Publishing Kotlin App to Play Store

Publishing Kotlin App to Play Store

Let’s explore how to prepare and publish your Kotlin app to the Google Play Store.

App Preparation

Version Configuration

// build.gradle.kts
android {
    defaultConfig {
        applicationId = "com.example.myapp"
        versionCode = 1
        versionName = "1.0.0"
        minSdk = 21
        targetSdk = 34
    }

    buildTypes {
        release {
            isMinifyEnabled = true
            isShrinkResources = true
            proguardFiles(
                getDefaultProguardFile("proguard-android-optimize.txt"),
                "proguard-rules.pro"
            )
        }
    }
}

Signing Configuration

// build.gradle.kts
android {
    signingConfigs {
        create("release") {
            storeFile = file("keystore/release.keystore")
            storePassword = System.getenv("KEYSTORE_PASSWORD")
            keyAlias = System.getenv("KEY_ALIAS")
            keyPassword = System.getenv("KEY_PASSWORD")
        }
    }

    buildTypes {
        release {
            signingConfig = signingConfigs.getByName("release")
        }
    }
}

Release Checklist

Code Quality

// 1. Remove debug code
class ReleaseConfig {
    companion object {
        const val DEBUG = false
        const val LOGGING_ENABLED = false
    }
}

// 2. Handle exceptions properly
fun safeOperation() {
    try {
        // Operation code
    } catch (e: Exception) {
        if (ReleaseConfig.DEBUG) {
            e.printStackTrace()
        }
        // Handle error gracefully
    }
}

// 3. Clean up resources
class ResourceManager {
    fun cleanup() {
        // Release resources
        imageCache.clear()
        database.close()
        // Other cleanup
    }
}

Play Store Assets

Store Listing

// 1. App metadata
object AppMetadata {
    const val APP_NAME = "My Awesome App"
    const val SHORT_DESCRIPTION = "A brief description of your app"
    const val FULL_DESCRIPTION = """
        Detailed description of your app features:
        • Feature 1
        • Feature 2
        • Feature 3
    """.trimIndent()
}

// 2. Content rating
object ContentRating {
    const val RATING = "Everyone"
    const val CONTENT_DESCRIPTORS = listOf(
        "No violence",
        "No sexual content",
        "No profanity"
    )
}

Release Process

Build Process

// 1. Generate release build
object ReleaseBuilder {
    fun generateReleaseBuild() {
        // Clean project
        // Run tests
        // Generate release APK/Bundle
        // Verify signing
        // Upload to Play Store
    }
}

// 2. Version management
object VersionManager {
    fun incrementVersionCode(currentCode: Int): Int {
        return currentCode + 1
    }

    fun generateVersionName(major: Int, minor: Int, patch: Int): String {
        return "$major.$minor.$patch"
    }
}

Play Store Console

Release Management

// 1. Release track management
sealed class ReleaseTrack {
    object Internal : ReleaseTrack()
    object Alpha : ReleaseTrack()
    object Beta : ReleaseTrack()
    object Production : ReleaseTrack()
}

// 2. Release configuration
data class ReleaseConfig(
    val track: ReleaseTrack,
    val releaseNotes: Map<String, String>,
    val rolloutPercentage: Int = 100
)

Best Practices

Release Guidelines

// 1. Release checklist
object ReleaseChecklist {
    val items = listOf(
        "Update version code and name",
        "Update release notes",
        "Test on multiple devices",
        "Verify signing configuration",
        "Check ProGuard rules",
        "Verify API endpoints",
        "Test in-app purchases",
        "Verify analytics",
        "Check crash reporting",
        "Verify deep links"
    )
}

// 2. Release validation
object ReleaseValidator {
    fun validateRelease(build: Build): Boolean {
        return validateVersion(build) &&
               validateSigning(build) &&
               validateSize(build) &&
               validatePermissions(build)
    }
}

Common Patterns

Release Utilities

// 1. Release notes generator
object ReleaseNotesGenerator {
    fun generateNotes(commits: List<Commit>): String {
        return commits
            .filter { it.type == CommitType.FEATURE || it.type == CommitType.FIX }
            .groupBy { it.type }
            .map { (type, commits) ->
                """
                ${type.name}:
                ${commits.joinToString("\n") { "• ${it.message}" }}
                """.trimIndent()
            }
            .joinToString("\n\n")
    }
}

// 2. Release tracker
class ReleaseTracker {
    private val releases = mutableListOf<Release>()

    fun trackRelease(release: Release) {
        releases.add(release)
        notifyStakeholders(release)
        updateAnalytics(release)
    }
}

Conclusion

Publishing to Play Store requires:

• Proper app preparation
• Version management
• Signing configuration
• Store listing assets
• Release process
• Following best practices

Remember to:

• Test thoroughly
• Handle errors gracefully
• Clean up debug code
• Manage versions properly
• Follow Play Store guidelines
• Monitor release metrics

Stay tuned for more Kotlin tips and tricks!