Hi Folks. I'm finished with a 'rough strokes' script to copy screens from one BT App to another BT App within the same self hosted database. It creates/utilizes new GUIDs for the new screens, and puts all the right values in all the right places. I'm pleased, frankly. Currently it does one screen at a time. It does NOT do Menu screens. Yet. However it copies every other plugin I threw at it, Including that pesky Quiz and embedded Quiz items, which are different records with all kinds of superfluous information, heh. I do not own, so cannot test, single platform plugins (although in theory it should all be the same). I would like to solicit either someone to provide me with a more 'robust' SQL dump of their database so that I can test more complex arrangements.... OR.... If someone has the facilities to setup a 'test BT Server' like I did (no API required; we're not doing code downloads) and let me know their findings. Peer requirements are: 1) Facilities to setup a test BT Server 2) PHP/MySQL Knowledge 3) The ability NOT to yell at me when things go wrong ;) I plan on eventually releasing this for free, so if you're in it for the money, keep walking. Cheers! -- Smug

I could be in for setting up a test environment on my server. I have been working on a script to duplicate on of my apps with about 1000 screens.

Smug, Give me a call? Sent you a PM. The buzztouchmods.com site hosts about 20-30 control panels right now, and I think we might have a good test one. Cheers, David https://buzztouchmods.com edited: recounted :)

Smug, Just as a warning, (assuming you ran into a similar problem for menus), have you accounted for any links from a "right navbar button"? Other than that, awesome work! -Chris

We connected, checking it out now! I'm thinking the menu's are harder due to the sub menu db structure (could be wrong), since other plugins don't deal with that. The right navbar button might be in a similar situation since it's also linking, but won't know for sure until I see how the code is messing with the database. Gonna dive into his script to see what's cooking... very exciting! Let's see if we can hack it up more and make a whole copy app function? I know a few.... thousand people who have been asking for that. ;p David https://buzztouchmods.com

Right Nav Bar? Uh oh.... I don't use the right nav bar, so I hadn't considered it. I'll have to snoop around. Menu's will work 'eventually', but keeping track of the octopus-like child item structure requires a drink first, lol! ;) Cheers! -- Smug Edit: Hmm... I may have to kiss 'Right Nav Bar' navigation goodbye... Not much that can be done 'ad hoc' without being some kind of psychic (or psychotic, maybe)... About the only thing I can think of for the moment is an 'after care' document that points out the things that cannot be achieved. But who reads those? ;) A more complex, but perhaps more effective way, would be to extend the capabilities (it would require a temp table to be built) to have the user select a menu screen, and let the script travel the cascade down to the child items... that way those little nuances (read: nuisances) in the jsonVars field could be accommodated.

Yup, you're now seeing why we haven't released something like this yet. To make app/screen copying "easiest", we'd have to change the way the data was stored/created. To get the right navbar links (and menus) to work, we'd have to not only re-create the screen, but then search the database for the screen its linking to in order to re-link to the newly created itemId. But what you have so far is very helpful for people who just need to duplicate tons of one type of screen (HTML docs, PDFs, Custom URLs, etc). "Simple screens"

Each time I look under the hood I gain new respect for you guys. It does look like 'Simple' is about as far as I'll get, albiet for my purposes that's fine for the moment. Most of my app designs are usually 10-15 Simple Screens with no major connections... Cheers! -- Smug

I have never looked at the Database for BuzzTouch. I've messed around with the BT_config file a wee bit. I've got an idea for y'all from another angle ... If each App is not in its own database, perhaps each App has its own set of Tables? What is the method to filter for only the targeted (old) app? Assuming we have an SQL file with only the targeted app's data in it, make a copy of that file. In that file, find all "itemId" elements and make an array of them. Prefix all those "itemId" elements with the Dev's initials and "short name" of New App. Search and replace old elements with new elements. Run the modified SQL script to "clone" the New App into the database. Is it that simple? My pea-brain seems to be nodding his head in acknowledgement. Hahahaha. What y'all think? -- Niraj

I suspect that might be a good goal for BT v3.x.x., but changing a Database schema once the code is in place is a bit challenging, so I wouldn't bank on much happening in v2.x.x I'm thinking (not actively working, just thinking) about using a script creating a temporary table, adding a few extra fields for 'script/screen housekeeping'. It's not an easy task, and regardless of direction, everything has 'good' and 'bad'... it's a tough row to hoe, and not easily automated. I'm also having a few roadblocks with my 'bulk upload' script. It all works, but I have rights and authentication issues on my BT server, so I'm thinking of modifying the actual BT Server code to accomodate this... I'm running short of time this week, so it may be a few days before I can revisit this task... Cheers! -- Smug