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App development process

Building apps on Rocketlane is a streamlined experience designed to empower developers to extend, integrate, and customize Rocketlane’s capabilities. This guide walks you through the complete app development lifecycle—from setup to submission.

Quick Start

Install Prerequisites

Rocketlane CLI (RLI) is a Node.js-based tool. You’ll need:

Check your version:

node -v

Install the RLI CLI

Install the Rocketlane CLI globally using npm:

npm install -g @rocketlane/rli

Verify installation:

rli --version

Create an App

Initialize a new Rocketlane app project with:

rli init my-app-name

Options:

  • -t, --template <string>: Choose a boilerplate (e.g., basic, react)
  • -d, --dir <string>: Target directory for app files

This generates a scaffold with the following structure:

  • index.js — the app manifest
  • src/ — front-end source files
  • public/ — icons and assets
  • server/ — backend logic (optional)

Build the App

Your app logic is implemented across:

  • App Index (index.js): Declare widgets, backend handlers, installation fields, scheduled actions, and event listeners
  • Front-end code: Use Rocketlane placeholders to embed your UI across Accounts, Projects, and the Customer Portal
  • Serverless handlers: Add backend logic using eventHandlers, scheduledActions, and Rocketlane’s SDK (r.kv, r.scheduler, r.logger, etc.)

Use:

rli build

Test the App

Run the local development server with:

rli dev

This allows you to:

  • Preview widgets and UI components
  • Test serverless functions with mocked events

Navigate to the target page in Rocketlane (with dev mode enabled) to validate the front-end experience.


Enabling Dev Mode in Rocketlane

⚠️

This mode only affects your local browser session. It is not shared across users or browsers. The flag will not persist in Incognito or across other devices.

1. Open Rocketlane in Your Browser

Go to https:// yourdomain.rocketlane.com and log in.

2. Open Developer Tools

  • Press F12 or right-click → Inspect
  • Go to the Console tab

3. Set the Dev Mode Flag

Paste the following in the Console and hit Enter:

localStorage.setItem('rl-dev-mode', 'true');

4. Refresh the App

Apply the change by refreshing:

# Keyboard shortcuts
Ctrl + R        # Windows/Linux
Cmd + R         # macOS

How to Verify It’s Enabled

Paste this in the console:

localStorage.getItem('rl-dev-mode');

If it returns:

"true"

You’re in dev mode.

How to Disable Dev Mode

To turn off dev mode, run:

localStorage.removeItem('rl-dev-mode');

Then refresh the page:

Ctrl + R   # or Cmd + R on macOS

Deploy the App

When you’re ready to deploy:

rli deploy

This pushes your built app to Rocketlane, making it available in your account or on the Marketplace (based on configuration).

App Development Checklist

Before submitting your app:

  • Define installationFields for user-configurable settings
  • Use r.installationParams to access those settings in backend logic
  • Register scheduled jobs using r.scheduler.scheduleAppJobs()
  • Use r.kv to persist state or counters
  • Clean up with onAppUninstall if needed
  • Test front-end rendering in all applicable placeholders
  • Log useful messages with r.logger

Submit Your App

Marketplace submission (for public apps) is coming soon. For now, reach out to your Rocketlane partner contact to get your app reviewed and published.

For tutorials, examples, and the latest SDK updates, visit the Rocketlane Developer Portal.

Updated about 1 month ago

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