Backstack - Versions

App versions are containers of features, organizing account-level application functionality (e.g. Basic, Advanced, Professional). While accounts may have access to multiple versions, they can only subscribe to one at any given time.

Images

See the architecture page for additional information.

Creating versions

Versions are fully managed using the Backstack dashboard, including their assignment to domains with prescribed feature access. Resulting configurations are included in the app schema for use within your codebase.

Example versioning

Version	Description
`Basic`	Provides access to basic application functionality. This version of your application could be free.
`Advanced`	Provides all the functionality of the Basic version plus additional features. You'll probably assign a fee to this version.
`Premium`	Provides all the functionality of the Advanced version plus additional features. You'll probably assign a fee to this version.

Monetizing versions

Invoice items are automatically generated when any of the following fees are implemented.

Fee	Description	Implementation
Version fee	Collect a fee for any version of the application functionality.	Implement in each `domain.version`.
User fee	Collect a fee for each account user.	Implement in each `domain.version`.
Optional feature fee	Collect a fee for any feature designated as `optional`.	Implement in each `domain.version.features`.

See invoicing-accounts for additional information.

Allowing accounts to select versions

Manage version configurations through the Backstack dashboard. Allow accounts to select their preferred version using your user interface, leveraging pre-configured app schema data and the API.

// extracting app schema values for account versioning options

Object.keys(domains[session.account.domain_id].versions).map((id) => {
  console.log({
    "active": session.account.version_id === id,
    "title": domains[session.account.domain_id].versions[id].title,
    "description": domains[session.account.domain_id].versions[id].description
  });
});

See the version assignment workflow for incorporating account-based version management into your UI.

The Version object

// version object
{
  "id": "ver_1234567890",
  "title": "App",
  "description": "Version for the main application.",
  "tag": "v1",
  "is_default": 1,
  "status": "active",
  "features": [
    {
      "id": "fea_1234567890",
      "title": "Account",
      "human_id": "account"
    },
    ...
  ]
}

Property	Type	Description
`id`	String	The version ID.
`title`	String	The title of the version.
`description`	String	The description iof the version.
`tag`	String	The sort tag associated with the version.
`is_default`	Boolean	Whether the version is the default when signing up.
`status`	String	The status of the version (`active` or `inactive`). An inactive version haa no accounts subscribed.
`fearures`	Array	An array of features included in the version.
`features.id`	String	The feature ID.
`features.title`	String	The title of the feature.
`features.human_id`	String	The human-readable ID.