SharePoint hosted app, edit JS on the server

Question

For me, one of the handy things about developing JS only apps is you can deploy the file to SP, get sneaky, open the js file from the file system and edit away, hitting save and refreshing the page.

I'm sure there are plenty of people who say this is a bad way to go about it, but hey, I find it very quick and easy when developing, obviously wouldn't do it live!, the only issue you face is remembering to copy back in your changes...which is a small price compared to hitting deploy all the time.

Now, can I do this with SharePoint Hosted App? I can't see where I can get to the deployed javascript file? I tried with SP designer to get to the app url, but it complains about SP designer not being support.

Just wondered if anyone else had a sneaky way in?

Seems a laborious process to keep deploying for everything little change.

Answer 1

You'll have to retract/redeploy to see your changes, unfortunately. As per the answers found here: http://sportstoday.us/technology/understanding-the-three-apps-for-sharepoint-deployment-models-(part-1)---sharepoint-hosted.aspx

However, here excellent tool which will help you to deploy it fast and easy way.

http://sharepointfieldnotes.blogspot.in/2013/03/making-it-easy-to-develop-and-debug.html

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I also faced this issue and can recommend a little trick that helped to me.

1. I setup IIS on my local PC. (You may use any web server which can store js files anywhere in network).
2. Placed js files in root folder of this IIS server. (To do so, open IIS management, right click 'Default web site' and select 'Explorer' to open root folder in your disk. Copy js files there
3. Check that js file is accessible by typing https://localhost/youfile.js. You should see js code in your browser. Yes, your web server should be configured with https, as SP uses https and script will not be loaded from http site. https configuration is easy. You should add binding to 443 port and use any certificate (one dev certificate is installed with IIS). Also add certificate used on IIS to trusted root certificates on your computer. (SharePoint may not trust your certificate as scripts loaded by browser on your PC and not SP).

4. Modify default.aspx to load js file from your web server. I have such line

   script type="text/javascript" src="https://localhost/FormBuilder.js">/script>

Now modify you JS, and push Ctrl+F5 so browser reload page. You modifications.

Also you may create virtual directory in your IIS which point directly to you projectdir/scripts where original scripts are located. Then you'll be able to modify JS in visual studio and Ctrl+F5 in browser to immediately see results.