Updates from the team – March 2023

AppGyver
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It’s been a while but thank you for being patient with us despite your concerns!

To see what’s planned, visit the official SAP Build Apps roadmap. For released items, please see our changelog.

Performance of the design time

Why are we working on this?

  • Performance is important and especially with heavy composite component use, Composer performance will slow down

Development status:

  • First round of fixes was released and this improved performance significantly
  • Added recovery for unsaved changes
  • Working on further changes that will improve performance

3rd party plugins support

Why are we working on this?

  • With plugins, you can utilize custom code in your app, by encapsulating a React library or React Native plugin into new native view components and flow functions

Development status:

  • Currently on hold due to other critical requirements taking priority, planned to finish by Q4/2023

Integrations AKA Data section revamp

Why are we working on this?

  • Instead of each data resource being configured in isolation, the concept of an integration allows things like base URL and common headers to be configured only once per system/API being integrated to.
  • OData and REST API endpoints will be easier to manage (alongside SAP BTP Destinations in the BTP Edition)

Development status:

  • UI is released in SAP Build Apps (coming to community edition later)
  • Integrations for SAP BTP destinations and SAP Build Apps Visual Cloud Functions are released in Enterprise edition
  • Development is ongoing for other SAP integrations
  • Development is ongoing for simplifying the configuration of other integrations

App templates (SAP Build Apps to begin with)

Why are we working on this?

  • To reduce the time of initial development and to improve first-time user experience
  • App templates will allow you to start your project from a template or look at examples that showcase functionality

Development status:

  • Working on making templates available on SAP Lobby store for SAP Build Apps

Marketplace UI improvements

Why are we working on this?

  • We are rolling out a new version of marketplace UI, which will take the whole screen and have better usability
  • The new UI will allow you to discover the latest additions to marketplace more easily

Development status:

  • Done and released

Build Service UI re-work

Why are we working on this?

  • The current Build Service UI does not have good UX

Development status:

  • Design ongoing

New components

iFrame primitive (for “WebView support for web”)

  • Published and available

Charts primitives

  • Area, bar, line chart are going out soon, pie chart coming with next runtime release

Custom navigation components

  • Responsive web navigation components that show menu items or a hamburger menu depending on the screen size
  • Development done, waiting for new styling

Visual Cloud Functions (SAP Build Apps only)

Why are we working on this?

Development status

  • First version released and available

Continuous improvements being worked on:

General SAP AppGyver Preview app and runtime improvements

Released fixes

  • Navigating back has been improved for “Preview PDF” and Video Player flow functions
  • Data variables refresh when application is in background
  • Initial render index for Recycler View was fixed
  • Application crash fixes for Android

Upcoming

  • Composite component internal property change events not firing fixed
  • Android safe area with notch problem fixed
  • Binding problems with checkboxes and input fields in nested repeats fixed

Note that we can’t give out specific timelines on any upcoming features!

I’ll be aiming for the next community update for end of April or early May.

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Will the custom navigation feature allow dynamically toggle navigation items visibility? Or it’s only for responsiveness with the hamburguer icon?

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Hmm, if you build the logic to toggle navigation items visibility, you can already do that now by building your own custom navigation component :thinking: We have a short guide on how to do that here.

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The ability to encapsulate React / React Native libraries sounds like an update that will make AG a serious powerhouse! Looking forward to this! Coming back after a year break - new company with some prototyping needs made me come back. Looking forward to potentially using background gps capabilities with this

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Would templates be something we could create and share with others too, and would this just be for the whole app or would it work for individual pages?

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At the beginning templates from SAP Lobby will only be made by us. However, users will be able to export and import applications and as such apps could be shared by sharing the imported and exported files. And at some point we would seek to have the possibility for users to submit a template for review to be published to others as well.

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Hi

Any ETA for Android safe area with notch problem please?

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Doesn’t that mean support for advert-serving and YouTube videos, hypothetically?

Either way, I’m getting the much dreaded “Missing Comp” with numbers in a yellow text box that I’ve seen others mention when I try to test this. I guess not today. :slight_smile: Not sure if I should post an issue on the tracker over that or if AG already knows.

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iFrame primitive doesn’t work from day one. The one thing i was waiting for over a year doesn’t work. Missing comp error in a yellow box and red border. Usually these colors (yellow backgroung and red border) are used for debugging lol.

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Nothing has happened at Appgyver for a long time.
This makes me wonder if Appgyver is dead???

I miss all the announced features.

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Not quite dead, but most of those remaining are making plans to move.

The lack of a sensible pricing teir to move to SAP Build Apps means I have no choice. I´d rather not rebuild my app, but its foolish to think that this is a well supported product any more. I relied on an active community to get my app live and without that I don´t see a future for me with AG.

It would be nice if the AG team had an opinion and disagreed with this pessamistic view, but I doubt they care enough at the moment to comment?

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April / May passed a while back?

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Mevi didn’t specify the year, though. :wink:

But come on, Phil, we know delays in everything are common with AG.

You can’t rush a work of art! Took old Michelangelo how many years to paint that chapel?

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Yeah I know. Such a shame. I hate the fact I have to rebuild in another platform, but I´m not silly enough to think things are heading in the right direction here.

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Guys, it’s true they’re not taking the time to respond the concerns in our messages around here and that adds to the frustration. It’s true it would be nicer and more considerate to at least announce a change or a pause or something in their forum activities. It’s also true that the silence along with the platform’s glitches can easily lead to thinking random bad thoughts…

But, nonetheless, be a little optimistic!

I am. I have reasons to be hopeful and to believe they are concentrating on tasks instead of PR and damage control around here. I was asked to not share the reasons right now and I still might be wrong. But I believe AG community is not shutting down. It’s just changing and moving a bit. The change is not finished, its in process.

Also, consider being grateful. If the AG community-experiment were indeed dying out because it fulfilled its purpose for SAP, many of us still have plenty to be happy about and could say a more gracious farewell. But, again, I don’t believe that is the case this time.

Notice: I’m not part of the AG team. I’m an ordinary user, have been for around 2 years now.

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Indeed, I was also instructed not to say anything for the time being. Now just trust the process.

Also, it is very good to see another Brazilian engaged in this community.

Anything, you can contact me for projects.

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Yeah, I´ve had the same contact “don´t say anything”, but tbh its just hot air. I judge actions and I see precious few of them that inspire optimism.

For me, the biggest are the pricing tiers for build app - free only allows 2 builds, then the next step is 1k per month. Regardless of the words, that sends a pretty strong message.

I remain hopeful of a turn around, but not optimistic, which is really sad, as rebuilding my app on another platform will take a lot of time and effort.

Despite all my negative comments on here the past couple of weeks, not a single staff member has come on to suggest that there is light at the end of the tunnel etc.

2 years ago AG was in a great position, offering features and functionality few could match. There was a thriving community and real apps were being built.

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I got more than a contact and “words”. They really gave me a lift. Just saying…

Community edition will likely continue to get support, if you ask me. It’s transitioning. I know nothing of price or if it will remain free as it is, though. But there wouldn’t be a sense in having community edition with coporate price tiers, would there?

I can’t explain, however, why all the confusing silence from them in this forum. Maybe to focus, maybe another reason, I don’t know. If someone above their rank is making a mystery of future steps, then it would make sense for them to be unable to say anything or even be kept from dedicating time to this forum because of more urgent / delayed matters to address. Sometimes mysteries are silly.

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Err… Now that we mention the forum… Did anyone notice that pinned post saying “welcome” and explaining the purpose of the forum etc is missing?

Or am I just having a false memory here? :thinking:

Well, it seems the shortcut to the forums in the HELP tab in composer still says something in that regard, but the pinned post is gone, right?

Anyway, this forum could be for support provided by members from the community itself and/or from the AG team. I have seen some recent activity in the bug tracker, but not here.

On a second thought… Maybe they’re really silent on purpose because it is pretty obvious that that would make most people in here complain. Maybe they want us to complain? :thinking:

I’m done guessing! LOL