Quick Start Guide

This guide walks you through building a simple task management application in Appivo. You'll learn the core concepts by doing.

What You'll Build

A task management application with:

• A data model to store tasks
• A user interface to view and manage tasks
• Business logic to send notifications

Step 1: Create Your Application

1. Click Create New Application in the Application Builder
2. Choose Start from Scratch (or select a template)
3. Name your application "Task Manager"
4. Select your target platforms (Desktop and/or Mobile)
5. Click Create

Your new application opens in the Application Builder with an empty schema ready for you to define.

Step 2: Design Your Data Model

Navigate to the Models section to define your data structure.

Create the Task Model

1. Click Add Model
2. Name it "Task"
3. Add the following attributes:

Appivo automatically adds system fields to every model:

• id - Unique identifier
• created_at - Creation timestamp
• updated_at - Last modification timestamp
• ver - Version for conflict resolution

Understanding Attribute Types

Appivo provides many attribute types for different data needs:

• Text - Short text up to 255 characters
• Long Text - Extended text for descriptions
• Integer - Whole numbers
• Decimal - Numbers with decimal places
• Boolean - True/false values
• Date - Date without time
• DateTime - Date with time
• Selection - Predefined options
• Email - Validated email addresses
• Phone - Phone numbers
• File - File attachments
• Image - Image uploads

Step 3: Create Your User Interface

Navigate to User Interfaces to design your screens.

Create a Task List View

1. Click Add View to create a new screen
2. Name it "Task List"
3. Drag a DataGrid widget onto the canvas
4. Configure it to display the Task model
5. Select which columns to show: Title, Priority, Due Date, Status

Create a Task Form View

1. Add another view named "Task Form"
2. Drag input widgets onto the canvas:
   • TextField for title
   • TextArea for description
   • DateField for due_date
   • Select for priority and status
3. Add Button widgets for Save and Cancel actions

Connect Widgets to Data

For each input widget:

1. Select the widget on the canvas
2. In the properties panel, set the Binding to the corresponding model attribute
3. For example, bind the title TextField to task.title

Step 4: Add Business Logic

Navigate to Rules to set up automation.

Create a Notification Rule

When a task is created, send a notification:

1. Click Add Rule
2. Configure the rule:
   • Type: DATA
   • Model: Task
   • Event: CREATE
3. Add an action:
   • Type: SENDMAIL
   • Template: Create an email template with task details
   • Recipients: Configure who receives the notification

Available Rule Types

Available Action Types

Step 5: Test Your Application

1. Click Preview in the Application Builder
2. Create a few test tasks
3. Verify that:
   • Tasks are saved correctly
   • The list displays your tasks
   • Status changes work as expected
   • Notifications are sent (check your email)

Testing Tips

• Test all input validations
• Try edge cases (empty fields, very long text)
• Test on different screen sizes
• Verify all navigation works correctly

Step 6: Deploy to Production

When you're ready to go live:

1. Review your configuration settings
2. Click Deploy to Production
3. Monitor the deployment status
4. Your application is now live!

What's Next?

Congratulations! You've built your first Appivo application. Here are ways to extend it:

Add More Features

• Categories: Create a Category model and link tasks to categories
• Assignment: Add a reference to assign tasks to users
• Due Date Reminders: Create a SCHEDULED rule to send reminder emails

Explore Advanced Topics

• Data Modeling - Design complex data structures
• Rules and Actions - Build sophisticated automation
• User Interfaces - Create professional layouts
• Security - Configure access control
• Mobile Development - Build native mobile apps

Common Patterns

As you build more applications, you'll use these common patterns:

CRUD Application

1. Define your model
2. Create a list view with DataGrid
3. Create a form view for create/edit
4. Create a detail view for read-only display
5. Add navigation between views

Workflow Application

1. Add a status field to track workflow state
2. Create rules that trigger on status changes
3. Add actions to notify relevant users
4. Track all changes in an audit trail

Dashboard Application

1. Create models to store metrics
2. Add Chart widgets for visualization
3. Add filter widgets for date ranges
4. Set up auto-refresh intervals