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illogical-robot / apkmirror-public

APKMirror.com bugs
http://www.apkmirror.com
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Request: show version code too, and not just version name #94

Closed AndroidDeveloperLB closed 4 years ago

AndroidDeveloperLB commented 5 years ago

I've noticed the website shows only the version name, but the real thing that matters is in fact the version code. Developers can set whatever version name they want. It could even stay the same if they forgot. But version code has to always increase, and it's an easy-to-read number. Not just some text.

archon810 commented 5 years ago

The website does show version codes on apk pages, just not in titles.

AndroidDeveloperLB commented 5 years ago

Can you please add it? Maybe not in the title, but sub-title (description), just below the title, with smaller text font. It's more important than version names. It's what really counts. Also, it's incorrect that it's only in the titles. It's also on the APK pages. Example:

Where do you see the version code here:

https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/sync-me/sync-me-caller-id-block/sync-me-caller-id-block-4-18-3-release/#whatsnew

archon810 commented 5 years ago

As I said, it shows it on apk pages, and the page you linked to is a release page.

This is the corresponding apk page showing the version code https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/sync-me/sync-me-caller-id-block/sync-me-caller-id-block-4-18-3-release/sync-me-caller-id-spam-call-blocker-contacts-4-18-3-android-apk-download/.

AndroidDeveloperLB commented 5 years ago

Please show it in the other web pages too. Here are some possible places to put it:

image

archon810 commented 5 years ago

Version codes only make sense in the context of an apk, not a release because a release could have multiple apks, so the only location where a version code would even make sense in your screenshot is the list of apks at the bottom.

However, that would make the already limited in space table potentially a lot wider because some version codes are long.

If you'd like to see the version code for an apk, you're welcome to visit the apk page.

AndroidDeveloperLB commented 5 years ago

Some points:

  1. Actually, you can release 2 APK files in different times, and have the same version name for each (or worse: something that looks lower), while having a different version code (because it's needed). So you could, for example have this issue on the website:

"My app 1.2.3" - version code 123 , released on 2018 "My app 1.2.3" - version code 124, released on 2019

Users won't be able to differentiate between those. Also, you can't install the second one and then the first one, because the version code don't get increased. It's getting decreased.

  1. Even if we ignore this, in some cases, app releases have only a single APK file, so it's incorrect to say that it's impossible. In those cases, the version code is ok to be shown anywhere.

  2. As for space taken on the webpage, version names can be much longer than version codes. Version names are almost limitless. Version codes are not (an integer for most cases, and long in some rare cases).

  3. But in any case, can you please show it here:

image

?

archon810 commented 5 years ago

@SeBsZ Your input on these suggestions?

archon810 commented 4 years ago

@SeBsZ Let's switch to showing the internal versioncode on release pages with single APKs.

AndroidDeveloperLB commented 4 years ago

I'm happy you consider this.

SeBsZ commented 4 years ago

@archon810 I created a PR for you to look at.

archon810 commented 4 years ago

The PR is live.

AndroidDeveloperLB commented 4 years ago

Where do you see the version code?

archon810 commented 4 years ago

In this comment, https://github.com/android-police/apkmirror-public/issues/94#issuecomment-506228174 - the version name here was replaced with the version code: image

AndroidDeveloperLB commented 4 years ago

I mean on main page of an app : https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/sync-me/sync-me-caller-id-block/

If I want to find a version number, I have to enter each of them...

archon810 commented 4 years ago

As mentioned before, the app page only lists releases, not APKs. Releases don't have versioncodes.

AndroidDeveloperLB commented 4 years ago

Yes, so for the releases, I don't see version numbers. Not even one. If you think there could be more, you could write multiple ones, or with "-". With what you have added, it helps only when you already are deep inside, a moment before you download. This doesn't help in case I want to search a version number. Look, even when I search, I don't see a version number: https://www.apkmirror.com/?post_type=app_release&searchtype=apk&s=sync+me There is plenty of space. It could be below the line (so there would be two lines), for example:

image

Or, you could put the version number together with the version name, inside brackets, and put the company name below.

How do you deal with too-long text in one line ? Too long app name, too long version name, too long company name... It's too much for a single line. On mobile I can already see it's 2 lines

archon810 commented 4 years ago

Because again, those are releases, not APKs.

We're not going to put versioncodes from all APKs included in a release on a page listing just releases. This is 99.99% of the time unnecessary information on such pages which only clutters the UI, and there could be many variants in one release - Play Services has over 40 variants, for example. https://www.apkmirror.com/?post_type=app_release&searchtype=apk&s=play+services.

AndroidDeveloperLB commented 4 years ago

OK here are notes why what you wrote is incorrect :

  1. Releases always include APK files. In most cases a single one, which makes sense to show the version number too. But as I wrote, even if there are more than one, you can still group them one way or another, or avoid writing in this case. A possible grouping could be to min and max of them, and write "+X more". In the example I've shown, all releases have a single APK. You can at least do when that's the case. You chose to look at the edge case that showed a lot of APK files per release, but in most cases developers upload a single APK. In fact, what's becoming a bit popular is APK-bundle (AKA split apks), so there is still a main APK, but with addition APK-files that include resources. In this case, it's still like a single file that has a version code (all have to match).

  2. The version name, as I wrote, doesn't mean anything technically. Only the version code. You can install v321 on top v123 (update) but not the opposite, but technically it could happen that you can install "v1.2.3" on top of "v3.2.1" . Not only that, but version name can be just some string such as "testing some feature", which doesn't mean anything.

  3. Clutter the UI - You have an arrow icon (download) that does exactly the same as clicking on the row. Why does it exist ? It doesn't link to download or even save a few steps for it, even if there is a single APK in the release.

  4. As I wrote, version name can be much longer than version number. Version number is limited to how long the variable is, and version name is a whole string. You can easily clutter the UI showing the whole version name. You have plenty of space for a number.

    Here, attached a sample APK that has a very long version name. Would you really show the entire version name in this case, or would you truncate it? I think you should truncate it.

app-debug.zip

I think you can put it in 2 lines. The first line is the title (app name and company). The second is version name and version code/s besides it within brackets.