I became a member last week, was a guest for some time, and was wondering about "Design" and "Live" modes. How do you create a new version if I can't use "Live" mode. I took Niraj advise and are running everything on BT, not self hosting. Have been reading a lot for posts, but still not sure where to do what! Any suggestions? Weidies

Hi @Weidies, Here's the lowdown on Live vs. Design mode: * Design mode is the default mode that the BT_Config.txt file is set to when you download your app code package * Whenever you make a change in your control panel, it updates the Design version of your config file automatically * In order to update the Live version of your config file, and to effectively sync the Design and Live config files, you have to hit the Publish button in your control panel * When you publish your app to whatever store you choose, you need to have the mode set to Live in your BT_Config.txt file. That way, anytime you make changes in the control panel for testing, they won't go live to the end user until you hit the Publish button. That allows you to test your new features in a version of the app running in Design mode without having it affect real users. * Some people forget to turn on Live mode before they publish their apps. Don't forget to do this, because the only way to fix it is to send a complete update to the store. Hope this helps a bit. There's no difference in this respect between BT.com and self-hosted. If you have any further questions, please let us know! Mark

" Some people forget to turn on Live mode before they publish their apps. Don't forget to do this, because the only way to fix it is to send a complete update to the store" Does this means that when you make changes to your app they will be transfer to your published app? I thought you needed to publish a new version of the app ...? So there is a connection between your published app and BT?

Yes, there is a connection between the published app and BT, and that is the BT_Config.txt file (your configuration file). Everything that the app needs to know with respect to what screens to draw, how to link them, and what info is presented, is contained in that file. When the user launches your app, the app connects to the network and attempts to find the latest config file for the app, getting it from BT.com, in either Live or Design mode. It then updates that file in the app, and then presents the information to the user. If you look at the file, it's the dataURL that tells the app where to go. If you have an app in Live mode, and you make changes in your control panel and then hit the Publish button, then changes will get pushed out the the users the next time they use the app. An update to the store is not required (unless you add new plugins that didn't exist before). If you have an app in Design mode, and you make changes in the control panel, they will be pushed out to any app running in Design mode...no Publish button required. The Publish button synchronizes the Design and Live mode configs. You can see both versions in your Control panel. Mark

Hi Mark Thanks for all the info. I had the whole thing wrong, it seems. Just to clarify, if my published app is running in "Live mode", {which it is not, :)} and I make changes to structure, it will not affect the app in the store just as long I do not hit publish! I presume then, that as long as I don't delete the files that holds the data, that I will be able to work on the structure of a new version. Example, a screen that displays the diary of the next two weeks, and is updated weekly. What is the purpose of the "Live" and "Design" buttons in the control panel of BT? Weidies

That is correct...if you're app is running in Live mode, and you make changes but do NOT hit the Publish button, Live mode users will NOT see changes. Only users running in Design mode (and that's normally just you and anybody you have helping test the app). You are also correct on your second point. You can design and test new content, and wait to publish it until you are ready. The purpose of the Live and Design buttons in the control panel is to show you what the current configuration files are for each mode. Most people don't need to mess around with that stuff. But, right before you compile and publish your app to the store, it's best to hit the Publish button, copy the contents of the Live config file from the control panel, and then paste it in the BT_Config.txt file in your app. That ensures the app is updated with the latest information, which is important when being reviewed. For Apple, after you submit, don't change anything in your control panel, just to make sure the reviewers aren't prompted for an update. And, to clarify, if you add a new plugin to your app...once that wasn't there the last time you compiled and uploaded to the store...you'll need to recompile with the new plugin code included. That's one reason I include all the plugins I own when I compile an app...just so the code is there for later. Mark

Hi Mark Thanks for all the info. I had the whole thing wrong, it seems. Just to clarify, if my published app is running in "Live mode", {which it is not, :)} and I make changes to structure, it will not affect the app in the store just as long I do not hit publish! I presume then, that as long as I don't delete the files that holds the data, that I will be able to work on the structure of a new version. Example, a screen that displays the diary of the next two weeks, and is updated weekly. What is the purpose of the "Live" and "Design" buttons in the control panel of BT? Weidies

And if you hit Refresh in your browser for a forum topic you just posted to, it'll repost your last post! ;-)

Thanks for the detailed explanation. Another small step for me to understand BT ...

My mistake, sorry! Thank you.

It's a somewhat complex subject, but it's the core of why Buzztouch is so powerful and amazing. Please don't hesitate to ask more questions if you need clarification. Thanks! Mark

Think of Publish being a "Copy my development work and Publish it for use by the Production apps in the Apple Store and Google Play Store".

I was under the impression that live and design modes aren't working properly and that changes made on BT get pushed out to devices even if you don't hit the publish button.

I would also like to know if the Live / Design mode issue, to which kingelessar refers, has been fixed. Does anyone know if there is an update. I last checked this problem about 3 months ago and the talk was that there was a big update coming to the core files in Buzztouch. Any news?