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Getting Started Android

Important
Helpshift’s Legacy SDKs (SDK Version <=7.x.x) reached their end of life on 31 Dec 2022, and end of support on 31 March 2023. Please upgrade to the Latest SDKif you haven't already.

Getting Started Android

Cocos2d-x plugin for Helpshift SDK helps you utilize Helpshift from your game's C++ codebase.

Note

From version 3.2.0 and above, the Helpshift class has been renamed to HelpshiftCocos2dx. Please rename all instances of the Helpshift in your code as follows:

    // Helpshift:showConversation();
    // ^ the above API call becomes
    HelpshiftCocos2dx::showConversation();

Guide to integrating the Cocos2d-x plugin for the Helpshift SDK which you can call from your C++ game scripts.

Download the Cocos2d-x plugin for Helpshift​

Note

5.5.0 Plugin Update

We found a bug for the following scenario - for SDK 5.5.0, when New Issue Automations(NIAs) are used to assign to a Custom Bot and if the first step in the bot is a Get Info from User step with Options, the Options don’t show up to the end user till they go back and come to the conversation screen again.

Action needed:

  • If you are planning to integrate or are in the process of integrating SDK 5.5.0, we recommend integrating with 5.5.1 instead.
  • If you have already released any of your apps with the affected SDKs and your New Issue Automation triggers options bot, we recommend that you upgrade to 5.5.1 SDK.

Download Helpshift Cocos2d-x package:

The Helpshift SDK plugin contains the following:

android_libsThe dependencies which the Helpshift Android SDK needs. Currently these include : design, recyclerview, appcompat, cardview
v3.xFolder containing the files for Cocos2dx version 3.x
v2.xFolder containing the files for Cocos2dx version 2.x

Add Helpshift to your Cocos2dx project​

Copy the helpshift-plugin-cocos2dx folder to the root directory of your project.

Adding the Helpshift Android plugin​

  1. Copy the android/src/com/helpshift folder to the src/com/ folder of your Android project.

  2. Copy the contents of the android/Classes folder to the Classes folder of your Cocos2dx application.

Using Android Studio (Only for Cocos2d-x v3.x)​

  1. Create libs directory in proj.android/app directory

  2. Copy the Helpshift.aar file from the android/proj.android-studio in the libs directory.

  3. Add dependency to Helpshift SDK in your app/build.gradle file.

    repositories {
        //your other repositories
        flatDir { dirs 'libs' }
    }

    dependencies {
        // your other dependencies
        implementation 'com.android.support:design:28.0.0'
        implementation 'com.android.support:recyclerview-v7:28.0.0'
        implementation 'com.android.support:cardview-v7:28.0.0'
        implementation(name: 'Helpshift', ext:'aar')
    }

  4. Link Helpshift files in your project as source depending on your build system.

# Add Helpshift files to CMakeLists.txt, under the Android dependency
if(ANDROID)
  list(APPEND GAME_SOURCE
       <other dependency files>
       Classes/HelpshiftCocos2dx.cpp
       Classes/HelpshiftCocos2dxUser.cpp
       Classes/HelpshiftUtil.cpp
       )
  list(APPEND GAME_HEADER
      <other dependency files>
      Classes/HelpshiftCocos2dx.h
      Classes/HelpshiftCocos2dxUser.h
      Classes/HelpshiftUtil.h
      )

Using Eclipse project (ANT build)​

  1. To use the latest Cocos2dx plugin in your application, add a reference to the Helpshift Android SDK from the project.properties file of your Android application. With the release of version 5.0.0, the Helpshift Android plugin sets the Android target to 26. To use this plugin, set the target to android-26 in your application.

    Cocos2d-x v3.x

    android.library.reference.1=../helpshift-plugin-cocos2dx/v3.x/android/proj.android/sdk/

    Cocos2d-x v2.x

    android.library.reference.1=../helpshift-plugin-cocos2dx/v2.x/android/sdk/

  2. Add Helpshift files to makefile (Android.mk), under the LOCAL_SRC_FILES rule. For example:

    LOCAL_SRC_FILES := hellocpp/main.cpp \
                  ../../Classes/HelpshiftCocos2dx.cpp \
                  ../../Classes/HelpshiftUtil.cpp \
                  ../../Classes/HelpshiftCocos2dxUser.cpp

  3. Open AndroidManifest.xml located at helpshift-plugin-cocos2dx/v2.x/android/sdk/ and helpshift-plugin-cocos2dx/v3.x/android/sdk/ for Cocos2dx version 2.x and 3.x respectively. Look for ${applicationId} located in provider tag and replace it with the package name of your android app. As an example, if your appplication's package name is com.example.application, <provider> tag will now look like this:

    <provider
        android:name="com.helpshift.support.providers.HelpshiftFileProvider"
        android:authorities="com.example.application.helpshift.fileprovider"
        android:exported="false"
        android:grantUriPermissions="true" >
        <meta-data
            android:name="android.support.FILE_PROVIDER_PATHS"
            android:resource="@xml/hs__provider_paths" />
    </provider>

  4. Set the flag for manifestmerger.enabled to true in your project.properties file:

    manifestmerger.enabled=true

  5. Copy the hs__data file from the sdk/assets/ directory to the assets directory of your Cocos2dx application.

Note

Helpshift Cocos plugin version 1.4.0 and above is packaged with the required android support libs v23.4.0 and it is also tested with Android Nougat devices.

If the developer wants to integrate android support libs 24.x, there are reported issues on pre-lolipop devices. Refer this blog and the issue here. Cocos ant build system does not support android build options for the vector changes introduced in 24.x version.

As a result, the Helpshift Cocos plugin which is tested with 24.x support lib version, does not work on pre-lollipop devices because of the Cocos ant and android build incompatibility.

Initializing Helpshift in your app​

Note

Use Helpshift.install(...); with the required arguments immediately after the super.onCreate() of your Cocos2d-xActivity.

Helpshift SDK uniquely identifies your App with the combination of:

API KeyYour unique developer API Key.
Domain NameYour Helpshift domain name. For example : foo.helpshift.com
App IDA unique ID assigned to your app.

To get the API Key, Domain Name and the App ID, navigate to Settings>SDK (for Developers) in your agent dashboard and scroll down to "Initializing Helpshift" section.

Select your App from the dropdown and copy the three tokens to be passed when initializing Helpshift.

Initialize Helpshift by importing com.helpshift.HelpshiftBridge and calling the HelpshiftBridge.install in the onCreate of your Cocos2dxActivity:

    import com.helpshift.HelpshiftBridge;
    import com.helpshift.exceptions.InstallException;

    public class MyActivity extends Cocos2dxActivity {

        @Override
        public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
            super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
            try {
              HelpshiftBridge.install(this,
                                      "YOUR_API_KEY",
                                      "YOUR_DOMAIN_NAME",
                                      "YOUR_APP_ID");
            } catch (InstallException e) {
              Log.e(TAG, "invalid install credentials : ", e);
            }
        }
    }

Start using Helpshift​

Helpshift is now integrated in your app. You should now use the support APIs to present FAQ or conversation screens inside your app.

Run your app, and try starting a test conversation using the showConversation API call. Then goto your Helpshift agent dashboard and reply to experience the in-app messaging.

Sample usage for FAQs and conversation APIs:

    // Presenting FAQs to your customers
    void GameSettingsScene::menuHelpCallback(CCObject* pSender)
    {
        HelpshiftCocos2dx::showFAQs();
    }

    // Starting a conversation with your customers
    void GameSettingsScene::menuConversationCallback(CCObject* pSender)
    {
        HelpshiftCocos2dx::showConversation();
    }

Flickering issues with Cocos2d-x 2.x​

Cocos2d-x v2.x has a bug which causes the screen to flicker when a dialog Activity is shown on top of it.

If you integrate Helpshift SDK for Cocos2d-x, you will see a flicker in your app when the Review Reminder dialog is shown.

To fix the bug, please apply the patch described on github.