I've read the pdf about understanding app refresh, thanks by the way!!, and I just want to make sure I get it before I take my app offline. If I take it offline, I understand I lose the ability to refresh new content to users. I would have to issue an updated app to the appstore to send out new changes. Does that mean I can't use buzztouch to make changes to my original app and submit the changes to appstore the same way I submitted the original app? Do I have to create new app from buzztouch, and just change the version number in order to do testing? And then submit that? Does that make sense? Also, I have three buttons that require internet access. If I go offline, I understand those won't work, but everything else should right? The other buttons point to word docs, and custom html screens. Thanks!

Hi @guidoverduci, You have it right. If you take your app offline, you are no longer able to push changes to your app directly out to your users through the buzztouch control panel. You would have to provide updates to the app via the app store. Removing the Configuration URL essentially says all the content is here, don't go anywhere else to check for it. It also means that you can add new features to your app, and test them, via the control panel, without anybody seeing them until you push them out as an app update. To do an update, you just add your new content using the control panel, download the source, compile your app (same app name, etc), but increase the version number. Then submit to the source. You do NOT need to recreate your app each time. The buttons that access the content from the web should still work in an offline app, though, if they link to static content, you should consider including that content with your app update. But, the buttons should still work, assuming the user has network connectivity. The whole online/offline thing really refers to whether the app checks for content updates (or gets it's content in general) from an online source, or from within the app itself. Does that help? Mark

Thanks Mark, that helps, I'm almost there! My app consists of a 9 button home page. 6 of the buttons are custom html and word docs, and 3 access the internet directly (such as getting weather from an entered zip code). I'm a pilot and the majority of the app usage would be in airplane mode. I understand that the 3 buttons that access the internet won't work, but the others will have the content without a network connection, correct?

Hi, The three buttons that access content on the Internet should actually work. They simply make a call to the Internet, so assuming there is a network connection, it should work. The six buttons with local content should work, assuming you have included the content locally. You can test all this by removing the Report to Cloud and Configuration URLs from the BT_Config.txt file that you have downloaded and are running in Xcode. Don't remove those URLs from your Control Panel until you are ready to take the app offline, otherwise current users, the next time they check for an update, will go offline. But, if you are running a local config file in Xcode, you can tweak it as yo want, and not affect anybody. Then you can test those three buttons. Mark

We should really make an effort to change the online/offline terminology to 'phone-home / no-phone-home'

@Stobe, Yeah, offline/online is somewhat confusing. The basic thought is that offline means it does not check in for updates, and grabs info from the local configuration file. Online means it checks an online location (like buzztouch.com or DropBox) for the configuration file. But I do like the phone-home/no-phone-home terminology! Mark

I understand. I think my wording might have been confusing. I'm talking about putting the phone in airplane mode. Since there is no network connection the 3 buttons shouldn't work. But the other 6 should because the word docs and custom html is stored on the phone when the app is installed, correct?

Yes, the content that is preloaded will be available when in airplane mode (just make sure to copy the most recent BT-config info to xcode before compiling) One thing that you might want to do is have a disclaimer about the 3 buttons that won't work (something like 'requires internet'). I've heard of apple rejecting an app because they were afraid the user would think the app wasn't working properly.

@Stobe is absolutely correct, and thanks for clarifying the airplane mode thing. Mark

Ok, I just thought of another question that began to bring the fog back… Can I keep this app online and still have the content show up when it's in airplane mode? Does it always look for updates or will it revert to an older cached page? This app will be primarily used in airplane mode, so while I'd love to have it check for updates, if it means that while in airplane mode it won't even bring up the original page (custom html, word doc) compiled with the app, that's a deal breaker.

As long as the BT_config.txt is current in xCode when you compile, then the app will use that if it cannot update itself. As long as all the pages in that config file are pointed-to correctly, then you won't have a problem. I always test my apps exactly how you are intending to use them. I'll run the app from xCode, while my test device is in airplane mode.

You guys have it nailed down! Awesome!

It's still not working correctly for me. I put a clean build with current BT_config.txt on my iPhone and then I turn on airplane mode. I removed the cloud and configuration urls from the config file. I run the app on my phone, when I click the button, I get the check your internet connection message on the iPhone, the lists come up, but then when I click on the list row, I get data for this screen has not been downloaded. In the Xcode output, I see it saying that the BT_screen_custom HTML does not exist in the cached directory, so I'm assuming that's the problem. I do I get the pages cached with no internet connection? Do the people that install my app need to load all pages at least once with an internet connection first before they will be on there device, and if so, how long do they stay in memory?

It's still not working correctly for me. I've removed the cloud and data URLs from a current BT_config.txt file, compiled put a clean build on my iPhone. I put the phone in airplane mode and begin testing. I'm getting data for this screen has not been downloaded. Please check your internet connection. In my Xcode output, it says that the file does not exist in cached directory. Does that mean that when users download my app, they will have to click on every button to store the cached file before it will work in airplane mode? And if so, how long does it stay in memory? Is there not a way for the app to pull all the data from each custom html page on first install? Or am I just totally confused…again...

Are you sure you dragged the content (html docs, word docs, etc) into xCode to be included in the build? And anytime you add or change that content, you need to re-build from xCode, not just refresh the app in the simulator.

Also, I believe the file names from the config file are case sensitive to the files that you drag in. This has bitten me once or twice.

@Stobe bring up a point that gets us all...moving the files into Xcode. Also, make sure the screen is configured for a local file instead of a URL. And, as @Stobe says, make sure filesnames match, and that there are no spaces in the file names. If you include the file locally, it doesn't get cached, and is always there. Try also to delete the old version of the app on your device. Mark

yeah, I haven't dragged the html files into Xcode. But the pages I'm talking about are the custom html pages created within buzztouch. Where would these files be located?

Custom HTML pages created using the buzztouch control panel are stored on the buzztouch servers, and need a network connection to retrieve. So, to make your app offline, you'd have to provide local copies of those files, putting them in the BT_Docs folder. Mark

So by providing a local copy, I would need to copy the source code and create a new file, put it in BT_docs and then point to that one from buzztouch?

Yup, you have to weigh the pro's and con's. If you're not going to change that page often, make it a 'html doc' If you want to be able to change it without submitting updates, you have to make it a 'custom html' and hope the user can cache those pages while online. (and you'll have to keep the data url correct for those pages)

basically instead of custom html, or plain text I would create an HTML document page and point that to my local file?

disregard last.. I see you answered. Thanks!

so while I weigh the pros and cons… if they cached the file while they had internet access, how long does it stay? If they close the app, does it remain in the memory somewhere?

yes, it should stay in cache. If you make any changes to it in the BT control panel, it will prompt the user to refresh (assuming they have internet)

It should stay in the document cache on your device until the cache is cleared for some reason. For mostly static HTML files, local versions are really the way to go. Mark

thanks guys!!

warning… extreme newb question… When making a static html file, where do I put the images? I created the html file, put the image in the BT_doc folder and pointed the source to my local hard drive and BT_doc folder. But when I try to open the file on my iPhone, the images don't come up...

Funny you should ask... http://www.buzztouch.com/forum/thread.php?tid=4AF4D6DAA72521B65BD69D6

remember to drag them into xCode also.

Funny this should come up today! I was just pinging the BT gurus, and for iOS, they can basically go into any folder you want, and iOS will find them. I prefer to put them in BT_Images, because that makes sense to me. But, you can put them in BT_Docs. For HTML files, the only rule you have to adhere to is that CSS files have to reside in the same place as the HTML file. Totally different for Android, though, on a version by version basis. And, as @Stobe mentions, don't forget to include them in Xcode! Mark

Ok, straightened out all the kinks. Submitted the app with the config and cloud urls still there so that I can submit a few updates to users with ease. LAST question on this topic.. If I remove the cloud and config urls from the buzz touch control panel, will that immediately stop the app from updating users? Or do I have to release an updated app to apple with the urls removed?

If you make that change in your control panel for a published app, the next time a user opens the app, or brings it to the foreground, it will check for uprates, see the URLs have been removed, and will remove them from the local config file. From that point forward, it will be offline, and future updates will have to go through the store. Mark

perfect, thanks!… again.