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Overview

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PhixFlow is a low-code application development tool. PhixFlow's visual design process means you can use drag-and-drop techniques to easily create everything you need to make a fully-functional application.  Here are the steps:

  1. Create an applicationApplication
    Easily create a new application , and configure the settings for the project; , see Creating an Application and  and Application Properties.
  2. Define your dataData
    Create entity relationship diagrams (ERDs) to define the data that backs your application; see Understanding ERDs.Design screens, see Entity Relationship Diagrams.
  3. Build the Screens
    Screens     allow application users to interact with your data. Simply drag-and-drop templates and components to design a screen, or customise your own using CSS; , see Designing Screens.
  4. Set up actionflows
    Actionflows control Setup Actionflows
    Actionflows control the interactions users can perform with your application and its data; , see Understanding Actionflows.
  5. Analyse datayour Data
    Use analysis models to process large data sets and create integrations with your data sources; see , see Analysis Models for Batch Processing Data.

Where you may need to add code, PhixFlow provides fields for Expressions and PhixScripts.

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
  1. .
  2. Document the Workflow
    Workflows visually depict the detailed sequence of activities and information flows used to run your application, see Workflows.

Navigating the System

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  1. App List: The 9 dot application list button opens a list of available applications. Double-click to open an application or right-click to open one in a new tab.
  2. Header Bar: Provides quick access to all of the key areas within your application.
  3. System Controls:
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       includes password changes and logout.

In the application menu, applications are shown as cards or as a list.

  1. Click anywhere in a card or on a list line to open an application.
  2. 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.
You can also create a new application from the application menu by clicking the  Insert excerpt_add_addnopaneltrue button on the left of the menu; see Creating an Application.

PhixFlow's Two Modes

You can use PhixFlow to design an application or to use it.

Use 
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      provides a number of options, including the ability to import or export content. See System Administration.
  2. Repository: Provides access to each individual item in your application. This area is also where properties windows will open.
  3. App/Design Mode: Design Mode is used for creating and configuring applications. Application Mode is used by application users to run and interact with PhixFlow applications. See Design and Application Mode.
  4. App Home Screen: Provides access to the Application Properties, Startup Actions Properties, Learning Centre and the key areas of the application:
    1. ERDs, see Entity Relationship Diagrams.
    2. Screens, see Screens.
    3. Actionflows, see Actionflows.
    4. Analysis, see Analysis Models.
    5. Workflow, see Workflows.

Modes

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     is how a user experiences the application. This can be enabled by clicking 
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     in the top right-hand corner of PhixFlow.
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     to   is where application designers 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 you use design mode on a desktop computer.Use , and is only available to users with specific privileges. This mode can be enabled by clicking 
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     in the top right-hand corner of PhixFlow.

See Design and Application Mode.

Pinning and Unpinning Tabs

Tabs can be

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 so that they remain open while you are working with them.

  1. Click the 
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     icon on any tab to pin the content.
  2. The icon will change to 
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 to run your PhixFlow applications. Only essential PhixFlow menus and toolbars visible in application mode.
You can design and run an applications  on:
  • desktop or laptop computers
  • mobile devices, such as a tablet or smartphone.

Access Control

Administrators can use user groups and priviliges so that application users:

never see 
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  2. Click the icon again to unpin the tab.

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Selected Component Tab Highlight

When a component is selected on a screen, it is highlighted blue and its parent component is highlighted yellow. The selected components properties open and the tab header is highlighted blue to indicate which tab corresponds to the selected component.

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Dragging Tabs

Properties and information lists open in tabs on the right. These tabs can be moved by dragging the tab header to the left or right of the current column, as illustrated below:

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Accessing the Help

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  1. Context Help: This opens on the right, and can be collapsed or opened by clicking the
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    toggle tab in the middle of the screen. To have this collapsed by default, see User Details → Show Contextual Help Panes. 
    1. Key Concepts links to a page that provides the key concepts associated to the area of PhixFlow you are in.
    2. Fundamentals Video links to the video of the area of PhixFlow that you are in.
    3. Guides links to pages that explain how to achieve key tasks for the area of PhixFlow you are in.
  2. Item Specific Help: This is available in the properties for any item. Click the 
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     button to view the item specific help page. If you are unable to see this button, click 
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  only have access to the specific applications and data that they need.
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  2. Learning Centre: Click the 
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     button within the system controls to open the Learning Centre. Here you will find access to all courses, as well as a host of resources, such as sample data sets. The Learning Centre also enables you to search the help for specific topics, such as Functions or API integrations.
  3. ChatBot: The ChatBot is available in Design Mode from the system controls in the top right. This chat facility provides direct access to PhixFlow Support, who will answer any questions you have.

What's Next?

The PhixFlow Fundamentals course provides a practical guide to using PhixFlow, including the design and creation of screens in our applications.

Further Reading

To find out how to get started with using PhixFlow, see:

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