Is it possible to export the app code from appgyver and edit it locally?
At the moment, no. Our philosophy in general is that any code you need to write you bring in to the visual platform via plugins, so you keep the ability to edit your project with Composer – any full code export is pretty much necessarily one-way. (Third-party plugins are coming for everyone soon, starting work on them after a major client runtime upgrade that is in the final stretches now and should finish within this month.)
Also, the project structure is very much optimized for machine use, so even the exported project (which obviously exists so we have something to package into a standalone binary in Build Service) would not be very legible. We’ve done some RND on how to improve that, and there is a path to exporting something that could be developed further.
But for the moment, we’re focusing on the UX of the visual builder, and ensuring that the JSON app descriptor created by it is transpiled into the most performant app possible by the runtime, which necessarily happens at the expense of actual compiled source code legibility.
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This is a great reason to not make a project of any significant complexity/importance in AppGyver. Although I love the concept and am enjoying playing around with it, I also know that whenever you commit a lot of time to creating something that you don’t own / are eternally dependent on a third party to maintain, you are setting yourself up for crushing disappointment. (Before you say anything: sure, AppGyver is “free forever,” but… so were Mailchimp credits. And projects bigger than this get abandoned all the time.)
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I understand the sentiment – at the moment the best we can give is our word. Compared to other no-code tools though, the generated app binary/package is standalone, so the app itself will continue to exist independent of AppGyver.
In addition to the code export, we’ve also been discussing open sourcing the runtime, which will then give everyone the confidence to see what their app config runs on (even if that app config is tricky to edit without a graphical tool).
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It’s a relief to see that, in the event Appgyver ever does have to unfortunately close, that a live app build will still continue to exist in the app stores – although, you wouldn’t be able to edit it, presumably. That would allow some breathing room while our team works to implement a similar platform elsewhere. I assume we’d still have full access to all app-side controls such as moderation, database exporting, etc.
I am curious how this philosophy applies to web apps. Being, essentially, a website with app-like functionality, would it still be hosted entirely independently with Appgyver only being used to push new updates and changes to that web app, or is there a more tangible “link” to Appgyver than with native apps where, if AG were to shut down for some reason, it would cause web apps to become unstable?
Thank you!
The web app bundle is just a bunch of static CSS/HTML/JS files. It’s deployed by default to our AWS S3 for convenience, with a CloudFront for SSL + domain name, but you can download the ZIP file which will work independently and deploy it yourself.
So yes, if we were to shut down, the apps hosted at https://myapp.appgyverapp.com would cease to function as we’d no longer provide the infra for them, but you could continue to self-host.
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This is what I needed to know. Thanks! It’s certainly a relief on that front. Massive thanks to all of you here at AppGyver that make this accessible to the small indie teams like ourselves!
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Hi, it is very motivating to read your approach and vision forward.
Although, like me, others wonder if your committment to being open, self-host, open source, would change once you are now acquired by SAP?
Please excuse me for being a total beginner.
Is their a step by step tutorial or you tube video on how to do setup AppGyver on an own server (AWS, Linode or Linux)?
The company I work for is looking at AppGyver after I suggested it. But management a concerned of trapped without any source code. But if I can show I can deploy a simple AppGyver app; using files in a an Exported Zip file on standard AWS, Linode or Linux servers. The manager will approve my using AppGyver for our simpler apps.
Presently the managers are looking at AppSmith or HoneyCode that has fill code export. But I like AppGyver it appears more flexible and easier to use.
Is their a step by step tutorial or you tube video on how to do setup AppGyver on an own server (AWS, Linode or Linux)?
Thank you
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We don’t have a step by step tutorial tutorial I’m afraid, but the zip you get from Build Service can be deployed anywhere you would like if you have the infrastructure for hosting web apps.
Any updates on availability or ETA of this feature in 2022?
Just a thought: the web app files could easily be embedded in a Cordova WebView to build it as a Cordova mobile app for Android and iOS.