1 - Create a new Project
How to CREATE a new Project
New Projects
By default, each new Project already contains an App containing a Component:
- An App for you to configure
- named “project App”, where project is whatever you named the Project
- “project App” contains a component - a Login component
- Every App must have at least one component - the start component.
- The Login component has a randomly selected background image, for fun
- Pexels maintain a curated collection of photos and we pick one from there. You can change this.
2 - Rename a Project
How to RENAME a Project
From within a Project
- click on the Project name in the top bar.
- Under Project Settings edit the name
- That’s it!
Note
When a Project is created, by default an App is created within the Project, with the App name being constructed based on the Project name.
When you rename a Project, the App name is not altered. If you want to retain a semantic similarity between the two, you need to rename the App too.
3 - Delete a Project
How to DELETE a Project
From within a Project
- click on the Project name in the top bar.
- Under Project Settings click on the Delete button
- Confirm the deletion by entering the word DELETE
- Click ok
4 - Apps in Projects
Apps in Projects
Projects can contain multiple Apps.
Each App has its own Component Flow, but share Project-level resources:
There is no limit on the number of Apps you can create in a Project.
Systems not just Apps
This fact is important because it is very common to need more than one App for a particular project.
Example: Field workers and Supervisor
For example, you may need an App for a group of Community Health Workers (CHWs), and an App for their Supervisor, with quite different functionality.
Perhaps the Supervisor has the ability to monitor CHW performance, perhaps has am ability to double check that scheduled visits are being made in a timely fashion.
Example: Despatcher and deliverers
Perhaps you have a task which splits naturally into a “Despatcher” and “Executor” model, such as if you are managing deliveries.
You may need an App for the drivers, so they can view their tasks, and an App for the HQ Despatcher who takes orders and despatches them to drivers.
These are just two examples of systems made with two Apps sharing the same database. There are innumerable other examples, and recall, the Apps do not need to be restricted to two.
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5 - Project UI
Tour of the Project UI
Elements of the Project UI identified by numbers in this image, are
- Project Controls Bar
- App Controls Bar
- Component Flow of selected App
- Component Preview of currently selected Component (identified by the green dot)
- Components Column: Alphabetical list of all components in the currently selected App
1. Project Controls Bar
The top bar gives you access to Project-level controls.
We split these controls into two categories:
Development controls
In the top bar you can see these buttons. They give you access to functions you need during a development cycle.
The buttons give you access to, respectively,
Post Development cycle controls
The three buttons, also in the top bar, give you access to functions you likely want to use after completion of a development cycle.
The buttons give you access to, respectively,2. App Controls Bar
Below the Project Controls Bar, there is the App Controls Bar This includes the ability to select which App you are working on, and then most of the other controls relate to that currently-selected-App.
Identified by letters in the App Bar are:
A. Drop-down menu of Apps in the Project - this is the control to switch between Apps
B. Top-level toggles for switching between access to: Component Flow and App Theme
C. Button to add a new App to the Project
D. Button to run the App Preview. Unlike the Component Preview, the App Preview is a pretty complete, database-backed environment in which to try out the App you have built, using largely the same code which will run when deployed.