Daily -vs- Latest Public

Solar2D Daily Builds and Public Releases
#1

I am ready to publish an app, and wonder wether it is recommended to use the latest public release or the latest daily build, when publishing the app?  Are there more issues with apps released using the latest daily builds?

I am using latest public release 3068, and yesterday, I started getting a ‘plugin version error’ popping up each launch on my simulator for the GameSparks plugin.  I noticed this coincided with the latest daily build 3115 release yesterday.

Although the pop-up notes ‘not available for this version of the simulator’ I am not sure if the issue will carry over to the actual published app.  If it is just a ‘simulator’ issue, I can deal with the the pop-up every test run of the app on the simulator. 

So what do most devs use when publishing their apps;  latest daily build or last public release?

More importantly, Is this just a simulator issue and should I be ‘ok’ to use the GameSparks plugin with the latest public release ,3068?

Thanks

Bob

#2

Hey Bob!

GameSparks did an update yesterday. They fixed a few bugs, made some API updates. If you’re getting a plugin version error, I would recommend reaching out to them. The timing with 3115 is purely coincidence. GameSparks however requires 3103 or later. There is this check-in note with daily build 3103: 

  • iOS/Native: fixing Download Plugins with framework dependencies

 

So it’s likely they need that fix for some reason and that may have been in their update yesterday.  If you build with 3068, your users will get that popup. 

 

As far as 3115, I don’t see any check-in messages, so the daily build process may have just felt a need to create a build or we tweaked something in source control to trigger it. Daily build 3114 “feels” pretty stable. I’m using it as my version and there hasn’t been any forum reports complaining about 3114.  As far as what other devs do? I don’t have any real stats on it, but my gut instinct says for people who post in the forums, it’s about 50/50 public/daily. 

 

Given the requirement to use 3103 or later with GameSparks that may be your decision maker.  

 

Are there more issues with apps released using the latest daily builds? That’s tough to answer. We fix bugs in between public builds. . From that perspective daily builds should in theory be more stable but bugs creep in from new features or bug fixes can have unforeseen consequences. 

What factors are driving your need to publish today?

 

Are you using Google IAP?

The Facebook Plugin?

 

The reason I ask is that we made an update to the Google IAP plugin to help reduce the number of "ANR"s or “App Not Responding” errors that Google likes to report. It has a small breaking change, so yo don’t get the new plugin unless you’re using 3105 or later (see: https://coronalabs.com/blog/2017/07/19/important-google-iap-plugin-update/). With this your users could get a better IAP experience, but it potentially means some minor code updates.  Facebook is getting a similar fix. Hopefully we will have that out sometime this week. If you’re using Facebook, it may be worth waiting until we push that plugin out to cut down on the ANRs. If you’re only doing an iOS release, none of that is relevant to you.

 

There may be reasons for you to wait a few more days before publishing and it sounds like you’re going to need to use a daily build anyway because of GameSparks. 

 

Rob

#3

Rob,

Thanks for such a detailed response.

Actually I meant by ‘ready to publish’, I am in final testing, and will publish by end of week.

Not using facebook plugin.

Not using google IAP.  (I am using IAP Badger, which is what I am testing today)

I am using these in my app  : ( GameSparks, Vungle, RevMob, IAP Badger )  Just need to do the final testing on these.

I think I will use 3114. 

Thanks

Bob

#4

IAP Badger is using Google IAP under the hood if you’re submitting to Google.

#5

Thanks Rob… I figured that might be the case.

#6

BTW - with IAP Badger, if you’re using the plug-in version and a relatively new daily build (since the Google IAP changes mentioned above) you should be fine…

…but if you’re using an older build with the plug-in, in your call to iap.init()  you will need to set  usingOldGoogle to true  otherwise your IAPs won’t work.

Simon  

#7

Simon.

I am using IAP Badger.  Thanks for IAP Badger, that you have provided to the Corona community.

I am using daily 3114, tested it on my iPad 2 days ago, and seems to function correctly.  I plan to test it on my android device today.

Thanks for your input!

Bob

#8

Hi CyberParkStudios,

In case you need it, the best way to get in touch with GameSparks support about this would be to issue a ticket here - https://support.gamesparks.net/support/home They’ll be able to advise best practice when it comes to publishing your game with GameSparks :slight_smile:

Clare

#9

Clare,

Thanks for you input.  I did contact GS-support.  They were very helpful.  I believe so far it is working fine.  Once I started using Corona daily build 3114, there has been no issues.

Thanks

Bob

#10

Hey Bob!

GameSparks did an update yesterday. They fixed a few bugs, made some API updates. If you’re getting a plugin version error, I would recommend reaching out to them. The timing with 3115 is purely coincidence. GameSparks however requires 3103 or later. There is this check-in note with daily build 3103: 

  • iOS/Native: fixing Download Plugins with framework dependencies

 

So it’s likely they need that fix for some reason and that may have been in their update yesterday.  If you build with 3068, your users will get that popup. 

 

As far as 3115, I don’t see any check-in messages, so the daily build process may have just felt a need to create a build or we tweaked something in source control to trigger it. Daily build 3114 “feels” pretty stable. I’m using it as my version and there hasn’t been any forum reports complaining about 3114.  As far as what other devs do? I don’t have any real stats on it, but my gut instinct says for people who post in the forums, it’s about 50/50 public/daily. 

 

Given the requirement to use 3103 or later with GameSparks that may be your decision maker.  

 

Are there more issues with apps released using the latest daily builds? That’s tough to answer. We fix bugs in between public builds. . From that perspective daily builds should in theory be more stable but bugs creep in from new features or bug fixes can have unforeseen consequences. 

What factors are driving your need to publish today?

 

Are you using Google IAP?

The Facebook Plugin?

 

The reason I ask is that we made an update to the Google IAP plugin to help reduce the number of "ANR"s or “App Not Responding” errors that Google likes to report. It has a small breaking change, so yo don’t get the new plugin unless you’re using 3105 or later (see: https://coronalabs.com/blog/2017/07/19/important-google-iap-plugin-update/). With this your users could get a better IAP experience, but it potentially means some minor code updates.  Facebook is getting a similar fix. Hopefully we will have that out sometime this week. If you’re using Facebook, it may be worth waiting until we push that plugin out to cut down on the ANRs. If you’re only doing an iOS release, none of that is relevant to you.

 

There may be reasons for you to wait a few more days before publishing and it sounds like you’re going to need to use a daily build anyway because of GameSparks. 

 

Rob

#11

Rob,

Thanks for such a detailed response.

Actually I meant by ‘ready to publish’, I am in final testing, and will publish by end of week.

Not using facebook plugin.

Not using google IAP.  (I am using IAP Badger, which is what I am testing today)

I am using these in my app  : ( GameSparks, Vungle, RevMob, IAP Badger )  Just need to do the final testing on these.

I think I will use 3114. 

Thanks

Bob

#12

IAP Badger is using Google IAP under the hood if you’re submitting to Google.

#13

Thanks Rob… I figured that might be the case.

#14

BTW - with IAP Badger, if you’re using the plug-in version and a relatively new daily build (since the Google IAP changes mentioned above) you should be fine…

…but if you’re using an older build with the plug-in, in your call to iap.init()  you will need to set  usingOldGoogle to true  otherwise your IAPs won’t work.

Simon  

#15

Simon.

I am using IAP Badger.  Thanks for IAP Badger, that you have provided to the Corona community.

I am using daily 3114, tested it on my iPad 2 days ago, and seems to function correctly.  I plan to test it on my android device today.

Thanks for your input!

Bob

#16

Hi CyberParkStudios,

In case you need it, the best way to get in touch with GameSparks support about this would be to issue a ticket here - https://support.gamesparks.net/support/home They’ll be able to advise best practice when it comes to publishing your game with GameSparks :slight_smile:

Clare

#17

Clare,

Thanks for you input.  I did contact GS-support.  They were very helpful.  I believe so far it is working fine.  Once I started using Corona daily build 3114, there has been no issues.

Thanks

Bob