Release Oracle JET application on Google Play Store

Intro

After doing some basic implementation this weekend I wanted to publish version 0.0.1 of Tekki Duell at the Google Play Store and was struggling with the first problem I think it is worth blogging.

What steps have to be done to to publish your app on Google Play Store

Create Google Play Account

Go to this URL and create an account
https://play.google.com/apps/publish

Now what you have to do first has nothing to do with Oracle JET. It has basically to do with Google. You have to create your application in the Google Play Store and enter tons of information. I don't want to get too detailled into this.

Create apk release of your app

Next you have to build an apk of your Oracle JET application. The trick is here, that you have to create a signed apk. So the normal "grunt build" command won't do it. You have to do a little more.

1. Create a keystore
$ keytool -genkey -v -keystore /c/Workspace/Coding/keys/android/tekkiduell.keystore -alias tekkiduell -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000


2. Create a build.json file, which contains information where the keystore is located. I did place the build.json file in the same directory of the keystore.

Create this file: c/Workspace/Coding/keys/android/build.json

put the following lines of code into the file. It is up to you, if you want to enter the password or not.
{
  "android": {
    "debug": {
      "keystore": "tekkiduell.keystore",
      "storePassword": "",
      "alias": "tekkiduell",
      "password" : "",
      "keystoreType": ""
    },
  "release": {
      "keystore": "tekkiduell.keystore",
      "storePassword": "",
      "alias": "tekkiduell",
      "password" : "",
      "keystoreType": ""
    }
  }
}


3. Build the application by changing to the root directory of your Oracle JET application. Next you have to call the following command. Keep in mind to set the correct buildConfig target to the build.json file

$ grunt build:release --platform=android --buildConfig=/c/Workspace/Coding/keys/android/build.json


4. You can find the created apk file in the following directory
/c/Workspace/Coding/Intern/tekkiduell/hybrid/platforms/android/build/outputs/apk/

Upload the file "android-release.apk" to the Google Play store. Now it takes another one or two hours before your app can be downloaded from the app store.

Conclusion

My app isn't doing too much yet. I am starting a new game, picking a skill and asking dummy questions, but it is in the Google Play store :-)

Check it out here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.oraclejet.tekkiduell