Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

Android

ms2030
ms2030
2,973 Points
Posted by ms2030
ms2030
2,973 Points

Confused with all the names (package, project, app, ...)

I've listened to the first few stages and I don't understand what all the different names are used for.

question 1: My apk is created as "crystalball.apk". Why? how am I telling it to do this?

question 2: How should I treat Application Package Name vs. Package Name under src folder? Should I make them the same?

question 3: Should my app name be part of the package names or independent of it?

  • com.treehouse vs. com.treehouse.crystalball ?

3 Answers

Vince Urag
Vince Urag
7,574 Points
Vince Urag
Vince Urag
7,574 Points
  1. because you set your application name to "crystalball". APK is Android application package file. It is an installer for your app.
  2. Application Name is the name of your application. In your case you named it "crystalball", that's why you got crystalball.apk. Package Name is com.example.crystalball I think it is used by Google play for distinguishing apps. For example, I uploaded my app name crystalball. you uploaded yours named crystalball also. Google play uses the package name to distinguish the two. Also package name are used when you update your app.
  3. Yes because you need it when you update your app. For example your version 1 of crystal ball is uploaded. You created an update to it. For it to appear as an update of the crystal ball app, it must have the same package name of your version 1.

Happy holidays! :)

ms2030
ms2030
2,973 Points
ms2030
ms2030
2,973 Points

Ok, I figured out the answer to my first question.

The apk filename and workspace folder name come from the Java Project Name. (I'm sure everyone else knows this but the Java Project name is the name beside the blue folder under the Package explorer)

Vince Urag
Vince Urag
7,574 Points
Vince Urag
Vince Urag
7,574 Points

Glad you figured out the answer! Happy Holidays Mark! :)