Creating or versioning advanced apps

After you’ve built and refined your flow, the next step is packaging it into a reusable advanced app. Creating an advanced app transforms your flow into a shareable solution that can be run consistently across different environments and shared with other users in your organization.

Users with the power user role can create advanced apps.

Compiling the flow binary

Before you can publish your flow as an advanced app, you must compile it into a flow binary (.ibflowbin) file.

1. In the header, click the initials icon and select Switch to advanced view.

2. In the left sidebar, click the All apps icon, then select Flow.

3. Select your flow from the Recent flows list. The flow editor opens.

4. Select File > Compile Flow.

5. Define a name, select a location in which to save the file, then click Open folder.

   The location selected specifies both the workspace and the storage drive.

6. Click Compile.

Creating the advanced app

Create an advanced app from a flow binary (.ibflowbin) file.

1. From the Hub, click Create advanced app.

2. In the upload dialog, click the Instabase file system hyperlink. In the file explorer, select the flow binary (.ibflowbin) file associated with your flow.

   Alternatively, upload the .ibflowbin file directly, if previously downloaded.

3. Confirm the name of your advanced app and specify optional details, then click Next.

4. Confirm version details, then click Create app.

   • Version — By default, the first version of your app is numbered 0.0.1.

   • AI runtime updates — Select whether the app adopts the latest AI runtime version automatically as soon as it’s released, or when the current version expires, which allows time for testing and manual deployment.

   • Release notes — Describe what changed in this app version.

   • Version visibility — Select whether this app version is private or shared. For more details, see Sharing apps.

   Your app is created and published to the Hub.

Adding an app version

When you make changes to an advanced app’s underlying flow, you can create a new version of the app that includes your changes.

1. In advanced view, compile a flow binary for your updated flow.

2. Return to the standard view and, in the Hub, locate and open your advanced app.

3. Open the Versions tab, then click Add version.

4. In the upload dialog, click the Instabase file system hyperlink. In the file explorer, select the flow binary (.ibflowbin) file associated with your flow.

   Alternatively, upload the .ibflowbin file directly, if previously downloaded.

5. Confirm version details, then click Add version.

   • Version — Select whether this version of your app is a major (3.0.0), minor (2.1.0), or patch (2.0.1) increment.

   • AI runtime updates — Select whether the app adopts the latest AI runtime version automatically as soon as it’s released, or when the current version expires, which allows time for testing and manual deployment.

   • Release notes — Describe what changed in this app version.

   • Version visibility — Select whether this app version is private or shared. For more details, see Sharing apps.

   Your version is created and added to the app’s Version history page.