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Android Publish an Android App Publishing on Google Play Building a Release-Ready APK

Ruggiero A
Ruggiero A
8,534 Points
Posted by Ruggiero A
Ruggiero A
8,534 Points

This course shouldn't be here

This post is addressed to Ben Jakuben, I don't know if this is the right place to write this comment, anyway I think that it's pointless to keep this course here. I'm not saying that it's bad or useless, just that I don't like to have other courses locked because I have to learn how to publish an app before I made any (and by any I'm talking about my apps. How am I supposed to be interested to pay now for Google Play and sending an app if I don't have one?).So again I'm not telling this course isn't good, just in the wrong place for me. It should be placed between last courses of the track, not at beginning.

1 Answer

Ben Jakuben
STAFF
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher
Ben Jakuben
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher

Thanks for the feedback, Ruggiero Altini! Because that course uses the Fun Facts app as its example, it's a logical place to insert it. I also want to demystify the publishing process for students as soon as possible because it seems like a big deal but it really isn't (especially compared to iOS).

That said, the fact that it locks you from other courses in the track is really annoying. We would like to get rid of the locking part of tracks but need to wait for the project that includes it.

As a workaround you can continue to progress with other courses using the direct course links in the library. It's also a very short course (~40 minutes, I think), and it's useful to know, so if you bite the bullet and work through it then hopefully it will be rewarding.

Anyhow, we appreciate feedback and I'll see what others have to say about this and take another look at the ordering of the track.

Ruggiero A
Ruggiero A
8,534 Points
Ruggiero A
Ruggiero A
8,534 Points

Thanks for the answer. It's just that FunFacts is not an app I'd pay 25 € to publish for. I actually made the quizzes without seeing all the videos, because I'll watch them when I will have to publish an app (so I'll watch them just once). Anyway for the easy to publish thing is true, Android is much simpler than iOS for publishing apps. The most useful app I found on the course till now is the BlogReader App (I have to unlock the last ones still), even if I expected something more.. like downloading text and images and displaying them in an Activity (even if I think that can be done with JSON and a bit of tweaking to the app). No problem with licenses if I'd put a blog app based on your tutorial? (Obviously completely different, I want to make a complex thing).

Ben Jakuben
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher
Ben Jakuben
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher

Just saw your comment...yes, we encourage students to publish apps based on the code we provide in courses. All I ask is that you let us know so we can celebrate another successful app. :)

Ruggiero A
Ruggiero A
8,534 Points
Ruggiero A
Ruggiero A
8,534 Points

I think I'll release an app based on Ribbit (I called it Instants, and obviously I will citate Ribbit and teamtreehouse if needed). I will change theme (I changed even icon) and add more features as more media type to send (like voice records) and more security for the content (like screenshot prevention). Anyway I cannot avoid noticing that media is directly visible to the app owner, isn't that unsafe? Oh, and another thing. I've seen that for the Content upgrade you're working on a Weather App, and I assume that will substitute BlogReader just as FunFacts did for Crystal Ball. That would be sad for me because BlogReader helped me a lot understanding JSON and ListViews, and I'm making another app based on a guide I want to make and contents from my upcoming blog, so I think even future users should take advantage of it, except Weather App doesn't teach the same and even more.

Ben Jakuben
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher
Ben Jakuben
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher

Good feedback! When you say content is directly visible to the app owner, do you mean the ability to view files on Parse as the account holder? Yes, a more secure solution would involve encryption that would protect files from even the administrator of the account. Sadly beyond the scope of this course, though.

The Weather app will also cover networking, concurrency, JSON, and ListViews. :) I'm going to do it in two projects to focus on each, so the upcoming one will be a single-view app that focuses on networking and parsing JSON. Then I'll do a follow-up course that adds a complex ListView for the 7 day forecast.

I'm glad to hear that BlogReader is still helpful. Despite the age of the course, all the concepts are still totally relevant, and I've been making sure to cover everything in the new courses. We also have old material available indefinitely via direct links, so even after we retire it you can still access the videos or download them for your own reference.