UPDATE: SEE THIS: http://www.buzztouch.com/files/howtos/bt-plugins-creating-sharing-selling.pdf Hi gang, The super fantastical buzztouch Plugin Creator Tool is available for use for upgraded accounts. This means that if you have an Aspiring Developer, Developer, or Self Hosted account you can start exploring the idea of making some custom plugins. We are rolling out this process is several steps. This is step 1, allowing you to use the tool. Additional steps will roll-out as soon as we begin getting some feedback... Steps 2 - 5 coming soon. Step 2: Turning on the Upload Plugin Package process. This process will allow you to upload your custom plugin to your buzztouch.com control panel. It will also allow you to sell or share your creation in the Plugin Market if you so choose. Step 3: When be begin to get some plugin submissions, and learn more about the approval process (we have to learn along with you) we'll announce a release date for the Plugin Market. Expect the upload process to NOT ALLOW you to sell or share plugins in the early days. In other words, your creations will be available only to you to begin with. Then, you will be able to "go back" later and "add your plugins to the market" when the time comes. Step 4: Release the Plugin Learning Path in BTU. This learning path has intentionally been on-hold until we work out the Plugin Creation, Approving, Sharing, and Selling process. There isn't any sense in releasing learning materials prematurely. We realize creating a plugin will be tough without formal learning materials but we also know there are plenty of folks ready to dive in without them. We are embracing these folks and gathering feedback before updating BTU. Step 5: Share the love. It's our hope that it won't take long to have an impressive list of plugins created by users in the buzztouch community. We also believe very strongly that some of you stand to earn some good money by creating and selling useful, high quality iOS and Android "screens." We may earn a few bucks ourselves. We think it will be much easier to learn how to make a kick-ass screen than an entire app. And, one great screen will likely get used in lots and lots of apps. This is good for everyone. Some things to keep in mind: 1) When you use the tool to make a plugin, some values from your Account's Developer Profile are added to some of the plugin files. You should visit this screen and update these values before making plugins so that when you look at the plugin files, you understand where these values came from (like the developer name, etc). This can be important if you plan to sell or share your creation. 2) This post isn't meant to attract dozens of questions about the upcoming market so please save those for a future thread. It's about getting the ball rolling, learning (together) and blowing this thing up! Most of us understand how the "market" will work, details will follow when it's announced. 3) What makes a good plugin: When you're considering a plugin idea, think "screen" not "app." Good Example: A customizable screen (customizable using the control panel) that produces the classic hangman game, with specific words related to the users app. This could also use a appropriate background image to go with it, and a fun way to communicate a message. This would make a great SCREEN and therefore is a good candidate for a plugin. Bad Example: A push notification plugin. Push notifications, advertising, and other APP related features are not screens and therefore are not good plugin candidates. The acid test...if it will make a good SCREEN, it's probably a good idea for a plugin. If it won't, it's probably not. I've been keeping a list of plugin ideas that I've come up with over the years, it's literally hundreds of items long. I'm not sharing this list intentionally. I may someday, but, we think you folks are far more creative than us so we want to see what you come up with on your own before seeding the gang with "ideas." Hint: Lots of different screent types seen in older buzztouch versions still make good plugin ideas ;-) To access the plugin tool (upgraded accounts only)... Account > Plugins > Create Custom Plugin Button

GREATE!!!!!!! been waiting so long! will give it a look!

i was about to go to sleep wohoooooooo

Not sure it its just a problem i am having, but when i click this button it says: 'Invalid request (5)'

Great news!! Will diffinitly give it a try

@jawdoss: What button did you click to get the "Invalid Request 5" message.

Great stuff Buz BTW I am also getting the same error

Great news!! Will diffinitly give it a try

David mine did the same error but then i reloaded the page and all is working fine now

"Invalid Request 5" found / fixed. Roll outs suck! It was related to your account type, all should be good if you see Aspiring Developer, Developer, or Self Hosted in the top right of your account. You may need to refresh.

I went account > plugins > create new plugin up on the top right corner of the page. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/70063294/Screen%20Shot%202012-08-08%20at%208.12.26%20PM.png

Yup, sweet screenshot..should BE ok now.

Ok great! Looking at it now :)

It's 3:30 AM here and I'm turning in for a few hours. If you run into any issues, post your comments here. I'll see this when the sun comes up. In the meantime, see if you can make one of your cool iOS or Android Class files do something special ;-)

I have to leave right now to get my name legally changed in court - now I don't want to leave! Awesome! Will check it out and report back as soon as possible - SO EXCITED! Thank you! David buzztouchmods.com

Great work buzztouch team! I'm deliberately not going to have a look now right now or it'll be after midnight by the time I get to sleep. Ok, perhaps a little peek :)

Activating a test plugin in my server, clicking on the plugin brings up an invalid request message. Replacing the first block of php code in the index.php file with code from an existing plugin (blank screen) loads the page in a fashion - blank, apart from headers. Looks like I don't have the necessary permissions to manage the app: "end execution if the user does not have the privilege to manage this app"

Ok. I have my first plugin working in a BT 2.0 app. But I'm a little confused what happens next. The control panel says I need to edit the index.php. And then I need to re-upload the whole thing (I found where to do that). But how is that any different then how its always worked for plugins? Do we still have to manually edit the index.php? Is the new plugin creator just a means of getting plugins approved, vs. actually creating them?

@David great sir we're looking for it from long time. you are simply genius. and my previous problem of drop down box is solved now.

Let the magic begin!!!

@David, just trying to understand this. When a plugin is created by a BT user, will that be accessible to other users to implement in their iOS/Android projects?

Super Excellent! @Shockme66, when you create a plugin it's not automatically available to other users. Basically you will need to upload the plugin to some ones "store" for distribution just as you would upload a binary for your app for distribution. Buzztouch will be rolling out their store soon. You can create your own store. You can distribute on anyones store. Fred

Excellent, I have like 10 things I've been waiting to test with this system. If this unclouds the mystery of connecting custom code to the Control Panel, I'm in business :) Can't wait to see what creative folks here do with this. Thanks for the hard work David - anxious to upload and take a look at this..... To the Control Panel I go.....

Back and ready to play! "Not eveyone has access to this tool." small spelling error there. Also... this is so awesome! I just created a plugin, and I'm about to download my test app with it. Once I add the new files, I'll re-upload for review - I can't wait until the market is released! One question d: is there a reason why private plugins need to be reviewed and approved for use? I think the reasoning behind this may be: users would be able to modify it and make it public, even through you did not approve it for public use. In that case - making it so that private plugins are instantly approved, and unable to make public without re-review? Hopefully I explained that correct. Cheers, David buzztouchmods.com

One thing I noticed! It would be great to see a list of your own custom plugins already created from the create a plugin area - I had thought it did not save when I went to create a second plugin until I took a look at the plugins list in my control panel area for screens! Cheers, David buzztouchmods.com

@MrDavid, did you have any problems getting the plugin working on your server? I just keep getting an invalid request message. Never had a problem with any custom plugins before.

@MrDavid: Good tip about showing "your" plugins in a separate list somewhere. Automatic Approval: It's not safe for us to automatically approve or automate this process. Remember, a plugin package has access to our backend and database (through the /index.php page) in the file that's used to configure any advanced properties the plugin requires. Allowing you to "instantly" upload a .PHP script to our backend without us at least reviewing it could cause some serious problems ;-) @raveyd: I've created a few test plugins and uploaded them to a few different self hosted installs - seems OK. Exactly what screen is showing you the invalid request message?

@David - Clicking on the installed plugin in the "Manage Screens and Actions" page to use it in an app. It's the second instance of 'invalid request' in the index.php file: "end execution if the user does not have the privilege to manage this app" Hostgator shared hosting.

@Stobe: I can think of lots of uses for the Plugin Creator tool. One of course is to easily and quickly create new Class Files and package for use in a buzztouch project. Like you mentioned, in this use case, it's not much different than doing it yourself manually. For sure it's NOT about just getting them approved. If that was the intention, we could have just allowed you to upload a completed package - right? Consider these ideas... -Class file naming conflicts. Plugins need to be unique. Your "quiz" can't use the same class file name as my "quiz" so using the plugin tool helps organize these kinds of things. It would be a bummer to work a week on a plugin to only find that your class file names conflict with another existing plugin. Starting in the control panel should help reduce or remove entirely this possibility. -Stats, Control, Security: Using the plugin tool, and starting the idea by getting an entry in our backend helps you and us determine things like who's using it, when they started using it, etc. It also helps us help you in a more formal way. -Non self hosted: Until now, there was no way to get creative and flexible (beyond what the current list of plugins allowed) without self hosting BT. Users that can't self host (or choose not to) can now take it up a notch. In tons of cases this will mean designing, laying out, organizing an app idea then hiring a developer to finish each "screen" they connected together but can't add the actual functionality they imagine. It's much much more efficient to hire folks when you have an app moving from screen to screen with titles, logic, and flow than it is to try to explain to a developer "what you want." -Future: Imagine the Plugin Tool with options and controls to add widgets using the control panel. Say, like "add a button" or "add a map" or "add a list" etc. These types of things would allow our backend to literally generate lots and lots of source code for a non-developer and include it in the download. Another way to say it, allow a visual way to add functionality to the plugin idea without having to code ALL of it after downloading. This is the future of this tool, more and more controls and options to the tool itself to help folks create things. It's the early days for sure but we had to start somewhere. A little birdy once told me that there are "doers" and there are "dreamers", we're doing, executing, and just "going for it" with the idea that we'll be able to change, adjust, improve as time goes on. Make no mistake, releasing this will created a tremendous amount of additional work for us. Heck, it has already. But, we're confident that given time we can reduce the amount of time it takes us to help you get your goal accomplished. Cool, useful, high quality, and native screens are the goal and we are one step closer now ;-)

Thanks David. Makes more sense now. And I realize now I didn't phrase my question ideally. When I said "...means of getting plugins approved" it probably should have read: "...means of screening plugins for security purposes" Either way, I see the benefits this process will provide. I had to switch my brain into "2.0 mode" to fully see it :)

@Stobe My mind as well was stuck on 1.5 and custom plug-in screen method :). @David Excellent stuff and explanation

@raveyd: OK, got it, great find! There WAS a problem in one routine in the generated source code in /index.php and /save_AJAX.php. If you create another plugin you won't have this problem. It's related to the way the fnCanManageApp routine works in self hosted panels. There are slight differences in the buzztouch.com panel and your self hosted panel. Fixed it for next time. But... The plugin you created then installed in your self hosted package DOES have this problem and will need to be updated. You have two options: 1) Remove the plugin from your self hosted panel, recreate it at buzztouch.com, then re-downlaod / install. Should work. 2) Replace two files (index.php, save_AJAX.php) in the package you already installed on your self hosted panel. I've emailed you these two files.

Excellent! Thanks David! :) :) Fixed.

This is GREAT stuff! I can't wait to see what sort of plugins people come up with. And the amount of testing you guys are getting in today is amazing! Mark

@David ahhh got it, now I understand! Cheers, David buzztouchmods.com

Can't wait for the Plugin Creator Tool! Very excited and hope it comes soon along with that Learning Path! Cheers, Khalid

I think the best part for me, is seeing what other people can do and getting new plugins.

Wow this is a great new tool. esp the CREATE SELF HOSTED version - it's really the process for creating the blank plug-in template but now AUTOMATED! I can see where this will save me a lot of work starting up a plug-in skeleton and eliminate some common mistakes there. Big thanks David, just what I needed right now to be honest to sort out my mess of plug-in trails and errors... This I do find really interesting however- -Future: Imagine the Plugin Tool with options and controls to add widgets using the control panel. Say, like "add a button" or "add a map" or "add a list" etc. These types of things would allow our backend to literally generate lots and lots of source code for a non-developer and include it in the download. Another way to say it, allow a visual way to add functionality to the plugin idea without having to code ALL of it after downloading. This is the future of this tool, more and more controls and options to the tool itself to help folks create things. That sounds like BT is trying to create their own version of the Interface Builder. Trying to understand the point of that when the Xcode IB is already there. It's not perfect but it is a great way to design screens visually. Every 'hard core' programmers notes/tutorial I read, they all slam the IB and show you 'this is how you do it with real code'. Since I started using the IB, it I LOVE it. I'd like to learn to use the Android UI Builder with BT next. I can see the need to add BT code to the screens which IB won't be able to do- but I LOVE the idea of BT becoming a little more like the IB for making custom screens. just for the layout aspect of elements. Thanks for the new toy David, great first step that saves me a lot of steps!

Awesome..cant wait to see what people come up with myself!

Hey, Great to see we got a start!!!! Good job buzztouch team! Best Regards, Danny

OK Started playing around with the plugin creator. How can I delete a newly created plugin (that is waiting for approval proces)? Let's say I wanted to name my plugin "world" but after that I changed my mind and would like to name it "helloworld". I could create a new one but the old one would still show up on the plugin list (and also be exported in my app). If I had hundreds of plugins (waiting for approval proces) they also ship (unused) with my plugin package! Think this needs some thoughts..... Best Regards, Danny

@PSMDanny: Good questions. 1) Changing names: You could do what you mentioned and create another one in your control panel with the new name and remove the old one. You'll notice that the status of plugins you create today is "Waiting for upload" and you'll also notice that you can't upload anything you've completed yet. Funny. We'll get the upload screen turn on in a few more days. Today, you can "remove plugin" after creating it. When the uploader is on, you'll then be able to "reject" the upload while you're waiting for approval. This will be useful if you find an error in your package before we've begun looking at it. 2) High volumes of plugins: Although it's possible to create "hundreds of plugins" In your control panel, it's very very unlikely that someone will. It's even more unlikely that someone will have hundreds of plugins "waiting for approval." I just can't imagine somebody creating that many unique ideas so quickly? But, assuming somebody does have hundreds of plugins (given enough time) in their control panel, you're right, project downloads could get huge. We've discussed this a few different times in the office (and I think you and I did using email) and we're still unsure about how to best handle these instances. One option will be to ask the developer if they "want unused plugins included in the download." Some will, some won't. We'll deal with this in an official way if and when it becomes an issue. You're thoughts are spot on and very important. HUGE downloads that include packages that are unused are no good for anyone.

UPDATE: It's been two days since the Plugin Tool has been available for upgraded account holders. Updates / Comments / Fixes so far: 1) The /index.php and save_AJAX.php files that are auto-generated and included in the plugin package had an issue with the call to the fnCanManageApp() method. Fixed. 2) The name of the plugin (the user provided it when making the new plugin) is used when auto generating class files and other things. In Android, no capital letters are allowed in layout.xml file names. So, an adjustment was made in the Android auto-generating process to accomodate for this. 3) Lots and LOTS of plugins have been started / created using the new tool. Nearly ALL of them (not all, just lots of them) have plugin names like "test", "test2", "does this work", etc. I guess we should have expected this! This isn't hurting anything on our end. However, it's VERY UNLIKELY that these plugins will ever get "uploaded for approval" and we'll likely never see them again. It's probably folks just seeing what happens when they click submit ;-) If you've done your testing, use the "Remove from control panel" option to get rid of these. 5) Because we've not turned on the "package upload" screen yet we've received a few packages via email. This in spite of the message that reads "we are not accepting uploads yet." Funny. We can't use email to "inspect" your plugin package. This means you'll have to wait until we allow uploads to send us your creation. TONS of reasons for this. Mostly related to us keeping track of all of this stuff. We are few! If you think you're ready to upload a completed package for approval, let us know via email (dont' send your plugin all .zipped up unless we ask you for it) and we'll work something out. Otherwise, it's looking like the volume of "tests" suggests we should begin allowing uploads early next week? Loving this. Can't wait to improve the process more and more.

Ohh awesome. So this will become like a mini app store, so we can create apps for the real apple app store :D

@mr-t-from-mk: Is that Thomas the tank engine? Love it! Not a "mini app store to make apps for the real apps store." More like a SCREEN store so you can find new and exciting screens to use when creating an APP. Apple, Google, and others seem to run good App Stores, no sense in us doing the same ;-)

I apologize for this question as I'm sure it's been answered MANY times before but I can't find the answer and I haven't been on here as much as I'd like in the past few months so probably missed it. But in order to use all the cool new plugins people come up with do we have to go the self-hosted route or will this be available with 2.0 apps? Either way, if someone could PLEASE develop an image gallery plugin so I can convert my 1.5 app I'd GREATLY appreciate it!!! Josh

It's available in your Control Panel in Buzztouch.com. But take note that it's only in your Control Panel not mine, until it's uploaded by you (not available at this time) and approved by Buzztouch and release by you. Fred

I don't plan on developing any plugins of my own at the moment, just wondering if I'll be able to download/purchase and use plugins that others develop with a 2.0 app on the BT control panel or will I need to be self-hosted?

One the plugin "store" opens you'll be able to download new plugins. You won't have to self-host. Fred

I'm not a programmer so excuse me if what I'm about to say comes across as stupid and ignorant - but I'm a touch confused by the fact that this 'plugin market' is like a screens market. Seriously, that sounds 'lightweight' to me. When I think of what's possible with Apps and the kinds of functions that could be coded as 'plugins' ( and by that I mean multiple screens facilitating a process); which could then be embedded into other peoples apps, giving them access to powerful business functions and saving them development time and really making this (Buzztouch)platform super-powerful, I'm completely dumbfounded by your comment: - "Push notifications, advertising, and other APP related features are not screens and therefore are not good plugin candidates." Huh??!!! Surely a push notification feature would be AWESOME to have access to in the Buzztouch market!!! I'd buy it! - It's commercially useful functions like this that could put Buzztouch on the map. Another example - I'd like to develop a QR Code scanner and link it into a customer loyalty application, allowing merchants to create a customer loyalty program that could reside on their customers smart phones so customers could easily scan a QR code after purchases, to qualify for rewards for frequent shopping - a way for smart merchants to give back to loyal customers. (PS I'd be happy to pay for this to be developed and then put it in the marketplace and share revenues with the developer who makes it for me, but that's another story). Imagine how powerful a loyalty app like that would be for people in the Buzztouch community, to be able to add to apps they wanted to develop for small businesses - not to mention how powerful your "bad example" of push notifications would be. So getting back to my point, I just don't get it! Why can't we develop processes - why only screens? Why such a "lightweight" aim?? Again - please, I don't mean to be rude, just truly puzzled and don't understand and apologies if there's a good reason for this I just don't get because I'm not a coder.

I think Buzztouch are, or were, working on a push notification service, highly technical stuff to get it rolled out to everyone. Plugins aren't limited to one screen, so there can be a workflow over multiple screens and/or processes in a single plugin.

SOOOO EXCITED!!!!! How is it i Just found out about this?

@David_Mollet: No worries, your remarks are valid. For sure the features you're describing make perfect sense. Without a doubt things like Push Notifications and other application centric features are very very valuable. My remarks were related to the idea that the Plugin Tool is designed to make a few Class Files (nerd speak) that are used to load a new screen. That's all. For most non-technical users, apps are created by connecting individual screens and menus. So, more "screens" to choose from will mean more flexibility for a non-technical app owner. Imagine this: You're working on your app and you want to add a new screen. If "Push Notifications" was a screen-type, you'de be instantly confused. How could ONE SCREEN facilitate Push Notifications? Push and other app-central things are not loaded from a menu, a button tap, etc. They are integral to the application as a whole. This is why they don't make good candidates for the Plugin Tool. "QR Code scanner and link it into a customer loyalty application": This makes perfect sense. If an app owner was creating an app and wanted to add a QR Scanner, it would be easy to understand how to connect the QR Scanner to a button. "Tap here to scan" which would load the QR plugin. Naturally this QR plugin would have some advanced properties that the app owner would have to configure, such as where the QR scanner pulls it's data, etc. This is the very very early days of allowing the audience to create new plugins. There are already hundreds of them in the "waiting for upload" list. It will be interesting to see when / if some of these get finished. Exciting stuff.

Thanks for your reply David, much appreciated, but I'm rolling on the floor laughing at myself because I'm so ignorant I can't understand your explanation! LOL... Believe it or not, I'm still no clearer as to what possibilities the plugin tool opens for me. So at the risk of embarrassing myself further, I'll ask a follow up question. I'll add a little extra background about me - which should help you understand how to pitch your answer so I get it. I'm predominantly a marketing person, I've been helping small businesses succeed online for about 5 years, and the tool I've used most is Joomla CMS, because it's very mature extension market has allowed me to add applications/functions to a website to achieve specific goals, and so, create sophisticated online solutions to specific user requirements. In my business I delve deep into consultation with the customer to idenfify their business needs, then I write a specification for what it is they need, then I research Joomla's Extension directory and work with Joomla experts who help me combinecore their core CMS with various extensions to produce sophisticated solutions that really match my clients needs. Sometimes we "Hack" an extension to perfectly match a need when I can't find the exact extension. When I first found out about Buzz Touch I nearly wet myself with excitement, because I thought it would allow me to do a similar thing with smart phone apps. I soon found out it didn't so I moved on to Buziness Apps, an ASP service provider with various app functions, and joined their white label program, because I thought that would allow me to create the type of solutions for customers I wanted with Apps. But alas, it did not. While their platform is OK, it failed to really help me because it wasn't flexible enough to enable me to develop what my clients specifically needed, it was too "canned." Making Demo apps and using their platform I found many bugs in their system, which I documented. I also found many "needed" tweaks that were required to really make their half baked "canned" solutions suit the real needs of my clients. I painstakingly documented these and sent them to Biz Apps in the hope they would make the tweaks I needed, but in the end I found that they were really interested in my needs, and I had to quit their white label program, feeling frustrated and burned by the experience. Disappointed, I decided to look back at Buzz Touch in the hope that it had developed further, and heard that the Plugin Tool was about to be released and again got really excited about Buzztoch. "Maybe I can develop the solutions I know my clients want now in a flexible CMS/Joomla style environment for Apps"? That's the background that led to my question. Looking at the language you have used in your answer to me, I guess what I'm hoping for is a platform that allows me to develop what you have called "app-central things" like a loyalty application, ( rewards based on QR scans made after purchases that allow customers to acrew points to qualify to free stuff). and I'd like to be able to pay developers here to help me create these "app-central things" and make them available to other users as "plugins" so that it becomes easy to develop sophisticated business solutions for small businesses by combining an array of "plugins" to create a symphony of plugins, all working together to solve my clients specific needs. So what I'm wondering David is will this plugin tool allow me to do that? Can I spec out a requirement for my loyalty application and then get a programer to help me make a plugin and really help really power up Buzztouch at the same time by contributing it to the plugin directory, or is my desire more ambitious than the capabilities of this Plugin Tool? Yours Sincerely.

@David_Mollet: Impressive responses! As expected, you and I are on exactly the same page. I'm a huge Joomla fan (and Drupal and a few others) and buzztouch is commonly compared to these and other CMS's. However, as you're realizing, we are far behind these mature platforms in terms of out-of-the-box extensions, plugins, features, etc. I'm confortable knowing that you CAN do exactly what you want (spec out on a per client basis with common similarities between each client) but also know that you'll need some serious interest in learning how iOS and Android word (code is almost always required) or you'll need to hire some help. Here's one way the current offering could work for you, with the idea that it will get easier over time? a) You consult a client, figure out all the needs, etc. This generally means laying out an app "screen by screen." I use 3x5 note cards when I take these meetings and literally draw, scribble, sketch out the functionality. b) You research the current plugin offerings (like you do with Joomla) to determine which screen's in the app you'll be able to pull-off yourself and which ones you'll need to create. There may also be other features in the app that you'll need to implement, that are not related to one specific screen, such as push notifications. c) You create the basic app flow with the control panel. In most cases this begins with a home menu with options leading to other menus and screens. For screens that don't have an appropriate plugin, you make a new one. d) The screens that you used your "new" plugins on will load in the app but will be "mostly blank." These are the screens you'll need to either a) create yourself or b) hire somebody to create for you. You shouldn't have to hire somebody to do this more than once for each plugin because you can reuse the your custom screens in future apps. So, the idea is the same but it's a matter of us maturing to the point where the library is large enough to make it easier, more affordable, and far more efficient. I'm not sure what the best solution is for you TODAY. I'de like to think BT is (because I've seen so many others use it with success) but don't want you to underestimate how complicated it can get creating actual native apps (not mini web pages) that provide genuine native functionality. We're well on our way to making this easier but only just beginning the plugin library concept.

@David, so are there any plans to create a actions/functions sort of plugin type? Where it executes a method instead of pushes an entire screen?

@theMonster: Yes. The idea is having well documented, easy to understand examples, about how to: --launch camera --launch video camera --capture device location --send data to a server --retrieve data from a server --send a push notification --detect "shake gesture" and perform an action --and a few others Many of these method calls are used inside plugins folks create (where a screen has already loaded) but each of them should also work from a menu / list without launching a new screen. The BT core supports lots of these ideas and functions already but not in a way that's easy to understand. If you can't understand it, it's nearly impossible to use it - ugh! Have no idea when we'll get it "understandable" but that's the goal ;-)

@David Sounds good are they going to be in the form of a plugin though? In other words, will users be able to create these types of functions like (Launch Camera as you said)? Of course without having to edit the actual source.

@theMonster: I'm not understanding what you're asking. Users can create "plugins" that do just about anything. You asked about functions and methods that don't require a screen to load. But, every interaction with the app is from a screen - right? Example: You could create a plugin that has three buttons: Capture Video. Watch Video. Upload Video. All of these functions could be written in the plugin itself. So, a screen loads (the new plugin you created) that contains buttons that does other things without loading yet another screen. I hope this makes sense. Naturally this would be a complicated plugin but it's very very possible to do this kind of thing. I do it all the time when I create apps. The bottom line is that in almost all cases, an action will be triggered from some type of screen. Who made the screen isn't important.

Thanks David - I'm not sure if this is appropriate, but I figure inside our exchange it makes sense to put this out there. I have a spec for a loyalty application that I'd like to develop - initially for the Iphone, but also for Android, and I'd love to make it available to the community as a plugin. I have $500 put aside to develop it, and if the app/plugin is good I'd like to team with the coder to offer it to others in the community as a joint venture, I market you support we split any earnings. If it costs more than $500 to develop, willing to consider further investment, but Tht's what I have available now. Anyone out there with the relevant skills interested in talking about working on this with me email dave(at)clickcampaigns(dot)com(dot)au.

@David Yes, I understand what your saying but in some cases a screen really isn't required. For example, in BuzzTouch v.1.5 in the available screens under "Other Actions" there some "screens" that perform tasks. Like Send a SMS or Tweet. From a nerd's eye view (in code), we create and display these screens (like send a SMS or Tweet) but if we did this from a plugin, the plugin screen itself would be blank (if all the plugin did was send a SMS or Tweet) because we don't really manage the screen. Hope that makes sense. Also, I just realized, how would a store work with plugins if the source code gets exported to the user anyways. They could easily just repost the code couldn't they? THANKS David, and sorry about all the confusion and questions.

-- I just realized, how would a store work with plugins if the source code gets exported to the user anyways. They could easily just repost the code couldn't they? Yes they can. Try to think of it like a honor system. I know that is laughable in regards to the open source 'internet and Android'... I download controls from other sites like Envato, Code Canyon and Chupa. I don't re-post the source code for others to use. I paid for it, I agreed to some terms somewhere I probably didn't read completely. But even then it's still your discretion - the final decision has to come from YOU. If you're a developer and you know how hard it is to get something working just right so that it's something others would want- Would you want someone posting it for free? If a black market starts, good chance you'll see less developers sharing code on the market. I plan to give it a test. Indeed if I notice something I made being used by everyone and my net sales are 1...

BT CORE I'm understanding it like this - if it is a standard ios/androind function that doesn't need a "control" screen this is a BT CORE "control". Audio for instance. If your app can play the format, the BT_audioPlayer is what gets called. But it is only using the controls and code in that file. BT (David) decided what controls to add to the view and that is what you see whenever Audio is launched. They are like re-usable plug-ins built into every app that is called into action if you invoke a function. You can customize them but not call them as a plug-in screen. is this in the ballpark David? I'm asking mostly because I have been using the BT_audioplayer as a rough template to build a new Audio plug-in. I know I need to add the AVAudioSession to it for background audio. Is this a good starting point to build from, or would you start from scratch?

just realized, how would a store work with plugins if the source code gets exported to the user anyways. They could easily just repost the code couldn't they? Yes they can and given the GNU GPL license it's witnin their "right" to do so. Doesn't mean that Buzztouch has to post the "new copied without substantial features" plugin. Perhaps it's an undue burden, but some guidelines from buzztouch could minimize this problem. Fred

Yep, I agree with both of you guys, It mostly just comes down to trust.

@David has addressed this in this thread already: http://www.buzztouch.com/forum/thread.php?tid=461518653A6DC3F4C6194BC Here was his post: "Great comments, keep em' coming. Quick reply to @MrDavid's question: "what's stopping one user from distributing a purchased plugin to another user" There isn't much that we can do about this. However, we can help plugin authors understand different licensing models, defense protection mechanism's and other approaches to help them prevent unauthorized sharing of their source code (if this is something that is important to the plugin author). Giving somebody a USEFUL plugin package (sharing when they know they should not be) isn't as easy as it sounds. Sure, a few teaks could be done to any package to "make it work" in another app but ultimately it's a giant pain in the butt to "illegally share" a plugin, what's the incentive? Think of it this way, hacking around in a plugin, changing all sorts of values, and trying to get it to work in an app is entirely different than using the simple control panel. Hackers and Code Enthusiasts will do this, for sure, but probably not in any kind of volume? Bottom line, everyone that creates / shares / offers anything for sale online takes this risk and has to take responsibility for protecting their Intellectual Property ;-) Lastly: buzztouchhacks.com: See comments above. It's not a difficult matter to use the legal system to TRY to protect yourself / ourself from unauthorized content distribution. It doesn't always work but for sure it can be tried. It would also be relatively easy for us to loudly and publicly condem such a project. Our blessing isn't required to try such a thing but without our audiences participation, it would make it very difficult to make any progress with a bogus enterprise that's not acting within the spirit of what we and our community is trying to do." Cheers, David buzztouchmods.com

@theMonster; What the others said, LOL. Think of it this way. Apple sells digital music. You buy it. You're not supposed to give it to your friends. Yet it happens all the time. Legal, no. Possible, yes. @ATRAIN53: You're on the right track. If I were going to create an Audio Plugin I would do something like...(all in one plugin package)... --Create a view that loads when the plugin is launched. Call is audio_menu or something. This is the core file. It could load a list of songs, whatever. --Create another class file to "play music" - like your own little player. This would run the audio but would not display anything. It's job would be to understand how to find the audio, play it, pause it, etc. Tapping a row in the audio menu would invoke a method that you wrote to "play" music or "load the music details screen with artwork, etc" If you had a details screen you would have another class file for that too. --Create a class file for the audio controls if needed. Like a subClass of UIView. This depends on your design. User would need controls to "play" "pause" "download" etc. You would then package all these files up in the plugin package and off you go. The JSON data would know what screen to load (the main plugin file) and the code in that main file would understand all the other logic. Tons of ways to do this stuff

EDIT: I've already thought of 5 different ways to do this Audio Plugin. Maybe keep it all in one file? Slide up or pop-over a view with details about the song. This new little mini-view could have the controls, background art, text description etc. Your JSON may look like... {"itemId":"99999", "itemType":"audio_player", "itemNickname":"Audio", "navBarTitleText":"Rock On", "dataURL":"http://mywebsite.com/audiolist.php"} audiolist.php would produce the list of "childItems" Child items would be songs, albums, whatever. Tapping a row would "show that song." childItems could look like... {"itemId":"1111", "itemType":"audio_track", "audioURL":"url to load the audio file", "titleText":"Born in the USA", "description":"this is a great album", "albumArt":"artwork.png"} One for each song. When the row was tapped you would slide up (or pop over) your little view that would then load the right song, album art, fill a text box with the description, etc.

Wow. Thanks David. I've only been tinkering with it but if I have your attention here, then perhaps time to stop tinkering and get this actually rocking. Literally.. I'm using this control in a project to play audio. It plays local or remote files that it reads from a plist you include in the project. http://www.chupamobile.com/products/details/253/Sliding+Music+Player/ (fwiw Chupa is a great site and sort of what I hope to see the BT screen/plug-in market evolve into.) I call the control from blank screen now and the SMP view sits on top of the screen. So that SMP player could act as the popover 'mini-view' you suggest. If I could mod that player to launch from a didselectrowatindexpath from a "BT Menu Screen" instead of the local plist that would be huge. Does that seem like a workable concept? I've also been looking at this tutorial which I could use to design my own player interface. http://mobile.tutsplus.com/tutorials/iphone/ios-sdk-music-library-access/ I like them both and can't decide which to develop more. But the key part to understand is how to call any player I use from a rowtap then. Looking intently at the //onrowselect method in the Simplemenu code and trying to think where I would apply that knowledge you shared above. would I want this code in the accessorybutton tapped method instead? maybe a sample of code you might use to achieve that connection would set me on the right path. Is there an existing BT plug-in that works like this I could study. I want to understand how to link my plug-ins to the CP using JSON data. That's the BT Holy grail IMO. The new creator tool makes this testing so much easier. I'm gonna need to take some time off to play with all this new stuff you have been sharing. It's gold. Maybe find a boat I can hide in and study your posts and hammer out some code..... Huge thanks!

Maybe something like (basic example)... a) You have a screen with a menu, like the simple menu. This screen has a property called playerView. Maybe... In the .h, in the appropriate places like all the other properties.. UIView *songPlayer; NSString *tappedSongName; NSString *tappedSongTitle; NSString *tappedSongURL; @property (nonatomic, retain) UIView *songPlayer; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSString *tappedSongName; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSString *tappedSongTitle; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSString *tappedSongURL; Then, in the .m, you "add controls to this UIView for play, pause, etc. Give this UIView a frame that's off the screen so it doen't show. So, nothing changed so far, just a view (you added more controls to it in the .m file, probably in the viewDidLoad method.... b) When the row is tapped, you would grab the JSON data, setup the download or song file, then "slide up" or "slide in" or "fade in" the UIView that holds all the controls. The row tap would tell you want text title to show in your view (you added a UITextView for the title, right?) the song to play, etc. //get the JSON values for the row that was tapped...Have a look at the current menu, it shows you how to do this. Something like... self.tappedSongName = [BT_strings getJsonPropertyValue:thisMenuItem.jsonVars:@"songName":@""]; self.tappedSongTitle = [BT_strings getJsonPropertyValue:thisMenuItem.jsonVars:@"songTitle":@""]; self.tappedSongURL = [BT_strings getJsonPropertyValue:thisMenuItem.jsonVars:@"songURL":@""]; //next, trigger your method that animates the UIView into place. You wrote this method somewhere... [self showSongPlayer] The showSongPlayer's job would be to load the self.tappedSongName and other values, slide in the little player, and probably disable the menu list so no other rows could be tapped.

So I can take all the little parts of code that I have created and add them as plug ins? Such as custom html that picks up user location on Android ect?

Thanks David - some great tips in that post. The JSON stuff for sure and that is starting to make sense. I might just try a baby project to test that method of using JSON data. That is critical to get right. Cool trick to build that UiView off the screen. This is going to require some more studying/concentration. Will look at the simple menu code and once I get my little guy down for the evening, I'll start hacking away and see how far I can get with this! Very, very much appreciate it.

Hey how do we get the user to configure the JSON via the cPanel of the app? That's been troubling me for a while. THANKS!

@theMonster - same here Open the index.php of a custom plug-in you make and start reading. David has left some EXCELLENT notes in there that'll tell you exactly how to do this. His code comments are like a guide. (tip: use notepad++ to open the file and edit it) I just got this JSON data put together thru the CP using his notes/guides in my plug-in. "BT_screens":[{"itemId":"9THISISAFAKEVALUEIMODEDTOPOST0", "itemType":"At53_audio_menu", "itemNickname":"audio", "songName":"Magnificent 7", "songArtist":"The Clash", "songURL":"mag7.mp3", "navBarTitleText":"audio"}, now to use those Values!!!

Wait... So all we have to do is configure that JSON and fields for the user to enter will appear in the cPanel? Haha maybe I should go give the index.php file another look.

@ATRAIN53, @theMonster, @Anyone That's interested..... See this: http://www.buzztouch.com/forum/thread.php?tid=61A19811BADC9373C0AC264

^^ studying intently!! Thanks, that is AWESOME stuff. Just wanted to report a bug/issue/gotcha I have come across with the new custom-plug-in screen. You MUST have a name in the NAV BAR TITLE in the TOP NAVIGATION Bar. Otherwise you will get messages about Invalid Configuration or App has issues parsing it's data. I don't always use a nav bar title, but not having one in the CP and then testing the screen - it kept crashing on me. Wasted a few hours thinking it was my code and trying stuff. Turns out it was just the lack of a name (or some character if you want to get creative. The "." is pretty small and a vaild entry FYI) in the navbar properties. Learned this by studying the JSON reference that displays below the SAVE button. That is a HANDY tool!

@Atrain try using ALT + 255 and see if that works, it should throw a invisible character that should be accepted. Used this for the header navigation image mod when the navigation image already had text, and control panel text wasn't needed. ;) Cheers! David buzztouchmods.com