[Info] How do you test an app w/out a repository?

**DPK** · January 17th, 2010, 05:48 AM

There's a trick that you can use and it just requires an extra line in you apps descriptor!

Put your app (my-app in this example) in the apps directory:

~/BOXEE/userdata/apps/my-app
Upload the thumbnail of your app (200 x 200 pixels) to an image host temporarily. I'm a big fan of http://imgur.com, but to each their own.

Open up your apps "descriptor.xml" file (located in ~/BOXEE/userdata/aps/my-app) and add the test-app tag:

Code:

<app>
	<id>my-app</id>
	<name>My App</name>
	<version>0.0.1</version>
	<description>My test app!</description>
	<repository>http://dir.domain.com</repository>
	<media>videos</media>
	<copyright>Me</copyright>
	<email>me@domain.com</email>
	<type>skin</type>
	<startWindow>14000</startWindow>
	<platform>all</platform>
	<minversion>0.9.20</minversion>
	<test-app>true</test-app>
</app>

...replacing what is in bold with your app's information.

Restart Boxee. Go to your Apps section of Boxee and My App should be listed along with your other applications.

**judgeschambers** · January 17th, 2010, 06:12 AM

Nice How To.

**DPK** · January 17th, 2010, 06:26 AM

I got tired of seeing people ask this question every day. Figured something like this was needed, lol.

**pentium10** · January 17th, 2010, 08:12 AM

is there a way I can test out my feed only in Boxee?

I've added my feed on the website to my accout, but how do I see in Boxee?

**StevenR** · January 20th, 2010, 12:19 PM

From looking through the documentation at developer.boxee.tv I have found that there is a much easier way of adding your apps to Boxee for testing. You simply need to add the following into the app element in your descriptor.xml file for the app:

Code:

<test-app>true</test-app>

For example:

Code:

<app>
  <id>mytestapp</id>
  <name>My Test App</name>
  <version>1.0</version>
  <description>Test application</description>
  <thumb>thumb url</thumb>
  <repositoryid>myrepo</repositoryid>
  <repository>repository url</repository>
  <media>video</media>
  <copyright>Me</copyright>
  <email>my email address</email>
  <type>skin</type>
  <startWindow>14000</startWindow>
  <platform>all</platform>
  <minversion>0.9.11</minversion>
  <test-app>true</test-app>
</app>

When you start Boxee it will look for any apps in the UserData/apps directory with the test-app property set to true and automatically add them to your apps. Once you have finished testing your app, simply remove the test-app element or change it to

Code:

<test-app>false</test-app>

Doing this will remove it from your apps when you restart Boxee and you can submit it to Boxee or add it to your repository.

**joshuajonah** · January 20th, 2010, 04:00 PM

StevenR, you just made my day.

**Fuzzgtp** · January 20th, 2010, 04:27 PM

Imagine someone rtfm! Great tip thanks!

**DPK** · January 20th, 2010, 09:52 PM

Mr. Rieger also posted about this yesterday, but it kind of got buried in a thread:
http://forum.boxee.tv/showpost.php?p=81742&postcount=8

**judgeschambers** · January 24th, 2010, 03:55 PM

Man, that is sweet. Thanks

Just in time as I'm trying to write my 3rd version of the SomaFM app.

**xmcnuggetx** · February 4th, 2010, 08:31 AM

Could the first post be updated to include the recomended solution of using test-app. Just for people who don't read the whole thread through before trying a solution.