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This page is for application designers who want see how to quickly put together a simple application using Theme 2. For more detailed instructions for creating application see PhixFlow Training - Building Applications.

Before You Start

To follow the steps in the video, you will need some resources. Download media.zip and extract the files.

It also helps to understand the levels of structure in typical GUI screen, as shown in the following picture.

Image Removed
You can download and print this image: PDF Quick Reference Sheet.
The way a GUI screen is made up of levels of content is reflected in the PhixFlow repository. When you are working on a dashboard, right-click on any layout component and click Find in Repository. You can see where the item is within the levels of the dashboard structure.

Part 1: Create a Simple Application 

Multimedia
nameBuilding an App part 1.mp4
 

Step 1.  Create an application

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Step 2.  Connect to business data

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  • Period: Transactional
  • Audit Manual Changes: tick
  • Description to be bigstring.
  • Name to Business Data.

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Step 3.  Create a dashboard. With two areas, one above the other.

  1. In the dashboard properties set
    • Name: Business Data
    • Open Maximised: tick
    • Allow User to Resize: tick
    • Show Windows Button Bar: Tick
  2. Open the Theme 2 - App Builder palette. Drag Form Complete into the empty dashboard on the left. Enter its name.
  3. Drag the palette tab so that it is next to the repository tab. 
  4. In the repository Layouts, you can see the structure of the Business Data Form. 
  5. In the palette, select Tile Blank and Shift+drag it onto Tile Container in the repository. Enter the name Grid.
  6. In the repository, drag Grid to be first in the Tile Container. This automatically moves the tile in the dashboard from the right to the left.
  7. To set the direction of flow within the tile, open the properties for Tile Container and change Direction to Column. In the dashboard, the tiles automatically move so that one is above the other.

Step 4. Add a menu that you can use to open the dashboard.

  1. In the dashboard, click on the header area to open the dashboard properties tab.
  2. Drag the dashboard icon from the top left of the tab onto the menu bar at the top of the PhixFlow screen. 

Step 5.  Display data in a grid.

  1. Switch to the pinned stream properties tab.
  2. Drag the stream icon from the top left of the teb onto the top tile in the dashboard.
  3. PhixFlow prompts you to select how to display the data. Select the grid optionImage Removed.
  4. PhixFlow opens a list of attributes. Select all the attributes and drag them onto the grey header bar in the tile.
  5. PhixFlow display the data from the stream in the grid.

Step 6.  Configure the lower tile.

  1. In the lower tile, right-click Static Text and select Delete.
  2. Click on Dynamic Text to open its properties tab. Change its Name from Header 2 Dynamic to Name. This now matches one of the attributes in the stream. PhixFlow will recognise that it needs to change the header text to match the selected records Name value.
  3. From the palette drag the Field Collection (Fixed Width) component into the tile and enter a name for it.
  4. From the palette drag the Field Collection (Autosize) component into the tile and enter a name for it.
  5. Switch to the pinned stream tab and Shift+drag  the UID to Active attributes onto the left (fixed width) area.
  6. PhixFlow prompts you to confirm that Business Data should be the form's backing stream. Click Yes.
  7. From the stream tab, Shift+Drag Description onto the autosize area.
  8. To delete the UID attribute, in the dashboard lower tile, right-click UID and select Delete. and confirm.

Step 7.  Change the sizing.

  1. Select the tile body, right-click and select Find in Explorer.
  2. Click Tile Body to open its properties.
  3. Clear the Auto Size check box and save the properties.
  4. PhixFlow expands the box so that all attributes are visible without needing to scroll.
  5. In the dashboard, select the tile and open its properties.
  6. Set Position Settings → Height to 390

Step 8. Hide the borders to the Field Collection areas.

  1. In the repository find Column 1
  2. In the CSS Properties, delete the border property.
  3. Repeat for Column 2.

Step 9. Set up a background filter so that the data displayed in the lower tile reflects the selected record in the upper tile.

  1. In the dashboard's upper tile, in the grey header bar, drag UID onto the dashboard background.
  2. PhixFlow opens a filter properties tab showing the condition UID equals BusinessData.UID
  3. Save the  filter.

Step 10.  Set the header for the dashboard and globally replace the icon.

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Step 11.  Change a single image

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Step 12.  Use the dashboard to add new data.

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Step 13.  Fix up the way data is displayed in the view.

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Part 2: Adding Comments and Maps

Multimedia
nameBuilding an App Part 2.mp4

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