Development and Productive Mode
Flow scripts on the Engine platform can be executed in either development or productive mode. The development mode in Engine is intended to make it easier for you to develop flow scripts.
Concept
Connections in the development mode are free of charge. This means that you can experiment and play around with as many flow scripts and as many connections as you like in development mode.
You can switch executions which you have started in development mode into productive mode. This allows you to test your flow scripts and put them into production directly once you are happy with them. Executions in productive mode count towards your monthly productive connections.
Limitations
Executions in development mode will only run when you are logged in and active on the platform and will be paused as soon as you become inactive.
We monitor your activity level on the Engine platform using reCAPTCHA v3 which determines your activity level. Once your activity level drops below a threshold, your flow scripts will be paused. You can manually restart paused executions in development mode.
You should not use the development mode for running flow scripts that you want to use in production. Using the development mode for productive flow scripts is a breach of contract.
To summarise:
- Connections by executions in development mode are free of charge.
- Executions in development mode are paused when you become inactive.
- The development mode should only be used for developing flow scripts.
How to use the Development Mode
You can start an execution in development mode manually via the user interface, or via a webhook that is configured to start executions in development mode. Executions started in development mode can start other executions which will automatically also be started in development mode.
Executions can be started in development mode by pressing the "Run in dev mode" button in the user interface. Running executions with the "Run" button will execute them in productive mode.
Run and run in dev mode buttons
Executions can also be started in development mode via a webhook. To configure a webhook to start executions in development mode, disable the "Is productive" field of the webhook.
The "Is productive" toggle button
Make sure enable the productive mode in your webhooks when finishing development!
Executions in development mode are highlighted in the executions view:
Dev-mode execution highlighted in list
You can switch executions which are in development mode into productive mode. To do this, open the details view of the execution and press "switch to productive mode":
Switch to productive mode button
Executions in productive mode cannot be switched back into development mode.
Debug Mode
Debug mode extends on the development mode. Executions run in debug mode also don't consume your connection allowance. Moreover, when running executions in the debug mode you can make use of breakpoints and you can step through the execution line-by-line for easier debugging. Refer to Breakpoints & Step through for more on this.
You can find debug mode in the options menu of "Run in dev mode"