Overview

The starting point for any application is creating everything you need for your project within PhixFlow. The Create Application window prompts you for the essential information PhixFlow needs to:

• set up all the folders in the repository that your project will need.
• create a default menu.
  You can find the menu in the repository → Menus branch → application_name_Menu.
  When you add the first option to the menu, it is automatically displayed in the menu bar; see Startup Actions → Static Menu Creation.
• add a template to your application's Packages folder.
  The template includes the palettes that will give your application a consistent design; see Understanding Template Packages and Package.
• set default properties based on the template. Default properties include:
  • formats for dates and numbers
  • the palette and components to use for forms, data fields and cards
  • the styles for data grids
  • the default action which should run when your application is opened. For example, an actionflow to open a navigation window and landing page.

Creating a New Application

To create a new application:

Overview

Applications contain everything necessary for it to function, from its data and access permissions, to links with associated packages. Each application has a unique URL and associated styling.

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Open an Application

To open an existing application

1. Double-click on the application's name from the application list that opens with PhixFlow.
   1. If the application list is not displayed, in the top left of the PhixFlow, click Image Added.

Access an application using its URL

Every application has a URL which allows you to access it directly. 

1. To obtain the URL for the application, the most reliable method is to open the application and copy the value from the address bar:
   1. For example: https://bigcorp.com/phixflow/?application=Data%20Analysis

Creating a New Application

1. Click

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    Add New from the PhixFlow Landing Screen.
   • If this is not open

1. • , click the 

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1. • .

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2. PhixFlow opens the Create Application window wizard.

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3. Set the following properties for your application:

• Name: enter a name.

• Version (Optional): enter a development version number , for example 1if applicable.

• Application Icon: select an image that PhixFlow displays in the card on the application menu. If you do not select an icon, PhixFlow uses a default image.
  

• Either use the drop-down to select an icon that has already been loaded into PhixFlow

Or click  Image Removed to find an image saved on your computer to load it into PhixFlow.

DescriptionDescription (Optional): we recommend that you enter the purpose of this application and who is responsible for it.

• Template: select a template to provide a design theme and to set key properties.

• entering a useful description of the application, potentially the data owner and app creators.

• Template: Template Packages define the styling, default settings and templates used to create your application. We recommend selecting a PhixFlow template, such as Serene Grey, as this comes complete with everything you need to start creating your application. 

• Application Icon (Optional): select an image to be used as the icon for your application on the selection screen.

  Tip
  Icons for the application menu should be: up to 100 pixels high between 100 to 150 pixels wide

  
  

4. Click Create Application. PhixFlow prompts you to load the application, we recommend you do this as this displays the application home options.

Default Properties

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Templates Packages

Template Packages contain predefined options to specify a palette and other default properties; these include styling, default settings and templates used to create the content of your application. A Template package is selected when an application is created. See Understanding Template Packages.

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In PhixFlow you can share the same resources, such as data connectors and styles, with multiple applications by adding them to a package and then adding the package to different applications. A package can contain anything in an application.

To associate a package to an application:

1. Open the Application's

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   1. Click the Home button from the header menu and then click the properties button.
2. Scroll down to the 

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    section in the properties.
3. Click the 

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    button to open the available packages list.
   1. Tip: If the available packages list opens over the top of the application properties, drag the tab header to the left so that both open tabs can be seen next to each other.
4. Drag the required package into the packages area for your application and  

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    your changes.

Application Properties

To access the application properties, click the

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The default properties used by your application are based on the template package you selected when you created it. You can see the default properties or set them in the Application Properties. These include:

1. Grid Styling for headers, fonts and row sizes applied to grids by default.
   1. Set in the 

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      .
2. Default Components, such as the Form Fields template used when creating input forms.
   1. Set in the 

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      .
3. Formats for numbers and dates, including the number of decimal places.
   1. Set in the 

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      .
4. The Application Icon used in the application list to identify your application.
   1. Set in the 

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      .

If a default style or number/date format is not set in the application properties, PhixFlow uses defaults set in System Configuration. If the latter is not set, PhixFlow will prompt you to set them.

Applications are listed as cards.

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For more detail on this topic see Editing Application Properties.

Startup Actions

Startup actions are Actionflows which run when your application initially opens. They can be used to open the default navigation menu and a specific screen, such as a landing page. See Designing Screens and Startup Actions.

Server Properties

The instance of PhixFlow can be labelled and a colour set. This is useful when you have multiple environments such as Development, UAT and Production.

• Server Properties
  • From the header menu, click 

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     → System → Configuration.
  • Click on the 

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• • property_

• • tabs _

• • property_

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    .

• Set the

• that have been configured to appear on  this menu. This is the default setting.
• and that you have permission to use.

The repository → Applications branch displays the applications that you have permission to use.

 To redisplay the application menu, in the top left of the PhixFlow window click:

• either the Image Removed Application menu
• or the Image Removed, if it is present.

• Label
  • Set a value in PhixFlow Instance. This will appear in the banner at the top of PhixFlow. For Example, Testing.
• Banner Colour
  • Choose a colour by clicking the coloured box next to this field. You can pick a specific using the colour picker and set this as the banner colour.

Security

There are two elements of security:

• Controlling who can access an application.

• Controlling their privileges within an application.

To find out more on this topic see, 21. Security and Access.

What's Next?

The PhixFlow Fundamentals course provides a practical guide to using PhixFlow, including setting up the application properties. 

Already started PhixFlow Fundamentals?

Return to Application Fundamentals

Further Reading

• Application Properties