Overview

PhixFlow's Two Modes

PhixFlow appears differently has two different modes depending on whether you are using it as an Application User or Application Designer.

Application User

Perform all of their activity in PhixFlow application mode. They are not provided access to the design side of PhixFlow. A users access is set in their profile, as configured by the System Administrator or Application Designer(s).

Application Designer

Use PhixFlow to configure applications. They design the screens, data structure and all elements that make up an application. We recommend that what you need to do.

 

Insert excerpt
_design_mode _design_mode nopanel true

 

Application designers use this mode to  create and configure applications. This includes designing screens, creating workflows and actionflows, defining data structures and relationships. You can also set up complex data processing using analysis models.

We recommend that application designers use  

Insert excerpt
_design_mode _design_mode nopanel true

 is used  on a desktop or laptop computer, as you require screen space to configure PhixFlow.

An application designer can switch modes to see their application in action.  To switch mode, click the mode icon in the top right of the PhixFlow window.

Image Removed Application Mode

Selecting Applications

Applications are shown as a set of cards on the welcome screen. Double click anywhere on a card to open the application.

Image Removed

You can return to the Welcome window by clicking on the 

• Insert excerpt
  _design_mode _design_mode nopanel true

   

• Insert excerpt
  _app_mode _app_mode nopanel true

Insert excerpt
_app_mode _app_mode nopanel true

 

Application users run PhixFlow applications in this mode. Only essential PhixFlow menus and toolbars visible in application mode and an application user has no access to the design side of PhixFlow. 

You can run a PhixFlow application on:

• desktop or laptop computers
• mobile devices, such as a tablet or smartphone.

Access to applications and data is configured by the system administrator or by the application designer so that application users:

• never see 

  Insert excerpt
  _design_mode _design_mode nopanel true

    
• only have access to the specific applications and data that they need.

See Managing User Groups and Privileges and Controlling User Access to Applications.

Image Added Application Mode

Opening an Application

When you log in, PhixFlow displays the Welcome window and the application menu. Anytime you want to return to the application menu, in the top left corner of the PhixFlow window, click 

Insert excerpt
_app_menu _app_menu nopanel true

 icon in the top left.

Opening Specific Application with a URL

To open a specific application using a URL the address must include the following at the end. Note that APP is the name of your application.

?application=APP

To see the URL for any PhixFlow application simply open the application and copy the address from the address bar

.

In the application menu, applications are shown as cards  or as a list. To switch view, click the icons in the top right of the application window.

• Insert excerpt
  _show_card _show_card nopanel true

• Insert excerpt
  _show_card _show_card nopanel true

  
  
  Image Added

To open an application:

1. Double-click anywhere in a card or on a list line.
2. PhixFlow asks you to confirm. 
3. Click Yes to continue to the application's Home window. 
   From here you can select an aspect of your application on which to work.

To create a new application from the application menu, click the 

Insert excerpt
_add _add nopanel true

 button on the left of the menu; see Creating an Application.

On Mobile Devices

PhixFlow supports mobile devices, such as tablets and phones. This means team members can access and update data whilst on the move. As mobile devices have less screen space available, the header bar is simplified to show the icons:

• Insert excerpt
  _user_options _user_options nopanel true

• Insert excerpt
  _administration _administration nopanel true

   – option available depend user's permissions.

Image Modified Design Mode

PhixFlow's 

Insert excerpt
_design_mode _design_mode nopanel true

is a powerful tool for creating configuring applications that help automate business processes. Design mode is where the configuration takes place.

Users Application designers can setup workflows, define data structures, design screens, configure the actions users can perform and create analysis models that process data and provide integration with external systems.To switch between Design mode and Application mode click: 

PhixFlow Welcome Window

When you first log into 

Insert excerpt
_design_mode _design_mode nopanel true

 and, PhixFlow displays the application menu. This lists all the applications available to you. To return to the application menu at any time, click 

Insert excerpt
_app_

mode

menu _app_

mode

menu nopanel true

 in the top left. 

PhixFlow Welcome Window

Lists all the applications available to you, to return to the Welcome window at any time, click Image Added

In the application menu, applications are shown as cards or as a list. To switch view, click the icons in the top right of the application window.

• Insert excerpt
  _show_card _show_card nopanel true

• Insert excerpt
  _show_card _show_card nopanel true

To open an application:

1. Click anywhere in a card or on a list line.
2. PhixFlow asks you to confirm. 
3. Click Yes to continue to the application's Home window. 
   From here you can select an aspect of your application on which to work.

To create a new application from the application menu, click the 

Insert excerpt
_

app_menu

add _

app_menu

add nopanel true

 in button on the top left. Image Removedleft of the menu; see Creating an Application.

PhixFlow Working Window

The arrangement of PhixFlow's window is consistent across all design elements such as ERDs and analysis models. The following screenshot shows the main areas of the PhixFlow window, in this case for an ERD: 

The Header Bar 

Anchor
TaskBar TaskBar

The header bar runs across the full width of the PhixFlow Window. It shows, from left to right:

• The Application list icon and, optionally the PhixFlow logo. Both these act as a home button, returning you to the Welcome window and list of applications
• Quick access to the main application activities, Application , Data, Screens and Analysis models. 
• The name of the PhixFlow server 

• Insert excerpt
  _user_details _user_details nopanel true

  . This provides access to your user account and the 

  Insert excerpt
  _logout _logout nopanel true

   button

• Insert excerpt
  _repository _repository nopanel true

• Insert excerpt
  _console _console nopanel true

• Insert excerpt
  _administration _administration nopanel true

   –  the options available to you depend on your permissions.
• either 

  Insert excerpt
  _design_mode _design_mode nopanel true

   or 

  Insert excerpt
  _app_mode _app_mode nopanel true

  .

Navigation Tabs

For every diagram or screen that you open, PhixFlow creates a new Navigation Tab. You can easily switch between open items using the tabs.

Context Toolbar

Contains all of the items required to configure and layout PhixFlow applications. Each toolbar is relevant to the area of the system they are in.

Right Panel

On the right there are several things that PhixFlow can display. You can click 

Insert excerpt
_panel_show_hide _panel_show_hide nopanel true

 to hide all the tabs open on the right.

Context Help

Context help is available for all major activities within PhixFlow. They consist of a short video to help you get started and a set of links to key areas within the topic and further information. 

To configure whether or not the Help panel is displayed, use your User Details → Show Contextual Help Panes option.

Repository

List all of the items that you can use. See Using the Repository for more information. 

Property Tabs 

Click on the name of an item to open its properties tab on the right. Usually PhixFlow opens each property tab in the same space and automatically closes any saved property tab. 

• To switch between tabs, click on the tab, which shows the name of the item.
• To keep a property tab open, click the 

  Insert excerpt
  _pin _pin nopanel true

   icon in its tab. 
• To unpin a property tab, click the 

  Insert excerpt
  _pinned _pinned nopanel true

   icon.
• To view tabs side-by-side, drag the property tab onto the workspace. This creates a second properties area. You can create several property areas and you can drag properties tabs between them.
• To close a property tab, click on the white cross on the tab.

Every properties tab has a toolbar at the top, next to the item name. If the item name is long, toolbar icons are condensed into a 

Insert excerpt
_more_options _more_options nopanel true

 icon.

For information about the properties tabs and their toolbar options, see Menu Options and Toolbar Buttons.

Left Panel

When you are working on screen design, PhixFlow displays a Layers panel on the left of the screen. This panel shows how the different items on the screen are related to each other, and highlights any element you have selected. Click the 

Insert excerpt
_layer_slider _layer_slider nopanel true

 to show or hide the Layers panel.

Accessing Help

• The help button in the header bar will take you to the learning centre where you will find, video tutorials, example data sets, template applications, as well as the ability search our extensive help library for your specific topic.
• Item properties and windows in PhixFlow include a 

  Insert excerpt
  _help _help nopanel true

   icon on the toolbar. This goes directly to the relevant reference help page, which has details about each option.

Notifications and Errors

PhixFlow displays notification pop-ups on the screen. The different coloured notifications are:

• Green - information
• Blue - warnings
• Red - errors.

You can click Dismiss notifications in the header bar to close all green and blue notifications. In the Administration Menu → System Configuration it is possible to set the Notification Timeout to automatically close these popups.

If there is an error that prevents PhixFlow completing something, it will display the system error message. You must close red error messages individually. 

Administrators monitor the details of what PhixFlow is doing using the System Console and can configure how much detail is logged; see System Monitoring and System Logging Configuration.