Just trying to clarify something (best practices and ok-to-do). If your app is approved and in the app store: - can you still push out updates via the control panel, e.g. is it ok to add new questions to the Quiz screens via the control panel? (I know you can update remote HTML docs without an issue). And will the app see the new changes even if it's set to "publish" - how do you create/release a new version of your app? e.g. you want to now add Scringo. Do you create a totally new app via the control panel? Or, do you reuse the app and, if so, how do you work with it without affecting the app in the app store? Cheers

I do make changes after approved .. I have made changes to the menus mostly and done content.. Of its anything big I do a update to be able to change version and let user know of updates.. If I were to put in scringo I would just do it in Xcode and submit it. The user will get scringo after they update. If I add. Newly purchased plugin . I download it and compile and test the design version the submit .. After approved I hit publish on cp for to go live I would never create a new app.. No need to

The only real reasons to publish an actual update to the store are if you include some media (docs, audio, video, etc) in the app itself, or add a functionality/plugin that requires a change in the code. Other than that, literally everything is driven by the control panel and the JSON it produces. You can make changes in Design mode, test them in Design mode, and then when all looks good, hit the Publish button, which then syncs up the Live/Design mode files. At that point, all the apps from the store (which should have the Live configuration file), will see the new content! Mark

(nodding my head at what Mark is saying) Cheers! -- Smug

@Jvalley. So, I guess I am a little confused about the "publish" option in the control panel. So, basically, before you submit the app to iTunesConnect, you - click "publish" to prevent futher updates to it? - once Apple approves the app, start working on next version. If they reject it, un-publish app so you can work on it? - for next version, make changes, add screens, etc. Published app should not see the additional screens, etc.? - download into XCode, set to new version number, recompile, re-submit to iTunesConnect, and click "publish" in control panel? I'm trying to get the workflow clear my mind. Cheers

There are two states your configuration file can be in: "currentMode":"Design" or "currentMode":"Live" Any published app should have the BT_Config.txt file set to Live. You have to do this manually. You would change this right before you submit to the store. Any app your testing with should have the BT_Congig.txt file set to Design. This is the default. When you hit the Publish button, it syncs both the Live and Design versions of the configuration data on the buzztouch server. At that point, any app running the Live version of the file will now see all the changes that initially were only visible to the Design version. All this is so you can make and test changes to your app before pushing them out the Live apps. Make sense? Mark

@GoNorthWest. Great. So, basically, click "Publish" before you submit to iTunesConnect. And the "live" app in the app store won't see any changes to JSON until you click "Publish" again (such as new quiz questions)? Cheers

Right. Click publish when you want the world to see your changes. Keep it design just during testing. If you submit an update to the store itself (you don't need to in many cases), make sure you've grabbed the latest version of the config file (hopefully synced with Design mode) and included it in your app. That way there are no reviewer issues. Mark

Thanks Mark!

Hmm...what if you add a new plugin later? You will need to download the source code and recompile in Xcode and resubmit. I guess you need to wait until the app gets approved by Apple before clicking "Publish" otherwise users might get an update with a missing plugin and mess up the app, right? I guess we should really have a dummy's guide or cheatsheet when it comes to how to push out updates to live apps in the app store :-) Unless there is one and I missed it? Thanks

hi Steve, i've just recently done exactly that... added plugins and a redesign of interface. So, i designed in design mode, added all the new plugins and graphics into Xcode, tested it in design mode. Copied the config text by hand (from bt server 'design mode', into btconfig.txt in Xcode) and manually changed the btconfig.txt to Live, submitted to Apple. You are correct, hitting publish now would mess up my users! As there are graphics and plugins that arent already out amongst the existing users! But similarly, if mr apple tester were to hit the refresh button, his review app would refresh 'back' to the same version that was out there alread... So i waited untill Apple said that the updated app was in review, THEN i hit my PUBLISH. and crossed my fingers for a review success!

after that, i learnt to include every plugin that i have bought..!

If you BUY a new plugin after you have already published your app, you'll have to download and compile the source again. If you USE a plugin that you already bought and is already in your source, then you don't need to do anything else but hit the Publish button. You should get into the habit of compiling all the plugins you have bought each time you compile your app, just so they're always there. I would advise against hitting the publish button and crossing your fingers. If you submit an app to iTunes for review, it should be 100% ready to go, and the configuration files should be synced (everything should be published). If you hit Publish after you submit, then things get out of whack, the the first thing the reviewer gets is a prompt to update the app because the configuration file has changed. That is NOT a good first impression! Publish, Compile, Submit...then leave it alone until after it's approved. Mark

Hi Mark Updating app, new purchased plugin. Publish, compile, submit. Wouldn't this leave current users with a potentially non working app whilst waiting for review? Example: home screen WAS menu with image. App live in store. Purchase menu with buttons, redesign app with menuwithbutons as home screen. Hitting publish now would prompt existing users to update, and if they do so would stop their app working. ?

Yep, that's a good point. The only way around this would be to submit the app to the store with the Design mode set, let it get approved, then submit it again with the Live mode set, and let it get approved. Because until you hit the Publish button, the reviewers won't get the new content either, because it's not been made live to them. Interesting scenario... I'll have to mull this over a bit and see what workarounds there might be. It's late, and my brain has stopped functioning! Mark

@trouty and @GoNorthWest. LOL. I didn't mean to open a can of worms, but I've been mulling this over for a bit, and can see problems unless things are done in a very specific order. So, it would be nice to have a wee little document on this, with a clear walk-through for the various scenarios: - what to do the 1st time you go through the process of creating the app and publishing it - what to do when you want to simply update content via the control panel, and not add any new plugins. This could include adding data (e.g. more quiz questions, or updating an HTML doc stored remotely on your server), or adding screens (for plugins you've already bought and for which code was already added in your live app before it was published. How and when to ensure your users get the updates and don't break the app. - what to do when you buy a new plugin and want to add screens that use that new plugin. - what to do when a plugin is updated and you want to use the newly updated plugin - how to ensure that existing users of your app are not affected when you add new screens (for plugins that were already bought and included in your live app), or for new plugins you bought and now added - how to ensure that existing users get the new version of the app only after it is approved and published into the app store And various other scenarios I'm sure I've missed :-) Steve

And one more too add: - I have a 1.5 app in the apple app store. I have since bought more plugins and want to incorporate them. However, there was no Design/Live back then, so I'm creating a brand new 2.0 app. My question, is when I submit this update to apple, will it need to be named the same as the current 1.5 version?

Hi @RonBo, In order to update your app in the app store, the bundle ID will need to be the same between the two apps, as well as the app name. Same distribution certificates as well. Mark