Areas of the Applications module

Applications module

1. General




A new or existing application will be loaded in the Applications module. The module is subdivided into five areas. The sizes of these areas can be changed by dragging with the mouse. To do so, position the mouse cursor on the border of an area until the cursor symbol is shown as a double arrow. If there is insufficient space for elements to be displayed in an area, vertical and/or horizontal scroll bars will be shown automatically.



Every tab, with the exception of the workspace, in the module can be closed via the symbol next to the title. If you show a tab via the View menu, and it is shown in its own window, you can also anchor it in one of the areas to the left or the right of the workspace, by dragging its title with the mouse to the desired position.



While the window is being moved, the area will be shaded in gray in its future position as a preview, and then anchored at the moment you release the mouse button. Areas can also be made into their own window.



From the View menu, areas can be hidden and then shown again. Furthermore, the default view can be restored.

2. Application structure

In the upper left area of the Applications module, the hierarchy of the individual pages and data groups of an application will be displayed.



Clicking on the arrow symbols left of an element's name allows subordinate levels of the application structure to be opened or closed.

2.1 Application node

The application node can always be found at the top of the application structure. It represents the application itself. In the properties dialog, general properties of the application, the application menu, portlets, and access permissions will be defined. New data groups, external data groups, system data groups and view pages can be created via the New menu when the application node is selected.

2.2 Data groups

Data groups represent database tables. Via the New menu, edit pages, view pages, view pages with elements, subordinate data groups, data fields, and references can be created. Via the Edit menu / Delete a complete data group, including all pages, data fields, and references contained within it to be deleted. The data of the data group will thereby be irretrievably lost.

2.3 System data groups

Only one data set may be saved in a system data group. The system data group is therefore well suited for saving application-wide constants, such as a fixed investment amount after which an approval is required, or the activation of an audit trail for the releasing of documents or the saving of email address that are used in the application. One only system data group can be saved in each application; this is created from the application node. The data in a system data group has validity application-wide. They can be used in all data groups of the application. The values of a system data group are saved in the database table LCAPPPROPS under the application GUID. If an edit page is integrated into the application menu, the system data group's data can be edited very easily.

The values in the database table LCAPPPROPS may not be modified. United Planet assumes no responsibility for erroneous changes, e.g. those performed by a process that writes to the table.

2.4 External data groups

With an external data group, data will be connected from external sources.

2.5 Data fields

The data fields of a data group can be shown or hidden in the application structure via the Edit menu / Show/Hide data fields.



Every data group also find the following system data fields: These data fields can, if desired, be additionally connected to view elements. When creating a data set in the browser, system fields will automatically be filled with relevant data by Intrexx.

2.5.1 Data types

The Elements used in the application development can be linked to data fields. Data entered in the edit elements can be saved in the connected data fields. View elements can display the values saved in the data fields. Intrexx uses the following data types for data fields: How the Intrexx data fields are actually mapped to the physical data fields of the portal database depends on the type of database used.

2.6 View pages

This symbol designates view pages, on which data entered to an application will be shown.

2.7 Edit pages

Edit pages are always found within a data group. Data can be recorded using corresponding elements here.

2.8 Pages in the application menu

This symbol designates view or edit pages that are connected to the application menu. These pages can be directly accessed in the browser from the application menu. The application menu can be changed in the properties dialog of the application node.

2.9 Start page

This symbol designates a main or edit page that has been defined as the start page of the application via the Edit menu / Start page. The start page will be loaded first when the application link is clicked on in the browser, regardless of its position in the application menu or whether it is there at all. Edit pages can therefore only be defined as the start page if they are located in data groups directly beneath the application node.

2.10. Portlet pages

This symbol designates a view page that is being used as a portlet.

2.11 Office Integration

Edit pages with Office Integration are represented by this symbol.

3. Elements




Click here for more information.

4. Favorites




Frequently used items can be included in this area for quick and easy access.

Configure favorites
Opens a dialog w here elements can be added to the favorites list.

Export favorites
Exports the favorite list as an XML file.

Import favorites
Imports an exported favorite list.

5. ReadContainer and WriteContainer




These areas can be shown or hidden via the View menu. Every ReadContainer or WriteContainer that has been defined on the current page will be shown here. Click here for more information about this topic.

Add ReadContainer
Opens a dialog where a new ReadContainer can be created.

6. Workspace




The contents and appearance of the workspace will change, depending on whether a page, data group, or the application node is selected in the application structure. If, for example, the application node has been highlighted, the workspace will provides information about the application description, start page, additional pages and the application history with ID and date.



If a data group has been highlighted, the name of the corresponding database table will be shown. All data fields and references of the data group will be listed.



If an application page in the application structure has been selected, elements can be assigned via drag & drop to the workspace.



If an element on the workspace is moved with the mouse to a position that is not allowed, such as when elements overlap one another or when the borders of the workspace have been exceeded, the border of the element will be shown in red.



The most important properties of the elements will be displayed in a quicktip when the mouse is positioned over an element.

6.1 Script

Elements with script calls or comments will be automatically designated with a blue symbol. Mandatory fields will be designated on the workspace with a red symbol.

6.2 Help lines




On the workspace, vertical and horizontal help lines can be inserted via the Edit menu / Horizontal/Vertical help line. They are added at the last position of the mouse. Existing help lines can be deleted via Edit menu / Delete help line. These help lines will be displayed in every application that is loaded in this way. They serve to help orient the designer on all pages to create a uniform layout. In the browser, these lines will not be visible. The workspace will then be given a grid on which view and edit elements can be aligned. Additionally, a ruler will help you to position the elements. The current coordinates of the mouse pointer will be shown highlighted on the ruler. In the application options, the properties of the workspace can be modified, e.g. to deactivate the ruler or grid. You can select elements on the workspace by clicking on them. You can select multiple elements by clicking with the mouse and dragging a border around the elements, or by clicking on the elements, one after another, while holding down the Ctrl key.

6.3 Grouping




With the Edit menu / Group, selected elements can be grouped together. The key combination Ctrl + a highlights every element on the workspace. When this is done, elements that are found in a group will not be individually selected. If you have selected an element in a group or have selected the group itself, the key combination Ctrl + a will highlight all additional elements in this group.

7. Zoom




You will find the Zoom tab underneath the workspace. If the Grid element is located on a page without a table layout, the individual columns of the rows can be edited in the Zoom area.

8. Hidden area




In addition to the workspace, there is also a hidden area, which – like the workspace – can have elements added to it. The elements defined here are not displayed on the screen. Using the the keyboard shortcut Alt + h, the hidden elements can be displayed if necessary, for example, for testing purposes. Elements can also be moved to the hidden area via drag & drop or via the Edit menu / Move to hidden area and then configured just like visible elements.



Elements can be moved back to the workspace in the same manner. If elements should be used in the JavaScript and their functions should be available in the browser, you need to activate the checkbox in the Web column. If the setting is not activated for a particular element, then that element can only be used server-side, (e.g. in Velocity).

8.1 Hidden grouping

All hidden elements will be combined in a group. You can open the properties dialog of the hidden group by double-clicking on the Hidden elements entry. Other groups can be created within the highest level grouping in the hidden area, e.g. to group the hidden elements into smaller units for clarity.

9. Search, Notifications, Problems, Description, Script




In the lower area, you will find several tabs, which can also be shown or hidden via the View menu.

9.1 Search


Search field

A search term can be entered here.

Drop-down list

The following functions are available here: Search
Triggers the search. Hits are shown beneath the search field. Selecting a hit will highlight the corresponding element on the workspace.

Search history
Opens a window with a list of the most recent search actions. Click on a search action to repeat it.

9.2 Notifications




On this tab messages will be printed, for example if an element cannot be deleted because it is linked with other elements.

9.3 Problems






This area contains the following entries: Click here for more information about errors and warnings. The context menu items "Copy description" and "Copy all descriptions" copies the description of the selected entry or of all entries to the clipboard, respectively.

9.4 Description




Here you also have the ability to enter a description of the currently selected element. This applies for all elements of an application, i.e. pages, data groups, data fields, etc. The text that you enter here will be entered in only one language when the application is saved. Elements with a description will also be designated with a symbol on the workspace.

If entering a description is not possible, such as when multiple elements are currently selected, this symbol will appear in the comments field.

9.5 Script




On the "Script" tab, an overview of all script calls used on the page is provided. By double-clicking on an entry, the element, which the script call is assigned to, will be highlighted on the workspace.

9.6. History




Every entry from the History is shown here.

Open detailed history
Opens a dialog where the entire history is shown. The entry selected on the tab is preselected.

Refresh
Reloads the history from the server. The view is automatically refreshed after the following actions: