System and method for creation and handling of configurable applications for website building systems

A website building system (WBS), the system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• at least one database storing at least definitions and instances of WBS configurable applications (WCAs), wherein said WCAs are single packaged entities comprising sets of customizable elements having components of said WBS embedded as an instance in a page of a website of said WBS to provide operations;
• and
• a WCA app builder running on said at least one processor to enable a WCA developer to build and edit a first version WCA, said WCA app builder further comprising:
• a customization panel creator to configure and generate associated specific customization panels for said first version WCA of displayable during editing, said panels containing customizable elements for WCA customization to configure an instance of said first version WCA of WCA;
• a dialog editor to enable the creation and editing of definitions for said customizable elements;
• a WCA analyzer to analyze said customizable elements to determine at least one of:
• repeating or hierarchical elements in the structure of said first version WCA to generate at least one of lists and nested elements;
• and
• a WCA handler configured to, in response to a modification of said first version WCA comprising at least one of:
• a replacement of a first component with a second component and a deletion of a third component, to perform at least one of:
• translating at least one of input messages or events between said second component and elements of said WBS and simulating at least a portion of the functionality of said deleted third component to maintain operational compatibility.