I want my app’s name will be ****&**** (Two words and the Sign & between) but the & Transforms to _.
What should I do?
Android or iOS?
I believe for Android, you’re not allowed to use any of these characters in the app name (or file names)
|\?*<":>+[]/’&
If anyone knows otherwise, please post back.
Really?! I cant do nothing?
First, I should better read titles. Android of course. You said APK (in the title…derp). Less tired today, so I caught that.
Second, I must be wrong about ‘&’. I just did a search and found this random app:
http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lazybeeinc.pepe&hl=en
Notice, it has a ‘&’ in the name. I know we have a feature for iOS where you can specify the store listing name and the app name as part of build-settings. My guess is there is a way to edit the manifest for Android apps later to do the same. However, maybe there is a trick for naming files to get the end-result you want.
Anyone else been able to do this for Android and/or iOS?
Tip: Not exactly the answer you want, but if can edit your manifest and repackage the binary you can change the title:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5443304/how-to-change-an-android-apps-name
So in corona I cant do that???
Example: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.feelingtouch.strikeforce
You’re not hearing what I’m saying.
“Not all is lost yet. I am trying to help you find a way around this. I am also encouraging anyone who has figured this out to share. Meanwhile, I am giving you an option if you feel like digging into ‘editing manifest’.”
Don’t give up so easily. This is going to take some time to resolve. Meanwhile, you’ll need to hang with it, bear with me, etc.
OK, so what should I do now?
I have checked and thise signs do not make problems: ! , @ , # , $ , % , ^ .
Do you have any idea why???
Yes, because ‘&’ is a special symbol that confuses the ADB loader. Corona staff probably realized this and simply replaced it with a legal symobol _.
Try this experiment.
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Create an APK named ABC.apk
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Rename it A&B.apk
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Try uploading it to your device: adb install -r “A&B.apk”
Fails…
The only thing you can do is:
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Wait and hope I or someone else eventually provides a solution.
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Learn how to edit the manifest and modify it yourself based on the link provided yourself.
Tip: The first time, editing a manifest is painful. After that, you’ll be glad you have the trick in your toolkit.
OK… 
If you have a solution tell me.
for now I think i call it **** and ****.
I’m going to see if I can remember the steps for editing the manifest. Then, if it isn’t too hard I’ll list them or help you with this.
I am sure that Sergey had a talk about this once on the Corona Geek Hangout, but its been a dang long time since I’ve done it, so we’ll see. Again, bear with me here.
Note that this does not actually change your app’s name. You can build an app with the name “A & B” and the package of “com.example.aandb”. Your APK will be called “A _ B” but your app on-device will be “A & B”.
Well, that is wonderful.
I just confirmed this. Thanks Michael!
Man did I waste time making an assumption. There is a lesson for you.
For my confirmation, I built an Android binary named “a & b”.
This produced “a _ b.apk”.
When installed it shows as "a & b ".
Perfect.
Just as an FYI, & is the character that tells the Unix/Linux shell to background the operation. So if you type in:
adb install -r A&B.apk it will background:
adb install -r A
and then you will have entered a second command:
B.apk
which returns invalid command. We will not permit shell metacharacters in filenames as it interferes with our build scripts. As Michael said, In the build dialog put your & and even though we rename the APK file to an operating system safe name, it will display right on the device.
Whan I want to bild an apk : file, bild for android, and then aplication name.
when I call it “a&b” it turns into "a_ b"and even when installed it shows as "a_b ".
Namely, What you describe is not happening to me. i still have the problem.
why?
Ps, I greatly appreciate your help
Above I built an app,using the steps you mentioned, but on the device it is named ‘a & b’.
Please tell us and try:
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Corona Build you’re using. ex: I’m using 2015.2687 for this experiment.
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Building from OS X or Windows.
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Adb version you’re using to install (‘adb version’) and if you’re not using ADB, how are you getting the binary on your device.
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Device you’re installing on.
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Android version you’re installing on.
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Please download the binary I supplied and install it. Then tell us, does it show ‘a _ b’ or “a & b” as the title.
This will help us narrow the field a bit Right now there are too many possible places for the error to be occuring. I may have more ideas later. For example, if you install the binary on your device and:
- It shows ‘a _ b’, then its probably the device, the os, or the tools used to upload to the device.
- It shows ‘a & b’, then the above are fine, but you and I have a build environment difference and the problem is in that environment or a tool difference between us. (I consider Corona a ‘tool’ in this description.)
- 2014.2511 (2014.11.18).
- Building from Windows.
- I don’t know what is Adb version.
- Nexus 5.
- Android version: 5.1.1.
- The binary show “a & b” as the title.
Please upgrade to 2015.2646 (our latest release build) or preferably 2015.2697 (our latest daily build).
How? Never done that