Building an App
'Building an App' describes the process of generating an app build for a Purple App in Purple Manager so that you can download it for testing or submit it to the app stores. After the initial app build, there are changes to the app settings that you can make in Purple Manager that require the app to be rebuilt to take effect. An example is the upgrade of the native App Template. Building an app is done from the app overview in Purple Manager by clicking 'Build App' (see screenshot). This article describes the function in detail.
Preconditions
- Have the App Build Settings configured for your Purple App
- Have selected the correct Build Template in the Basic settings of your app (This is especially true if you want/need to meet new requirements from Google/Apple
Description
Building an App from the App Overview
The App Build process is started in Purple Manager --> Apps --> Overview --> Build App
Build App Dialogue
App Version
Here you can set the toggle on 'Release' for building a release version of your Purple App, which is supposed to be submitted to the Google Play Store or Apple's App Store; or a 'Preview' version of your app for testing purposes. When selecting 'Release' there are further configurations to be done, see below in the section 'Build App Dialogue 'Release App'. (Sidenote: The option with the blue background is the one currently selected)
Profile
In the Profile setting, only Purple internal users need to select a profile from the dropdown. If you are a Purple customer, please leave it blank, as shown in the screenshot above.
Plattforms
By (de-)activating the toggle next to 'iOS' or 'Android', you can choose which platform you want to (re)build your Purple App for. It is also possible to select both platforms. As the build process can take up to a few minutes depending on the package size of your app, it may make sense to select only one platform to speed up the build process.
Build App Dialogue 'Release App'
When selecting 'Release App', you have the option to define the version number of your app built. Well-managed version number help you to keep track of on your app versions submitted to the App Store.
We strongly recommend that you enter the same version as a version number in the App Stores as you did in the Build Settings to maintain a better overview.
New Minor Version: By activating the radio button, you change the minor number of your app version, e.g. from version 1.2 to version 1.3. The number is set automatically to one value higher than your current one.
New Major Version: By activating the radio button, you change the major number of your app version, e.g. from version 2.0 (or 2.17) to version 3.0. The number is set automatically to one value higher than your current one.
Overwrite / Set version: By activating the radio button, a new configuration option opens (see screenshot below), which allows you to manually set the minor and/or major version number and overwrite the current one.
Building the App
Build App: To build the App, the button 'Build App' is used
Please note that the Release App for iOS can't be downloaded from Purple Manager for testing purposes. To test a Release App for iOS before submitting to the App Store, follow the process for TestFlight Apps for iOS. Learn how to Create a TestFlight Version of an iOS App.
Building App Process
While the app is building, progress spinners will appear next to the iOS and Android icons. Once the app build is complete, the spinners will disappear and you can download the app by scanning the QR code.