Marketplace Test kit returns “Unsupported API cannot be used by background agent”

Question

First of all, my app builds and runs perfectly well, with no exceptions.

When I run the Marketplace Test Kit included in the WP7 SDK, I get a ton of warnings about usage of an unsupported API.

Now, the DLL file (API) in question is where my controllers, models, utility classes and other resources live (anything not directly connected to the UI).

The methods used by my background agent includes some calls to a REST service, and updating a live tile. However, the Marketplace Test Kit complains about classes and method calls that's not being called by the background agent classes.

Question here is - will it still pass inspection by Microsoft? After all, the background agent not doing anything illegal (in terms of API calls), it just has the possibility to do so).

Answer 1

This is mentioned in "Developing an Advanced Windows Phone 7.5 App that connects to the cloud" book published by the patters&practices group

This project contains interfaces, adapters, and facades for Windows Phone API functionality that is not supported by background agents. Creation of this project was necessary in order to pass the capability validation performed as part of the Windows Phone Marketplace application submission process. This is because the set of APIs not supported by background agents must reside in a project not referenced by the TailSpin.PhoneAgent project. For more information, see “ Unsupported APIs for Background Agents for Windows Phone ” on MSDN.

So you must have a project for libraries for you background worker and another one for the the libraries your app uses.

Answer 2

I would think that it is very likely to fail inspection for the Marketplace if the Test Kit is flagging up warnings.

Probably the best solution would be to split the DLL in question into 2 parts, one that contains all the functionality for the background agent, but avoids the API calls causing the problem and the other DLL containing everything else. Both the DLLs could be used in the App, but just the 'safe' one for the background agent.

I had to do something similar for the PayPhone Lite app (a PayPal application) that is currently in the MarketPlace.

HTH, Rupert.