What Is the Pocket and How Do I Use It?

What Is the Pocket?

The Pocket is like a visible clipboard for your VisitApps Mobile App Studio (MAS). Essentially, it’s a tool that lets you copy and paste, or cut and paste content from one section of your app to another.

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The pocket is located on the right-hand side of the VisitApps MAS screen. It provides functionality to help you manage your app’s content more efficiently. This includes duplication of Items, creating base Items, moving content and adding Items to more than one Container in your app.

The only function available for Containers is the ‘move’ option in the Pocket.

How Do I Duplicate Content Using the Pocket?

Duplication creates an exact copy of the Item you duplicate. It preserves any settings or Properties you’ve added to the initial Item. This feature can speed up your content creation by saving you from needing to format or designate settings on similar Items.

To duplicate an Item, first open the Pocket by selecting onto the label ‘Pocket’. Then, select the icon of the Item you wish to duplicate, and drag it into the Pocket.

Click Here for a Demonstration
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Next, navigate to the Container where you wish to place the duplicated Item. Then, select the ‘Duplicate’ option in the Pocket and drag it into the new Container.

Click Here for a Demonstration
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The Item will stay in the Pocket to give you the option to duplicate it again. If you are finished with the Item in the Pocket, you can select the ‘Empty Pocket’ button at the bottom of the Pocket.

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How Do I Create Base Content Using the Pocket?

Base is a feature in the Pocket that uses an existing Item to create a template Item. You can then use it in other places in your app.

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Base Items can be very useful if you have a lot of content in your app that needs the same Properties, but requires different information. For example, a common use of base Items is for creating contact Items. You would want each contact to have the same Properties and format, but each would require a unique image, title, email address, etc.

To create a base Item, first open the Pocket by selecting onto the label ‘Pocket’. Then, select onto the icon of the Item you wish to create a base from, and drag it into the Pocket.

Click Here for a Demonstration
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Next, navigate to the Container where you wish to place the duplicated Item. Then select the ‘Base’ option in the Pocket and drag it into the new Container.

Click Here for a Demonstration
add-contact-base.gif

The Item will stay in the Pocket to give you the option to use it again. If you are finished with the Item in the Pocket, you can select the ‘Empty Pocket’ button at the bottom of the Pocket.

base-icon.png

How Do I Move Content Using the Pocket?

Move is a feature of the Pocket that can be used for either Containers or Items. It allows you to move the selected content from one placement in your app to another. Doing this will remove the Container or Item from its original placement.

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To move content, first open the Pocket by selecting onto the label ‘Pocket’. Then, select onto the icon of the Item or Container you wish to move. Drag it into the Pocket.

Next, navigate to the Container where you wish to move the Item or Container. Then select the ‘Move’ option in the Pocket and drag it into the new Container.

Click Here for a Demonstration
move-pocket.gif

The Item or Container will be removed from the Pocket once you move it to a new Container. If you decide you don’t want to move the content, you can select the ‘Empty Pocket’ button at the bottom of the Pocket.

How Do I Use the Pocket to Expose an Item in Multiple Locations in My App?

Add is a feature of the Pocket that allows you add Items in multiple Containers in your app. This is different from duplicating, because instead of making a copy of the Item it simply exposes it in another section of your app.

When an item has been added to multiple containers, you are able to update all of them at once simply by editing one of them because they stay synchronized through the Add tool. This is also called linking.

To add an Item, first open the Pocket by selecting onto the label ‘Pocket’. Then, select onto the icon of the Item you wish to add to another location. Drag it into the Pocket.

Next, navigate to the Container where you wish to add the Item. Then select the ‘Add’ option in the Pocket and drag it into the new Container.

Click Here for a Demonstration
add-pocket.gif

The Item will stay in the Pocket to give you the option to add it again. If you are finished with the Item in the Pocket, you can select the ‘Empty Pocket’ button at the bottom of the Pocket.

empty-pocket.png

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