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The world of mobile app development just got more delicious – thanks to Appery.io and their latest addition: the Menu app template. This user-friendly template caters to small restaurant businesses and offers versatile features for both admins and guests. Let’s delve more into what the Menu template has to offer.

Please check this link to see what it can look like.

The creation of the Menu app is swift with Appery.io ‘s App Builder. All you need to do is select the Menu template and create – your restaurant’s app, equipped with all the necessary pages and services, will be ready to go in a jiffy.

The default layout of the app opens with the menu page, a customizable header featuring the restaurant name, and a bilingual language selector toggling between English and Spanish.

However, Appery.io ‘s flexibility allows you to add any language to the selector with minimal effort.

One of the captivating characteristics of this template is its divided meal categories. Choose from four different categories: starters, mains, desserts, and beverages. Each meal comes with its own page, complete with a photo, name, price, and further details. Tagging options like “new” are also available to highlight dishes that you’d like to promote.

The app has an Add to Order feature, allowing guests to keep track of their orders, review, and edit if necessary before the final order placement.

The app also includes an About Us page that you can customize to the nines! It allows you to replace photos, working hours, and contacts with your own.

Once the app is tailored to your restaurant’s needs, all you have to do is print the QR Code of the published app and put it on your tables. Your guests will enjoy the luxury of ordering their meals in their own language, effortlessly.

Now, let’s discuss customization. The Menu app template is designed so that you can personalize it without writing a single line of code. You can easily add categories, arrange them on the categories page, and even add proper images for them. Moreover, you can even customize the language options and the translations for them, offering a truly multilingual experience for your guests.

Watch this video for some tips on how it can be modified according to your needs:

Besides the smooth customization process, the back-end management of the Menu app also stands out. The Menu_DB database, linked with the app, houses all the predefined meal records in all available languages and their details, offering you an easy way to edit and add meals.

In addition, the beauty of Appery.io ‘s Menu app extends beyond just customizing meal details. It enables restaurant admins to update the menu right from the app itself, bypassing the need to access the App Builder.

As an added bonus, app enthusiasts can look forward to more from Appery.io. Future videos will dive deeper into other exciting features tailored particularly for restaurant admins.

For now, however, it’s time for restaurant owners to delve into low-code app development with Appery.io‘s new Menu app template and discover a revolutionary way to streamline their small businesses.

Anyone interested can try Appery.io for free and see what the platform, along with the Menu template, has to offer. Do not hesitate to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more insightful content as it continues to release.

We are here once again, this time with an easy-to-follow, stress-free tutorial on setting up SMS confirmation using Twilio. And exciting news – we also have a video tutorial for you to follow along with!

Remember how we learned to set up SMTP server settings for email confirmations? Today, we’re switching gears to play with Twilio, allowing us to securely verify sign-up attempts via SMS. Cool, right? Let’s jump in!

Step 1: Getting to Know Twilio

Our journey starts with Twilio. Never heard of them? They are experts in sending out SMS verification codes.

• Head over to the Twilio website and sign up for their free trial account. Once you’re registered and logged in, you can start personalizing your setup. You can either use an existing account or create a new one. I whipped up a new account I like to call SMS Confirmation.

• Don’t forget to verify your phone number within Twilio. Just drop your number in, await the verification code via SMS, and then pop the received code into the website.

• You’ll find a few more easy-peasy questions to answer and then hit Get started with Twilio. Congrats, you’re now ready for action!

• Your Twilio dashboard will display a special phone number. This number is outgoing only and will be used to send confirmation messages to your own app users.

• While you’re there, note down your Account SID, Auth Token, and your new Twilio phone number.

• Lastly, ensure that you’ve listed the phone number you are using for testing in the ‘Active Numbers’ list (Phone Numbers > Manage), and that your Verified Caller IDs tab has the verified number ready to receive the authentication codes.

Step 2: Bring On the App Builder

Now that Twilio is all set, let’s put the App Builder to work.

• Go to the Server Code tab then open the StarterLib library, which was created just for us. We’re planning to send out confirmation SMS, so we’ll need to replace EMAIL with SMS for the confirmation type in the StarterLib script.

• Next, hop back over to the Twilio console and one by one, copy your Account SID, Auth Token, and Twilio phone number into the corresponding variables on the script in the StarterLib section. Hit ‘Save’ and voila — you’re all set!

• The moment of truth has arrived. Click TEST on the App Builder page, fill in the sign-up page details, and then wait for the verification code on your mobile device. Once received, drop it into the app, and bingo! Your user is registered.

As you can see, setting up SMS confirmation using Twilio is easier than a walk in the park.

We hope that this short guide will make your app development experience even better.

Remember, we provide a handy two-week trial giving you plenty of time to experiment with our Starter App Template. Plus, you can subscribe to our YouTube channel for even more handy tips.

Thanks for coming aboard this guide, and see you again very soon!

Your Appery.io Team!

Hello, Appery.io users!

Recently, we released a video introducing our latest Starter App template, sparking numerous inquiries about configuring SMTP server settings for sending confirmation emails. We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve created a comprehensive YouTube tutorial demonstrating the process. For illustration, we’ll utilize the app built from the beloved Appery.io‘s Starter App template:

Below, for your convenience, we’ll additionally walk you through the process step by step for easy understanding.

Step 1. Configuring SMTP Settings: Set up SMTP server settings by enabling 2-step verification in your Google account settings. Then, generate an app-specific password.

Step 2. Accessing App Builder: Head over to the Appery.io App Builder and create a new app using the Starter App template. Go to the Server Code tab and open the StarterLib library.

Step 3. Defining Email Confirmation: In the library, define email as the confirmation type. Enter your email address, paste the app-specific password you just generated, and fill in the from values. Save the changes.

Step 4. Testing the Configuration: Click TEST in the App Builder to ensure everything works smoothly. Fill in the registration details in the app, check your inbox for the verification code, and copy it. 

Step 5. Confirming Registration: Paste the verification code into the app to complete registration. Verify the user record has been added to the app database to ensure accuracy.

Step 6. Final: Log into the app to verify successful registration and explore its features. You’ve now configured SMTP settings for confirmation emails!

Conclusion: That’s it for our guide on configuring SMTP server settings with Appery.io. Stay tuned for our next video where we will show how to set up Twilio for confirmation messages.

Try our Starter App Template and subscribe to our channel for more updates.

Thank you for using Appery.io and Happy Developing!

Your Appery.io Team

We’re excited to present our latest creation: the Starter App Template. It’s built to be the strong base for making modern mobile apps that users will love.

Starter App Template: Main Features

• Flexible Design: Works smoothly on all devices for a great user experience.

• Easy Logins: Choose between traditional or FaceID/Fingerprint logins for security and convenience.

• Simple Sign-Up: Quick feedback on usernames and passwords to get started easily.

• Password Recovery: Easy steps to recover access if needed.

• User Control: Customize settings and privacy to match individual preferences.

• Language Choices: Supports multiple languages for a global audience.

• Personalized Profiles: Users can create and edit profiles for a tailored experience.

• Dark Mode: A comfortable theme option for low-light settings.

• Secure Confirmation: Double verification via email or SMS for added security.

Who Can Benefit?

This template suits startups and businesses in social networking, e-commerce, health & fitness, education, and more. It’s perfect whether you’re starting big or testing ideas.

Start Building Today

Ready to transform your app development? Explore the Starter App Template now! Create a strong foundation and focus on what users need most.

Don’t miss out—embrace innovation and enhance your mobile app experience with our Starter App template tutorial.

Stay tuned for updates and added features as we continue to improve this template!

Ready to begin?

Some Appery.io users who generated an .aab file with Appery.io and are trying to upload this to Google Play store as an update, may encounter this error:

Before we help you tackle this issue, here is a bit of theory behind it:

As of August 2021, there has been a significant shift in the deployment process for developers targeting the Google Play platform. The conventional .apk (Android Package) format, which has been the standard for Android applications, is no longer accepted by the Google Play store for publishing new apps. In its place, Google has mandated the use of the Android App Bundle (.aab) for all new apps, a publishing format that streamlines the app signing process for developers.

This transition to the .aab format can have direct implications if you’re attempting to update your existing Appery.io app on Google Play that was originally published using an .apk file. 

Below, we share some simple steps you can take to address the issue of updating your existing Appery.io app on Google Play:

1. Begin by downloading the certificate archive and extracting it.
2. Afterwards, navigate to the Google Play Developer Console and proceed to Release > Setup > App Signing. If necessary, agree to the Terms of Service for App Signing.
3. Choose the option Use existing app signing key from Java KeyStore, then follow the subsequent steps:

4. Obtain the PEPK tool and launch a terminal window.

5. Enter the command as follows, replacing the placeholders with your actual file paths, alias, and Google encryption key:

java -jar PATH_TO_PEPK_TOOL --keystore=PATH_TO_YOUR_KEYSTORE --alias=YOUR_ALIAS --output=PATH_TO_YOUR_OUTPUT_FILE --encryptionkey=YOUR_GOOGLE_ENCRYPTION_KEY

✋ Caution: Ensure the accuracy of the paths for the PEPK tool, keystore, output file, as well as the correct alias and Google encryption key.

For instance, if your setup has the specified names, your command might look like the following:

java -jar pepk.jar --keystore=apperyio.project --alias=apperyio.project --output=encrypted_private_key_path --encryptionkey=eb10fe8f7c7c9df715022017b00c6471f8ba8170b13049a11e6c09ffe3056a104a3bbe4ac5a955f4ba4fe93fc8cef27558a3eb9d2a529a2092761fb833b656cd48b9de6a

6. At this moment, the system will prompt you for a password. It is advisable to reuse your current keystore password. So, input the keystore password (for instance, ‘apperyio.project‘) followed by the key password (again, potentially ‘apperyio.project’).

7. With your passwords entered, you can now upload the generated App Bundle (.aab) file to Google Play by clicking Upload private key:

8. Finally, click Save.

Congratulations: your updated app is up and running!

Happy Tnanksgiving from all of us, at Appery.io!

Today we are pleased to announce the September release of appery.io with new alias $a of Appery helper, global variable $v and global functions!

Let’s look at what’s new

$a

‘$a’ is an alias for the Appery helper ‘Apperyio’. Now, instead of writing:

this.Apperyio.navigateTo("Screen1");

you can use a much shorter form:

this.$a.navigateTo("Screen1");

$v

‘$v’ is an alias for global variables that were previously accessed through Apperyio.vars.

$v is a place for storing any data as ‘global’. For example, to transfer data between screens.

this.$v.myData = 12345;
this.$v.userInfo = {id: 123, name: 'Joe'};

For more detailed information about ‘$v’, you can refer to our documentation https://docs.appery.io/docs/6-model-and-storage#apperyio-global-variable

Appery Helper

The list of functions and properties for the Appery helper ‘$a’ has been significantly expanded. This expansion greatly simplifies the invocation of the most commonly used operations. For example, if you need to display a modal window and pass parameters to it, this can now be achieved in a single line of code:

let data = await this.$a.modal("EditUser", {name: 'john'});

If you need to display a loading indicator, a simple call will do:

await this.$a.showLoading();

And if you need to perform a GET request:

let res = await this.$a.get("https://mydomain.com/user/12345");

You can explore the full list of available functions on this page: https://docs.appery.io/reference/common-methods-and-properties

Global Functions

Global functions have been added. Now, in the Functions section under Modal and Storage, you can define a function, for example ‘sum’, which will be accessible on all screens, custom components, services, etc., using this.$v.sum()

For more detailed information about global functions, you can refer to our documentation https://docs.appery.io/docs/6-model-and-storage#global-functions

We believe this new feature will be of great value to our users. We appreciate your continued use of Appery.io, and we wish you a happy developing!

Thank you for using Appery.io and Happy Developing!

Your Appery.io Team

We’re excited to announce the introduction of the latest Appery.io release, which includes support for Android 13 (API level 33).

While many of the Appery projects were upgraded automatically, we aimed to keep manual application changes to a minimum to ensure a smooth transition for all users.
– Please ensure that you have not manually modified the config.xml file in the source tab. If any modifications were made to this file, kindly follow these steps: Remove the file and execute the “Undo all source changes” operation for the CORDOVA folder.

– Additionally, for some users, it may be necessary to access the App Settings. From there, navigate to Cordova Config, then proceed to the Android tab. Ensure that the property “GradlePluginKotlinVersion” is present with the value “1.6.20” (refer to the provided image for visual guidance). If this property is missing, kindly add it manually.

We believe this new feature will be of great value to our users. We appreciate your continued use of Appery.io, and we wish you a happy developing!

Thank you for using Appery.io and Happy Developing!

Your Appery.io Team

Dear Appery.io Community,

We are excited to announce that our first Release of 2023 is already live and you are free to check out what new features and upgrades are already available to all Appery.io users!

First things first: we have successfully upgraded our App Builder to Ionic 6 and Angular 15, which resulted in many useful functional improvements and new features for your app-building experience. Most of them are not immediately noticeable, except in a few cases, but innovative and qualitative.

• The first improvement we would like to introduce is related to the system capability: thanks to upgrading to Angular 15, there will exist no limitations in importing npm packages and modules to your apps anymore.

Check here for some examples of how you can add the npm-modules to the projects created with Appery.io.

Updated Preview Page:

•  The serious upgrade that will hopefully be noticed and welcomed by you: our App Builder now has a very modern-looking editor mobile frame design. Besides, it now comes with an upgraded app preview page that is now user-friendlier and offers more functionality. From the preview page, now not only can you adjust your app’s UI on the device screen with further easy testing it on your device but also publish and share your app right from the preview:

• Moreover, those who decide to publish their project as a mobile web app will be able to share it right from the preview.

New and updated UI Components PALETTE

• Next, we are proud to announce that two new UI components have been added to our App Builder for Ionic: Audio and Video. These new components offer you rich customization options for your multimedia resources:

• The existing Datetime component has also been upgraded and now comes with two views to select from, Inline which opens an inline calendar, and Open in modal which opens the modal with a calendar and an editable label:

• One more enhancement: all the components that offer the option of entering strings now allow users to edit them inline right in the mobile frame, and that is a very handy time saver:

• The next three features refer to the components’ properties upgrades: 1) the Position property was added to many UI components like Checkbox, DataTable, etc.; 2) many UI components that contain labels, for example, Input and Link received the Font Size and Font Weight properties; 3) the Text in Editor property was added to several UI components. With this feature enabled, you will be able to finetune your app UI right in the editor even if this component also has some functional code added as its Text property:

Filtering feature added to OUTLINE and Mapping editor

• The OUTLINE view now comes with a useful feature of filtering components added to the screen. Just start typing the name of the component to retrieve its parent(s) on the tree and quickly locate the component you are looking for:

• Users struggling with cumbersome mappings may find the new Mapping editor option of filtering components (similar to how it is realized in the OUTLINE) particularly useful:

Other enhancements

• The next improvement is minor but comfortable: the Method selection can be changed after the function has been created in the CODE panel:

• Our last enhancement might also seem rather minor, but will definitely be found useful by our users: the ability to double-click on many of the UI components added to the mobile frame of our App Builder in order to speed up the process of customizing them. By double-clicking the Image component, for example, you can immediately access the Media Manager window and thus work with your custom image files more easily:

Oh man, that list was impressive, wasn’t it?

Well, we tried to do our best to make the features above functional and easy to use as much as possible, and hope you’ll enjoy using them.

Thank you for using Appery.io and Happy Developing!

Your Appery.io Team

Having recently announced our third Educational Video Guide unit, we are excited to inform you that the fourth one, Appery Database, has already gone live!

Designed to address all possible database-related questions new Appery.io users might have, this unit can also be extremely helpful to all our users.

Educational Video Guide. Unit 3: Appery Database

As you progress through this unit, you will learn how to create a new database with a custom collection and populate it with data, how to import and set up the predefined database services, what Models and Storages are for, how to define storage variables, and much more…

Appery.io Database

There are as many as six steps in total, and we bet if you follow them one by one, you will be able to create your own ToDo List application that allows you to add new records to the Appery.io Database, list them on the screen, and select the needed entries for further updating them.

Unit 3: Appery Database

Note, that all the actions will take place both: in the app and in the database collection you create.

Well, now that you know how enjoyable learning difficult things can be, why not give it a shot?

PS All our educational series are also available on our YouTube Channel where we publish many useful videos, so, be sure to check it out!

Watch with pleasure and develop with joy!