How to manage app versions in Retool?

 

Managing App Versions in Retool

 

Effectively managing app versions in Retool requires a structured approach to version control within its platform. This involves understanding the built-in versioning features and best practices for maintaining and deploying different versions of your applications.

 

Prerequisites

 

• Ensure you have access to Retool with necessary permissions to edit applications.
• Familiarity with basic Retool environment and UI components.

 

Understanding Retool's Versioning Features

 

• Retool provides built-in version control that allows you to manage changes and revert to previous versions of your app.
• Each time you deploy or manually save a version, Retool creates a snapshot of the current app state.

 

Viewing App Versions

 

• Open the application in Retool that you wish to manage.
• Navigate to the version history section accessible through the app editor.
• Review the list of versions, which includes timestamps and descriptions if provided during saving.

 

Saving a New App Version

 

• Once you have made necessary changes to your application, you should save these changes as a new version for future reference or deployment.
• Click on the Save button in the app editor and opt to Save as new version.
• Provide a meaningful description for the version to help identify it later.

 

Reverting to a Previous Version

 

• If you need to discard recent changes, you can revert to a prior saved version.
• In the version history, locate the desired version and select the Revert option.
• Confirm the action to restore the app to the selected version's state.

 

Merging Changes from Different Versions

 

• Retool allows for collaborative work, where team members can work on different versions. Merging changes involves integrating updates made by others.
• Communicate with team members to determine which changes need merging.
• Manually apply changes if automatic merging isn't available, using the editor to integrate updates into a single version.

 

Deploying a Specific App Version

 

• After finalizing which version to release, navigate to the version intended for deployment.
• Select the Deploy option provided in the version history record.
• Depending on your deployment strategy, you might deploy to a staging or production environment.

 

Best Practices for Version Management

 

• Consistently provide detailed descriptions when saving new versions.
• Regularly review and clean old versions to maintain organized version history.
• Encourage team members to periodically save work to avoid loss of progress.

 

Testing and Validating New Version Releases

 

• Thoroughly test any deployed version in different environments to ensure functionality and performance integrity.
• Utilize Retool's testing features or external frameworks for comprehensive validation.

 

By following these steps and guidelines, you can effectively manage app versions within Retool, ensuring smooth transitions between app states and maintaining a clear history of changes. This structured approach aids in collaboration, troubleshooting, and reliable deployment of app versions.