Pugpig product and custom code release process
Table of Contents
This document explains how updates to your Bolt app work, including what will require a native app release, what needs a specific code release just for you, and what happens automatically. The main components of the app are:
The Pugpig Product
- The native reader Pugpig Bolt framework (iOS/Android/Web)
- Your custom configuration of the reader apps
- The Bolt Timeline, Timeline Cards and Storefront
- Pugpig Search
Pugpig Customisations (normally done by Professional Services)
- Your custom Timeline Cards and Styling
- Your Express or Pro CMS customisations
- Your custom logic or styling in the CMS to import content, style articles or curate editions
The Apps
Native Reader Components (iOS/Android)
You native app is based on a specific version of Pugpig Bolt. We prepare new iOS versions and new Android versions every few months. In order to take advantage of these, you will need to submit app updates to the stores. Whenever we create a new build for submission, we will always use the latest version. It is worth making sure you read the release notes and newsletters to see what is new.
Changes normally fall into one of:
- brand new features you can choose to use
- bug fixes
- new versions and features of third party SDKs
The are some specific configuration changes which will also need an app release. These include:
- Adding any third parties, such as push or analytics SDKs
- changing the domains that will cause the app to open
New releases to the App Stores need to go through an approval process, so we need to leave time for this when submitting. You can choose if you app will be automatically released once approved, or released manually afterwards. In our experience, 80%-90% of users will have the app automatically update to the new version within 24 hours, while others update manually afterwards.
Server-side configurable app components
The following features can be changed through configuration on the server, and do not need an app release. They are often carried out by our support team for you.
- App theming
- App copy
- Structure of the app (timelines, storefront, button placement, etc)
Server-side code release components
The following features are changed through code via our Professional Services team, and released when you are ready. They do not need an app release:
- Custom styling of your timeline or storefront
- Custom cards on your timeline
Automatically-updated app components
The following components are shared by all apps, and are automatically updated when we release a new version. New versions are backwardly compatible, and you should not notice any user facing changes, with the exception of bug fixes.
- The Bolt Reader (our web app)
- Bolt Timeline
- Standard Bolt Timeline Cards
- Bolt Search
The Server
Pugpig Express CMS
Custom Express CMS changes
It is common to use the Express CMS to make styling changes. These will go live shortly after you make them.
Custom Express WordPress plugin or theme
You may well have a custom Plugin or Theme installed on Express to provide custom logic, styling or content importing. Changes to these are released to production by us when you are ready. Styling changes will only affect new articles processed since the change, unless we choose to reprocess all the articles into the app.
Core Express plugins
We will release updates to Pugpig Express to everyone when a new version has passed QA. This is a multi-tenanted server environment - Express customers cannot opt out of updates.
Express WordPress versions
We automatically update our WordPress version with security patches as soon as they are released. We would rather risk bugs than have security vulnerabilities. We will endeavour to upgrade to new major versions of WordPress reasonably quickly, but only after we have done thorough testing.
Pugpig Pro CMS
We automatically update our WordPress version with security patches as soon as they are released. We will only perform specific WordPress version upgrades when doing new, large pieces of custom development. We are no longer creating new Pugpig Pro CMS powered apps - the Express CMS is more powerful and we are actively migrating clients onto this.
Pugpig Distribution Service
We automatically release new code to our Distribution Service at least weekly, and often more frequently. This is shared by everyone and is not customised for any clients. You normally will not notice any changes - most of the changes are behind the scenes.