Genero Mobile for Android (GMA) 4.01 changes

GMA 4.01 with FGLGWS 4.01

Need for JDK version 17

JDK 17 is required to build Android apps. For the latest information regarding system requirements and Java support, please refer to the Supported platforms and databases document, available on the "Products" download page of the Four Js Web site.

For more details, see Install Genero Mobile for Android.

Cordova / Gradle compatibility

Starting with GMA 4.01.02, Cordova plugins need to be compatible with Gradle plugin version 7.2.1 and Gradle version 7.4.2. All Cordova plugin using outdated Gradle features need to be reviewed.

standard.playSound gets a wait parameter

Starting with GMA 4.01.02, the standard.playSound front call supports a second input parameter to force the front call to return immediately (FALSE), or wait until the sound has finished playing (TRUE).

For more details, see standard.playSound.

standard.playSound allows http/https URLs

Starting with GMA 4.01.02, the standard.playSound front call now supports sound files provided by URIs that take the form of http or https and that exist on the Web or on a private HTTP server. It is no longer required to set up the sound file as a resource on the GAS or programmatically put the file on the client.

For more details, see standard.playSound.

gmabuildtool default keystore type is now PKCS12

When the gmabuildtool option build-jarsigner-keystore is not used, or if the provided keystore file is not valid, gmabuildtool generates a default keystore.

Starting with GMA 4.01.04, the default keystore file is generated with type PKCS12. Before 4.01.04, the default generated keystore was of type JKS.

For more details, see Generate the keystore file to sign your app.

Using GBC theme to define app colors

Starting with GMA 4.01.04, the --build-app-colors option of gmabuildtool is desupported. As replacement, use GBC customization and theming solutions.

Android 13 SDK (API 33) support

Starting with GMA 4.01.04, GMA is based on API 33 / Android 13 SDK.

Permissions summary in gmabuildtool output

Starting with GMA 4.01.06, the gmabuildtool output shows a summary of the Android permissions used to build the APK/AAB. These can be:

Changes to gmabuildtool command arguments

--input-options my_optionfile.txt

@my_optionfile.txt

Changes to gmabuildtool proxy options

Starting with GMA 4.01.06, the --proxy-host and --proxy-port options for setting host and port now apply only to the gmabuildtool updatesdk command.

For more details, see Update the Android SDK with the GMA buildtool.

Package name manifest attribute for user-extensions and cordova builds

Starting with GMA 4.01.06 (since AGP upgrade), for Java user-extensions and Cordova, the package attribute in AndroidManifest.xml is now deprecated and replaced by specifying the namespace attribute in the build.gradle.template file located in templates/src/extension/build.gradle.template.

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.gma.extension">

...
       release {
            minifyEnabled false
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }   
    namespace 'com.gma.extension'
...

The directory path of the scaffold has also changed, it was extension-example/gma/project and is now extension-example/project/scaffold.

For more details, see Custom GMA binary archive build.

Advertizing ID management

If an app package includes the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission, in order to upload the AAB package to the Google Play Console, it is mandatory to declare that the app uses an advertising ID.

Before GMA version 4.01.06, an app package implicitly included the AD_ID permission. Consequently, it was mandatory to declare that the app uses an advertising ID.

Starting with GMA version 4.01.06, the AD_ID permission is no longer implicitly included. As result, the declaration of the advertising ID is no longer required.

However, if the previous app version uploaded to the Play Console had the AD_ID permission, you must keep the declaration of the advertising ID in order to upload the new version, even if this new version does not include the AD_ID permission. During the upload procedure, an error will be shown, explaining to the user that the manifest does not include the permission although it is declared as being used. This error can be ignored. After the new version is uploaded successfully, the advertising ID declaration can be removed, since the last version of the app no longer includes this permission.

Push notifications using FCM API V1

Starting with GMA 4.01.07, the push notifications solution on GMA now uses Firebase Cloud Messaging API V1.

If you have implemented a push notification service using FCM with the former "legacy" Cloud Messaging API, you must review the server and app code.

The structure of the JSON returned by mobile.getRemoteNotifications front call hase changed, see Front calls changes.

For more details, see Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM).

Device identification with standard.feInfo front call

Starting with GMA 4.01.08, the standard.feInfo property "deviceId" returns now the ANDROID_ID, while the "iccid" and "imei" properties are now desupported and will produce a runtime error if used.

For more details, see standard.feInfo.

Changes in earlier versions

Make sure to check the upgrade notes of earlier versions, to not miss changes introduced in maintenance releases. For more details, see Changes in GMA 4.00 / BDL 4.00.