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Overview
PhixFlow appears differently has two distinct 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.
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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
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.
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Application users run PhixFlow applications in this mode.
PhixFlow displays only essential menus and toolbars in
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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.
You can return to the Welcome window by clicking on the
Your administrator usually configures PhixFlow so that an application user has no access to
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You can run a PhixFlow application on:
- desktop or laptop computers
- mobile devices, such as a tablet or smartphone.
An application designer can configure application user access to the specific applications and data that they need; see Controlling User Access to Applications.
Introducing Application Mode
Opening an Application
OnWhen 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
icon in the top left. Insert excerpt _app_menu _app_menu nopanel true
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
.
You can change the layout of the application menu, using icons in the top right of the application window.
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To open an application:
- Double-click anywhere in a card or on a list line.
- PhixFlow asks you to confirm.
- 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
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Using Applications 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:
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– option available depend user's permissions.Insert excerpt _administration _administration nopanel true
Design Mode
PhixFlowIntroducing Design Mode
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You can
- plan the workflows and tasks for application users
- define data structures
- design application screens
- configure user interactions for buttons and options on a screen, so that an application user can make changes to specific data records
- import, batch process and export large volumes of data using analysis models.
This means PhixFlow can exchange data with your existing systems and databases.
Loading an Application
When you first log into
and, PhixFlow displays the a list of the applications available to you. To return to the application menu at any time, click Insert excerpt _design_mode _design_mode nopanel true
mode Insert excerpt _app_
modemenu _app_
in the top left. menu nopanel true
PhixFlow Welcome Window
Lists all the applications available to you, to return to the Welcome window at any time, click
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.
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show_
card _
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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
To load an application:
- Click anywhere in a card or on a list line.
- PhixFlow asks you to confirm.
- 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
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Home Window and Workspace
When you load an application, PhixFlow opens its home window.
This window layout remains the same when you select different things to work on. For example, the following screenshot shows an entity relationship diagram (ERD). In addition to the repository, you can see that the right panel is displaying context help for ERDs.
The home window has the following parts.
Header Bar
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The header bar runs across the full width of the PhixFlow Window. It shows, from left to right:
:Insert excerpt _app_menu _app_menu nopanel true
- 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 applicationsreopen the application menu to load a different application.
-
: also opens the application menu. Depending on the way your administrator has configured PhixFlow, this logo may be replaced by your company logo.Insert excerpt _phixflow_logo_name _phixflow_logo_name nopanel true - Quick access to the main application activities, Application , Data, Screens and Analysis models. activities:
Insert excerpt _header_bar _header_bar name home nopanel true Insert excerpt _header_bar _header_bar name workflow nopanel true Insert excerpt _header_bar _header_bar name erd nopanel true Insert excerpt _header_bar _header_bar name screen nopanel true Insert excerpt _header_bar _header_bar name analysis nopanel true
- The name of the PhixFlow server server on which you are working.
. This provides access to : options to manage your user account details, passwords and the toInsert excerpt _user_details _user_details nopanel true
. buttonInsert excerpt _logout _logout nopanel true - Open the
.Insert excerpt _repository _repository nopanel true - Open the
, which monitors different processes and tasks.Insert excerpt _console _console nopanel true - The
– the options available to you lists the system options; see Administration Menu. The options you see depend on your permissions.Insert excerpt _administration _administration nopanel true - The option to switch to the other PhixFlow mode,
- either
Insert excerpt _design_mode _design_mode nopanel true
- or
.Insert excerpt _app_mode _app_mode nopanel true
- either
Workspace and Tabs
For everyEvery 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 inhave open in the workspace has a tab at the top. Click on tab switch between different open items in the workspace.
Popup Toolbar
This toolbar has options specific to the item on which you are working.
Layers 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
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Right Panel
On the right there are several things that PhixFlow can display. You can click
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in the right
.panel:
- 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
- context help is displayed, use your User Details
- → Show Contextual Help
- option.
- Repository
List all of the items that you can use
- ; see Using the Repository
- .
Properties
Click on the name of an item to open its properties
on the right. Usually PhixFlow opens each property
pane in the same space and automatically closes any saved property
pane.
- To switch between
tabs- property panes, click on
the - its tab, which shows the name of the item.
- To keep a property
tab - pane open, click the
icon in itsInsert excerpt _pin _pin nopanel true
tab. To unpin a property - pane open, click the
- tab, then click the
icon to then close it.Insert excerpt _pinned _pinned nopanel true - To view
tabs - tab, then click the
- panes side-by-side, drag
the - a property
tab - pane onto the workspace. This creates a second
properties area- right panel. You can create
several property areas - multiple right panels and you can drag
properties tabs - property panes between them.
- To close a property tab, click on the white cross on the tab.
- To resize the right panel, drag its border line.
Every properties
tabpane has a toolbar at the top, next to the item name. If the item name is long, toolbar icons are condensed into a
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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 theAccessing 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
icon on the toolbar. This goes directly to the relevant Click the help icon to open the associated reference help page, which has details about each option.Insert excerpt _help _help nopanel true
Notifications and Errors
PhixFlow displays notification pop-ups popups 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
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If there is an error that prevents PhixFlow completing something, it will display the system a red error message. You must close red error these messages individually.
The message window can include | If | Administrator Links |
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a More Detail link to technical information | your user account or user group has the Show Console privilege | |
a button to open the log file containing the error message | your user account or user group has the View Log Files privilege | |
a Report button to email the details to IT support, The email includes a link to the log file, so the administrator can easily access full details of the error. | there is an IT email recipient configured in System Configuration → General settings → Error Reporting Email Address. |
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.