Updating add-ons in the new editor

[Andrew Apell]

I have been blissfully enjoying the simplicity of the old editor but today the inevitable happened... I got a warning from Google saying that my preferred editor is going away soon.

Now, this conservative developer has been forced to switch to the new editor but I'm cautious about a few things and I need help with them.

For example, can someone please tell me how to update my publicly published add-on? How are things handled in this new environment?

[Andrew Apell]

For some unknown reason, when I go to Deploy > Manage deployments, I see that my script has selected "Library" as the type.

Switching to add-on requires me to change the GCP project type but that seems to be a bad idea due to the massive interruptions it could potentially cause.

The add-on is working well now.

Should I make the switch "Add-on" or stick to the "Library" project type?

[Andrew Apell]

"If your script is associated with an app listing on the Google Workspace Marketplace, your app listing, users, and reviews don't carry over to the Standard GCP project. You need to create a new app listing within the Standard GCP project and your users need to reinstall your app."

I think I have my answer. I need to just create a new app from scratch if I'm to deploy as an add-on.

This is unnecessary stress from Google.

[Faustino Rodriguez]

that's not stress, that's killing for any of the older add-ons with many thousands or even millions of users

in my case it is a matter of livelihood 

[Andrew Apell]

They don't care about any of that! That's why, up to today, they have even refused to allow us to integrate any of our add-ons with the Google Pay service.

A change in editor should make things better and easier... but this one is just causing issues for those of us who were already here before.

Why didn't they warn us about these GCP issues when we were starting out?! Why does it even have to be an issue?!

[Ritwik B]

Hi guys, we are facing the same issue. I have an addon which was published back in 2018, but now in the new editor on clicking the deploy > manage deployments, the screen keeps loading. Also, on clicking new deplyments, it suggests to change to standard project though we have default project which we can open in the cloud console.

My question is what do you suggest like create a new standard project (via consumer email or gsuite email) for existing addon? Or Can we use any clasp hack to directly publish new version with existing project?

What do you plan to do next to update existing addons?

[Andrew Apell]

I think, because of the Google warning I posted above, I'm going to publish a new app under Standard GCP and then slowly encourage my clients to switch to it over the next 6 months or so.

Of course, I would be every happy if Google allowed us to make the change without losing the users we already have and the associated headaches.

Right now, when I try to deploy an update, my add-on gets misidentified as a Library.  I think this kind behaviour is extremely unprofessional of the Apps Script developers and I wish there were some way of enjoying the new editor without these unnecessary difficulties.

[Faustino Rodriguez]

After some panicking and deception, this is what I have done and learnt so far

Please I cannot guarantee anything about the results of this approach

- I am testing first with a less relevant add-on on my side

In the new Editor under Deploy > Manage deployments

- It would only show the Library entry with "No active deployment" under Active left section, neither Deployment ID in the main section

- First, click the pencil to Edit the current version (this will not create a new version yet), enter any description there

- Then click Deploy just enable the option create a new version

- Go back to Deploy > Manage deployments and click the pencil Edit

- Click on the version list and select New version, then enter the corresponding new Description and click Deploy [add-on] the new version

- Then go to the GCP console as you do from the legacy Editor to enter the new add-on script version number and Save

- That would enable the new add-on version 

Please let me know any discovery you make on this path

Good luck for us all

[Andrew Apell]

Isn't deploying it as "Library" and yet it is an add-on, problematic?

[Faustino Rodriguez]

I don't know

However, 

- the Library option was there by default

- and this process mimics what we do in the legacy Editor where we create a new version and then update that version in the GCP

[Andrew Apell]

Okay.

Please let us know what the findings of your experiment are...

[Faustino Rodriguez]

So far I have tried the aforementioned steps with two (2) Editor (Sheets) add-ons and they both are working fine with the new version published that way

At the end, for Editor add-ons, it's all about following the steps from this Google page

https://developers.google.com/apps-script/add-ons/how-tos/update-published-add-on#update_published_add-on_code

I guess we are good that way

Otherwise, I wrote to Google (docsaddo...@google.com and gwm-r...@google.com) about this issue and approach

- But still not have a definitive answer

[Faustino Rodriguez]

It only appears as a Library
As I understand, it would appear as an add-on if using a new standard GCP project

- and that is what we are avoiding here

- it is like doing in the new Editor, the same we do in the legacy Editor, just create a new version

On Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at 9:49:47 AM UTC-4 Andrew Apell wrote:

Did your project appear as add-on or library when you were updating it?

[Andrew Apell]

Noted with thanks.

I will give it a shot in the next 30 days and see how it goes. 

My only issue now is that there appears to be no way to delete the old versions that were deployed. I hope that gets fixed.