Two problems: I have a list of about 70 members in an organization. I would like to list locations without Nickname and come back later and add the nickname. Is there a way to do this or a way to access the list of locations? Second, If on a nickname I choose Call Us as an option and later that member decides he/she wants to be contacted by Email. Is there a way to change the type of nickname without losing all information in the location. THanks

Hi libarsh, What screen type are you working with here? v1.5 iOS?

Hi Parker v1.5 and Snow Leopard Thanks Larry

What type of screen in the app are you working with? Menu list, location map?

Location Map for the location list and the screens and Menus to create the Nickname and screen

Ok well I'm still not 100% clear on what you're trying to do but I'll try to answer anyway. When you create a location on a map (a map child item) it needs to be given a name of some sort. After the location is named, the name can be changed by clicking on the location listed above the options for that particular map screen. Other than manually creating map locations in the control panel you could use the Screen Data URL option to have your device look to an external file to create its map locations. The data on that file will need to be in JSON format. Any changes you make to that file will be reflected in the locations on the map in your app. For menu lists - You can freely change the content of a menu list without needing to delete the menu list itself. The same is true for a menu list nested within another menu list. So if you had a Master List of States, and you clicked on the California list Item within that, the list for California can display many different list Items of it's own that can be changed or removed without removing the California List Item from the master List of States. If you wanted to change the California List Item that displays within the Master List of States you would click on the California List item while viewing the master list within the control panel. Please take some time to review the Documentation under the help link at the top of this screen for more info on any screen type. Get back to me if this doesn't make sense / you have more questions you can't figure out from the documentation or by playing around with the control panel. Or if I completely misunderstood your question. :P

OK - gotcha on the JSON file but where is it stored? In xcode? And the screen to call the file is the Custom URL, Webpage? As far as the second part, not exactly what I was asking - associated with each location on the map is a Nickname and a choice (for example) of Call Us, Email Us, text U, Show a URL etc. When clicking on the right arrow in the location map, the option is activated. Can this parameter be added to the JSON file as well? Can there be more than one choice? Thanks (It occurs to me I need a cooler picture)

Just to belabor this a little more: What I really need to do is enter a list of locations with name, and address for about 70 members BEFORE I add the Nickname and the screen information. The program will not, however, allow entry without identifying a Nickname and screen. But I am awaiting the member's choice of screen (email, Call, URL etc) and I will want to eventually change the screen without having to delete the location information. Also wondering if more than one screen choice can be added - say if someone wishes to be contacted by either call or email. And, oh yes, where does the Unique ID come from in Json? Is the server version more flexible for this sort of thing? Thanks for the help

Please see the documentation. It answers a lot of the questions you are asking. http://www.buzztouch.com/docs/v1.5/ The section 'Data URL's and Merge Fields' deals with JSON data and even includes a sample file to generate a location map. The sections 'Location Map' and 'About Child Items' and 'Location Item' deals with the options of creating a screen with child items (like locations on a map) and the JSON values to do so. You'll need to go through those sections and understand them in order to make use of the Data URL option for any screen. To answer a few other questions you raised - What calls the JSON file for any screen is the Data URL option located in the 'Advanced Properties' section for any screen. Typically the file points to a URL of a file hosted online somewhere, but can also reference a file within your xcode project. You are limited to only one option from the Location Map Item's right arrow. But linking it to another screen like a menu list, opens up many possibilities. If you want to change that option within the control panel you will need to re-create that location Item. In the JSON file hosted online, you can just change the data within. For the JSON file embedded within the app you will need to change the file and resubmit an update to itunes. Just enter the name of the location as the nickname, it can be changed later, but is necessary to have some way to identify the screen aside from unique ID. Screen info can also be changed later, with the exception of what the right arrow option does. Even if you have to delete the location information for one location item, it should only take about a minute to recreate it later when you have all of the correct information. In the case where you want the option to have a map location be able to have a user call or email, have the right arrow button link to a menu list with those options listed as menu items. The unique ID of any screen created by the control panel is automatically generated and ensured to be different than any other screen already generated. You can make up your own but be sure they are one of a kind. See the Documentation for more on JSON Data. The Server version isn't any more flexible than what you have access to now, unless you are willing to pay for custom development. (There will be a free version offering the exact same functionality as what you can access online today, in the near future.) From your questions I really think you need to spend a few hours going through the Documentation until you fully understand how JSON data and the various options for each screen works. After you understand how everything works then you can better decide if the Server option is right for you.

Thanks Parker - I will go through everything.

Parker I've gone through pretty much everything in relation to Data URL option and JSON. I keep getting back an error message on configuration. I think my best bet would be to have you or another evangelist/developer review the JSON file and create a Data URL nickname for me as an example that I can work with on my own until I get the hang of it. What would be the cost to do this? I should say, I have an app pretty much completed (except for more names, addresses etc.) and its working really well on the simulator. Just cannot seem to get it connected from an external file. I have set up a couple of examples set up in an online .txt file exactly as noted in JSON but can't seem to connect properly. Thanks Larry

Quick thoughts: @libarsh: We don't generally do paid-support but the offer is appreciated. There are a few folks on the forum that have offered to do these types of things for pay. If you want to hire somebody to help you, you could start here: http://www.buzztouch.com/forum/thread.php?tid=31701A30183C9D50533331C @ steveh6883 has helped lots of folks with Android and buzztouch, I'll be he can help you too ;-)

Thanks David