- Introduction to WorkXpress
- Building Your Application
- Examples and Best Practices
- Technical Manual
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| ===== Building Your Interface ===== | ===== Building Your Interface ===== | ||
| - | Forms are the way you present information to your users. Create rich pages and navigation. | + | In our first lesson, we learned how to use Tables, Relationships, and Fields to construct a data model for the application you want to build. In this second lesson, we'll teach you to use the presentation layer in WorkXpress to construct an interface for your application. In WorkXpress, the presentation layer of an application uses Forms to display Fields. |
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| - | Fields are nested in Forms, and let users enter data about Tables. | + | |
| + | |{{:training_fields_layouts.png|}}|{{:layouts_block2.png|}}Forms are the way you present information to your users. Create rich pages and navigation.| | ||
| + | |::: |{{:fields_block.png|}}Fields are nested in Forms, and let users enter data about Tables.| | ||
| - | In our first lesson, we learned how to use Tables, Relationships, and Fields to construct a data model for the application you want to build. In this second lesson, we'll teach you to use the presentation layer in WorkXpress to construct an interface for your application. In WorkXpress, the presentation layer of an application uses Forms to display Fields. | ||
| ==== Forms ==== | ==== Forms ==== | ||
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| |{{:calendar.png|}}Calendar |Month, Day, Week, Year views| | |{{:calendar.png|}}Calendar |Month, Day, Week, Year views| | ||
| |{{::tree.png|}}Tree |Displaying data in a hierarchical format| | |{{::tree.png|}}Tree |Displaying data in a hierarchical format| | ||
| - | |Matrix |Displaying data that has two dynamic dimensions| | + | |{{::matrix-24.png|}}Matrix |Displaying data that has two dynamic dimensions| |
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| ==== Field Nesting ==== | ==== Field Nesting ==== | ||
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| You'll need to add Fields to your interface to display data. Fields are always nested inside of Forms. | You'll need to add Fields to your interface to display data. Fields are always nested inside of Forms. | ||
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| In this first image, we have nested six fields inside a Field Grid (Form B from our example above). Fields Grids and other Form Types are explained later in this lesson. | In this first image, we have nested six fields inside a Field Grid (Form B from our example above). Fields Grids and other Form Types are explained later in this lesson. | ||
| - | + | {{:layoutb.png|}} | |
| In this second image, we show three Fields nested inside a List Form (Form C). Nesting Fields inside a List Form actually makes those Fields into column headers for the list that display a range of values for those Fields from your data layer below. | In this second image, we show three Fields nested inside a List Form (Form C). Nesting Fields inside a List Form actually makes those Fields into column headers for the list that display a range of values for those Fields from your data layer below. | ||
| + | {{:layoutc.png|}} | ||
| Finally, we take Forms B and C and nest them back into Form A. This final image shows the results of nesting Forms inside other Forms and of Fields nested inside those Forms. As you can see, the basic look of an application's interface begins to emerge. | Finally, we take Forms B and C and nest them back into Form A. This final image shows the results of nesting Forms inside other Forms and of Fields nested inside those Forms. As you can see, the basic look of an application's interface begins to emerge. | ||
| + | {{:layoutabc.png|}} | ||
| It's critical for you to understand the idea of nested Forms and Fields before you move on to the next lesson about the Logic Layer. | It's critical for you to understand the idea of nested Forms and Fields before you move on to the next lesson about the Logic Layer. | ||
| - | Mode | + | ==== Mode ==== |
| A Form's mode defines whether a given interface element can be viewed or edited, or whether saving the interface element will result in the addition of a new Item. There are four modes of behavior for any interface element: | A Form's mode defines whether a given interface element can be viewed or edited, or whether saving the interface element will result in the addition of a new Item. There are four modes of behavior for any interface element: | ||
| - | Hidden - A hidden element is not visible to the current User (see the next section of the lesson, Security, for more details) | + | * Hidden - A hidden element is not visible to the current User (see the next section of the lesson, Security, for more details) |
| - | View - an element in View mode can only be seen and may not be modified by your users. | + | * View - an element in View mode can only be seen and may not be modified by your users. |
| - | Edit - A user may enter or modify data using a Form or Field in Edit mode. | + | * Edit - A user may enter or modify data using a Form or Field in Edit mode. |
| - | Add - Upon saving, a Form or Field in Add mode will create a completely new Item and associate any new data with that Item as appropriate. | + | * Add - Upon saving, a Form or Field in Add mode will create a completely new Item and associate any new data with that Item as appropriate. |
| - | Security | + | |
| + | |||
| + | ==== Security ==== | ||
| You may configure security options for any Form that restrict a user's ability to edit or view that Form. Commonly, security is used to hide or reveal Forms to a user based on that user's role in your organization. | You may configure security options for any Form that restrict a user's ability to edit or view that Form. Commonly, security is used to hide or reveal Forms to a user based on that user's role in your organization. | ||
| - | Conclusion | + | ==== Conclusion ==== |
| To build software with WorkXpress, you must conceptualize your presentation layer; that is, the interface you would like to offer to your users, in order to achieve your development goals. In other words, you must understand how to create the right Forms and Fields to nest together to produce the various pages and navigation elements that will present an effective interface to your users. Continue to think about the following questions as you move on to our next lesson: | To build software with WorkXpress, you must conceptualize your presentation layer; that is, the interface you would like to offer to your users, in order to achieve your development goals. In other words, you must understand how to create the right Forms and Fields to nest together to produce the various pages and navigation elements that will present an effective interface to your users. Continue to think about the following questions as you move on to our next lesson: | ||
