AppBuilder v3.5

September 28, 2016

Release Notes

NEW

Major Features and Updates

For a complete list of the features and updates in this release, see AppBuilder Documentation: AppBuilder 3.5 Release Notes.

This release of AppBuilder introduces the following major feature across the AppBuilder clients:

	Feature	In-Browser Client	Windows Client	Extension for Visual Studio	Command-Line Interface
Hybrid Development	Deprecated support for Apache Cordova 3.7.0 and 3.8.0
	Improved handling of minor Apache Cordova updates
	Develop Apache Cordova 5.0.0 apps with enabled WKWebView				Coming soon
	Faster and more reliable builds in the cloud
	Improved builds for iOS
NativeScript Development	Develop apps with NativeScript 2.2.0 (Verified)
	Develop apps with NativeScript 2.3.0 (Experimental)
	Develop apps with AngularJS 2 (Experimental)
	Deprecated support for NativeScript 2.0.0
	Deliver continuous app updates with AppManager LiveSync
	Improved support for TypeScript development		Not available
	Develop with private npm modules
	Faster and more reliable builds in the cloud
	Improved builds for iOS

Hybrid Development: Improved handling of minor Apache Cordova updates. AppBuilder now checks if the version of the Apache Cordova framework files in your app matches the server-side version for your target Apache Cordova version. If needed, AppBuilder will prompt you that an update is required and will be automatically applied. This ensures that your app always uses the latest implementation of the Apache Cordova version you are targeting.

NativeScript Development: Develop apps with AngularJS 2. You can now create and develop NativeScript apps using AngularJS 2 and TypeScript. Support for AngularJS 2 is currently experimental. To provide tight integration between NativeScript and AngularJS 2, the NativeScript Blank with Angular 2 (TypeScript) template targets NativeScript 2.3.0. In this version of AppBuilder, support for NativeScript 2.3.0 is also experimental. Experimental framework versions have not been thoroughly verified and you might experience multiple issues when working against them.

NativeScript Development: Improved support for TypeScript development. This release introduces multiple improvements for NativeScript development with TypeScript across all AppBuilder clients and services.

• Improved code completion and type checking.
• When you add frameworks or plugins using the Manage Packages wizard or the plugin commands, any typings (.d.ts) available from a @types repository, are installed automatically, unless otherwise configured.
• Improved transpilation.
• Multiple bug fixes.

For more details about client-specific TypeScript improvements, see the client and service sections below.

Improved builds for iOS. This release of AppBuilder introduces the following improvements when you build for iOS:

• You can build and upload to the App Store apps that require Swift support.
• AppBuilder automatically generates a valid Entitlements.plist file which lets you use any special app capabilities, declared in your provisioning profile.

---

FIXED

Notable Resolved Issues

This release of AppBuilder introduces the following notable resolved issues.

Functional Area	Notable Resolved Issues
General	When you attempt to build an app larger than 50MB which contains an unsupported file type, AppBuilder returns An error has occurred. instead of Unsupported file type .exe. Path: fileName.exe.
Frameworks	When you enable the StatusBar plugin, your app does not display properly in the Cordova developer app for Windows Phone. Two black bars appear at the top and at the bottom of the screen. If your project includes Kendo UI and uses the Crosswalk web view, navigation does not work properly in debug builds.
Mobile Devices and Platforms	If you set a custom package identifier in AndroidManifest.xml, you might not be able to build your app because of mismatching package identifier values in AndroidManifest.xml and config.xml. You cannot launch the NativeScript debug tools for connected Android devices more than once during the same AppBuilder session. On iOS devices, if you interact with your NativeScript 2.0.0 app before starting a debugging session, you will not be able to hit any breakpoints. This behavior affects the AppBuilder debug tools and the Microsoft Visual Studio debug tools. You cannot debug NativeScript apps on Android devices with the Microsoft Visual Studio debug tools. The debug tools do not load or if they load, they do not hit your breakpoints. If your project includes Kendo UI and uses the Crosswalk web view, navigation does not work properly in debug builds. Sometimes when you build a NativeScript app for iOS with the Debug build configuration, the operation cannot complete and the following error message appears: "Message": "[xcode-build] Process product packaging: error: class '(null)' of input object does not respond to either selector writeToFile:options:error: or writeToFile:atomically". After the Microsoft Visual Studio built-in debug tools reach a breakpoint in a NativeScript app, the debug tools detach from the device, the following error message appears: System.TimeoutException: The operation has timed out. and the app on the device becomes unresponsive. The command-line interface does not respect .abignore for LiveSync operations when the --watch switch is specified. All your changes are synced to the connected device. When you work with connected iOS devices, the following error message might be added to log: Could not connect to port 62078. On Windows Phone devices, you cannot use custom splash screens defined in the config.xml file. On Windows Phone devices, the SplashScreen plugin does not show your splash screens properly.
In-Browser Client	The device simulator does not refresh changes to your TypeScript source files properly. The Plugins tab in the Project Properties dialog might erroneously show that no plugins are currently enabled.
Windows Client	You cannot launch the NativeScript debug tools for connected Android devices more than once during the same AppBuilder session. In the device simulator, you cannot scroll drop-down menus created with a select element. When the App Store rejects your upload from the Publish wizard, the classic Windows desktop client does not show actionable error information.
Extension for Visual Studio	You cannot launch the NativeScript debug tools for connected Android devices more than once during the same AppBuilder session. When using the extension for Visual Studio to develop a NativeScript + TypeScript app, you can build successfully only in Microsoft Visual Studio 2013/2015. On iOS devices, if you interact with your NativeScript 2.0.0 app before starting a debugging session, you will not be able to hit any breakpoints. This behavior affects the AppBuilder debug tools and the Microsoft Visual Studio debug tools. You cannot debug NativeScript apps on Android devices with the Microsoft Visual Studio debug tools. The debug tools do not load or if they load, they do not hit your breakpoints. After the Microsoft Visual Studio built-in debug tools reach a breakpoint in a NativeScript app, the debug tools detach from the device, the following error message appears: System.TimeoutException: The operation has timed out. and the app on the device becomes unresponsive. In the device simulator, you cannot scroll drop-down menus created with a select element. When the App Store rejects your upload from the Publish wizard, the extension for Visual Studio does not show actionable error information.
Command-Line Interface	You cannot run the command-line interface on systems with Node.js 6.5. You cannot launch the NativeScript debug tools for connected Android devices more than once during the same AppBuilder session. The command-line interface does not respect .abignore for LiveSync operations when the --watch switch is specified. All your changes are synced to the connected device. On systems running Node.js 5.x with npm 3, you cannot work with Screen Builder from the command-line interface. When you attempt to run Screen Builder-related commands, an error message appears that npm install yeoman-generator@0.20.1 --production cannot be completed. In the device simulator, you cannot scroll drop-down menus created with a select element.
Developer and Companion Apps	When you enable the StatusBar plugin, your app does not display properly in the Cordova developer app for Windows Phone. Two black bars appear at the top and at the bottom of the screen. In the Cordova developer app for Android, you cannot access external links, such as tel: links, using the InAppBrowser plugin.

---

CHANGED

Notable Resolved Issues

This release of AppBuilder introduces the following notable resolved issues.

Functional Area	Notable Resolved Issues
General	When you attempt to build an app larger than 50MB which contains an unsupported file type, AppBuilder returns An error has occurred. instead of Unsupported file type .exe. Path: fileName.exe.
Frameworks	When you enable the StatusBar plugin, your app does not display properly in the Cordova developer app for Windows Phone. Two black bars appear at the top and at the bottom of the screen. If your project includes Kendo UI and uses the Crosswalk web view, navigation does not work properly in debug builds.
Mobile Devices and Platforms	If you set a custom package identifier in AndroidManifest.xml, you might not be able to build your app because of mismatching package identifier values in AndroidManifest.xml and config.xml. You cannot launch the NativeScript debug tools for connected Android devices more than once during the same AppBuilder session. On iOS devices, if you interact with your NativeScript 2.0.0 app before starting a debugging session, you will not be able to hit any breakpoints. This behavior affects the AppBuilder debug tools and the Microsoft Visual Studio debug tools. You cannot debug NativeScript apps on Android devices with the Microsoft Visual Studio debug tools. The debug tools do not load or if they load, they do not hit your breakpoints. When you enable the StatusBar plugin, your app does not display properly in the Cordova developer app for Windows Phone. Two black bars appear at the top and at the bottom of the screen. If your project includes Kendo UI and uses the Crosswalk web view, navigation does not work properly in debug builds. Sometimes when you build a NativeScript app for iOS with the Debug build configuration, the operation cannot complete and the following error message appears: "Message": "[xcode-build] Process product packaging: error: class '(null)' of input object does not respond to either selector writeToFile:options:error: or writeToFile:atomically". After the Microsoft Visual Studio built-in debug tools reach a breakpoint in a NativeScript app, the debug tools detach from the device, the following error message appears: System.TimeoutException: The operation has timed out. and the app on the device becomes unresponsive. The command-line interface does not respect .abignore for LiveSync operations when the --watch switch is specified. All your changes are synced to the connected device. When you work with connected iOS devices, the following error message might be added to log: Could not connect to port 62078. On Windows Phone devices, you cannot use custom splash screens defined in the config.xml file. On Windows Phone devices, the SplashScreen plugin does not show your splash screens properly.
In-Browser Client	The device simulator does not refresh changes to your TypeScript source files properly. The Plugins tab in the Project Properties dialog might erroneously show that no plugins are currently enabled.
Windows Client	You cannot launch the NativeScript debug tools for connected Android devices more than once during the same AppBuilder session. In the device simulator, you cannot scroll drop-down menus created with a select element. When the App Store rejects your upload from the Publish wizard, the classic Windows desktop client does not show actionable error information.
Extension for Visual Studio	You cannot launch the NativeScript debug tools for connected Android devices more than once during the same AppBuilder session. When using the extension for Visual Studio to develop a NativeScript + TypeScript app, you can build successfully only in Microsoft Visual Studio 2013/2015. On iOS devices, if you interact with your NativeScript 2.0.0 app before starting a debugging session, you will not be able to hit any breakpoints. This behavior affects the AppBuilder debug tools and the Microsoft Visual Studio debug tools. You cannot debug NativeScript apps on Android devices with the Microsoft Visual Studio debug tools. The debug tools do not load or if they load, they do not hit your breakpoints. After the Microsoft Visual Studio built-in debug tools reach a breakpoint in a NativeScript app, the debug tools detach from the device, the following error message appears: System.TimeoutException: The operation has timed out. and the app on the device becomes unresponsive. In the device simulator, you cannot scroll drop-down menus created with a select element. When the App Store rejects your upload from the Publish wizard, the extension for Visual Studio does not show actionable error information.
Command-Line Interface	You cannot run the command-line interface on systems with Node.js 6.5. You cannot launch the NativeScript debug tools for connected Android devices more than once during the same AppBuilder session. The command-line interface does not respect .abignore for LiveSync operations when the --watch switch is specified. All your changes are synced to the connected device. On systems running Node.js 5.x with npm 3, you cannot work with Screen Builder from the command-line interface. When you attempt to run Screen Builder-related commands, an error message appears that npm install yeoman-generator@0.20.1 --production cannot be completed. In the device simulator, you cannot scroll drop-down menus created with a select element.
Developer and Companion Apps	When you enable the StatusBar plugin, your app does not display properly in the Cordova developer app for Windows Phone. Two black bars appear at the top and at the bottom of the screen. In the Cordova developer app for Android, you cannot access external links, such as tel: links, using the InAppBrowser plugin.

---