Quick Start

Get up and running with MobileCtl in 5 minutes.

Step 1: Install MobileCtl

Clone and build the project:

git clone https://github.com/AhmedNader65/MobileCtl.git
cd MobileCtl
./gradlew build

Add to your PATH (optional):

export PATH="$PATH:$(pwd)"

Step 2: Navigate to Your Project

cd /path/to/your/mobile/project

Step 3: Create Configuration

Create mobileops.yaml in your project root:

app:
  name: MyApp
  identifier: com.example.myapp
  version: 1.0.0

build:
  android:
    enabled: true
  ios:
    enabled: true

version:
  enabled: true
  current: 1.0.0
  filesToUpdate:
    - pubspec.yaml
    - package.json

changelog:
  enabled: true

Step 4: Build Your App

Android

mobilectl build android

Output:

Building Android app...
✓ Build successful (1m 23s)
Output: android/app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk

iOS

mobilectl build ios

Both Platforms

mobilectl build all

Step 5: Manage Version

Show current version:

mobilectl version show

Bump version:

mobilectl version bump patch

Output:

Version bumped: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1

Updated files:
  ✓ mobileops.yaml
  ✓ pubspec.yaml
  ✓ package.json

Backup created: version-backup-2024-01-15-14-30-00

Step 6: Generate Changelog

Create changelog from git commits:

mobilectl changelog generate

Output:

Generating changelog...

Analyzed commits: 24
  - Features: 8
  - Bug fixes: 10
  - Documentation: 4
  - Other: 2

✓ Changelog generated: CHANGELOG.md
Backup created: changelog-backup-2024-01-15-14-35-00

Step 7: Deploy (Optional)

If you have Firebase or TestFlight configured:

mobilectl deploy firebase

Or use interactive mode:

mobilectl deploy --interactive

Complete Workflow Example

Here's a typical release workflow:

# 1. Bump version
mobilectl version bump minor

# 2. Generate changelog
mobilectl changelog generate

# 3. Build for all platforms
mobilectl build all

# 4. Deploy (if configured)
mobilectl deploy --all-flavors

Or use the all-in-one command:

mobilectl deploy --bump-version minor --changelog --all-flavors

What's Next?

Now that you have the basics:

Learn More

• Configuration Guide - Customize your setup
• Build Automation - Advanced build options
• Version Management - Version strategies
• Deployment - Deploy to app stores

Explore Commands

• version command - Full version management
• build command - Build reference
• deploy command - Deployment options
• changelog command - Changelog features

See Examples

• Android Example
• iOS Example
• Multi-Platform Example
• CI/CD Examples

Common Tasks

Daily Development

# Build debug version
mobilectl build android debug

# Build staging
mobilectl build android staging release

# Deploy to testers
mobilectl deploy firebase --flavors staging

Release to Production

# Complete release
mobilectl deploy \
  --bump-version minor \
  --changelog \
  --flavors production \
  --confirm

Hotfix

# Quick patch release
mobilectl version bump patch
mobilectl build all
mobilectl deploy --all-flavors --confirm

Tips

1. Use Dry Run

Preview what will happen:

mobilectl build android --dry-run
mobilectl version bump patch --dry-run
mobilectl deploy --dry-run

2. Use Verbose Mode

Get detailed output for debugging:

mobilectl build android --verbose

3. Check Help

Every command has built-in help:

mobilectl --help
mobilectl build --help
mobilectl version bump --help

4. Use Backups

MobileCtl automatically creates backups. Restore if needed:

# List version backups
mobilectl version restore

# Restore specific backup
mobilectl version restore version-backup-2024-01-15-14-30-00

# List changelog backups
mobilectl changelog restore

Troubleshooting

Build Fails

# Check configuration
cat mobileops.yaml

# Use verbose mode
mobilectl build android --verbose

# Check build logs
cat android/app/build/reports/...

Version Not Updating

Ensure files are listed in config:

version:
  filesToUpdate:
    - pubspec.yaml
    - package.json
    # Add any other files with version numbers

Deploy Fails

Check credentials are configured:

deploy:
  android:
    firebase:
      serviceAccount: credentials/firebase-key.json  # Make sure this exists

Getting Help

• Documentation: Browse these docs
• Examples: Check examples section
• GitHub Issues: Report bugs
• Command Help: Run mobilectl <command> --help

Next Steps

Ready to dive deeper?

1. Complete Configuration Guide
2. Learn About Build Automation
3. Set Up Deployment
4. Integrate with CI/CD

Happy building! 🚀