Univention App Center for App Providers

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App presentation

4. App presentation#

This chapter is about how the app is presented to the user with texts, logos, screenshots and videos. The contents are part of the app configuration. They are shown to the UCS system administrator in the App Center UMC module in UCS and to users on the Univention website in the App Catalog.

All changes are made in the App Provider portal. They need to be saved by pressing the button Save. Then a release can be requested via the button Approve for release. The items mentioned in this chapter can be changed and published any time and do not require a new version of the app.

4.1. Logos#

All logos uploaded to the App Provider Portal have to be SVG format, which is most flexible for the presentation purposes.

Important

When SVG files are created or exported, please make sure that fonts are converted to paths before export. Otherwise the text in the logos is not rendered properly and the logo may look odd.

Please also do not simply import a bitmap graphic into SVG and export it. Results after scaling may not look good, because the logo is basically a bitmap in SVG apparel.

The logos can be uploaded on the Presentation tab in the Logos section. Two icons are needed: One for the app tile on the overview page and a more detailed logo for the app page. The tile has only limited space in square format. Please make sure, the logo can still be recognized. The detailed logo is not limited. Most logos for this slot have a landscape orientation. The App Center and the App Catalog take care of the appropriate scaling. SVG allows a very good result due to its nature as a vector graphics format.

4.2. Screenshots and videos#

Screenshots and videos are a good way to introduce the solution to the user. To add screenshots please go to the Screenshots & YouTube videos section on the Presentation tab. Screenshots can be in PNG or JPG format. Videos have to be published on YouTube and the full YouTube link has to be provided in the App Provider Portal. Please keep in mind to provide the material for English and German speaking audience.

If the same screenshots exist in German, it’s recommended that they are added, as well.

Comprehensive visualizations can be added optionally which make it easier to understand the app’s description. Give the image files sensible names including the keywords. An example of a bad file name for an image would be app_76bz3.jpg, whereas app_name.jpg would be much better.

4.3. Description#

The full description is the text introducing the solution to the user and thus is very important for getting their attention. Here are some tips intended to help to present the app in a user-friendly, customer-oriented, and search-engine-optimized manner.

  • Unique content with at least 300 words. Not a copy from the solutions web page.

  • Content: What does the app do? The added value and benefits should be described and examples be provided.

  • The app is running on UCS. What is the added value that the combination of UCS and the app offers to the customer?

  • It’s important for the user to understand which “edition” of the solution is installed and what features or limitations are included. Please also provide information on how to “upgrade” to the next “edition”.

  • The text should be structured in paragraphs. Subheadings and lists should be used.

  • Search engines should be kept in mind and keywords be used.

  • Links should be furnished with all HTML attributes.

  • Include supporting images/screenshots and define them in the app configuration (not within description).

The description is provided in HTML format. If more control on the HTML is needed, switch to HTML source mode and edit the HTML directly. Here sections and headings can be added.

Note

Custom styles in CSS should not be used, because they may distract from the overall impression. The App Center UMC module and the App Catalog already have respective CSS style definitions.

The length of the description depends on how much there is to say and how much explanation the app requires. Ideally the description should be at least 300 words long. The text should be structured and paragraphs should be used to make it easier to read. The target group are potential customers. Subheadings (HTML: h2, h3) should be used to divide the text into logical sections. It’s very helpful for the reader to be able to see the advantages of the app and its combination with UCS at a glance. For this reason, presentation of the advantages in lists (HTML: ol, ul, li) is particularly practical.

If links are used in the app description (e.g., to pages on the solution’s own website), please always use the target="_blank" (open in new tab) and assign the link a title attribute. Please keep the use of links to a minimum and ideally use the fields provided especially for this purpose in the app metadata.

4.4. Categories#

On the Presentation tab the app can be given one or more categories from a given set in the App categories section. Users can filter the app overview in the App Center and in the App Catalog accordingly. App categories help to group apps together by topic and give a better overview for the various apps available.

4.5. Contact#

For the users it’s important to know who is the producer of the app. For this purpose there is the Responsibility: Contact information section on the Presentation tab in the App Provider Portal. Please provide product contact information like an email address and a website to the solution. Please also link to a website, where the app provider’s support options and pricing is explained to potential customers and place the link in the field Link to website with product support options.

4.6. License#

In the License section on the Presentation tab license information can be defined; for example, a license agreement. This has to be read and accepted by a UCS system administrator before the app is installed. If the text is not accepted, the installation process is aborted and no app is installed. The license agreement is mostly used by app providers for legal information that needs confirmation by the administrator before anything is installed. If such a text is not needed, leave it empty.

UCS system administrators have to register with a valid email address in order to use the App Center. If the app provider configures an email address in the field E-mail address for App install notifications it receives information on a daily basis about who installed the app. The App Center UMC module informs the user that the app provider may contact them. App providers can use the address, for example, for lead management.

The last setting is intended to provide the users a rough imagination about the license type of the software. One option best fitting to the solution should be chosen:

  • Empty: If no value is given, the App Center UMC module and the App Catalog will show the text “Please contact the App provider for further license details”.

  • Free commercial use

  • Free commercial use. Some functions or services are liable to costs.

  • Liable to Costs with Free Trial

  • Liable to Costs

4.7. README for the administrator#

In the tab Additional texts further information for an app can be provided that show up at certain stages of the app lifecycle. Those README files are also in HTML like the description and content can be provided the same way, see Description. The App Provider Portal describes when each README file shows up.

It’s highly recommended to use the README files to show information that should not go in the app description, like for example configuration details, hints before and after an update, etc. Please also keep in mind to provide a proper German translation.

4.8. Translations#

All texts, screenshots and videos should be entered in English. Translations to German should be only made in the appropriate field next to the English text. It should be made sure that translations for the texts that have an English version are provided. Otherwise, English text will show up for a user with German language settings.

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