When linking to an external style sheet in BSS, there seems to be no way to refresh the styles in BSS when the external style sheet changes. I've tried double-clicking on it and then clicking the update button, but it doesn't update. I've even tried deleting the style sheet link entirely and adding it back, but it still doesn't update. I'm pretty sure this is a caching issue, but I don't see any option in BSS to clear the cache.
Could you make it so when we click the update button, it clears the cache or forces it load the latest version of the style sheet from the web?
Just out of curiosity why are you using the CSS file externally? Don't get me wrong, I do have one component that is a third party component that I do need to use the style sheets externally to make them work right. I wouldn't think there were a whole lot of components with this issue though. What is it that you are needing external style sheets for?
Also, it is most likely not BSS that is having a cache issue, clear your browser cache and refresh the page. I have had some issues with mine as well and it was always the browser cache that needed clearing. Chrome on Mac is horrible for needing to clear cache quite often.
Because I developed a BSS->WordPress integration and the style sheet is managed by my WordPress theme. Also, this issue has nothing to do with the browser cache. When I view the rendered page in my browser, it works fine, because I'm able to clear the browser cache. I'm referring to viewing the page within BSS, which is the whole point of linking to an external style sheet.
Also, the styles from my external style sheets don't show up in the BSS styles editor. I know they can't be edited in BSS, but they should still show up in the styles editor, with a lock icon, like how the built-in Bootstrap styles are displayed.
External style sheets do show up in the style section if you linked them in that section. Not locked, but as you said, not editable. If you didn't link it that way, and you linked it in the head of the site, that's when it doesn't show up in the list.
As for the rest, I have not had circumstances that I would see issues with the app not refreshing with external CSS links, but I will try it tomorrow and see if it does it to me. My links have all been for galleries and sliders and they don't visually look right in the app right now anyways so there's no way to know if it refreshed or not.
I think you're confusing two different things. When you link an external style sheet, of course the linked SHEET shows up in the Design->Styles section. However, the actual CSS code from that sheet does NOT show up in the CSS Editor. The CSS code should appear in the CSS Editor as locked code blocks, in the same way that the native Bootstrap styles shows up in the CSS Editor. It's non-editable, but having the code there allows you to view the CSS hierarchy, providing the necessary context for adding new styles that may override the styles in the external style sheet.
Clearly, the developers understand the importance of being able to view the CSS hierarchy, or they wouldn't have included the Bootstrap styles in the CSS Editor. Therefore, I'm assuming that failing to include the styles from the external style sheet was an oversight and hence a "bug", which is why I submitted it to the Bug Reports forum.
they don’t visually look right in the app right now anyways
The reason they don't "look right" in the app is probably because the app is using an old non-refreshed version of the style sheet. That or you haven't linked all your style sheets or all your Javascript files. If all the same style sheets and Javascript files are added to the app and the style sheets are up-to-date, it should render exactly the same in the app as it does in your web browser.
I see what you're getting at, my bad, I read the post wrong. I plead "Vacation Eyes" since I was gone for the weekend when I was reading these posts lol. I fully agree that the code should be accessible even though not editable. I used to use external style sheets for WowSlider, but I have stopped doing that for a simpler way using just relative paths instead of importing it all. Can't see the galleries, but as long as I already know they work this way that's fine with me.
I did test out with an old file backup though and can verify that this does indeed not show the code in the Styles window at all for the externally linked style sheets and it most definitely should. Never noticed that before, but I guess I wasn't looking for it. I've used WowSlider for years and never had but one issue which I correct before importing things to BSS, so I've not needed to see the code in BSS. Definitely a flaw there that it doesn't show though.
The visual issue I and many others are having is in the app itself. They are working on recoding the preview area as it's got some issues with certain things. All the code is linked correctly, and can be done various ways with the same results and has been reported and files sent to the devs to work with. They've found other issues along the way as well that don't render correctly so that has prompted their recoding of the preview area which should fix all these visual anomalies. Most things seem to do pretty good though, but here and there, you'll find issues as you work with the app. Things that don't look right in the app, but work perfectly fine and are error free when analyzing the code (or as close to it as you can get it lol). WowSlider falls into that category which is what causes most of my visual issues so far. It's all good, as long as it works when I export it I can work around most visual issues for now.
P.S. Your Refresh issue may be part of this visual anomaly as well. I've had issues where I've changed things, even within the app, and it didn't correct it in the app. Worked on it forever it seemed to get something to fix and couldn't fix it. Finally I opened the browser preview and realized it was fixed, just didn't show correctly in the app. I did report that as well so they are aware of it, but just thought I'd through that out there as a possibility for your refresh issue you talked about in your first post. Usually if it's not an anomaly, it can be fixed by closing the project or app and reopening/restarting. If that doesn't work, then it's most likely part of this preview window issue.
@bkonia The reason they don’t “look right” in the app is probably because the app is using an old non-refreshed version of the style sheet. That or you haven’t linked all your style sheets or all your Javascript files. If all the same style sheets and Javascript files are added to the app and the style sheets are up-to-date, it should render exactly the same in the app as it does in your web browser.
@Jo They’ve found other issues along the way as well that don’t render correctly so that has prompted their recoding of the preview area which should fix all these visual anomalies.
Many libraries / frameworks require a conjunction between both CSS and Javascript to properly render and work. But since BootStrap Studio is disabling / preventing Javascript execution and render within the app, those types of related rendering/preview issues will persist in app, unless previewed externally in a browser or exported. @Jo are you under the impression this is gonna change when you mention recoding?
@BSS_User: Yes and No. I realize that the javascript won't function correctly, but the galleries do show up in the app, just the effects aren't working correctly, which I expect due to the javascript blocking. However, the galleries themselves show photos most of the time and the CSS parts are all there for the framing and such, just that they are not constrained to their containers in the app preview as they should be. This is the part that I'm waiting to be fixed, which is apparently a visual issue with the Preview Window area. When I talked with Martin on this, he said this is something that should be fixed in that update when they redo the preview window setup.
Ok then it does not sound like it, I can only assume Javascript will remain blocked. Sometimes libraries / frameworks use Javascript for setting / updating layout in conjunction with CSS, in these cases the in app preview will remain incorrect.
No worries, and yes, although I "hope" to see this issue corrected for my uses of WowSlider, it's not going to be any kind of deal breaker at this point because I don't see the galleries at all now, in fact they spew down the page covering a lot of things so I make them hide while I work on other things if needed lol. This is because I'm using relative paths now instead of linking the files. Since I've gotten them to work and know how to work around all this now, it's just simpler to do that then worry about what it looks like in the app lol. It's all good :)
I doubt there is actual cache to the app. I just think that right clicking the linked CSS and selecting Edit and then clicking the Update button doesn't reload that linked CSS. That's what seems to be wrong here. I tried it my self. I made a change to the linked CSS and then use the update process and it didn't change in the app but previewing in my browser it updated.
I came to the same conclusion, but then I tried deleting the external style sheet link completely and re-creating it, but it still didn't update. This makes me think there's some internal cache that never gets cleared. Anyway, it doesn't really matter why it's happening, it just needs to be fixed.
What I did was fire up MAMP and load the external css via localhost. Then i just right-click on the external link css and select "refresh". I forgot why it needed to be in localhost though. lol. I just read it somewhere and tried it. Worked!