Mac App Store Submissions

[marianco]

I there any new documentation (preferrably step-by-step guide) to submitting a stand-alone build to the Mac App Store?

Any recent successful submissions that are now in the Mac App Store?

Thanks.

[Mark]

Hi,

Hi don't think you can submit LiveCode apps to the Mac app store, but maybe you mean the iTunes store?

There is a lot of documentation, including step-by-step guides, on Apple's website. When you get stuck, you can always ask here.

Kind regards,

Mark

[marianco]

Hi don't think you can submit LiveCode apps to the Mac app store, but maybe you mean the iTunes store? There is a lot of documentation, including step-by-step guides, on Apple's website. When you get stuck, you can always ask here.

I do mean the Mac App Store.

The Mac App Store refers to Apple's store for Mac OS X applications. There is an App Store application on the dock of Mac OS X Lion to purchase Mac apps.

The iTunes App Store is where one sells iOS apps for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. One uses iTunes to purchase these apps, not the separate Mac App Store application.

Since LiveCode can build Mac Apps and iOS Apps, I wanted to see documentation on what to do to prepare and build LiveCode apps for submission to the Mac App Store AND the iTunes App Store, from RunRev itself.

Apple has documentation on how to do this for XCode builds of apps. But RunRev is a different platform. Thus the need for more specific information for LiveCode that would not exist on Apple's website.

This information seems to be the missing piece that would make LiveCode interesting for creating apps for Mac OS X and iOS devices. I wouldn't want to invest $500 and time to learn and use LiveCode only to find out I can't submit apps for sale on the Mac App Store - or the iTunes App Store.

It seems straightforward to submit XCode apps. But it doesn't seem to be for LiveCode apps.

[Mark]

Hi,

Then the answer is no. Although it might be possible with a lot of work-arounds and special adjustments, probably only in co-operation with RunRev, LiveCode submission to the Mac app store is currently unsupported. Hence documentation on the subject is unavailable.

Kind regards,

Mark

[kdjanz]

I don't know where you are getting that information from Mark.

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/clarify/ ... 8980?mt=12

Clarify from Blue Mango Learning is definitely in the Mac App store and it was also featured by Runrev as being developed with LiveCode:

http://www.runrev.com/company/runrev-bl ... s-clearer-

So, yes, your apps can go into the store. Best to talk to someone at Blue Mango as to what hoops they had to jump through, but the restrictions on iOS are tougher than those on Mac apps, so I think the process should be relatively straight forward. I do know that Apple requires a different level of developer status - I paid my $99 to get into the iOS store, but I have to pay another $99 to get into the Mac store.

Kelly

[Mark]

Hi Kelly,

I think that Bluemango needed some special hacks to make this possible.

If you find out how to publish RunRev apps on the Mac App store without any special hacks, I'd be very interested to know.

Kind regards,

Mark

[jacque]

As far as I know there were no hacks required. They built the app, submitted it, and it was accepted.

[Mark]

That's great, Jacque. What about sandboxing? Is that going to be a problem?

Mark

[jacque]

I don't think it would be any different than iOS sandboxing. Both operating systems do it.

[Nikovash]

Sandboxing is not currently required by the Mac app Store, and won't be till later this year

[SteveHanlan]

Livecode 'Save' does not include a category, so you must open the app, open the info.plist and edit, then add your category.

Then open a terminal session and do the following ...
note that {folder} is where your app file is
{App Name.app} is your LiveCode application
{3rd party certificates} are from your keychain

cd {folder}

codesign -f -s {"3rd Party Developer Application Certificate name"} /{folder}/{App Name.app}

productbuild --component {folder}/{App Name.app} /Applications --sign {"3rd Party Developer Installer Certificate name"} --product {folder}/{App Name.app}/Contents/Info.plist "{App Name.pkg}"

In the application Loader, you will submit the .pkg file

Hope this helps

Steve

[phaworth]

Bit late to this since I don;t check the forums very often.

There's a straightforward, step-by-step newsletter article that details all that is necessary to submit to the app store, including signing it, and making an installation package at http://runrev.com/newsletter/june/issue ... etter4.php.

Two things that aren't covered are checking the MAS receipt file when someone purchases and sandboxing. The former isn;t required but is the only way you can guar against piracy of sales thru the Apple Store and it doesn't feel like it's possible using Livecode alone. Sanboxing will be required as of June 1st.

Aside from the mechanics of submission, be aware that your app will be rejected if:

- It does any online checking for updates
- it displays a license agreement
- it runs in demo mode
- it requires a license key
- its preferences file is not in the Apple recommended location ~/Library/Application Support/<app-identifier>


Sandboxing is mostly a case of making some plist entries that define what your application can do in terms of file access, network access, etc. However there are a couple of issues which I've emailed RunRev support about.

A sandboxed application cannot directly access any files in the user's home directory or any of its subfolders, unless they are specifically opened by the user using standard open dialog. All other files created by your app reside in a container private to the app.

The first implication of this is what does specialFolderPath("Home") return - the user's real home directory or the container.

The other implication is how to deal with situations where you need to open a file form the user's home directory without going through an open dialog. Examples of this are if you app keeps a list of recently-opened files so the user can open one form the list, and if your application is designed to open a file which i9s dragged and dropped onto it. Apple provides ways to deal with both situations but they involve calls to system routines which Livecode doesn't provide natively.

Pete

[shaosean]

Apple provides ways to deal with both situations but they involve calls to system routines which Livecode doesn't provide natively

Can you provide a link to the info and perhaps someone can come up with an external for it?

[phaworth]

All the info about sandboxing is in a document on the Apple Developer site at this url:

https://developer.apple.com/library/mac ... 3-CH3-SW16

Not sure but you may need a Mac developer account to view it. If so, let me know and I'll find a way to get it to you or at least the relevant sections.

As for an external, that would be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for me!!! I need this capability but have had spectacular lack of success trying to understand how to build an external. I've asked RunRev support if they plan on providing a way to hook into these mechanisms but have not heard back yet.

Pete

[shaosean]

The link got broken.. Can you repost the link inside of the CODE tags so it will post in full..