Change the App ID

[Waveflux]

Hi,

I'm developing a Canvas App, and I am NOT an administrator, nor do I have a relationship with the administrator where I can easily contact them and have them update an app.

My question is, is it possible to import an app, and have it replace an existing app while maintaining the existing app ID and URL?

I'd like to set up a test app that I can publish and test out new features with a small group of users, and then publish that to the "Production" environment app after the test app has been debugged.

Thanks!

[RandyHayes · Accepted solution]

@Waveflux 

You will not be able to do that with "replacing" an existing app.

What I recommend is that you continue to design the app that is in production - Do Not publish it until you are ready to really publish.

To Test it at any point, just save-as the app to a different name and provide that app to your testers.  If they flush out things that need to be addressed, then make those changes in the original and save-as another app in order to further test.  

When it's all done, just publish the app and the users will not need to do anything else.

I hope this is helpful for you.

[CNT]

@Waveflux If you have a "Production" environment, I believe you would also have a "Dev" environment. You can develop the App there and give the URL of that App to your testers. When it is all done, Create a solution and add this App to that solution, publish and export/import it into the "Production" environment. Give the URL of that App in production to the Real Users. When the real users are using the App, you can continue to make changes or enhancements to your App in "Dev" and go over the same process again and agsin to get it across to users. This is called ALM (Application Life-Cycle Management). Hope this helps.

[Waveflux]

Thanks Randy!  I will do this.  Thank you, it seems so obvious I don't know how I didn't think of it.

[Waveflux]

I appreciate the response, however, the way the organization is set up and my permissions, I only have access to one environment, so I don't have the ability to differentiate between a "dev" environment and a "production" environment.

[RandyHayes]

@Waveflux 

Yes, it works well.  You just have to make sure you're not in the habit of hitting Publish every time you save your app.