Pre Release Checks
Package.appxmanifest > Visual Assets
Store Logo
Provide your own 50x50px logo
Square 44×44 Logo
Provide your own 24x24px logo
Provide your own 88x88px logo
Square 150×150 Logo
Provide your own 300x300px logo
Square 310×150 Logo
Provide your own 620x300px logo
Splash Screen
You must have a “scale-200” image for deployment to work (its the default one, others are optional)
Supply 1 source image (2480x1200px ideal) and it will generate the rest from it.
Files you add are renamed to “SplashScreen.scale-###.png” and stored in the solution explorer ‘Assets’ folder. You can delete images from there if you need to.
Package.appxmanifest > Packaging
Releasing
In Windows Store
Microsoft docs:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/publish/
Log into the store: https://partner.microsoft.com/dashboard
Create the app.
Start your submission
To keep it hidden from general users
‘Pricing and availability’ > ‘Visibility’
Private Audience> ‘Hide this app and prevent acquisition’
Create a new group and add users email addresses to it.
Make this product available but not discoverable in the Microsoft Store n+ Direct link only
Note you need to SAVE your settings!
In Visual Studio
Select ‘Release’
Menu > Build > Run code analysis on soluton
Do any checks you have on the project, set version number defines, etc.
Open Package.appxmanifest file and check the options for your package.
Menu > Build > Clean [MyAppName]
Menu > Build > Rebuild [MyAppName]
In solution Explorer right click the project > Publish > Create App Packages.
Select distribution method > Microsoft Store
It should show your windows store account. Select the app name you’ve already created in the windows store.
Pacakages To Create – Select only ‘ARM’
The app will then be built + packaged
Validate Store App
When presented with “Launch Windows App Certification Kit” > select “Use local device”
Now you are given the option to do the ‘Launch Windows App Certifiation Kit’. We find this brings up a dos box and then stops. To get round this:
Start > Programs. Windows Kits > Windows App Certification Kit > Windows App Cert Kit
Possible Errors
“App manifest references the image ‘Assets\SplashScreen.png’ which does not have a candidate in main app package.”
- You must have a “.scale-200” image (its the default and required)
“Unable to copy file ####”
- Is the path too long where the project is stored???
How to install options
Microsoft docs on this:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot-core/develop-your-app/appinstaller
Adding to Windows Store
On the Raspberry Pi it appears you can’t yet download your app from the store so we skip this currently…
https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/dashboard/Account/Management
Click ‘Windows’ in the top bar to go to the Windows apps you have.
In the device Web Interface
On the Raspberry Pi it appears you can’t yet download your app from the store, so you need to ‘sideload’ it, which is Microsoft talk for how you install an app on a device directly.
Go To ‘Apps’ > the ‘Install App’ section
You will be selecting files from the created “MyProject/AppPackages/MyProject_#.#.#.#_Test/” folder
First install the app certificate:
“Install Certificate” > “Browse” > Select your ‘Certificate’ file: ‘MyProject_#.#.#.#_arm.cer’
Press “Install”
Now install the application:
“Local Storage” > “Browse” > Select the ‘App package’ file: “MyProject_#.#.#.#_arm.appxbundle”
Allow me to select optional packages: No
Allow me to select framework packages: YES
Press “Next”
Press “Browse” multiple times to select each of the files in the “/Dependencies/ARM/” folder
Press “Install”, wait for the installation progress to complete.
The app should be installed without error. Then once installed it should appear in the ‘Apps’ list below. If you want it to auto run on startup then select where you can select it as the “Startup” app.
Resources
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/packaging/packaging-uwp-apps