Deploy `Flutter` App in `iOS AppStore` and `Android PlayStore`

[nelsonic]

Recently spent a few hours on a Train with patchy network and the interface of the MVP didn’t allow me to input a new item. The item.text input was not focus-able in the LiveView. :sad:

and then the page timeout completely:

This is totally lame and we need to address it as our collective top priority. The App needs to work offline. We need to work back from that goal and create our roadmap.

Todo

• [ ] Investigate and document deployment to iOS App Store
• [x] ITC to release her iPhone 12 Pro for Lucho or we can order a new iPhone SE 2022 to use as a Dev device.
• [ ] Test on real device(s) wherever possible!
• [ ] Nelson to setup Apple Developer Account, and pay the annual fee!

Android

• [ ] Investigate and comprehensively document the steps to deploy Google Play Store -> @LuchoTurtle is best for investigating this as he uses Android daily.

[nelsonic]

@LuchoTurtle once you've had a chance to wrap up your work on WYSIWYG both in the demo and then in the App, this is our next highest priority. We need a checklist of everything we need in order to deploy the Flutter App to the iOS AppStore and Google Play Store. Then we can work our way through that list. 🙏

[LuchoTurtle]

Understood 👌 .

I'll have a look at how to deploy for both the App Store and Playstore and try to automate it. Do you prefer I document this process in https://github.com/dwyl/learn-flutter, since it's Flutter-related?

[nelsonic]

Good plan on learn-flutter for the docs. 👌 In terms of costs, please don’t worry about $100 for Dev accounts for either platform. Just document what is required and you will be repaid for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred. 💸

We will use an *@dwyl.com email address to register the company dev accounts once the docs are ready for review. 🤞🏼

[LuchoTurtle]

On second notice, in order to contain relevant guides in this app, I'm making the deployment.md file in this repo with the checklist that we'll have to undergo when deploying. I will link this guide in learn-flutter later, though, no problem.

[nelsonic]

That works well. 👌

[nelsonic]

@LuchoTurtle I'm going to register a new Biz Account: https://appleid.apple.com/account

[nelsonic]

Had to download the following app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-developer/id640199958

[nelsonic]

£79.99/year 💸

[nelsonic]

To register a company legal entity for dev account had to get a D‑U‑N‑S® Number: https://www.dnb.co.uk/duns-number/lookup/find-my-duns.html

https://www.dnb.co.uk/forms/thank-you-pages/duns-lookup-thank-you.html

Waiting for the email ...

[iteles]

I'm VERY happy to release the iPhone 12 SE. I'll restore to factory settings this afternoon.

I only use it to hold my UK SIM and make international calls and I can do that from any much older phone we have lying around 👍

[nelsonic]

Had to open an Apple Case as the enrolment is blocked ...

Currently on hold ... ⏳

[nelsonic]

@iteles if you're following along, the issue was the ridiculous street address the bookkeepers have on Companies House ...

Was on the call with Apple Support for 20+ minutes ... ⏳ (on Roaming ... thanks Brexit! 🤦‍♂️)

The helpful AppleCare person sent me a "magic" link to complete the form and did a screen share with me:

Anyway, all this time-suck later and the enrollment is "being processed":

[LuchoTurtle]

Because I want to start out with adding a GH Action pipeline to deploy to the Google Play Store, I think we need to have a minimum of three different branches for our development cycle:

• production: self-explanatory.
• UAT: aka "staging"
• dev: branch for the development.

I'll create a simple file only for the main branch, but we should naturally progress towards having this. I'm still not able to publish anything into Play Store because I'm not yet verified but I'll document as far as I can.

[nelsonic]

dev is basically redundant if we use feature (named) branches. (but I get what you mean) having a named branch such as prod makes sense if we are doing releases without using git tags. But otherwise main should just be the single source of truth. 💭

[nelsonic]

Sadly, Apple Dev Support has rejected my application for Dev Program because DWYL LTD already has an account:

I've replied to axsk them to send me the details so that I can recover the account. 🤞

[iteles]

I went hunting in emails.

The problem we have is this was registered with an email address that we no longer have access to (@dwyl.io).

And the security questions for password reset are unhelpful.

[nelsonic]

@iteles sounds like you need to be on the Apple Support call with me then.

[nelsonic]

@iteles need your help ASAP, please. 🙏 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGwHLhfqcBTqxrrsgXnptFfkwJH

Need to get the email and name details of who registered the Apple Dev Account. please.

[iteles]

I would imagine that this is @sohilpandya ! The dwyl.io emails (his and general company one) used at the time don't exist any more though.

[nelsonic]

While waiting for @iteles, going to register for @dwyl Google Play Account ... https://github.com/dwyl/app/issues/346

[nelsonic]

@iteles do you not have access to the email as the admin? 🤷‍♂️

I've sent Apple a follow-up email stating that our esteemed ex-colleague Sohil no longer works with the company ... 📧 Let's see what they say. ⏳

[iteles]

@nelsonic No, as I've said. The emails used at the time were @dwyl.io and they don't exist anymore and we don't own that domain anymore.

We don't have access Or a way to get access.

We can probably provide proof in the form of emails we bought the domain and then also the original email we got when we signed up.

[nelsonic]

Inês, emailed eurodev@apple.com (replied in the chain) to confirm that she no longer has access to the @dwyl.io email address that was used to register for Apple Dev Account. Let's see what they say. ⏳

[iteles]

They've asked for a phone call with me.

I replied to suggest 08h00 on Monday but they didn't reply and they only work weekdays so let's see when they get back to me.

[nelsonic]

Thanks for following up @iteles Meanwhile the Google Play Account #346 is verified. ✅

[iteles]

Spoke to Apple Developer Support this morning.

Jumped through the hoops to confirm our identity and agreed we'd create a new Apple ID, register it as a developer account and then they'll link the account on their side. I have been told this will take 24 hours though.

[nelsonic]

@iteles when I tried to create the new Dev Account last week I wasn't allowed to. 😞 Are you sure they will allow you to create a new one and link it? 🔗 🤞

[iteles]

I've created a new Apple ID And signed that up for a developer account (thanks for getting he erring the D-U-N-S number @nelsonic) as instructed earlier.

I emailed Apple support to let them know if was done straight away. Hopefully we'll know more soon.

[nelsonic]

Thanks. Let's hope they prioritise it. 🤞

[iteles]

I created the new ID and registered it as a developer account as they asked me and got the same email you did @nelsonic, saying that the company was already registered.

Going back over the email I was sent from Apple Dev, they suggest that all I need to do is log in and log out of the developer website to register a presence rather than full enrollment:

I have emailed them again today to confirm this and my understanding and to make myself available for a call any time.

Fingers crossed they get to it soon 🤞

[iteles]

[iteles]

Sorted!

Now we just have to pay the membership and we're ready to go.

Annoyingly, my card doesn't seem to be working @nelsonic, so let's please convene and use one of yours asap until the DWYL card arrives.

[nelsonic]

@iteles can you sit down with me and we can get this paid today after lunch? 🙏

[nelsonic]

@iteles don't know if you saw my previous message ... ⏳ (I know you have a lot on ...) If you can either grant me access to the account or sit down with me for T10min to get this done. 🧑‍💻 🙏 For: https://github.com/dwyl/app/pull/343#issuecomment-1779683574

[iteles]

@nelsonic Let's just grab our laptops and sit and get this done today. I can't remember the access details but they will be on my computer.

[nelsonic]

@iteles Ready when you are. 💻 👌