Glossary

An Action is an instruction that is executed in the platform when called upon, and is typically created using QuickActions or JavaScript. An Action can only be triggered by a rule but can be associated with several rules so that several different triggers can result in the same action being performed.

Application Programming Interface (API) refers to any software with a distinct function. An API can be thought of as a contract of service between two applications. This contract defines how the two communicate with each other using requests and responses. There is an Appivo API that supports functions common to the platform such as creating new users. Additionally, each application has its own API for managing application data.

Anonymize is an administrative operation that deactivates a user and permanently overwrites identifiable information like their name and email address, typically used in compliance with GDPR.

App Parameters are used to customize the behavior of applications on a per tenant basis. App Parameters are created and used by applications developers, and are configured by administrators under app configuration options.

Data models are similar to database tables in that they define the data structure of applications.

The form is one of the most important building blocks of an Appivo application. Form is a bridge between the user interface and the database. It holds data for a specific record in the database, the record may or may not already exist in the database.

The form must be bound to a model so that the system knows what attributes are expected to be filled in and how they should be validated. A form can be loaded with a specific record or it could start out empty if a new one is to be created. When the form is submitted the record is written to the database; a new record is created and an existing record is updated.

The form allows widgets to be connected to the individual attributes of the record. For instance, a TextField can be connected to a String attribute of a form. That TextField will then represent the value of that particular attribute, of the record loaded into the form.

Global Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union (EU) law that protects personal data of EU residents. More information can be found at a number of online sources.

See Data Model

Public UI allows certain app views to be accessed without authentication, as defined by the app developer. Once the apps are created in Public UI, then an admin can configure it via Public access.

Query Parameters are variables that can be used within queries. A Query Parameter has a name, a data type and a default value.

Role defines what a user can do in the context of Appivo for Appivo system roles, and in the context of an application for app-specific roles. Users may have multiple roles.

Rules and actions form a powerful way of making your application dynamic and provide you with a simple way of building logic. A rule is essentially a sort of trigger, there are several kinds of rules which are triggered under different circumstances. A rule can be associated with one or more actions, and an action is something that happens when a rule triggers.

Scripts are used to add custom logic to an app. Scripts can be tied to events like button clicks, triggered by Rules, or invoked via APIs. Adding scripts to your app is very easy and can be done without knowing much about programming. However, if you know programming, you are free to write advanced scripts to perform complex logic. The two most common methods for creating scripts are QuickActions and JavaScript.

There are two types of subscriptions: tenant-app subscriptions and user-app subscriptions, with user-app subscriptions being the most common.

User-app subscription – Users must be subscribed to an app and given an app role in order to become an app user. Most apps have a default role that is assigned upon subscription. Admins can change the role of a user at any time.

Tenant-app subscription – A tenant-app subscription is required when a tenant wants to use an app created by Appivo or another tenant. In this case the tenant must first subscribe to the app before it can subscribe users to the app. This is done through the Marketplace.

Subtenant refers to one or more tenants organized under a parent tenant. See tenant.

Tenant refers to an organization or group of users that share access; typically a corporate or organizational account. Each Appivo customer is a tenant. Each Appivo customer has a unique and secure tenant account. Individual user accounts are added within a tenant, although users can be members of multiple tenants. In some cases, depending on the Appivo plan, tenants are allowed to have sub-tenants.

Templates are reusable pieces of text that can use variable values to affect their appearance. The variables are accessed using special handlebars syntax. Apart from variables, the template syntax also provides simple flow control.

User is anyone with an individual Appivo user account, denoted by an email address. Users may be given Appivo system roles (like admin or developer), and they may also be subscribed to applications and given app-specific roles. It’s possible for users to be members of multiple tenants.

User interfaces is the way in which a user interacts with an application or a website. One can create a number of user interfaces as they want, and control access to them, which means: one interface for administrators, and another interface for standard users. Furthermore, you can also create mobile user interfaces that are intended for mobile phones.

Views are a part of the user interface that users see on their phone/browser when interacting with an app. Views typically consist of widgets such as text fields, buttons and images, that display information and enable interaction. Views and their widgets can be styled allowing to design an app.

A view may contain one or more forms. Forms can be used by widgets to allow for easy viewing and saving of record data.

A widget is an element of a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays information or provides a specific way for a user to interact with the operating system or an application.