Increased analytics options and relevant updates regarding our support for all most recent mobile devices

Dear Purple DS® user,

In addition to better performance and a lot of bug fixes, the new release offers further possibilities for individualization and further integration of third-party systems: Facebook campaigns can now also be tracked and Amazon Pinpoint can be integrated. In addition, starting with App Build Template 3.5, we also ensure that our features work smoothly on the latest Android & iOS devices.

Here we have summarized the most important new features of the Purple DS Suite.

New features and functionalities include:

•     Support for Facebook campaigns
•     Easy integration of Amazon Pinpoint possible
•     Additional customization options for corporate branding, e. g. with your own logo in the app menu
•     Advanced control options for newsfeed article distribution
•     Intelligent distribution of content according to display size or browser window size
•     Simplified internationalization by unifying the translation of texts in the app and web newsstand
•     Support of SD cards as alternative memory drive for newsstand content

In addition, we would like to point out important changes regarding the future support of older app build templates and inform you about possible complications regarding an update to High Sierra.

To activate these new features, please ensure you use the most recent App Build Template “Standard 3.6” in the Purple DS® Manager.  

Further information can be found here in our here.

Keep creating your DIGITAL JOURNEY with us!

Advanced Analytics: Support for Facebook campaigns (installation tracking)

•     Support of all Purple Tracking & Purchasing Events (Note: Purple Views are not mapped by Pinpoint)
•     Simple configuration in the Purple DS Manager (enter the corresponding SDK App ID in the respective Device Settings: Menu -> Analytics)
•     Documentation:
  • Facebook Tracking: http://purple-docs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tracking/facebook.html
  • All Purple Actions: http://purple-docs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tracking/events.html
  • All Purple Purchases: http://purple-docs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tracking/events.html#purchases

Advanced Analytics: Easy integration of Amazon Pinpoint possible: great analytics possibilities

•     Amazon Pinpoint SDK can be optionally integrated and configured via Purple DS Manager (within Analytics options)
  • Activation path: Analytics / Activate Amazon Pinpoint
  • Upload configuration as JSON file (path: Analytics / Amazon Pinpoint configuration JSON)
•     Purple DS Attributes, Purple DS Actions, and Purple DS Purchases can be tracked (Note: Purple DS Views are not mapped by Pinpoint)

        Tracking documentation: http://purple-docs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tracking/pinpoint.html

•     Amazon Pinpoint Dashboard allows you to send push messages based on tracked user data (e. g. individual campaigns).

        Documentation for campaigns: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/pinpoint/latest/userguide/campaigns.html

•     In the Amazon Pinpoint dashboard, the user can see how often a push is sent and how often it has been opened/activated.
•     Push messages can contain deep links that are executed when the user pushes/activates the push. This allows a user to be directed to specific content even more specifically.
  • Documentation of deep links: http://purple-docs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/deep_links.html
  • The external link is to be used in each case: <purple-bundleidentifier://actionURL> - e. g. purple-com.sprylab.purple.apps.developertest://app/info/open

Further individualization options for corporate branding: Your own branding in the app menu

•     An optional logo can be inserted in the menu above and/or below the menu entries. The logos can also be individualized with background colours.
•     The configuration is done via the dynamic contents. The logos are stored there and the corresponding entries in the App-Menu-XML are added
•     Documentation: http://purple-docs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/dynamic_resources.html#app-menu

Optimizations for individual in-app browser configurations (WebView)

•     Simplified programming options and high configuration flexibility due to improved JS-API.
•     Individual URL parameters and configuration of the in-app browser can now be read out via the JS API and allow dynamic adjustments of the web view
•     The In-App Browser can be opened in different configurations (e. g. with/without TitleBar or navigation bar)
•     Complete documentation of the JS-API: http://purple-docs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/webviews.html#javascript-interfaces

 Newsfeed: Extended control of newsfeed distribution options

•     You can now determine the order of the articles displayed in the newsfeeds even more easily and comprehensively.
•     The following sorting options are available:
  •         ascending by index in manager
  •         descending by index in manager
  •         latest publication date
  •         oldest publication date.

UPDATES ESPECIALLY FOR WEB NEWSSTAND / WEB READER

Intelligent distribution of content according to display size or browser window size

•     If you make your content available in Purple DS Manager in different sizes per device class, you can also optimize the presentation in the web newsstand.
•     Content for the web newsstand is displayed according to the browser window width, i.e. according to the device classes for Tablet & Phone.
•     When uploading new content, you can easily choose for which device classes the content shall be used. For this purpose, the division into phone, small tablet and large tablet is now also available for the Web Kiosk.
•     Device classes or make up for the following browser window width:
  •         up to 532 pixels: Phone
  •         to 719 pixels: Tablet (small)
  •         larger than 719 pixels: Tablet (large)

Simplified internationalization: translation for texts in the app and web newsstand standardized

•     Texts in the web newsstand are internationalized via the Purple DS translation mechanism
•     The language adjustments can now be adapted for the app and the web newsstand in one step
•     Documentation: https://support.sprylab.com/en/support/solutions/articles/9000114910-translation-of-texts-in-your-app

UPDATES ESPECIALLY FOR ANDROID

Support of SD cards as alternative for saving newsstand publications: great flexibility for your users

•     An alternative external memory drive (e.g. SD card) for downloading newsstand publications can be set in the settings of the app
•     All outputs can be moved from internal to external memory drive and vice versa. Your users can also delete all output from internal or external memory
•     If a configured external memory drive is not available, the internal memory drive will be used.
•     For newsfeed content and other app data, the internal memory drive is still used
•     SD card usage can be disabled in Purple DS Manager for an app. The default setting is "enabled".
  •     Path: Basic settings / Android & Kindle / Allow SD card usage for newsstand content
•     For the App users, the settings page appears in the App menu and can of course also be adapted to the corporate design
  •     Path: App Design / Android & Kindle / App Settings

Future support focused on App Build Templates 3.4 and higher

The updates of the Android Oreo and iOS 11 operating systems require relevant adaptations for many apps and features.

In order to provide you with the best customer service at all times and to ensure that your apps meet the latest standards and work on all common mobile devices, we are bundling our strengths and are investing more in development.

Accordingly, we will only guarantee latest innovations for the latest App Build Templates from now on. In concrete terms, this means that we will only implement and test App Build Template 3.4 and higher with regards to new features.

We, therefore, recommend that you always use the latest App Build Template. This ensures that all features work smoothly on all mobile devices.

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Using Purple DS products on MacOS High Sierra (v. 10.13)

SPRYLAB is currently advising against an update to the operating system version High Sierra, which was released by Apple on September 25th, in analogy to other renowned software providers such as Adobe or Steinberg.

With the currently not yet stable version of the operating system, there may be functional restrictions in connection with High Sierra for products such as the Purple DS Composer.

Apple is already working to fill the gaps as indicated in the following article.

SPRYLAB will inform you of official support for High Sierra as soon as a stable version has been released by Apple.