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Learn all about LiveSync and how it lets you see the results of changes to your code in real time.

LiveSync is a feature of Telerik AppBuilder (part of Telerik Platform) that allows you to instantly experience changes to your code on devices and simulators. We were among the first to bring this type of functionality to the masses, yet most people don't know about the programmatic API that exists to directly interact with LiveSync!

LiveSync and Telerik AppBuilder

Usually you don't think twice about how you use LiveSync, right? It's enabled by default for all debugging situations and you can leverage it in a variety of ways:

LiveSync instantly updates all of the code in your app (HTML/XML, JavaScript and CSS) without you having to rebuild and redeploy the app!

livesync in action

LiveSync is cross-platform (works on iOS, Android and Windows Phone). And while we've had LiveSync enabled for Apache Cordova hybrid mobile apps for ages, we also recently introduced LiveSync for NativeScript apps as well!

A little known fact is that LiveSync has a JavaScript API. What does that mean and how can it help you? Read on:

Enabling and Disabling LiveSync

Note that while LiveSync works with NativeScript, the public JavaScript API does not exist yet.

Why would someone want to disable LiveSync? When you are using LiveSync with our Companion Apps, you initiate a LiveSync action via a three-finger press. What if your device uses a three-finger press for something else? Hello conflict! Luckily there is a window.livesync object for you to interact with. For instance:

To disable LiveSync on an app use livesync.disable(). Likewise, to enable LiveSync you use livesync.enable(). Easy enough!

Now that's convenient to have, but the cool part of the LiveSync API is initiating a LiveSync via code:

Initiating a LiveSync

Even if the three-finger gesture is disabled, you can still initiate a LiveSync in code. In fact, you can initiate a LiveSync whenever and wherever you want!

To do so, simply use the livesync.sync() method. When this code is executed, your app fetches all of the latest changes from the cloud (be they HTML, JavaScript, or CSS) and updates your app in no time.

This means you can truly execute the livesync.sync() method whenever you like. Do you want to add an "update" button to your app that more clearly initiates a LiveSync for your testers? Go ahead! Do you want to initiate a LiveSync update when a user performs a certain action? Knock yourself out.

If you are using an offline Telerik AppBuilder client like our extension for Visual Studio, you need to make sure your apps are connected to the cloud for LiveSync to work correctly.

When Can I Use LiveSync?

Just to be clear, LiveSync is only available while debugging your app. This means you have to be using our simulators, Companion Apps or have deployed a build of an app in debug mode. If you create an app store-ready build, LiveSync is disabled. But, what if you want to use LiveSync-like functionality to "hot patch" your app in production?

LiveSync in Production?

Yes, we have an answer for that! By leveraging a similar feature called AppManager LiveSync, you can dynamically update apps that have already been published via the app stores! Click here to learn more about AppManager LiveSync.

appmanager livesync

AppManager LiveSync is available for hybrid apps today and NativeScript apps very soon!

Happy LiveSyncing!


Rob Lauer is a Product Manager for Telerik
About the Author

Rob Lauer

A maker at heart and a supporter of the open web, Rob is Developer Relations Lead at Blues Wireless. You can find Rob rambling incoherently on Twitter @RobLauer.

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