Xojo and the Microsoft or Apple App store

General
1

I’ve searched the forum for information on how to use xojo and the common app stores.
Lots of stuff returned and most of it negative. Also, most of it seems to be several years old.
On the xojo youtube channel searching for app store returns videos that are 9 or 11 years old.

Where is the documentation on how a xojo app is loaded to the app store. Including the development specifications along with the process of submitting the app.
I see iOS app store related items in the documentation, but not much for the Microsoft store.

2

for MS Store i used Inno Setup in combination with the free tool MSIX Packaging Tool
and let sign the app by ms store.

there should be a topic in xojo forum where i had described it.

store dashboard
https://partner.microsoft.com/en-us/dashboard/home

3

For Apple you’ll need to become an Apple registered developer, then download some certificates that allow you to develop for and to submit to the App Store. Any app you create will need to be code-signed and then notarised (I use AppWrapper for these activities). Me, I distribute via a web site and wouldn’t touch an app store with a barge pole.

The process for Windows appears to be a lot worse.

Edit: for Apple, once registered with Apple you get a developer ID. You can put this ID in the build area of the IDE and the IDE will then, at build-time, code-sign your app. Notarisation involves sending your app to Apple for them to check that it contains no nasties. As I said, AppWrapper will handle all this nicely.

4

My instructions are getting a little old, and here is the link for the Microsoft Store:

5

Thanks for the replies. I’m just getting started with xojo. Wanted to get a background on how it works with the app stores. Looks like it is more complex than expected, but I’ll have to work with it.

6

For Apple certs, you will need more than one - one to develop, another to submit to the app store. Becoming an Apple dev costs IIRC $100 annually. Having got the certs, download them and get Xcode to install them. Then, the IDE can code-sign your app. I use AppWrapper after that, because it can them add extra information such as website and support email, and allow the app to use e.g. the mailto: URL.

It also allows you to specify that your app will need to access to special folders such as Downloads, Desktop, etc, thus avoiding those annoying popups at runtime, and any hardware requirements such as microphone that your app may want.

7

Can you also used that signed version to sell manually or that specific version has to be used in the Windows App Store? Thanks