Anddroid Unittest

While my Mac is in the shop for some minor repairs (new motherboard), I am working on an Android project.
I just found out that JUnit is build-in. Here is how to use it:

1. Add android.test.runner library to manifest under application
<uses-library android:name="android.test.runner" />
2. Add instrumentation in manifest
<instrumentation android:name="android.test.InstrumentationTestRunner"
       android:targetPackage="dk.InvulgoSoft.MyApp android:label="Tests for My App" />
3. Under a package for testing add your testcases
public class TestNetwork extends TestCase {

    public void testNetwork() {
        Assert.assertTrue("Test network", false);
    }
}

4. Under same package add your test suite to group them together
public class TestCases extends TestSuite {

    public static Test suite() {
        return new TestSuiteBuilder(TestCases.class).includeAllPackagesUnderHere().build();
}

At least in Eclipse, when you open the test suite file and press run, all test cases are executed. Cool!

Hard work

Things have been slow for a while now. That does not mean that I have not worked, it just means that I am working on a fairly big project in collaboration with a partner. Also managed to do a little freelance work for TightDb - those guys are busy.

But working on this one big project, and another on the side leaves no room for my own small projects. So I hope I will be done soon...

Easter vacation

Managed to stay away from work (almost) for a week here in the easter. So hopefully the batteries have been filled up and are ready to go!
Some new ideas crept up and are added to the list. Right now the short-term pipeline is filled to the brim.
On a positive note, ISPuzzle seems to be doing very well -- success!

As I mentioned, I currently have at least 3 concurrent projects running. But since it is smartest to finish one at a time, I will focus on one and then work on the others as background projects.

So... get to it!

Reflection on a year with Windows Phone 7

Now it is approximately a year ago I started out making apps for WP7. I managed to make 7 apps;
1. InvulgoBlocks
2. InvulgoMindmapper
3. InvulgoSecrets
4. ISGardenPuzzle
5. Power Challenge
6. RoofRunner
7. WeightControl
It cost me 99 USD, plus a lot of time. I managed to get a total of 10K downloads.
Very few users on WP7 pays for apps. According to my findings (which is not easy with the lousy tools MS gives you), 90 apps was bought. Most apps retails for 1 USD, while the mind mapper retails for 2 USD I believe. This gives a guestimated income of 120 USD.
On the ad side, it took MS forever to enable developers from outside the US to monetize via ads. You could however create an account and not get anything. Since ads rarely give anything worthwhile, I did so. I would have made 50 USD. Now MS finally accepts developers from outside US to do ads, so I updated my account, only to find out that I will have to re-release all my apps. And of course MS will keep my money for themselves.
So, the tally is in: -99 USD and a lot of hours spent. The 170 USD that MS owe me, I will probably never see. Well, they have to make their money somehow - now I know how.
I did however receive a Lumia 800 from MS - So it was not all for nothing.

Status of WP7:
* Online tools did not work well a year ago. They still don't.
* API still years behind competitors. (XNA works pretty good and outperforms Android).

Now I need to re-release all my apps without ads, since I do not want to keep giving my money to MS.

In other news, I managed to release ISPuzzle of IOS and Amigurumi for android. Quite a busy week,

I think, next week I will take it easy - I just need to update InvulgoMacau with some small issues.

AdHoc test on IOS is a pain

Tried to play around with Apple's AdHoc test feature. It took several hours to figure out all the secret steps you have to do in order to get something working, like create new target with special entitlement file with get-task-allow set to false. I ended up with an OTA solution that worked on my own devices, but as soon as my testers tried on their devices it of course would not work, even though I had the correct certificate with their device id's. One day, when I have nothing else to do I might try to look into the problem. But for now... I have better things to do.

Managed to finalized ISPuzzle, which is currently traveling through the Apple Store review system... With a little luck, end of this week.

Currently I am laying the last hand of a crochet app for IOS, filled with designs for making miscellaneous figures and small animals. Also working on getting this onto Android... But let's see.

Opportunities keeps coming

Even though I am trying to do my own thing, opportunities keeps coming my way. I am always open to new and exciting possibilities, but have yet to see anything concrete. I did talk a little with Google, but I doubt that I have the specialized skill set they are looking for. I will talk to a guy on thursday about a web-idea, so let's see.

Did a video demo of my IOS card game: InvulgoMacau

Also did a video demo of my scrum project app: InvulgoScrum

Otherwise I am deep into finalizing my latest project; A jigsaw puzzle for all ages, named ISPuzzle.

One app released. More to come

InvulgoMacau has now been released. And InvulgoScrum is almost ready for releasing.
It has been a busy week, both with trying to finalize InvulgoScrum, but also talking to recruiters about freelance IOS opportunities. Nothing worked out this time, so I am still 100% dedicated to making apps and games.
Already have the next two apps lined up. Hopefully they will be simpler this time around.

Back to work....