11:38 AM »

Quote from: mouser on August 14, 2018, 10:03 PM

Please show your appreciation for this app and support its development by donating at http://www.donationcoder.com/Donate"

Asking for donations to support out work is forbidden. We can charge for the app, but we are not allowed to ask people who like our work to consider making a donation to our website.

That sucks. What I have seen others do is create a second app which is just a paid Donate app which does nothing (assume that is still allowed). That doesn't really steer people to the site, but it's something.

wraith808 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 18, 2018, 02:21 PM »

Quote from: daddydave on August 18, 2018, 11:38 AM

Quote from: mouser on August 14, 2018, 10:03 PM

Please show your appreciation for this app and support its development by donating at http://www.donationcoder.com/Donate"

Asking for donations to support out work is forbidden. We can charge for the app, but we are not allowed to ask people who like our work to consider making a donation to our website.

That sucks. What I have seen others do is create a second app which is just a paid Donate app which does nothing (assume that is still allowed). That doesn't really steer people to the site, but it's something.

I've seen that too, on all of the app stores.

ayryq · « **Reply #19 on:** August 19, 2018, 12:21 AM »

Well, I got an update (not sure how long since I updated) and I have to say it's a lot better even at 100% font scaling. The current score is easier to see at a glance, plus it's a bigger target to open the calculator screen.

I was using ScoreTracker just yesterday during a game of Mölkky. It also is handy for Pass the Pigs

I was going to come here to request a screen keep-awake option, but it's already there!

mouser · « **Reply #20 on:** August 19, 2018, 02:21 AM »

mouser · « **Reply #21 on:** August 20, 2018, 10:14 PM »

Another thing I am now improving is the View menu, to make it easier to see from the menu which quick-toggle options you currently have enabled (view hidden, view revise buttons, sort order).

All of my apps are built with the same basic framework for managing large numbers of custom "items".. I hope one day I will think of an actually novel app idea that can take advantage of the framework. Or if someone has a business app idea that could be built on top of it, please do contact me.

mouser · « **Reply #22 on:** August 23, 2018, 08:01 AM »

Quote

I'm considering, though I know this is part of my option-overload tendencies, to make it so there are actually TWO font scale override settings, one for landscape mode and one for portrait mode.

Implemented; will be in next releases. It's a bit of overkill, but for those who want to customize fonts to make a view look good, it helps to be able to set these values differently.

anandcoral · « **Reply #23 on:** August 24, 2018, 11:43 AM »

While we are on the subject of G preferring ads in apps, this one takes the cake, I think.
Nothing in particular to any app or developer, so I have tried to remove identity.

Regards,

Anand

wraith808 · « **Reply #24 on:** August 24, 2018, 02:46 PM »

Yes, but it doesn't block their ads, as their ads are not annoying pop-up ads that interfere with a clear and clean browsing experience. Besides. They don't want the competition.

$:-\$