Question

We have an Android app built with Mono for Android, and now we have desire to make a deployable test version for use in acceptance testing. It is important that the production version remains on the device and keeps working. What is the recommended way of creating a test build without causing interference like package name collisions?

Answer 1

This solution applies to Mono for Android and allows you to change the package name of an application based on build configuration in Visual Studio:

1. Create a new Build Configuration, Test, for your solution.
2. Define a new Conditional compilation symbol, TEST, in your project.
3. Rename your existing AndroidManifest.xml to AndroidManifest-Template.xml

4. Create two .xslt files in the Properties folder:
   
   manifest-transform.xslt:

   <?xml version="1.0" ?>
   <xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0">
     <xsl:output indent="yes" />
     <xsl:template match="@*|node()">
       <xsl:copy>
         <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()" />
       </xsl:copy>
     </xsl:template>
     <xsl:template match="/manifest/@package">
       <xsl:attribute name="package">
         <xsl:value-of select="'<your.test.package.name.here>'" />
       </xsl:attribute>
     </xsl:template>
   </xsl:stylesheet>
   

   manifest-copy.xslt:

   <?xml version="1.0" ?>
   <xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0">
     <xsl:output indent="yes" />
     <xsl:template match="@*|node()">
       <xsl:copy>
         <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()" />
       </xsl:copy>
     </xsl:template>
   </xsl:stylesheet>
   

5. Add two XslTransformation tasks to the BeforeBuild target of your project file:

   <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
     <XslTransformation 
       Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' != 'Test|AnyCPU'" 
       XslInputPath="Properties\manifest-copy.xslt" 
       XmlInputPaths="Properties\AndroidManifest-Template.xml" 
       OutputPaths="Properties\AndroidManifest.xml" />
     <XslTransformation 
       Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Test|AnyCPU'" 
       XslInputPath="Properties\manifest-transform.xslt" 
       XmlInputPaths="Properties\AndroidManifest-Template.xml" 
       OutputPaths="Properties\AndroidManifest.xml" />
   </Target>
   

6. Use the TEST symbol for conditional code:

   #if TEST
       [Application(
           Label = "App Test", 
           Theme = "@style/Theme.App.Test", 
           Icon = "@drawable/ic_launcher_test")]
   #else
       [Application(
           Label = "App", 
           Theme = "@style/Theme.App", 
           Icon = "@drawable/ic_launcher")]
   #endif
   

You can now switch between test and regular app by changing build config 🙂