In-App purchase. Sharing of free and paid templates

[trevix]

I am planning a free App (iOS,Android,OS X,Win) that runs on "Templates" made by users. Some will be free and some will need to be paid.

The user will be able to download available templates (from the App or from a browser, don't know yet), the free ones and the paid ones.
The user will also be able to create his templates and post them, for a fee or free.

While I am proceeding with the development, I am starting to think what is the best way to deploy the above. I AM NOT talking about the technicality of it, but what for example APPLE will have to say, when I will try to submit the App.

If it wasn't for the Apple rules, I guess I would implement a web page, where to buy/authorize the sale. In the App then, autorized templates could be downloaded, both on Desktop and Mobile. From the App also the user could just set the price for his new template and upload it to the web site, where, once verified, it will be posted.
I guess this would work fine for Win/OSX and Android.

But as I understand, Apple wants its chunk of money and they may require in-App purchase (in the desktop too?). This would make everything much more complicated and may be a cause for rejection...

Any thought on this subject?
Trevix

[richmond62]

My thought is about what the templates would consist of: Livecode stacks?

That cannot be done as end-users of your app won't have access to Livecode.

I am interested to know what the templates would be based on (text files?)
and how they would be generated from within the app.

[tomBTG]

Would these templates contain any code at all? If so, I suspect that will run into Apple's security limits.

As for the in-app purchases, I would do a careful read of the Apple Developer agreement. I vaguely recall a restriction on doing commerce within your app that by-passes the Apple process.

Tom Bodine

[trevix]

Yes. Templates are docs of the App. And do contain code. They are made of different pourpose cards, placed in personalized order to accomplish a result.
Would it make any difference if I would transform them in plain xml or json text file and recreate the cards inside the App?

What I consider interesting, is that the developer does not sale these templates, but users create them and post them for sale to other users. It is a trading that is governed by the developer (me, who takes a chunk on any transaction) but happens between users.

It is like if a music notation/sequencing software would allow users to write scores and to eventually sale them to other users. They would contain code or at least coded sequences transformed into binary. How would Apple handle such a thing? Or, why should they not allow a legitimate trade between users?

[trevix]

I read (from the Apple Developer Program License Agreement):

3.3.2 ...For macOS Applications submitted to Apple for distribution on the App Store, an Application may install or run interpreted or executable code (e.g., plug-ins and extensions) for use in conjunction with the Application only so long as such code: (a) does not change the Application's submitted binary or would not otherwise be considered an update (as determined in Apple’s sole discretion); and (b) does not change the primary purpose of the Application by providing features or functionality that are inconsistent with the intended and advertised purpose of the Application as submitted to the App Store.

It's ok for an App to run interpreted code, if it does not change the App, does not update it or change its purpose. So it would seems ok.
But, in the same paragraph

interpreted code may only be used in an Application if all scripts, code and interpreters are packaged in the Application and not downloaded.

And this is a problem.

I started to think to an example that works in a similar manner to the one I could implement and that I would like an opinion from you guys:
FileMaker GO is a database App (available on mobile and desktop) and, on iOS, is free.
But Apple does not seems to object to the fact that you can buy a db doc (in my case, a template) from a third party, for example for writing invoices, using the web site of the developer (so no in-app purchase). The end user can then transfer it to Filemaker Go using the "sharing file" of iTunes.

The same works fine for "Notion", "Note plus" etc.
Would that be allowed?

[wprothero]

Trevix:
I have thought that it would be great to have a template stack for educational apps and would be set up to:
1. Log in a user (for a specific class)
2. Report (email) software bugs to the author
3. Be set up to download software update and/or add-ons
4. Keep track of student data like homework scores, student activity, time on task, etc.
5. Specific to education, there could be templates for:
a. Various kind of auto gradable homeworks (multiple choice, numeric answer, click to choose, etc)
b. Presentations that could include text, video, images, animations
c. Writing assignments that could be graded easily by the teacher or peers (like calibrated peer review)
Writing assignments should be able to include images.

There could be various levels of complexity. For example, suppose an instructor wants to build and distribute a learning module to students in his class. She/he could just incorporate his/her email into the stack and distribute it to his students. This would probably only work if the instructor had an indy license, if she needed to protect the stack from student tinkering. Or perhaps the instructor doesn't need the feedback from the app that students have actually looked at it.

[wprothero]

Trevix:
I don't see why your application needs to be a livecode app. You can more easily distribute templates for download using a web site with Drupal or Wordpress, and online payment systems are usually available as plugins.

Also, I don't see that having downloadable templates on mobile would be that useful. If you have in mind to have authors simply plug in content and then email it to students or others, that might work, but I think teachers would find a starter template where they actually got the community version of livecode and could add content and slowly become more proficient in livecode, would be much more useful.

[trevix]

Perhaps i should have stated that I am planning a commercial application.

You'll see how it will work from my Pitch:

https://youtu.be/YmCaZLFop5M

[wprothero]

Trevix:
FYI, the link is to a private youtube video.

I had been thinking that you would be distributing editable livecode stacks that were templates for various apps. That was the context I was assuming when I made my suggestions. I'll try to view your video when it is available.

Good luck,
Bill

[trevix]

Sorry. It should be now.

Regards
Trevix

[trevix]

I am coming to think that what is posted on the specialfolderpath("documents") on iOS, no matter where it comes from of it has been paid, is fine for Apple.
So if if you buy a template from me, downloading it from the web, and you sync it on shared doc of iTunes, all is fine (for Apple)

Some one can confirm me this?

And what about the specialFolderPath("documents") & "/inbox" ? can it be used for anything?

[tomBTG]

Hi, Bill.
Much of the app you described is available through Google Forms. See https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/08 ... chool.aspx
Tom Bodine

Trevix:
I have thought that it would be great to have a template stack for educational apps and would be set up to:
1. Log in a user (for a specific class)
2. Report (email) software bugs to the author
3. Be set up to download software update and/or add-ons
4. Keep track of student data like homework scores, student activity, time on task, etc.
5. Specific to education, there could be templates for:
a. Various kind of auto gradable homeworks (multiple choice, numeric answer, click to choose, etc)
b. Presentations that could include text, video, images, animations
c. Writing assignments that could be graded easily by the teacher or peers (like calibrated peer review)
Writing assignments should be able to include images.