Ning Apps on Network Main Pages (UPDATE: Now Live!)

[Kyle Ford]

UPDATE: This functionality is now live across all Ning Networks. Please read below for information on how to add the 'home' view to your app. For information on the Network Creator experience, please consult this post.

Hello!

As I mentioned last month, we're in the process of enhancing the developer experience on Ning.

To kick things off, we'll soon be enabling the ability for Ning Apps to appear on the main page of a network. To take advantage of this new ability, you'll need to specify a 'home' view in your gadget's XML. For example:

<Content type="html" view="home">

<![CDATA[

<p>Hello, Home view!</p>

]]>

</Content>

NOTES:

1) We're tentatively targeting the morning of June 14th (Pacific) to enable this feature.

2) This new view is optional to implement, but will definitely increase your app's visibility on Ning networks.

3) IMPORTANT ITEM #1: If you were an early Ning Apps beta participant and your app's XML file contains a reference to the discontinued ning.main view, please be sure to remove the reference if you don't yet want your app to appear on the main page of Ning networks.

4) IMPORTANT ITEM #2: Please note that any <Content> tags that do not specify a view will be displayed on the main page of the Ning Network. If this doesn't make sense for your app, please update your XML file so that it only uses the desired views. For a list of our 3 supported views, please see the attached XML example.

5) The main page view will be displayed in the center column of the network.

6) The maximum width for the view is 492px. Anything smaller will be centered within the column. We currently don't have a limit on height, but will probably restrict this in the future to prevent abuse.

7) The owner of the main page view is the Network Creator.

TO DO BEFORE JUNE 14th:

If your app isn't affected by IMPORTANT ITEM #1 or IMPORTANT ITEM #2 above (most developers will not be affected), you're all set. You can implement the new main page view whenever you'd like (after June 14th).

If your app IS affected by IMPORTANT ITEM #1 or IMPORTANT ITEM #2 above, please take a quick moment to edit your XML file per the instructions above. This tweak should be completed by the morning of June 14th (Pacific).

TO DO AFTER JUNE 14th:

If you'd like to implement the new view once it's enabled in mid-June, you can add a test XML URL to a demo network by using the following "Add by URL" feature (replacing "TEST" with your network's subdomain):

http://TEST.ning.com/opensocial/ningapps/addByUrl

If everything looks good, you can update your main XML file to enable the new view for your app in the directory.

Thanks!

Kyle Ford

Director of Partner Design & Development, Ning

[Vivian Musri]

I have the same problem doXtop

[doXtop]

I even don't see our application on other networks like task-community.ning.com, web2class.ning.com and so on. Those networks also having more features on main page. Does anyone have the same problem.

[doXtop]

Even though ,we have the application in the center column layout it is not shown on main page. I also removed the application from center column layout and added it again but no use. We don't see the application still. Also I see this message when I open the Features "Careful!

You're getting close to the maximum of 20 features you can add to your Main Page." Is it something related to that.

[Ken Mawbey]

Great feature - although I had to remove and re-install out network app to get it to work.
However, I've noticed that no apps are now being displayed in 'My Page' 'My Apps' even though there are both profile and network apps showing as installed. Has anyone else got this issue ?

[Kyle Ford]

Hey doXtop! For apps that were installed prior to yesterday's release (your doxtop.ning.com network), we don't automatically add the main page view (we only do this for new installs going forward). You'll need to visit Manage-->Features and drag the view into the center column layout.

[Norway420]

what is XML file?

[doXtop]

Hi Kyle,

Our application is doXtop - Get Published! under Collaboration category. I updated the view to ning.main to home but still we don't see the application on main page of doxtop.ning.com. Also the application is added to the network. It is showing the application on another network beta4dxp.ning.com. I don't see what's the difference. Can you please tell us.

Thanks in advance

[IIM Jobs moderator]

There was an error while adding the app, as following:

There was an error processing your OpenSocial XML file. Please verify that the OpenSocial XML file is valid and try again.

[Kyle Ford]

Hey dxp- No need to resubmit, you can simply update your existing XML file. The new view won't be live on any networks (standard or demo) until the release slated for the 14th (Monday). Hope that helps!

[Kyle Ford]

Hey Ken- It's up to the individual developers to take advantage of this new view, but we'll certainly work to spotlight interesting uses as they debut.