PI39989: DUPLICATE APPLICATIONS APPEAR ON THE APPCENTER CONSOLE WHEN DEPLOY THE SAME APPLICATION WITH DIFFERENT VERSIONS

IBM MobileFirst Platform Foundation Interim Fix README for 7.0
IBM MobileFirst Platform Foundation Interim Fix README for 6.3
IBM Worklight Interim Fix README for 6.2.0.1
IBM Worklight Interim Fix README for 6.1.0.2

APAR status

• Closed as program error.

Error description

• When deploy the same application with different versions, the
  App Center Console display mutliple/duplicate entries of the
  same application.
  
  App Center Console does not allow duplicate application to be
  deployed.  It will override the existing one.  However, when the
  application version is different, then it is possible to deploy
  the application.
  
  The problem comes when the version contains too many periods.
  The limitation is 4 period-separated integers:  a.b.c.d. When
  having too many periods in the version string (a.b.c.d.e.f
  for example), the version string is different so the upload is
  accepted. But to display the application, the version is being
  converted into double and these two versions are the same.
  Hence multiple instances will be displayed.
  

Local fix

• Avoid using too many period in the version.  Limit it to 4
  period-separated integers:  a.b.c.d
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * Users of the Application Center Console uploading iOS        *
  * applications with unusual version numbers                    *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * In Application Center, applications have an internal and a   *
  * commercial version number. The internal version number is    *
  * used to distinguish which version is newer.                  *
  * The problem comes from uploading iOS applications that have  *
  * letters as internal version numbers, or that use             *
  * extraordinary long version numbers such as 1.1.0.0.4.29. The *
  * precision for internal version numbers is limited, hence a   *
  * version 1.1.0.0.4.29 is not distiniguishable from a version  *
  * 1.1.0.0.4.30. As result, the app appears twice in the        *
  * catalog since it cannot be determined which version is       *
  * newer.                                                       *
  *                                                              *
  * In fact, such version numbers are invalid according to the   *
  * current Apple documentation:                                 *
  * The internal version of an iOS application corresponds to    *
  * CFBundleVersion and specifies the build version number,      *
  * which should be a string comprised of three non-negative,    *
  * period-separated integers with the first integer being       *
  * greater than zero. The string should only contain numeric    *
  * (0-9) and period (.) characters. Leading zeros are truncated *
  * from each integer and will be ignored (that is, 1.02.3 is    *
  * equivalent to 1.2.3).                                        *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  * -                                                            *
  ****************************************************************
  

Problem conclusion

• The problem of limited precision cannot be solved, but the user
  is now warned when uploading apps with an invalid internal
  version number. To summarize again the limitations for the
  internal versions:
  
  iOS: a or a.b or a.b.c with a, b, c being non-negative integers,
  and a is not 0.
  Android: an integer
  BlackBerry:  a or a.b or a.b.c with a, b, c being a sequence of
  digits.
  Windows Phone: a.b.c.d with a, b, c, d being non-negative
  integers.
  
  The change affects the applicationcenter.war file.
  

Temporary fix

Comments

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

• Fixed component name

  WL/MFPF CONSUME

• Fixed component ID

  5725I4301

Applicable component levels

• R610 PSY

     UP

• R620 PSY

     UP

• R630 PSY

     UP

• R700 PSY

     UP