Multiple application versions
In one aspect, this application describes a method for determining a version of a software application targeted for a computing device. The method includes receiving, at an application marketplace system and from a user associated with a computing device that operates remotely from the application marketplace system, a request that corresponds to a software application distributed by the application marketplace system, the software application having multiple versions on the application marketplace system. The method also includes determining one or more device attributes that are associated with the computing device, and identifying a particular version of the software application, from among the multiple versions on the application marketplace system, that is targeted for the computing device based on the device attributes. The method also includes providing, for display to the user and in response to the request, information related to the particular version of the software application.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, at a computer system supporting an application marketplace, a request from a first computing device to view information about an application, wherein multiple versions of the application have been published on the application marketplace, each of the multiple versions of the application associated with different locations;
identifying a device type of the first computing device among a plurality of device types, wherein the device type identifies a location of the first computing device;
selecting, by the computer system, a version of the application from the multiple versions of the application including analyzing metadata of the multiple versions of the application and identifying the version of the application having metadata that specifies the identified device type, wherein analyzing the metadata of the multiple versions of the application comprises extracting a manifest file that is embedded in the multiple versions of application, the manifest file describing information related to devices, and wherein the information in the manifest file is used to specify a respective location to which a particular application binary is targeted; and
in response to selecting the version of the application, providing for display the selected version of the application for download by the first computing device.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the device type is defined by a software publisher that published the application.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the metadata of the multiple versions of the application was included by the software publisher.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata of the multiple versions of the applications comprises manifest files that also describe dependencies, restrictions, or other types of information that relate to devices that are capable of executing the application, wherein the other types of information includes the location.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of device types is set up by a publisher system based on respective application binaries for each of the multiple versions of the application.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
parsing application binaries of the multiple versions of the application to extract manifest files that are embedded in the multiple version of the application,
wherein the information in the manifest files are used to automatically specify a respective device type to which a particular application binary is targeted.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of device types may be modified by software publishers.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the device type also identifies a particular hardware component in the first computing device.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the device type also identifies a particular operating system in the first computing device.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the device type also identifies a graphics processing capability.
11. A non-transitory computer accessible medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor supporting an application marketplace, cause the processor to:
receive a request from a first computing device to view information about an application, wherein multiple versions of the application have been published on the application marketplace, each of the multiple versions of the application associated with different types of computing devices;
identify a device type of the first computing device among a plurality of device types, wherein the device type identifies a location of the first computing device;
select a version of the application from the multiple versions of the application including analyzing metadata of the multiple versions of the application and identifying the version of the application having metadata that specifies the identified device type, wherein analyzing the metadata of the multiple versions of the application comprises extracting a manifest file that is embedded in the multiple versions of application, the manifest file describing information related to devices, and wherein the information in the manifest file is used to specify a respective location to which a particular application binary is targeted; and
in response to selecting the version of the application, provide for display the selected version of the application for download by the first computing device.
12. The non-transitory computer accessible medium of claim 11 , wherein the device type is defined by a software publisher that published the application.
13. The non-transitory computer accessible medium of claim 12 , wherein the metadata of the multiple versions of the application was included by the software publisher.
14. The non-transitory computer accessible medium of claim 11 , wherein the metadata of the multiple versions of the applications comprises manifest files that describe dependencies, restrictions, or other types of information that relate to devices that are capable of executing the application, wherein the other types of information include the location.
15. The non-transitory computer accessible medium of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of device types is set up by a publisher system based on respective application binaries for each of the multiple versions of the application.
16. The non-transitory computer accessible medium of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
parsing application binaries of the multiple versions of the application to extract manifest files that are embedded in the multiple version of the application,
wherein the information in the manifest files are used to automatically specify a respective device type to which a particular application binary is targeted.
17. The non-transitory computer accessible medium of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of device types are capable of being modified by software publishers.
18. The non-transitory computer accessible medium of claim 11 , wherein the device type also identifies a particular hardware component in the first computing device.
19. The non-transitory computer accessible medium of claim 11 , wherein the device type also identifies a particular operating system in the first computing device.
20. The non-transitory computer accessible medium of claim 11 , wherein the device type also identifies a graphics processing capability.