Common In App Billing Interface

ar2rsawseen

Since the promo from the Amazon, we decided to rush the common iab interface, which would include Amazon IAP.
So here is the first attempt available in the Gideros Labs
http://giderosmobile.com/labs/iab

The idea is to provide common In App Billing interface for most of available iap frameworks, so users could use in app purchases across platforms and iap frameworks with completely same or similar interface.

Currently it supports:

• Ouya (stable)
• Amazon IAP (beta code)
• GoogleBilling v3 (beta code)
• Samsung IAP (alpha code)
• Fortumo IAP (alpha code)

Interface usage is quite simple

• IAB.new(iabframework) -- initialize specified IAB framework
• IAB:setUp(value1, value2, ..., valueN) -- provide all the keys/devids/appids/etc needed for the framework, which you will get in same order on Native part in Map object
• IAB:setProducts({internalId1 = "storeId1", internalId2 = "storeId2", ..., internalIdn = "storeIdn"}) -- provide list of products you will be using (key is your internal products id, value is store specific product id)
• IAB:setConsumables({"internalId1", "internalId2", ..., "internalIdn"}) -- which of your products are consumables, that people can buy many times (provide internal product ids)
• IAB:isAvailable() --check if IAB is available, raises event:
  • Event.AVAILABLE --iab is available
• IAB:requestProducts() --request information for products provided in setProducts method
  • Event.PRODUCT_COMPLETE
    • event.productId
    • event.title
    • event.description
    • event.price
  • Event.PRODUCT_ERROR
    • event.error
• IAB:purchase(prodId) --purchase product by providing your internal product id, raises two events:
  • Event.PURCHASE_COMPLETE
    • event.productId
    • event.receiptId
  • Event.PURCHASE_ERROR
    • event.error
• iab:restore() --raise purchase events for each previously purchases entitled (not consumed) items, raises two events:
  • Event.RESTORE_COMPLETE
  • Event.RESTORE_COMPLETE
    • event.error

Any comments feedback, suggestions, which more frameworks to add, etc, welcome
Especially testing is welcomed, really, really, really welcomed

IAB Interface usage matrix and common scenario will come soon.

talis

Thanks =D>

SinisterSoft

Will you be adding an iOS interface too?

ar2rsawseen

@SinisterSoft only if you request

unlying

and Samsung...

phongtt

+1 for Samsung

moopf

@SinisterSoft only if you request

I don't quite understand why iOS wouldn't be included without requesting it if you're developing a common in app billing interface???

One thing I have wondered, however, is how your app knows whether it's running on Google, Amazon, Ouya etc. Haven't looked into this in detail - is there already a way of determining this?

ar2rsawseen

@moopf that was just kidding around to initiate users into conversation, provide feedback/requests/etc

and about your second question, it won't know, you will have to do that on your own. Like'in ideal case it would be

local iab if application:getDeviceInfo() == "Android" then iab = IAB.new("google") iab:setUp("keys") elseif application:getDeviceInfo() == "iOS" then iab = IAB.new("storekit") iab:setUp("keys") end   --and here comes completely same code for both frameworks to request products/buy stuff etc

Alternatively you might have config file in which to check which version to load, and make separate builds for different markets by only changing config file

moopf

@ar2rsawseen Interesting, so there is nothing that could be exposed through Gideros to actually tell us the platform then? Would it not make sense to split the Android export in Gideros to make it more store-centric, e.g. Android Google, Android Amazon etc. for separate builds.

To be honest I thought the common billing interface would internally know which one to invoke, otherwise it gets really messy on Android.

SinisterSoft

It would be better if there was some way to programmatically discover what AppStore the apk was installed from. There is an open source IAP lib that uses different methods dependant on the install source - maybe that might help?

This way you could possibly have a single APK that dealt with all stores.

ar2rsawseen

@SinisterSoft you are talking about open IAB and no it still won't work with single .apk file, as there it tries to determine in runtime which libraries are installed with priorities to some frameworks, so even if you install all libraries it would always choose the first one by priority. You still would have to make separate apk files for different stores

And there is completely no way to determine from which store the apk was installed on android. It might as well not come from any store.
And besides some frameworks are store independent, like I think Distimo is.

Still I'd say going from completely different code for each store to only different configuration file is a huge step.

unlying

Omg. To much pain to use amazon billing for me. Not from gideros side. From Amazon taxes requirements.

ar2rsawseen

Quite similar for OUYA. And it seems USA enforces these forms and may soon come to every market based in US.

SinisterSoft

@unlying You have to just get a US employer number for a foreign person/company (a single call to the US tax office). Then you put this number on the w8-ben form. You only need to do this once for each store that requires it. It's not really complicated and I think there should be at least one thread on this forum about it somewhere.

SinisterSoft

http://www.giderosmobile.com/forum/vanilla/post/editcomment/28575

moopf

@unlying You have to just get a US employer number for a foreign person/company (a single call to the US tax office). Then you put this number on the w8-ben form. You only need to do this once for each store that requires it. It's not really complicated and I think there should be at least one thread on this forum about it somewhere.

You don't actually need the US employer number either - I've filled in lots of w8-ben forms over the years and it's not actually a requirement to have that in order to correctly complete it. The one I gave to Apple years back never had one on.

Not sure if that requirement has changed since I last filled one in (last year I think) though.

SinisterSoft

@moopf Yes, some places seem to do their own check to confirm your identity and that you're outside the US. I don't know how the US Tax office feels about this, but I think it's a requirement from them to have a W8BEN else they should keep about 30% back from you and pay it directly as tax on your behalf.

Apple (Europe) are based outside the US. No W8BEN to enter. Maybe you filled in the form before they started the EU version of Apple.

moopf

Oh yes, you need a w8-ben, you just don't *need* an EIN (or ITIN, can't remember exactly what it's called) for the form. Having said that it's a 5 minute job to get one anyway.

unlying

Amazon says that i have to send them hard copy of w8-ben. It is too much for me.

moopf

Amazon says that i have to send them hard copy of w8-ben. It is too much for me.

Posting something is too much for you?

unlying

You never use Russian Post service.

SinisterSoft

You upload the hardcopy - you print the form out then sign, then upload a scanned version.

unlying

No options to upload:

Please print, sign with a black or blue pen, then mail your completed W-8BEN form to the following address:

Amazon
Attn: Vendor Maintenance
PO Box 80683
Seattle, WA, 98108-0683
U.S.A.

SinisterSoft

You may have picked the wrong option just before that - there should be an option somewhere to fill it in then print and upload. It was there a month ago 'cause I helped someone else do it.

ar2rsawseen

Updated common IAB interface:
Refined common interface api to match all stores
Amazon Iap passed initial tests
GoogleBilling v3 passed initial tests
Ouya passed initial tests
Updated example and docs to display new api
Added initial support for Samsung IAP
Added initial support for Fortumo IAP

Basically except creating instance, calling setUp to provided needed keys and setProducts to match in app internal product IDs with store specific ids, all other methods are compeltely cross framework compatible and can be used as same code for all stores.

Refer more to provided example with the Gideros Labs download

I currently wait for account aproval on Samsung and Fortumo to test them.

But after that I may even try to develop an auto version discussed before, which would allow to use single apk file for all the stores, based on what is installed on the device it runs (but thats just a theory, and will have a long way of testing to go to that )

Nascode

@ar2rsawseen thankyou so much !!

Nascode

A question, what if we only wish to use google billing v3?

there are many jar on the plugin:
commons-lang-2.6.jar
FortumoInApp-android-9.0.41.jar
guava-r09.jar
in-app-purchasing-1.0.3.jar
jackson-core-asl-1.8.4.jar
jackson-mapper-asl-1.8.4.jar
ouya-sdk.jar

i think it is safe to remove ouya-sdk.jar and Fortumo, how about the others?

ar2rsawseen

Aha, I need to mention file dependencies somewhere.
Well basically you can remove all of them

FortumoInApp-android-9.0.41.jar is for Fortumo

in-app-purchasing-1.0.3.jar is for Amazon

commons-lang-2.6.jar
guava-r09.jar
jackson-core-asl-1.8.4.jar
jackson-mapper-asl-1.8.4.jar
ouya-sdk.jar are for OUYA

Both Google and Samsung does not have internal libs
Samsung has src\com\sec\android package and src\com\giderosmobile\android\plugins\iab\samsung package

Google Billing has src\com\android\vending\billing package and src\com\giderosmobile\android\plugins\iab\google package

And you can also remove the corresponding interfaces, as IabSamsung, IabAmazon, etc, if you are not going to use them

Nascode

Hi @ar2rsawseen

Played with latest plugin, everything is a breeze

Except there is a bug on Google Billing restore method

on Line 186 of IabGoogle.java

Iab.purchaseComplete(this, products.get(prodName), info.getOrderId());

it should be

Iab.purchaseComplete(caller, products.get(prodName), info.getOrderId());

Otherwise it would crash on every restore

ar2rsawseen

Whoops, you are right, fixed it internally, will upload fixed version soon, thanks

aditya

iOS would be great.