About App Versioning

You can create different instances of each kind of app. Each instance is called a “version”.

So, you can have multiple versions of any app, and the content of each version is managed individually. In addition, you can have the same version of an app on multiple pages of your site, and since it’s the same version, the content is “shared” such that if you edit it on one page, it will sync the same content update on any other pages where you have it. We call this “Content Propagation” (more at the bottom of this post).

Let’s go through some cases…

Update:

There are new enhancements to the user interface for accessing and adding apps, click here to learn more!

How to Use It

To see the available versions of an App, open the App Store on the shelf.

How To Install an App Version

Then click on an App and a list of versions will be opened. To install one, drag the “Install” button (on the right) to one of your columns.

How to Preview a Version

If you are not sure which is the right version, hover over the eye icon to preview it.

How to Rename a Version

To keep things organized, you can rename each version. Hover over the name of the app you want to rename and click to edit it.

How to Duplicate an App

Remember, you can also always duplicate an app, which creates a new version while copying over the content of the current version, by clicking the “2x” button on an app:

Don’t Click on the X

On the right end of the app toolbar, you’ll find the “Remove App” button. The “X” marks the spot!

If you close any app version, you can always undo that action right afterwards.

Or install it again from the App Store.

Content Propagation

Versions Share Content

As stated before, you can have a specific version of an app in more than one page. So if the content of that version changes, the content propagates and is automatically updated on the rest of pages where that version is installed.

Common Issues

A very common issue that people encounters is their content changing through pages. An explanation on how to prevent it follows.

When a page is created, the new page is based in the page you’re currently in. When you click on “Add Page” and after you enter a name for it, you are presented with a window with all the apps of your current page.

Those you copy to your new page, will share the content, because they are the same versions. And the usual problem is that, when you modify the content on the body of that page, its automatically updated on the other page.

Caution

So be careful when editing an app version, make sure it’s not the same you have installed in other pages. Because if you update the content of that version, it will overwrite it everywhere else.

Managing Your Versions

The App Store is the place to look for managing your apps and versions. There you can do several things to know and keep your app versions organized. One: rename app versions so you can know exactly which version to use/install in certain places. See above “How to Rename a Version”.

Examples of names for your apps: “Top Menu”, “Main Content for Home Page”, “Footer Address”, etc.

Another one: hovering over the icon on the left of the gear, will display a list of pages where that app version is installed. So you can identify if a version is installed in more than one page quickly. And the exact pages where that version is installed.

Solution

A simple solution would be, when you create the new page, uncheck the app versions that you are planning to start from scratch. Or, the ones that will be different than the “original” page. You can also just delete the ones you’re planning to replace on the new page, and add new apps there.

Use cases

The most common places where you’ll normally want your content to be shared are the header and footer. Take a look to the following diagram. The header and footer are probably going to be consistent across all your pages. The intro may be just on the home page, and the content (marked body1 on the image) is what will keep changing from page to page.

Let’s go through an example: the navigation menu on the header. If you add a new page, you’ll want to add a new item in your menu. And you’ll want all your current pages to reflect that change. So you update the Navigation app on one page, and the rest of them automatically reflect that.

Or your address/phone number on the footer changes, you’ll also want to avoid going to each page and update it. Using the same version and allowing its content to propagate is the way to go.

Have questions or comments about app versions or how content propagates? Let us know in the comments area below!