code-push

What is code-push?

The code-push npm package is a service that enables React Native and Cordova developers to deploy mobile app updates directly to their users' devices. This allows for instant updates without requiring users to go through the app store update process.

What are code-push's main functionalities?

Release Updates

This feature allows developers to release updates to their apps. The `release` method takes parameters such as the app name, deployment name, update contents, target binary version, description, whether the update is mandatory, and the rollout percentage.

const codePush = require('code-push');

codePush.release(appName, deploymentName, updateContents, targetBinaryVersion, description, isMandatory, rolloutPercentage);

Check for Updates

This feature allows the app to check if there are any updates available. The `checkForUpdate` method takes a deployment key and returns a promise that resolves with the update information if an update is available.

const codePush = require('code-push');

codePush.checkForUpdate(deploymentKey).then((update) => {
  if (!update) {
    console.log('The app is up to date.');
  } else {
    console.log('An update is available: ' + update.description);
  }
});

Rollback Updates

This feature allows developers to rollback to a previous version of the app. The `rollback` method takes parameters such as the app name, deployment name, and target binary version.

const codePush = require('code-push');

codePush.rollback(appName, deploymentName, targetBinaryVersion);

Other packages similar to code-push

expo-updates

Expo Updates is a service that allows developers to deploy updates to their React Native apps built with Expo. It provides similar functionality to CodePush, such as over-the-air updates, but is specifically designed for apps built with the Expo framework.

appcenter

App Center is a comprehensive app lifecycle management service by Microsoft that includes features for build, test, distribute, and monitor. It includes CodePush as part of its distribution service, providing similar over-the-air update capabilities along with additional features for continuous integration and delivery.

react-native-update

React Native Update is a library that provides over-the-air updates for React Native apps. It offers similar functionality to CodePush, allowing developers to push updates directly to users without going through the app store. However, it is less feature-rich compared to CodePush and App Center.

README

CodePush Management SDK (Node.js)

A JavaScript library for programmatically managing your CodePush account (e.g. creating apps, promoting releases), which allows authoring Node.js-based build and/or deployment scripts, without needing to shell out to the CLI.

Getting Started

1. Create an access key to authenticate with the CodePush server using the following CodePush CLI command:

   code-push access-key add "DESCRIPTION_OF_THE_KEY"
   

   If you already created a key that you want to use here, then you can retrieve it by running code-push access-key ls and using the value of the Key column for the key you wish to use.

2. Install the management SDK by running npm install code-push --save

3. Import it using the following statement (using ES6 syntax as applicable):

   var CodePush = require("code-push");    
   

4. Create an instance of the CodePush class, passing it the access key you created or retrieved in step #1:

   var codePush = new CodePush("YOUR_ACCESS_KEY");
   

5. Begin automating the management of your account! For more details on what you can do with this codePush object, refer to the API reference section below.

API Reference

The code-push module exports a single class (typically referred to as CodePush), which represents a proxy to the CodePush account management REST API. This class has a single constructor for authenticating with the CodePush service, and a collection of instance methods that correspond to the commands in the management CLI, which allow you to programmatically control every aspect of your CodePush account.

Constructors

• CodePush(accessKey: string) - Creates a new instance of the CodePush management SDK, using the specified access key to authenticated with the server.

Methods

• addAccessKey(description: string): Promise<AccessKey> - Creates a new access key with the specified description (e.g. "VSTS CI").

• addApp(name: string, os: string, platform: string, manuallyProvisionDeployments: boolean = false): Promise<App> - Creates a new CodePush app with the specified name, os, and platform. If the default deployments of "Staging" and "Production" are not desired, pass a value of true for the manuallyProvisionDesployments parameter.

• addCollaborator(appName: string, email: string): Promise<void> - Adds the specified CodePush user as a collaborator to the specified CodePush app.

• addDeployment(appName: string, deploymentName: string): Promise<Deployment> - Creates a new deployment with the specified name, and associated with the specified app.

• clearDeploymentHistory(appName: string, deploymentName: string): Promise<void> - Clears the release history associated with the specified app deployment.

• getAccessKey(accessKey: string): Promise<AccessKey> - Retrieves the metadata about the specific access key.

• getAccessKeys(): Promise<AccessKey[]> - Retrieves the list of access keys associated with your CodePush account.

• getApp(appName: string): Promise<App> - Retrieves the metadata about the specified app.

• getApps(): Promise<App[]> - Retrieves the list of apps associated with your CodePush account.

• getCollaborators(appName: string): Promise<CollaboratorMap> - Retrieves the list of collaborators associated with the specified app.

• getDeployment(appName: string, deploymentName: string): Promise<Deployment> - Retrieves the metadata for the specified app deployment.

• getDeploymentHistory(appName: string, deploymentName: string): Promise<Package[]> - Retrieves the list of releases that have been made to the specified app deployment.

• getDeploymentMetrics(appName: string, deploymentName): Promise<DeploymentMetrics> - Retrieves the installation metrics for the specified app deployment.

• getDeployments(appName: string): Promose<Deployment[]> - Retrieves the list of deployments associated with the specified app.

• patchRelease(appName: string, deploymentName: string, label: string, updateMetadata: PackageInfo): Promise<void> - Updates the specified release's metadata with the given information.

• promote(appName: string, sourceDeploymentName: string, destinationDeploymentName: string, updateMetadata: PackageInfo): Promise<void> - Promotes the latest release from one deployment to another for the specified app and updates the release with the given metadata.

• release(appName: string, deploymentName: string, updateContentsPath: string, targetBinaryVersion: string, updateMetadata: PackageInfo): Promise<void> - Releases a new update to the specified deployment with the given metadata.

• removeAccessKey(accessKey: string): Promise<void> - Removes the specified access key from your CodePush account.

• removeApp(appName: string): Promise<void> - Deletes the specified CodePush app from your account.

• removeCollaborator(appName: string, email: string): Promise<void> - Removes the specified account as a collaborator from the specified app.

• removeDeployment(appName: string, deploymentName: string): Promise<void> - Removes the specified deployment from the specified app.

• renameApp(oldAppName: string, newAppName: string): Promise<void> - Renames an existing app.

• renameDeployment(appName: string, oldDeploymentName: string, newDeploymentName: string): Promise<void> - Renames an existing deployment within the specified app.

• rollback(appName: string, deploymentName: string, targetRelease?: string): Promise<void> - Rolls back the latest release within the specified deployment. Optionally allows you to target a specific release in the deployment's history, as opposed to rolling to the previous release.

• transferApp(appName: string, email: string): Promise<void> - Transfers the ownership of the specified app to the specified account.

Error Handling

When an error occurs in any of the methods, the promise will be rejected with a CodePushError object with the following properties:

• message: A user-friendly message that describes the error.
• statusCode: An HTTP response code that identifies the category of error:
  • CodePush.ERROR_GATEWAY_TIMEOUT: A network error prevented you from connecting to the CodePush server.
  • CodePush.ERROR_INTERNAL_SERVER: An error occurred internally on the CodePush server.
  • CodePush.ERROR_NOT_FOUND: The resource you are attempting to retrieve does not exist.
  • CodePush.ERROR_CONFLICT: The resource you are attempting to create already exists.
  • CodePush.ERROR_UNAUTHORIZED: The access key you configured is invalid or expired.