How do you evolve your application when it’s already in production on AppSheet? This is an essential question once your application is live and in use by users. Effective version management is essential to continue improving your application without disrupting the user experience!
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Using a stable version is simpler but requires an enterprise license and isn’t suitable for major version upgrades, especially if there are changes to the database structure. On the other hand, the App Upgrade provides greater flexibility but involves more complex steps and potential service interruptions.
I recommend prioritizing a stable version whenever possible. If you don’t have structural changes and you have an enterprise license, there’s no added benefit to going through the App Upgrade!
When you launch your application in production, you define a stable version. All your users will default to this stable version, while the editors (co-developers) continue working on the latest version. This setup allows you to improve your application without interrupting its functionality for end users.
Once your modifications are finalized, tested, and approved, you can include beta testers to validate the new version. After it’s validated by the beta testers, you simply switch the latest version to stable. Magically, all your users will access the new version during their next login—completely seamlessly!
With the App Upgrade, the process is slightly different. You create a copy of your application, making sure to copy the data as well. You will then have two versions: a PROD (production) version and a DEV (development) version. All modifications are made on the development version, including on the dedicated data source.
❗Be careful: any changes to the data structure must be documented in a specific guide, as these changes will need to be applied to your production database during the update.
Once you complete your developments on the development version, you will perform an update (App Upgrade) on the production version. It’s important to note that this action overwrites the production version with the development version, and there's no going back.
This step requires careful preparation. You must ensure that your application becomes functional again quickly after the update, as it will be paused during the process, resulting in a service interruption of about 10 to 30 minutes for your users.
Fortunately, @Idun Group is here to help!
Read our comprehensive whitepaper outlining all the necessary steps for a successful version upgrade, along with tips to minimize service interruptions as well as a practical checklist for free to prepare for version upgrades right from the development phase.
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