Overview
PhixFlow's Two Modes
PhixFlow has two different modes depending on what you need to do.
Design Mode
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 Design Mode 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.
- Design Mode
Application Mode
Application Mode
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 Design Mode
- only have access to the specific applications and data that they need.
See Managing User Groups and Privileges and Controlling User Access to Applications.
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 
Application menu.
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.
Card List- Card List
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 
Add New 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:
User Options
Administration – option available depend user's permissions.
Design Mode
PhixFlow's Design Mode is a powerful tool for configuring applications that help automate business processes.
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.
PhixFlow Welcome Window
When you first log into Design Mode, PhixFlow displays the application menu. This lists all the applications available to you. To return to the application menu at any time, click Application menu in the top left.
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.
- Card List
- Card List
To open 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 Add New button on the left 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
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
User Details. This provides access to your user account and the 
Logout button
Repository
System Console- Administration – the options available to you depend on your permissions.
- either Design Mode or Application Mode.
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 
show/hide right panel 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
Pin icon in its tab. - To unpin a property tab, click the
Pinned 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 
More Options 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 
Show/Hide Layer Panel 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
Help 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.
| The message window can include | If | Administrator Links |
|---|---|---|
| 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.