Release Notes Purple DS 3.7 & 3.8

The new App Build Templates in the Purple DS Manager offer, on the one hand, many features for better usability of the app and the web newsstand on the part of your users.

Additionally, some quality assurance processes have also been established that allow you, as an app publisher, to recognize sources of error immediately by means of appropriate warnings - e. g. directly during the App Build process.

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

Please contact us if you have any questions! support@sprylab.com

Purple DS Manager

Live Chat Support: fast help from our support team

• We invite you to use the widget "SPRYLAB - Chat Support" in Purple DS Manager for quick help. The chat frame appears automatically on the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.
• The widget automatically receives the name and e-mail address of the user data with which you are logged in.
• Please note that we try to ensure maximum availability but are not online 24/7. Each request is automatically converted into a ticket and will be processed asap.

App / Web newsstand

Easy assignment of access rights for content: Selection via drop-down menu

• Now you can choose from three options:
• Free Content
• Paid Content
• Content protected via entitlement
• Path: Content / Edit Issue
• Further information

Simplified app creation: Default assets stored for dynamic resources

• As of template class 3.7, build templates offer standard assets for dynamic content.
• SPRYLAB provides these standard assets (app menu incl. icon, examples for configuration of newsfeed layout and tracking service). These can be downloaded and customized by you.
• If custom resources have been uploaded, they are used instead of the default resources.
• Settings can be reset to the default resources in the dynamic resource view.
• Further information 

App

Quality assurance for individual app designs: Warnings before an app release

• If the user has not uploaded custom app icons and/or splash screen images, he or she will now receive warnings when creating apps.
• It is possible to continue with the standard images or cancel the App Build and upload own images/icons.

Monetisation options: Offer newsfeed articles within a subscription or protect newsfeed output via entitlement

• It is possible to define all or individual newsfeeds as paid content. These can be offered as a subscription. Individual purchases of articles are not possible.
• In order to protect your newsfeed output through entitlement check possible options and behaviour:
  • The article is "Content protected by Entitlement": Article is not visible when the user is logged off.
  • All articles (= entire channel) are "Content protected by Entitlement": Feed/channel is not visible when the user is logged off.
• Further information

Web newsstand

Further monetisation options: Connection of payment systems possible

• In the web newsstand, it is now possible to connect various payment systems – independently of the respective app store.
• This allows different monetisation options – such as advertising paid content through previews or displaying all buyable editions in the newsstand.
• If you are interested, please contact us.

Increased compatibility for mobile platforms: Optimization of PDF display

• The PDF display for narrow browser windows has been optimized. Similar to a portrait orientation on a mobile device, the entire double page is no longer displayed, but a single page is displayed as large as possible.
• Through these scaling optimizations, your users can read the content much better.

Adapted user guidance: Table of Content is set up analogous to the mobile apps

• The menu display in the web newsstand has been adapted to that of the mobile apps.
• The selection of pages at the bottom has been replaced by a scrollable drop-down menu at the top right-hand corner.

iOS specific updates

Higher registration rate for push messages: Time for sending request selectable

• Until now, the permission dialog for push messages appears directly at the start of the app after download. Often the users reject this request.
• The Purple DS Manager can now disable automatic registration for iOS push messages at app start.
• An action URL is available for registration, which can be used to initiate registration when desired: "purple: //app/push/register".
• This action URL can be embedded in an Appboy message, for example, in order to achieve a better push conversion by specifically addressing the customer.

Better quality assurance: Warnings about faulty iOS build certificates

• In case of faulty iOS build certificates, build profiles or push certificates, the user will be notified of a possible error when uploading (or storing the settings) directly. This validation also takes place before each build.
• The error note with specific instructions on how to correct the problem appears, among other things, in case of an incorrect certificate type, an expired ID or an incorrect bundle ID.