Changes in external CSS file are not recognized

Hi,

I have an external CSS file, linked via the integrated files manager. When I make a debug run, then change a CSS setting and run again, the change is not recognized. Even building the app again does not work.

As a workaround, I have to delete the whole Appname_Cache and Appname_Compiled folder.

I think this was also the problem in one of my other topics with the inAppBrowser parameters.

-- Harald

Hello Harald,

App Builder try the best in order to compile our apps. This mean to cache somethings, or to avoid to copy existing files, everything to get the app compiled as faster as possible. The system is not perfect and can be enhanced, of course.

If you change a CSS file and AB can recognize it (this mean that the file size changes) then AB copy again the file to be ready to use by the app. The compiler cache don't matter here, since the AB decision to copy or not the file is only if consider that the file has been changed.

What probably happen is that you launch the app without compile it before, something that is completely useful sometimes: because we can launch the app without compile it again. But if we do that... the compiler don't have the change to detect file changes and then copy it again.

Also is possible that we don't save the app. The Debug option saves the app automatically if needed, but the Compile option don't save the app: we must save it before if needed (and wanted). This can also cause that you experiment something like you describe.

Trying here with a simple CSS file, and, made changes to it (who changes the file size), everything works as expected, that is, AB detect the differences between the file sizes and therefore proceed to copy the new file in the appropriate place.

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Maybe the problem was, that I only changed the font size inside the CSS file. This did not change the file size, only its timestamp.

Hello Harald,

Certainly that can happen. If the file size don't vary, then AB can't recognize the changes. On the other hand, remember that if we run the app without compile it, AB don't copy the possible changes files: because when we run the app AB "only" do that: launch the previously compiled app, saving time (for that reason the run option exists), however, we must take care, since the compiler don't enter in the stage, so possible changes files are not copied / refreshed.

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Thanks for the info and your excellent work! :-)

Hello Harald,

Always thanks for your support and also for your kindly words! :-)

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Hello Harald,

Please, upgrade your AB copy. As you can see in this thread, the compiler has been enhanced in order to check the files write date time in addition to the file size. This mean that changes like you do in the CSS file are now perfectly recognized, since once the CSS file is saved, the write date time changes.

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Thanks! You're the best :-)

Hello Harald,

Thank you for the idea! :-)

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