Hi all, Apologies for being slow on the uptake with this but i need a bit more clarification please. I have submitted an app that is currently on sale. I need to add an update. I've no idea what mode this is in although suspect it to be design mode as ive done nothing to change that. I need to add images to the xcode library! What should I do??!! I'm just not sure i'm completely getting the workings of the different modes! Many thanks!

If you need to add images to the app, you have two options: 1) add them via image URL for the appropriate screen 2) add them in Xcode and submit an update to Apple If the latter option, you might want to turn on live mode. Basically it's just a setting in your bt_config.txt file. If set to live, you'll have to click 'publish changes' on your control panel for changes to be seen. Otherwise they're automatic.

Thanks Chris, Its due to the issues i'm having adding the url that are forcing me to make an update. I dont know what mode i submitted the app in originally, does this matter? I have a red dot next to publish changes. Cheers

The red dot won't tell you, but you can go ahead and hit publish changes to make it green. If you're in design mode, nothing will happen. But if you're in live mode, your changes should get pushed through.

Right cool, thanks Chris. Now, do you mind if I take you to the start and the objective please? So i dont know what mode ive built the app in. I assume design as Ive made a few changes and theyve implemented in the app on the appstore with the refresh button. So if I hit publish now what will happen?! Nothing I suspect! How would I now add to my app without updating the live app? Is this possible depending on the mode ive sent my original app in or does this not matter? Im sorry, with this one you'll need to talk to me very slooooowwwwwllllyyyyy as i'm having extreme difficulty getting it for some reason! Thanks again :)

It's no problem. To do this you'll need to manually make changes to the JSON in your BT_config.txt file in Xcode. If you've refreshed at all on the simulator, you'll need to delete the app first to remove the cached data.

So if I make the changes to the JSON correctly the app will not be affected on the store and all updates will be localised until I hit publish when the update is live on the store?

If you're in design mode, all changes will go out when you hit save on any control panel screen. That's why you need to do it manually in Xcode

So is what I said above correct? Also what changes do I need to make to the config file? The appreciation of your help and patience is not lost! Cheers

You may want to start a new app project on Buzztouch just to set up a screen the way you want it and get the proper Jason, then copy and paste it into your current project.

Now youve completely lost me! The project is on the store It has loads of content in xcode I want to send an update to apple (add more content to xcode and update on the cpanel) without the changes being applied to the app on the store until the update is released. I dont know what you mean by set up a screen the way you want it! I know I need to change the config data, I dont know what I change it to! Cheers

Ohh okay - sorry - I didn't realize what you were tryign to do. In order to get your app to "live" mode, you'll need to change the setting in the BT_config.txt file in XCode from "currentMode":"design" to "currentMode":"live". Then you'll need to issue the update to Apple. Once you do that, anyone who updates will get automatic updates from the control panel only once you hit 'publish changes'. But, here's the unfortunate thing: Any changes you make to the control panel will automatically go out to users who have not updated via the App Store. And there's no good way to issue the update to those members via the App Store - it must come from the control panel. So, your best bet is to change the BT_config.txt file in XCode to "live", push the update to the App Store, then wait a couple weeks after the update goes live before making any changes via the control panel. That way, you'll have captured most of the users. Going forward when you make the changes via the control panel, you'll need to remember to hit the "publish changes" button in order for people to receive them. Hope this helps and is not more confusing!

OK, many thanks Chris, I think i'm there!! One last question, I promise! So the app is on the store. I submitted it in design mode - I had a red dot! I have published changes and got the live mode config data. I have made a few 'live' changes to the app since its been on the store, updating immediately as in 'design' mode. I will add a few files to my project, add the live config data and submit as an update, in 'live' mode. Can I then change certain things within my control panel to correspond with the files ive added in the binary once on the store, then publish the change? In essence all I have done is submitted an update to allow for 'live' mode config but while doing so I think I can add some files to the project and reference them in the cpanel? Cheers :)

For example - [email protected] Remove this in xcode - wont effect the current app Add a new one in the update - Will appear in new version? OR Current header image is called say headerimage.png stored in xcode Add headerimage1.png to xcode, change in the cpanel only after the update has hit the store? This is probably not clear at all, apologies!

sorry for the delay Alex in responding to you. If you keep the same filenames, it will display the new image. However, if you delete an old image and replace it with a new one that has a different filename, you'll need to update the configuration data. The problem is that when you do this (assuming you're on debug mode not live mode), users will get the prompt refresh right away but won't have received the update from the App Store with the new image. So, they'll get a blank image. The workaround is to use the Live mode. You add the new image, send the update to Apple, and make the change on the control panel. But you wait until a few days after the update goes live (to make sure plenty of people have received it) before pressing the 'publish changes' button. Alternatively, you could simply add the new image to XCode, and keep the old one. Your app would be a bit larger, but that way you can keep the control panel setting at the old image until you're ready to send out the changes. Then you simply make the change on the control panel and you're good to go. Hope that helps

Cheers Chris. Excatly what I decided to do. I added the 'live' config data and added new images to xcode, leaving the old ones in place so they still display for now. I wasnt sure if altering the config data in xcode would cause an issue but quickly realised that was on the app store in a packaged binary so would have no effect. I will, without question, ensure all of my future apps are configured for 'live' mode before submitting. Thanks for the advice.

Dunno if you are still subscribed to this chris but i'm interested in your opinion if you are please?! So, I wanted to change some images in the app but the app was in design mode mode. I sent an update with the config data in live mode. I also added the images to the project I wanted to include when the update went through. I waited several days after the update went through to capture as manay people as possible. Then, I changed the image names to those added to the project, where appropriate. I hit publish. The app on my device (the developer device) worked 100% perfectly. My son, who downloaded it from the appstore's displayed blank spaces where the images had been changed, as did my wifes when I downloaded it on hers. Fortunately if been able to return the images back to their original state. Any ideas on what went wrong please? Cheers :)

Hmm - it almost sounds like the images didn't get copied into the project before you submitted the update. But if it worked on your development device, then it should have. Unfortunately, without seeing the debug output it's hard to know what is going on. And there's not a good way to do that on live devices. Here's what I would try next: Delete the app from your test device, and then run it from XCode. See if the images show up. If not, try deleting them from XCode and then copying them back in. Also look at what the Debug output shows. If they do show up, and you're confident you added the images to XCode BEFORE sending the update to Apple, I don't really know what to tell you, other than maybe try sending the same package to Apple but as a new update. You could also try installing a bug-tracking SDK like "Bugsense", and setting it up to track all your NSLog statements.

Thanks Chris. Its a weird one. 100% sent the update with the images contained within. Worked on my device. Since changing it back, with it changing back on the other 2 devices, when I refreshed mine it stayed with the new images, even though the old ones are back in place via the control panel!

Update! Weirdest thing ever. Both have now updated to the new images even though the control panel shows the old!

How strange ... glad it's working though.

Cheers!