Appception Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The Appception IDE can be used to create hybrid apps in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript without programming in device-specific languages, and without downloading or installing software development tools.

Apps are built and previewed using a desktop web browser, then tested and debugged on a physical mobile device.

Android apps may also be debugged on a genuine Android emulator, hosted in the cloud.

What kind of apps can be created with the Appception IDE?

The Appception IDE can be used to create nearly kind of app that can be built with JavaScript.

Does the Appception IDE support Cordova (formerly known as PhoneGap)?

Yes. The Appception IDE has both native support for Cordova, and tools to help test and debug Cordova-based apps.

What are some of the features of the Appception IDE?

See the Appception IDE description.

Is there a Demo?

Yes. The Demo is also the live system. Setup a trial account here.

How much does it cost?

Appception is free during the Beta period.

A pricing plan will be announced for the production release.

I need help. How can I get my question answered?

To get help with Appception or to get answers to specific questions, please use the 'Contact' link at the top of the page.

General Information

Can I use Windows/Mac/Linux for Appception IDE development?

Yes. Development is done using a web browser on all of these platforms.

Can I use a desktop editor with the Appception IDE?

Yes. Files may be edited with a desktop editor.

There are seveal methods available to synchronize files between a desktop and the Appception IDE:

Download/upload files using the Appception IDE menus (or, upload with desktop-browser drag-and-drop)
FTP/FTPS/SFTP files between the Appception IDE and a desktop file system
Remote file access with WebDAV

Can I use FTP/FTPS/SFTP to transfer files between a desktop and the Appception IDE?

Yes. To transfer files between a desktop and the Appception IDE, set the FTP:

Hostname: cdn.appception.com
Username: <same as the Appception IDE account name>
Password: <same as the Appception IDE password>

Also, if you are behind a firewall/NAT, set FTP to use 'passive mode'.

In addition, for SFTP, use port 115.

The FTP 'root' directory will be your 'workspace'. All project folders will be listed. FTP can read/write all project folders and files.

Can I use WebDAV to remotely edit files?

Yes. WebDAV can be used to remotely edit files as if they were on a local disk.
See configuring WebDAV.

Can I use the Appception IDE without logging into my account?

Yes. Certain features of the Appception IDE can be used without logging into your Appception IDE account. For example, it is possible to use Cordova while running your app within the browser. Device sensors can be simulated within the browser, or accessed on a remote Emulator or a mobile device.

What JavaScript libraries can I use with the Appception IDE?

Appception IDE is JavaScript library-agnostic.

Nearly any JavaScript framework, library, or GUI package can be used, including jQuery, jQuery Mobile, jQTouch, Jo, Sencha, xui, Zepto, and others.

Which web browsers can I use for development?

The Appception IDE supports these web browsers:

Chrome 10+
Safari 5+
Firefox 3.6+

Chrome is currently recommended as it works best with certain JavaScript UI libraries, and the weinre debugger.

Also, pop-ups must be enabled in web browser Settings (or Preferences) to access certain features of the Appception IDE (see below).

How do I enable pop-ups in Chrome?

The Appception IDE requires browser pop-ups to support certain features. To enable pop-ups in Chrome:

Select Settings
Click 'Show advanced settings' at the bottom of the page
Under 'Privacy' click 'Content settings'
Under 'Pop-ups' click 'Manage exceptions'
Enter '[*.]cdn.appception.com' into the hostname box and click 'OK'

How can I Preview an app?

You can Preview an app using the 'Preview->Local' button in the Appception IDE.

Previewing an app runs the HTML5 portion of the app in a web browser. This allows the web browser developer tools to be used and can take advantage of larger screen spaces available on desktop (and laptop) machines.

Note, however, that most device-specific functions will not work when Previewing locally.

[Android only]: you can also Preview an app using 'Preview->Remote' with the ABug app installed. Remote preview connects a device with Preview so that actual device data (e.g. sensor information) may be used instead of being simulated.

How can I Debug an app?

An app can be debugged using the following tools:

Remote Web Inspector (weinre) - access the Console, HTML, CSS, script, and DOM information from the app

[Android only] additional debugging tools:

Log - display log information from a device or from the Android Emulator
Shell - create a terminal window to an interactive shell on a device

Devices

Can I access device sensors with HTML5?

Device sensors and other device-level functions may be accessed using Cordova.

How do I connect my device to the Appception IDE?

To connect a device to the Appception IDE, use a WiFi connection.

Android

How do I become an Android developer?

To become an Android app developer, see Android Developer.

Note that you do not need to signup as an Android Developer to build, debug, and test apps. However, you must be an Android Developer to publish Android apps on Google play. You do not need to be an Android Developer to publish apps on other Android markets, or to publish for internal use.

How do I run an app built with the Appception IDE on an Android mobile device?

To run an app built with the Appception IDE on an Android mobile device, use any of the following methods:

Use the Appception IDE app QR code to deploy the app with a QR code reader
Use a mobile web browser on the device to download the app, and then install it
Use the ABug app (Android devices only)

How do I Emulate an app?

To Emulate an app, use the Appception IDE Debug->Emulator menu. Emulated apps are run on a cloud hosted Android emulator. The emulator is controlled and viewed through a window in the desktop web browser.

Note: a web browser Java plug-in is required to view the Emulator.

How do I configure the Emulator for best performance?

The Emulator has the best performance when the following configuration options are set in Debug->Emulator->Properties:

Target version: 2.2
Skin: HVGA
Full Color: unchecked

How do I Publish an app?

Published apps must be signed with a certificate. The Appception IDE can be used to create a self-signed certificate, which is then used to sign an app. The app (file) can then be published on Google Play, the internet, or in an 'app store'.

Can I download an app that has not been Published?

Yes. To download a non-published app, you must give your device permission by checking the box:
Settings->Applications->Unknown sources

Can I use an underscore ('_') as the first letter in a folder name?

Some of the tools (e.g. aapt issue ) do not fully support using an underscore ('_') as the first letter of a folder name, so it is best to avoid this.

How do I keep the screen active while debugging?

To keep the screen active, connect the mobile device to power and select the checkbox: Settings->Applications->Development->Stay Awake

How do I display the device log?

The device log may be displayed using Debug->Device->Log when the ABug app is installed and operating.

If ABug is not installed or running, an error will be shown when the log is displayed.

How do I configure an app to use Portrait (or Landscape) display?

To configure an app to use only Portrait display, add the following parameter to the activity section of AndroidManifest.xml:
android:screenOrientation="portrait"

To configure an app to use only Landscape display, add the following parameter to the activity section of AndroidManifest.xml:
android:screenOrientation="landscape"

How do I configure an app to be installed to External Storage?

To configure an app to be installed to External Storage, add the following parameter to the manifest section of AndroidManifest.xml:
android:installLocation="preferExternal"

How do I configure a Cordova app to run (or not to run)in the background after exit?

To configure a Cordova app (named 'appName') to run in the background after exit, edit the src/com/<appName>/<appName>.java file and add: super.setBooleanProperty("keepRunning", true);

To configure a Cordova app (named 'appName') not to run in the background after exit, edit the src/com/<appName>/<appName>.java file and add: super.setBooleanProperty("keepRunning", false);

iOS

How do I become an iOS app developer?

To become an iOS app developer, you will need to enroll as an Apple Developer and then join the iOS Developer Program.

How do I build an iOS app for testing?

This is described in Building an iOS app for Development Test and AdHoc Distribution.

How do I build an iOS app for AdHoc Distribution ("Beta test")?

This is described in Building an iOS app for Test and AdHoc Distribution.

Is OTA (over-the-air) iOS app installation supported?

Yes. iOS apps built for Development Test and AdHoc Distribution are automatically built for OTA installation. To install, enter the Appception IDE HTML app link (displayed over the QR code on the Build screen) into a Safari web browser on the mobile device, then click the link displayed.

How do I build an iOS app for Release to the iOS App Store?

This is described in Releasing an iOS app to the App Store.

How can I create a Developer Certificate (.cer) using Mac OS X?

To create a Developer Certificate (.cer), a Certificate Signing Request (.certificateSigningRequest) must first be generated and uploaded to the iOS Provisioning Portal.

To generate a Certificate Signing Request on Mac OS X:

Open Keychain Access from the Applications->Utilities folder
Choose Keychain Access->Certificate Assistant->Request a Certificate from a Certificate Authority
Enter name, email address, select 'Saved to disk' and 'Let me specify keypair information', and click 'Continue'
Enter the folder and name for saving the file and click 'Save'
On the Key Pair Information form, choose Key size '2048', Algorithm 'RSA', and click 'Continue'

The Certificate Signing Request (.certificateSigningRequest) file may be uploaded to the iOS Provisioning Portal to create the Developer Certificate(.cer).

How can I create a Developer Certificate (.p12) using Mac OS X?

A Developer Certificate (.p12) file may be exported from Mac OS X as follows:

Open Keychain Access from the Applications->Utilities folder
Select Category 'Certificates'
Select the certificate file
Choose File->Export Items
Enter the certificate file name in the 'Save As' box, select the folder which should contain the saved file, choose File Format '.p12', and click 'Save'
Create a password to save the file (the password will be used when siging apps)

Note: The Developer Certificate (in .p12 format) includes both the Developer Certificate and a private key; it may be used to sign an app.

How can I create a Developer Certificate (.cer) using Windows?

To create a Developer Certificate (.cer), a Certificate Signing Request (.certificateSigningRequest) must first be generated and uploaded to the iOS Provisioning Portal.

To generate a Certificate Signing Request (.certificateSigningRequest) on Windows, OpenSSL may be used as follows:

Install OpenSSL after downloading the source code from the OpenSSL website. Installation instructions are located in the source code. If you already have OpenSSL installed, it may be used, that copy may be used instead.
Open a Windows command line shell
Navigate to the OpenSSL 'bin' directory
Create a private key by entering:

openssl genrsa -out newkey.key 2048

Create the Certificate Signing Request (.certificateSigningRequest) by entering:

openssl req -new -key newkey.key -out CSR.certificateSigningRequest -subj "/emailAddress=myEmail@mydomain.com, CN=My Name, C=US"

Note: replace myEmail@mydomain.com with your real email address and My Name with your real name.

The CSR.certificateSigningRequest file may be uploaded to the iOS Provisioning Portal, and used to create the Developer Certificate(.cer).

Once the Developer Certificate (.cer) is issued (refresh the web browser, or await an email confirmation message), it may be downloaded (typically to a file named 'developer_identity.cer').

How can I create a Developer Certificate (.p12) using Windows?

To create a Developer Certificate (in .p12 format), first, create a Developer Certificate (in .cer format) using Windows and download the Developer Certificate (.cer) file.

OpenSSL may be used to convert the Developer Certificate (.cer) into a Developer Certificate (.pem format) and then into a Developer Certificate (.p12 format) as follows:

To convert the Developer Certificate (e.g. developer_identity.cer) file into a .pem file, enter (all on one line):

openssl x509 -in developer_identity.cer -inform DER -out developer_identity.pem -outform PEM

To convert the .pem file into a .p12 file, enter (all on one line):

openssl pkcs12 -export -inkey newkey.key -in developer_identity.pem -out developer_identity.p12

The Developer Certificate (in .p12 format) contains both the Developer Certificate and a private key (e.g. 'newkey.key'); it may be used to sign an app..

Note: you may need to enter a pass phrase to protect your private key, and a password to protect your .p12 file. The password will later be used when building an iOS app.

Debugging

How do I enable weinre (Remote Web Inspector?

weinre is automatically enabled by the Appception IDE for Debug builds.

How do I fix a blank weinre screen?

If the weinre Window is blank, empty the web browser cache, logout, and then re-start the web browser.

What is appc.cc.min.js?

This is a helper script which automatically detects Cordova, and uses a modified version for remote previewing. It can be removed for Release builds.

What is jsl.rpc.min.js?

This is a helper script which contains various utilities, mostly used for debugging. It can be removed for Release builds.

Troubleshooting

The Inspect buttons do not work. Why?

To see output from the Inspect buttons, pop-ups must be enabled in your web browser.

Pop-ups are used to display information that may require a large amount of screen space in separate browser Windows.

How do I enable the Java plugin in Chrome?

In the browser Tools menu, select 'Settings'
Click the 'Show advanced settings...' link at the bottom of the page
Under 'Privacy', click the 'Content Settings' button
Under 'Plug-ins', click 'Manage Exceptions'. Enter '[*.]cdn.appception.com' and press ENTER.
Restart the browser

Note: If the browser prompts for Java when the Emulator is started:

Select Settings
Click the 'Show advanced settings...' link at the bottom of the page
Under 'Privacy', click the 'Content Settings' button
Under 'Plug-ins', click the 'Disable individual plug-ins...' link
At the bottom of the 'Java' plugin, check the 'Always allowed' checkbox

FTP client logs in but cannot list files or transfer data. How do I fix this?

FTP may fail to list directories or transfer data if the FTP client is behind a firewall. In this case, set the FTP client data transfer mode to PASSIVE (not ACTIVE).

The iOS app icon flashes but the app does not start. How do I fix this?

Sometimes, iOS apps must be deleted before a newer version can be installed. To delete an iOS app, press and hold the app icon for a few seconds and then press the 'X' that appears in the corner of the icon. Click the device button to clear the 'X' label from all app icons. Now, reinstall the app.

ABug will not install an app. How do I fix this?

Sometimes, the app signing credentials do not match with an existing version of an app. In this case, use Android 'Settings->Applications->Manage applications' to uninstall the existing version of the app. Then, use 'Rebuild All' to rebuild and re-install the app.

App displays: "A network error has occurred." How do I fix this?

This is a known Android issue. See: https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=17535

Cordova 2.4.0+ provides a workaround. To fix this problem, create a new project using Cordova 2.4.0 or newer.