Cannot test In-App-Purchases in iOS Sandbox

[physics9c]

I'm using the Milkman StoreKite ANE ( maybe this is out of date? who would even tell us? )

And I cannot seem to get In App Purchases to test correctly. I have the development certificate, the development provisioning profile, the ad-hoc distribution checked in Flash Builder. I have created multiple sandbox testers. I have logged out of itunes on the test devices. I have created the In-App-Purchase products on iTunesConnect - they are all "Waiting To Submit"  (They can't ACTUALLY be submitted, because to submit you have to pass review, and to pass review, you have to TEST the purchases!)

Anyway, when I click a product in game it asks me to login, but does NOT say its a sandbox environment. No products are found and all purchases fail.

I'm pretty much out of ideas at this point.

[Colin Holgate]

It's over two years since I saw an update to the StoreKit ANE. Then it was version 2.3.0.

This article ought to still work, other than Apple's pages looking different now. Make sure you haven't missed any steps:

Using the iOS In-App Purchase native extension for Adobe AIR | Adobe Developer Connection

Also, look at the documentation that came with the ANE, and check the example XML, to make sure you have lines like this one in there:

<extensionID>com.milkmangames.extensions.StoreKit</extensionID>

[physics9c]

Thank you, I have read that article and many, many others. This article does not mention Sandbox Testers, or the Sandbox environment, so I'm not sure those were even standard at the time.

The only thing which might be different is the ipa-debug target. Since I'm doing my packaging from Flash Builder, not the command line, I assumed all the correct targets would be set under a development/debug build.

I might consider trying the command line, though the series of options seems hopelessly complex.

[Colin Holgate]

You would want either ad-hoc distribution or even app-store distribution. Don't think IPA can be tested with development provisioning.

It's been a while since I tested IPA on iOS. As I remember it, it was enough hassle that I would just ship the app and then check if it worked. Maybe one time it didn't work, and I did a quick update.

[physics9c]

I understand what you're saying and I have tried this as well, but it contradicts many, many other pages, including the one you linked:

"When you're building a version of your app for testing be sure you use the development version of the .mobileprovision file."

Also I believe ad-hoc distribution FORCES you to use a development profile. And several apple sites indicated ad-hoc distribution was necessary.

I am not saying you're wrong, however. I will try to go through TestFlight again. I just cannot imagine how arcane the process is!

[Colin Holgate]

TestFlight does complicate things a little. For that I think it does have to be app-store. If you're only using TestFlight as a way to do over the air installations you should look at things like this:

BetaBuilder for iOS Apps on the Mac App Store

Another TestFlight tip, you can only submit an update without going through the review process if the app has a different build number. AIR added that ability a while ago, you can now set the version number separately to the build number.

It's long enough ago that I'm not positive about what was needed for in-app testing to work. One thing though, ad-hoc is distribution, there isn't an ad-hoc development profile.

You could email Milkman for suggestions too. If they only tell you that you need an update, that would be useful to know.

[physics9c]

I don't know. Getting the different versions of the ipa working as never been a problem. We've had TestFlight builds installed, local phone-by-phone builds installed. All other ANEs working. In-game ads working.

Only thing not working is Sandbox IPA testing. Have emailed apple three times over the week and just emailed Milkman today. See if he knows anything.

[Colin Holgate]

Silly question, but you are logged in as your test user at the time you're trying the app?

[physics9c]

I'm not logged in as anything. It asks me to log in when I test a purchase. Another TestFlight user has tried.

Do you add Sandbox users, as Test Flight users? If so, that's confusing, because TestFlight uses Distribution builds and apple says in several places, distribution doesnt work with sandbox:

"The operating system establishes a persistent connection to the sandbox environment for development builds, while ad hoc and distribution builds connect to the production environment"

Technical Note TN2265: Troubleshooting Push Notifications

This sort of comment is all over the place. Sandbox is development certs only, but development certs can't go to TestFlight.

[Colin Holgate]

I haven't used sandbox and testflight at the same time. With sandbox you have to log out of your normal iTunes account and log into the test account, before trying the in app purchase.

If you have to have testflight users, could you just unlock the content for them, and only test in-app purchases with the developer sandbox version?

[physics9c]

I frequently unlock all sorts of capabilities for testing.

The only question is that I want to know.. when it comes time for review.. an IAP will go through. I've even hooked up dummy classes that PRETEND the purchases go through (or fail) just to watch the code response.

I just want to know it will work for the real deal. Milkman has personally confirmed that we must use a development profile on a debug-target.

He also says all financial contracts must be signed. I will have to make sure the project owner does so since I am just the lead coder. Hopefully that was the issue and we can move forward. It seems very strange to me. Thanks for your time.

[physics9c · Accepted solution]

For anyone else who might have this problem, the Milkman was right.

The App Owner ( im just coder ) just needed to sign his financial and bank contracts.

For the record you use:

Development .p12, development provisioning profile.

Sandbox test login.

[physics9c]

And thank you to Colin for sticking out this rambling thread of mine.

[Colin Holgate]

Glad you worked it out.