Charles Petzold www.charlespetzold.com

1. Marketplace Deployment Charles Petzold www.charlespetzold.com

2. Agenda • The Windows Phone Marketplace • Preparing for deployment • Trial versions • Application manifest and capabilities • Certification requirements • Artwork and iconography • Submitting your app for certification • Deploying updates

3. The Windows Phone Marketplace • The only way to distribute apps to users • http://marketplace.windowsphone.com/Default.aspx • Developer account required to publish apps • 100 free apps and unlimited paid apps per year

4. Preparing for Deployment • Test and debug the application • Optionally include support for trial versions • Test with manifest modified to list capabilities • Use Capability Detection tool to detect capabilities • Make sure app meets certification requirements • Prepare the application artwork • Artwork submitted to Marketplace • Iconography in app itself

5. Trial Versions • Windows phone apps have the option of supporting trial versions ("try before you buy") • http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff967554(VS.92).aspx • LicenseInformation.IsTrial method tells you whether app is running as a trial version • Might offer reduced functionality, or • Might expire after a specified period of time • MarketplaceDetailTask.Show method takes user to your app in the Marketplace for purchase

6. Detecting Trial Versions LicenseInformation license = new LicenseInformation() if (license.IsTrial()) { // Trial version } else { // Licensed version }

7. Implementing "Buy Now" private MarketplaceDetailTask _task = new MarketplaceDetailTask(); . . . LicenseInformation license = new LicenseInformation() if (license.IsTrial() && IsExpired) { // If trial period has expired, let the user buy the app _task.Show(); }

8. Application Manifest • WMAppManifest.xml • Generated by Visual Studio • Embedded in application's XAP file • Contains information about the app, including: • Capabilities (features and services it uses) • Title, description, version, unique ID, and more • Test with modified <Capabilities> section • Microsoft modifies this section after submission • http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff769509(VS.92).aspx

9. WMAppManifest.xml <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <Deployment ... AppPlatformVersion="7.0"> <App xmlns="" ProductID="{430ae360-8d52-40b3-a92f-93854c239a86}" Title="RssNewsDemo" RuntimeType="Silverlight" Version="1.0.0.0" Genre="apps.normal" Author="RssNewsDemoauthor" Description="Sample description" Publisher="RssNewsDemo"> <IconPath...>ApplicationIcon.png</IconPath> <Capabilities> ... </Capabilities> <Tasks> <DefaultTask Name ="_default" NavigationPage="MainPage.xaml"/> </Tasks> <Tokens> <PrimaryTokenTokenID="RssNewsDemoToken" TaskName="_default"> <TemplateType5> <BackgroundImageURI...>Background.png</BackgroundImageURI> <Count>0</Count> <Title>RssNewsDemo</Title> </TemplateType5> </PrimaryToken> </Tokens> </App> </Deployment>

10. Application Capabilities <Capabilities> <Capability Name="ID_CAP_GAMERSERVICES"/> <Capability Name="ID_CAP_IDENTITY_DEVICE"/> <Capability Name="ID_CAP_IDENTITY_USER"/> <Capability Name="ID_CAP_LOCATION"/> <Capability Name="ID_CAP_MEDIALIB"/> <Capability Name="ID_CAP_MICROPHONE"/> <Capability Name="ID_CAP_NETWORKING"/> <Capability Name="ID_CAP_PHONEDIALER"/> <Capability Name="ID_CAP_PUSH_NOTIFICATION"/> <Capability Name="ID_CAP_SENSORS"/> <Capability Name="ID_CAP_WEBBROWSERCOMPONENT"/> </Capabilities>

11. Capability Detection Tool • Command-line tool included in updates to Windows Phone Developer Tools • %Program Files%\Microsoft SDKs\Windows Phone\v7.0\Tools\CapDetect\CapabilityDetection.exe • Examines IL in generated assemblies and/or XAP file and determines application capabilities • Networking, location service, sensors, etc. • Outputs ID_CAPS enumerating capabilities • Run tool and copy ID_CAPs to <Capabilities> section of WMAppManifest.xml for testing

12. Using the Capability Detection Tool • Run CapabilityDetection.exe • Point it to phone project's bin folder

13. Certification Requirements • Download PDF from http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9730558 • Study it; learn it; know it • Apps that don't meet requirements are routinely rejected • Read between the lines

14. Reliability (Section 5.1) • Must run on any WP7 device of any screen size • Must handle exceptions, not terminate unexpectedly, and present user-friendly error messages • "An application that displays generic or unhelpful error messages will fail certification" • Display a visual progress indicator and a means to cancel during "time-consuming activities" such as "downloading data over network connections"

15. Performance (Section 5.2) • Must show first screen within 5 seconds of launch • First real screen, not splash screen • Must be responsive to input within 20 seconds • Must complete actions in response to Activated and Deactivated events within 10 seconds • Keep that tombstoning code tight! • Must not hijack the Back button • Must not invoke trial APIs in a tight loop

16. Location-Aware Apps (2.10 and 6.1) • Must "provide in-application settings that allow the user to enable and disable your application‟s access to and use of location from the Location Service API " • Must not "hang or terminate unexpectedly when the Location Service is turned off on the phone"

17. Push Notifications (2.13 and 6.2) • Must "ask the user for explicit permission" on first use of HttpNotificationChannel.BindtoShellToast • First use, not first use each time applications runs • Use isolated storage to persist permission • Must allow users to opt in to push notifications and disable them if desired • All push notifications, but toast notifications especially • Must not "excessively use network capacity or bandwidth"

18. Running While Locked (Section 6.3) • Must minimize power usage while under lock • App must "stop any UI updates, active timers, and other non-critical processing" • Use Obscured and Unobscured events • Must not reduce battery life to less than 120 hours • Unless app plays audio, in which case battery life must be at least 6 hours

19. Additional Requirements • Must consist of type-safe MSIL code(5.4) • Code can be obfuscated if desired • Must not P/Invoke, use undocumented APIs, or contain debugging symbols (4.2) • Submit release-build XAPs only! • Must allow users to opt in if app publishes personal data or location data (2.10.5 and 2.11) • Requires published privacy policy, too • XAP size can't exceed 225 MB (4.1.1)

20. Application Artwork • Required artwork • PC tile – 200 x 200 PNG • Large mobile tile – 173 x 173 PNG • Small mobile tile – 99 x 99 PNG • Screen shots – One to eight 480 x 800 PNGs • Optional artwork • Background art – 1000 x 800 PNG • Shown if app is featured in the Marketplace • Do not use transparent pixels in these images

21. Sample Tiles and Screens Screen Shot (480 x 800) PC Tile (200 x 200) Large Mobile Tile (173 x 173) Small Mobile Tile (99 x 99)

22. Tiles in Action

23. Iconography • Application icons • Background.png - 173 x 173 tile shown if app is pinned • ApplicationIcon.png - 62 x 62 icon shown in apps list • Icons can optionally use transparent pixels • Allows phone accent color to shine through • Bug in WP7 prevents proper display in apps list • Splash screen • SplashScreenImage.jpg – 480 x 800 image shown while app loads

24. Sample Iconography Transparent pixels White pixels Background.png ApplicationIcon.png

25. The Submission Process • Five simple steps that start at: • https://windowsphone.create.msdn.com/-AppSubmission#/Page1Upload • Walk-through and detailed instructions at: • http://create.msdn.com/en-US/home/about/-app_submission_walkthrough_upload • FAQ at: • http://create.msdn.com/en-US/home/faq/-windows_phone_7

26. Step 1: Upload Application • Provide the app's name and version number • Upload the XAP (release build, max. 225 MB) • Request a "technical exception" if desired

27. Step 2: Provide Description • Enter title, category, description and other information that will appear in the Marketplace

28. Step 3: Upload Artwork • Upload large and small mobile tiles, PC tile, and at least one 480 x 800 screen shot • Optionally upload Marketplace background art

29. Step 4: Set Pricing • Price the application, specify where (in which countries) it will be sold, and indicate whether trial versions are supported

30. Step 5: Submit • Indicate whether app should be published automatically if it is approved • Click to submit!

31. Application Updates • Updates work just like first submissions • Submit new version of app as if it were the first • Users are notified that an update is available • You are not allowed to charge for updates • Data in isolated storage is preserved • Unless user uninstalls and reinstalls your app • For more info, see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg442301(v=vs.92).aspx

32. Questions? Charles Petzold www.charlespetzold.com