Cloning an App.


Introduction

It is possible to create an app and later want to create a duplicate of the app with a few minor changes. An example of this might be that you need to change a variable on Launch Startup Setting Event (eg. with a different staging base URL) or to have the app use a Staging Data Source instead of a Live Data Source, or even localizations of an app that use different graphics form the media folder.

 

You can create a Clone of an app which is a duplicate of an source app but you can make specific changes at the time of the cloning.


You specify these changes in the Clone Instructions, which are stored in the App Settings, which can be accessed with the EDIT APP button.  


This allows you to have one Source app and an unlimited number of related Clone apps. So as you make changes to the Original (the Source) app, you can re-clone the app which will completely overwrite your Clone app grabbing a fresh copy of the Source app and any changes you may have made to it, overwriting the Clone and then applying the same specific changes from your Clone instructions again.


Not every Eachscape user has access to the Clone App feature.

If you do not see the Repeat Clone button then you should contact an Eachscape representative and ask for access to this feature.


 

If you require access, please contact your Enterprise EachScape admin or, send us an email at info@eachscape.com




These are the overview steps to Clone an app:
 

  1. Create a new app (we will refer to this as the Cloned app) in the same workspace as the Original app.
 
       2. Edit the App Settings of the Cloned app by clicking the Edit button in the toolbar at the top of the builder.



        3. Under the Clone tab, specify the name of the Original app from the Cloning Source drop down and enter in some cloning instructions and then hit update to leave app settings.
 
        4. Then click on the Repeat button to make it apply the cloning instructions to the new app
 

 


Below are a few examples of Clone Instructions.
Each instruction is broken up into at least 3 sections separated by vertical pipe bars:

  • The first is the kind of clone instruction
  • The second is what text it is finding
  • The third is what text it is replacing. 
 
DataSource cloning instructions replaces the name of the Data Source (you can only replace data sources with identical data structures), Assoc cloning instructions allows you to alter a data source association which are the settings for how a Data Source is treated in the app.

 Appl cloning instructions allows you to make changes in the Application Settings of an app.

 Block Cloning instructions allows you to change the setting in a Block (there is a fourth section separated by a pipe, which is the name of the block setting which you want to adjust).

 Asset Cloning instructions allows you to change which asset you want to swap with another in the media folder.


Cloning Instruction examples

  • DataSource|original datasource name (Local Collection)|clone datasource name (Local Collection)
  • Assoc|NY|data_url|domainname1.com|domainname2.com
  • Appl||variable_name1|variable_name2
  • Block|Address Input|| NY| IL
  • Asset|map1.jpg|map2.jpg


Restriction

  • You can only Clone an App which is in the same workspace.