Viewer-Related Changes


Welcome iOS 8?

First and foremost, the biggest change in Adobe Digital Publishing Suite v32 is the support for iOS 8.

Everyone on DPS likely knows at this point that their apps needed to be rebuilt sometime in August, but there were several hot fixes that Adobe released as issues were discovered in the final version of iOS 8 that did not show up in beta versions.

Here’s a summary:

  • Storage location issue – Viewers not rebuilt with the Sept. 13 hot fix for version 31 or 32 will have issues accessing and downloading folios.
  • Deleted folio content – Users who upgrade to iOS 8 will likely need to re-download any folios they were previously entitled to.
  • Older viewer compatibility – Older viewer versions not updated will likely crash when a user updates to iOS 8.

DPS App Builder

And while we are talking about rebuilding apps, with this version, there are two major requirements changes for the DPS App Builder tool.

  • For users running OS X 10.10 Yosemite, the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) will need to be updated.
  • The DPS App Builder now requires OS X 10.7 and will no longer run on older versions.

Android Viewer Changes

Continuing with changes that affect viewers, as of the next release of DPS in December, the legacy, AIR-based Content Viewer will no longer be an option. Customers will need to migrate to the native Content Viewer for Android.

Alternate Article Preview

This new option allows an alternate article to be designated for free preview to more effectively manage free preview content in relation to paid content. Note this works on the iPad only and for iOS 7 or later.

next free article

General iOS Viewer Changes

Additional enhancements to the iOS viewer include:

  • Behavior changes to the push notification registration box.
  • Reminders about push notifications after registration or sign-in.
  • Text, sound, badge, and background download options for push notification settings.
  • Background app refresh dialog options.
  • A new option to remember the username at sign-in—hooray!

General Android Viewer Changes

  • Android users on newer viewers must now confirm downloads when not on Wi-Fi.
  • New analytics tracking for audio, and end of article read.
  • Background audio, aligning with similar options in the iOS viewer.
  • In-app view options for web content are now an option.

General Windows Viewer Changes

  • Analytics for overlay views, ad views, and edit views are now supported.
  • A shared secret option is now needed for Windows viewers (just as in other viewers).

CRM Integration

For those apps that are more corporate-oriented, CRM integration is needed. This new option, for iOS only, allows CRM-derived customer information to be encrypted when stored on the device.

Content-Related Changes

Folio and Article Maximums

New in v32 are limitations of 1,000 folios per app, and no more than 1,200 articles per folio. If you need a workaround, Adobe suggests this approach, which basically requires the creation of a sub-account to share folios with a main account.

InDesign Version Support

This should not be news at this point, but just in case, with the move to v32, Adobe DPS no longer supports InDesign CS5 or 5.5. Time to move on to CS6 or CC.

Reset Folio

A new option available for buttons created in InDesign allows the user to return to the first article in the folio, and to reset all article views back to the first page. Users must specify this function using navto://relative/reset. Note: It does not work in the web viewer.

Push Notifications

If you haven’t caught on to the benefits of using push notifications to interact with your readers, you’re missing an engagement opportunity. Adobe continues to enhance the options for push notifications, which included adding it to the DPS Dashboard in v31.

For more information on this and earlier releases, see Adobe’s What’s New In This Release page. For more information regarding bug fixes, see Adobe’s DPS Bug Fix Release Notes page.

Also, check out TFP’s DPSPublish™ Handbook and DPSPublish™ app for details about building and publishing iPad apps.

For other great tips, sign up for the TFP newsletter. Want to learn even more and become an expert? Check out all our best-selling products at www.tech4pub.com/products,  including our DPSCreate™ app at www.tech4pub.com/product/dpscreate-ipad-app/.

Note: Information contained in this post is current as of DPS v32. Visit the Technology for Publishing blog at www.tech4pub.com/tag/dps-version-update/ for the latest info on Adobe software releases and functionality.

Posted by: Margot Knorr Mancini

A thought leader in the publishing industry, Margot Knorr Mancini has helped numerous publishers redefine their missions to become nimble content generators with the ability to repurpose content easily and efficiently. As Founder & CEO of Technology for Publishing, her analytical mind allows her to remain a step ahead of the industry, recognizing early trends and developing pivotal best practices.