docs(build): comprehensive BUILDING.md updates for test apps and deployment

- Add detailed documentation for Vue 3 test app (test-apps/daily-notification-test/) - Add comprehensive /android/app structure and editing guidelines - Document all 15+ build scripts in scripts/ directory - Add deployment section covering npm publishing and external project integration - Clarify distinction between plugin module and test app modules - Update Android Studio capabilities (can now run test apps, test notifications) - Add complete project structure including test apps and scripts - Document build processes for all three Android components (plugin, main app, Vue app) Covers full development workflow from plugin development to production deployment. Co-authored-by: Matthew Raymer
12 hours ago · fda0124aa5
1 changed files with 372 additions and 36 deletions
--- a/BUILDING.md
+++ b/BUILDING.md
@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Building the DailyNotification Plugin

 **Author**: Matthew Raymer  
-**Last Updated**: 2025-10-12 04:57:00 UTC  
+**Last Updated**: 2025-10-21 09:03:53 UTC  
 **Version**: 1.0.0

 ## Overview
@ -201,17 +201,18 @@ When opened correctly, you'll see:

 ```
 android/
-├── app/                           # Test app (may not be fully configured)
-│   ├── build.gradle
-│   ├── src/main/
-│   └── ...
+├── app/                           # Main Android test app
+│   ├── build.gradle               # App build configuration
+│   ├── src/main/java/             # MainActivity.java
+│   ├── src/main/assets/           # Capacitor assets (HTML/JS)
+│   └── build/outputs/apk/         # Built APK files
 ├── plugin/                        # Plugin library module
-│   ├── build.gradle
+│   ├── build.gradle               # Plugin build configuration
 │   ├── src/main/java/
 │   │   └── com/timesafari/dailynotification/
-│   │       ├── DailyNotificationPlugin.kt
-│   │       ├── FetchWorker.kt
-│   │       ├── NotifyReceiver.kt
+│   │       ├── DailyNotificationPlugin.java
+│   │       ├── DailyNotificationWorker.java
+│   │       ├── DailyNotificationScheduler.java
 │   │       └── ...
 │   └── build/outputs/aar/
 │       └── plugin-release.aar    # Built plugin AAR
@ -221,29 +222,39 @@ android/
 └── gradle/wrapper/               # Gradle wrapper files
 ```

-### Important Limitations
+**Note**: There's also a separate Vue 3 test app at `test-apps/daily-notification-test/android/` with its own Android module.

-#### This is NOT a Full Android App
- **No MainActivity** - This is a plugin, not an app
+### Important Distinctions
+
+#### Plugin Module (`android/plugin/`)
+- **Purpose**: Contains the actual plugin code
+- **No MainActivity** - This is a library, not an app
 - **No UI Components** - Plugins provide functionality to host apps
- **No App Manifest** - The host app provides the manifest
- **No Resources** - Plugins use host app resources
+- **Output**: AAR library files
+
+#### Test App Module (`android/app/`)
+- **Purpose**: Test application for the plugin
+- **Has MainActivity** - Full Capacitor app with BridgeActivity
+- **Has UI Components** - HTML/JS interface for testing
+- **Output**: APK files for installation

 #### What You CAN Do in Android Studio
-✅ **Edit Kotlin/Java code**  
-✅ **Run unit tests**  
-✅ **Debug plugin code**  
-✅ **Build the plugin AAR**  
+✅ **Edit Java/Kotlin code** (both plugin and app)  
+✅ **Run unit tests** (both modules)  
+✅ **Debug plugin code** (plugin module)  
+✅ **Build the plugin AAR** (plugin module)  
+✅ **Build test app APK** (app module)  
+✅ **Run the test app** (app module)  
+✅ **Test notifications** (app module)  
+✅ **Test background tasks** (app module)  
+✅ **Debug full integration** (app module)  
 ✅ **Check for compilation errors**  
 ✅ **Use code completion and refactoring**  
 ✅ **View build logs and errors**  

 #### What You CANNOT Do
-❌ **Run the app directly** (no MainActivity)  
-❌ **Test notifications** (needs host app context)  
-❌ **Test background tasks** (needs Capacitor runtime)  
-❌ **Debug full integration** (needs host app)  
-❌ **Test UI components** (plugin has no UI)  
+❌ **Run plugin module directly** (it's a library)  
+❌ **Test plugin without host app** (needs Capacitor runtime)  

 ## Command Line Building

@ -355,9 +366,180 @@ xcodebuild test -workspace DailyNotificationPlugin.xcworkspace \
                -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 14'
 ```

+### Test Apps Within Project
+
+#### Vue 3 Test Application
+The project includes a comprehensive Vue 3 test app for interactive plugin testing:
+
+```bash
+# Navigate to Vue 3 test app
+cd test-apps/daily-notification-test
+
+# Install dependencies
+npm install
+
+# Build Vue 3 app
+npm run build
+
+# Sync with Capacitor
+npx cap sync android
+
+# Run on Android device/emulator
+npx cap run android
+
+# Run on iOS device/simulator
+npx cap run ios
+```
+
+**Test App Features:**
+- Interactive plugin testing interface
+- Plugin diagnostics and status checking
+- Notification scheduling and management
+- Permission testing and management
+- Comprehensive logging and debugging
+
+**Test App Structure:**
+```
+test-apps/daily-notification-test/
+├── src/                    # Vue 3 source code
+│   ├── views/              # Test interface views
+│   ├── components/         # Reusable UI components
+│   └── stores/             # Pinia state management
+├── android/                # Android Capacitor app
+├── docs/                   # Test app documentation
+└── scripts/                # Test app build scripts
+```
+
+#### Android Test Apps
+The project includes **two separate Android test applications**:
+
+##### 1. Main Android Test App (`/android/app`)
+A Capacitor-based Android test app with full plugin integration:
+
+```bash
+# Build main Android test app
+cd android
+./gradlew :app:assembleDebug
+
+# Install on device
+adb install app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
+
+# Run tests
+./gradlew :app:test
+
+# Run in Android Studio
+# File → Open → /path/to/daily-notification-plugin/android
+# Select 'app' module and run
+```
+
+**App Structure:**
+```
+android/app/
+├── src/
+│   ├── main/
+│   │   ├── AndroidManifest.xml      # App manifest with permissions
+│   │   ├── assets/                   # Capacitor web assets
+│   │   │   ├── capacitor.config.json # Capacitor configuration
+│   │   │   ├── capacitor.plugins.json # Plugin registry
+│   │   │   └── public/               # Web app files
+│   │   │       ├── index.html        # Main test interface
+│   │   │       ├── cordova.js        # Cordova compatibility
+│   │   │       └── plugins/          # Plugin JS files
+│   │   ├── java/
+│   │   │   └── com/timesafari/dailynotification/
+│   │   │       └── MainActivity.java # Capacitor BridgeActivity
+│   │   └── res/                      # Android resources
+│   │       ├── drawable/             # App icons and images
+│   │       ├── layout/               # Android layouts
+│   │       ├── mipmap/               # App launcher icons
+│   │       ├── values/               # Strings, styles, colors
+│   │       └── xml/                  # Configuration files
+│   ├── androidTest/                  # Instrumented tests
+│   └── test/                         # Unit tests
+├── build.gradle                      # App build configuration
+├── capacitor.build.gradle            # Auto-generated Capacitor config
+└── proguard-rules.pro               # Code obfuscation rules
+```
+
+**Key Files Explained:**
+
+**`MainActivity.java`** - Entry point extending Capacitor's BridgeActivity:
+```java
+public class MainActivity extends BridgeActivity {
+    @Override
+    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
+        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
+    }
+}
+```
+
+**`AndroidManifest.xml`** - App permissions and configuration:
+- Notification permissions
+- Background execution permissions
+- Exact alarm permissions
+- Capacitor plugin declarations
+
+**`assets/public/index.html`** - Main test interface:
+- Interactive plugin testing buttons
+- Plugin diagnostics and status checking
+- Notification scheduling interface
+- Permission management UI
+
+**`capacitor.plugins.json`** - Plugin registry:
+```json
+{
+  "plugins": {
+    "DailyNotification": {
+      "class": "com.timesafari.dailynotification.DailyNotificationPlugin"
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+**Build Process:**
+1. **Web Assets**: Capacitor copies `assets/public/` to APK
+2. **Java Compilation**: Compiles `MainActivity.java` and dependencies
+3. **Resource Processing**: Processes Android resources and assets
+4. **APK Generation**: Packages everything into installable APK
+5. **Plugin Integration**: Links with plugin AAR from `android/plugin/`
+
+**Editing Guidelines:**
+- **HTML/JS**: Edit `assets/public/index.html` for UI changes
+- **Java**: Edit `src/main/java/` for native Android code
+- **Resources**: Edit `src/main/res/` for icons, strings, layouts
+- **Configuration**: Edit `AndroidManifest.xml` for permissions
+- **Build**: Modify `build.gradle` for dependencies and build settings
+
+**Features:**
+- Full Capacitor integration
+- Plugin testing interface (HTML/JS)
+- Native Android testing capabilities
+- Complete app lifecycle testing
+
+##### 2. Vue 3 Test App Android Module (`/test-apps/daily-notification-test/android`)
+Android module within the Vue 3 test application:
+
+```bash
+# Build Vue 3 test app Android module
+cd test-apps/daily-notification-test/android
+./gradlew assembleDebug
+
+# Install on device
+adb install app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
+
+# Run tests
+./gradlew test
+```
+
+**Features:**
+- Integrated with Vue 3 frontend
+- Plugin diagnostics and management
+- Interactive testing interface
+- Comprehensive logging and debugging
+
 ### Integration Testing

-#### 1. Create Test Capacitor App
+#### 1. Create External Test Capacitor App
 ```bash
 # Create new Capacitor app
 npx @capacitor/create-app@latest TestApp
@ -419,7 +601,124 @@ npx cap run ios
 - [ ] Battery optimization settings
 - [ ] Low storage conditions

-## Development Workflow
+## Build Scripts and Automation
+
+### Available Build Scripts
+
+The project includes several automated build scripts in the `scripts/` directory:
+
+#### Core Build Scripts
+```bash
+# Main build script (handles TypeScript + native)
+./scripts/build-native.sh --platform android
+./scripts/build-native.sh --platform ios
+./scripts/build-native.sh --verbose
+
+# TimeSafari-specific builds
+node scripts/build-timesafari.js
+
+# Comprehensive testing
+./scripts/comprehensive-test-v2.sh
+
+# Capacitor build fixes
+./scripts/fix-capacitor-build.sh
+```
+
+#### Setup and Configuration Scripts
+```bash
+# Gradle setup automation
+./scripts/setup-gradle.sh
+
+# Native environment setup
+node scripts/setup-native.js
+
+# Environment checking
+node scripts/check-environment.js
+```
+
+#### Testing and Validation Scripts
+```bash
+# Chaos testing for reliability
+node scripts/chaos-test.js
+
+# API changes detection
+node scripts/check-api-changes.js
+
+# Bundle size monitoring
+node scripts/check-bundle-size.js
+
+# Daily notification testing
+./scripts/daily-notification-test.sh
+node scripts/daily-notification-test.py
+```
+
+#### Release and Deployment Scripts
+```bash
+# Release notes generation
+node scripts/update-release-notes.js
+
+# Type checksum generation
+node scripts/generate-types-checksum.js
+```
+
+### Deployment to External Projects
+
+#### 1. Publishing to npm Registry
+```bash
+# Build the plugin
+npm run build
+
+# Run tests
+npm test
+
+# Update version
+npm version patch  # or minor, major
+
+# Publish to npm
+npm publish
+
+# Verify publication
+npm view @timesafari/daily-notification-plugin
+```
+
+#### 2. Installing in External Capacitor Projects
+```bash
+# Install from npm
+npm install @timesafari/daily-notification-plugin
+
+# Install from local development
+npm install /path/to/daily-notification-plugin
+
+# Install from git repository
+npm install git+https://github.com/timesafari/daily-notification-plugin.git
+```
+
+#### 3. Integration in Host Applications
+```bash
+# Add to Capacitor project
+npx cap add android
+npx cap add ios
+
+# Sync with Capacitor
+npx cap sync android
+npx cap sync ios
+
+# Build and run
+npx cap run android
+npx cap run ios
+```
+
+#### 4. Version Management
+```bash
+# Check current version
+npm list @timesafari/daily-notification-plugin
+
+# Update to latest version
+npm update @timesafari/daily-notification-plugin
+
+# Install specific version
+npm install @timesafari/daily-notification-plugin@1.2.3
+```

 ### For Plugin Development

@ -612,7 +911,9 @@ daily-notification-plugin/
 ├── ios/                     # iOS native code
 ├── src/                     # TypeScript plugin interface
 ├── dist/                    # Built plugin files
-├── scripts/                 # Build scripts
+├── scripts/                 # Build scripts and automation
+├── test-apps/               # Test applications
+│   └── daily-notification-test/  # Vue 3 test app
 ├── docs/                    # Documentation
 ├── examples/                # Usage examples
 ├── tests/                   # Test files
@ -625,8 +926,16 @@ daily-notification-plugin/
 ### Android Structure
 ```
 android/
-├── src/main/java/           # Kotlin plugin code
-├── build.gradle             # Android build configuration
+├── app/                     # Main Android test app
+│   ├── src/main/java/       # MainActivity.java
+│   ├── src/main/assets/     # Capacitor assets
+│   ├── build.gradle         # App build configuration
+│   └── build/outputs/apk/   # Built APK files
+├── plugin/                  # Plugin library module
+│   ├── src/main/java/       # Plugin source code
+│   ├── build.gradle         # Plugin build configuration
+│   └── build/outputs/aar/   # Built AAR files
+├── build.gradle             # Root Android build configuration
 ├── settings.gradle          # Gradle settings
 ├── gradle.properties        # Gradle properties
 └── gradle/wrapper/          # Gradle wrapper files
@ -642,15 +951,42 @@ ios/
 └── Tests/                   # iOS unit tests
 ```

-### TypeScript Structure
+### Test Apps Structure
+```
+test-apps/
+└── daily-notification-test/     # Vue 3 test application
+    ├── src/                     # Vue 3 source code
+    │   ├── views/               # Test interface views
+    │   ├── components/          # Reusable UI components
+    │   ├── stores/              # Pinia state management
+    │   └── router/              # Vue Router configuration
+    ├── android/                 # Android Capacitor app
+    │   ├── app/                 # Android app module
+    │   ├── dailynotification/   # Plugin module
+    │   └── build.gradle         # Android build config
+    ├── docs/                    # Test app documentation
+    ├── scripts/                 # Test app build scripts
+    ├── package.json             # Vue 3 dependencies
+    └── vite.config.ts           # Vite build configuration
+```
+
+### Scripts Structure
 ```
-src/
-├── definitions.ts           # TypeScript definitions
-├── index.ts                 # Plugin entry point
-├── android/                 # Android-specific code
-├── ios/                     # iOS-specific code
-├── web/                     # Web-specific code (legacy)
-└── utils/                   # Utility functions
+scripts/
+├── build-native.sh              # Main build script
+├── build-timesafari.js          # TimeSafari-specific builds
+├── comprehensive-test-v2.sh     # Full test suite
+├── fix-capacitor-build.sh       # Capacitor build fixes
+├── setup-gradle.sh              # Gradle setup automation
+├── setup-native.js              # Native environment setup
+├── check-environment.js         # Environment validation
+├── chaos-test.js                # Reliability testing
+├── check-api-changes.js         # API change detection
+├── check-bundle-size.js         # Bundle size monitoring
+├── daily-notification-test.sh   # Notification testing
+├── daily-notification-test.py   # Python test runner
+├── update-release-notes.js     # Release notes generation
+└── generate-types-checksum.js   # Type checksum generation
 ```

 ## Best Practices