[Resolved] Update-able web app distibution

[Author]

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[diyanK]

Hi Team,

Me and my students are building a web app for school library management. Now that it is almost done, we are looking into redistributing it for use to other schools and libraries in general.

However there is the issue of delivering future updates to the app in a manner that would not require manually redoing all steps of the update to each and every instance that the app is running. Plus there is the issue that most of the instances of the app will be running locally.

What would you recommend in order to make this a viable option? We currently have more than 25 libraries that would like to use our app once it is ready for distribution, and I can’t imagine having to redo each and every change that is contained within an update 25 (and growing) times.

Is there a mechanism to package the app for distribution and deliver future updates in a convinient fail-proof way?

Thanks!
D.

[Minesh]

Hello. Thank you for contacting the Toolset support.

Here is the little information about how you can build the web apps using Toolset:
- https://toolset.com/documentation/programmer-reference/building-web-apps-using-toolset/

Regarding the maintain the code edits and distribute those code edits or updates to your web apps is depends on how you build the web app and what tools you are using for distribution of updates or code edits. In such cases you will have to contact our certified partners:
- https://toolset.com/contractors/

[diyanK]

Hi Minesh,

Thank you for your input. Currently we are indeed using our own "Business logic" using custom php code in the functions.php. This is easy enough to update via packaging the Child Theme archive and redistributing it.

However as far as my question is concerned, I am interested to learn is there a way to distribute newly added Toolset based updates that for instance include:
- Adding a new Custom Post Type, with it's custom Single Post templates, and Post Archive templates
- Adding a new Taxonomy,
- Adding a new View,
- Changing Access rules,
- Changing Taxonomy Archive templates,
- Changing Single Custom Post Type templates,
- Adding new Custom Fields,
- Adding a new CRED Post Form,
- Updating an existing CRED Post Form.

.. all done in a non-destructive way for the actual database contents (the Books and Textbooks that are actually going to be fed into the database, which will be different for each and every Library).

I would appreciate if you can give our team some actual directions on how this can be achieved, and whether it is actually achievable.

Thank you!
Best,
D.

[Minesh]

As per normal Toolset installation - it is envisioned that Toolset is installed on a WordPress based website, either an individual website or as part of a multisite.

We suggest either using duplicator or any other plugin to migrate site from one domain to anohter.
- https://toolset.com/faq/how-do-i-migrate-a-wordpress-site-from-one-domain-to-the-other/

Your case is more about setting up automation process. We offer module manager using which you can export the Toolset based entities like content templates, views, post types etc. but again its offered for pre-block version of views (legacy/classic views).

I'm not sure or do not have any expertise on how to distribute newly added entities you mentioned.

I would say you will require to contact our certified partners and check with them about such custom requirement:
- https://toolset.com/contractors/

[diyanK]

See Minesh,
we're in the category of being a contractor as well, although we're not part of the contractors job board.

I do not see how a contractor can help us understand what is possible with your product and what not, if you as a support representative can not provide us with the needed information - there practically should not be anyone more knowledgable than the official Toolset support and dev team as a whole. Plus we do not need someone to do it for us, but rather do it ourselves, as this is part of the dev. classes I'm doing with my students. I suggest that if you're not quite sure yourself personally, to escalate the issue to someone who can actually give us concrete answer - yes, or no. If no - well bummer, if yes - we can take it from there and figure out this either with the help of a contractor's experience or by better studying Toolset's documentation. However we still don't have a concrete answer, and this is what we're looking for.

Thanks!
D.

[Nigel]

Hi there

Minesh asked me to step in here.

It sounds like you are creating essentially a wireframe of a website—complete with custom post types and fields, views and archives etc.—and distributing that to clients who will then populate it with data.

And your question relates to making changes to the wireframe (maybe adding a form to publish a new post type) and distributing those changes, without affecting the client data, if I understand you correctly.

I don't have a good solution for you that doesn't involve manual intervention, I'm afraid.

We used to have something very similar to what you describe, Toolset Themes, for distributing custom themes alongside Toolset plugins, but it was discontinued due to lack of interest among our client base (and it is not something that can be resurrected).

Which means the only options are, from the source site where you are making changes, to export settings in zip files and import those on the client sites. And this is only a partial solution, because with the advent of blocks this is now only possible for Types and Forms (so not for templates, views, or custom archives), as well as Access settings, if that is relevant.

I wonder if it might be possible to come at this from another direction, whereby you use dedicated import and export tools (such as WP All Import Pro) to export all of the client data, then install an updated wireframe via plugins such as All in One WP Migration (which would reset the client data), then import the client data back in again.

And I don't know if you have considered tools like Appresser that are for distributing WordPress sites as apps. I'm not very familiar with them, but I would imagine they would include the kind of functionality you need.

But as for Toolset itself, it doesn't include the functionality you are asking for, I'm afraid.

[diyanK]

Hi Nigel,

I wonder if it might be possible to come at this from another direction, whereby you use dedicated import and export tools (such as WP All Import Pro) to export all of the client data, then install an updated wireframe via plugins such as All in One WP Migration (which would reset the client data), then import the client data back in again.

Well actually I didn't think of that, and it looks like this might be a viable solution to our issue.
Thanks for looking outside the box for us and pointing to that as a backup plan. We still have to test it out and see whether there will be any unexpected difficulties with that, but overall that brings a good note of optimism and hope for us!

Thanks a ton!