Anatomy of an Application

The platform includes a number of elements, which are available to use with any application. These elements appear as tabs in the user interface, and describe objects in the database.

Element	Description
Custom Objects	The platform provides a framework for building information structures that you can use to house data and extract it for a multitude of purposes. Objects are the basic building blocks you use to collect information for your application. When an object is created on the platform, it is configured with data Fields and can be setup to relate to other objects. Data records associated with Objects are the primary information structures in an application. System Objects are created at installation and have well-defined characteristics and functionality built in, as part of Applications Custom Objects are created after installation, and have fully configurable characteristics and functionality
Web Tabs	Web Tabs enable you to extend the platform by adding custom pages to your application. Web Tabs provide a quick link to websites, and can contain any of the following elements: URL HTML code Components Pages Widgets Database View
Views	Views are a means to organize your data in a way that is meaningful, along with optional settings to customize and save views for reference or analysis. Views include the ability to set column Order, add Filters or Computed Fields and Color Codes.
Reports	Reports function to organize your data for display and analysis, and can deliver data from multiple objects, using Database Views. Reports include the ability to set column Order, add Filters or Computed Fields, Color Codes, data Groups, Computing and Metrics and Charts.
Start Page	An optional setting that lets you choose one of the Custom Pages. When a user switches to the application, this is the first page they see. If the application is the starting application for the user, then the user is taken to the configured custom page on login. (A useful feature for Developers who want complete control of the application, to avoid showing default platform UI components like the Sidebars and the Home Tab.) If the Start Page is left blank, the default platform UI with sidebars and Home page is shown when the user switches to the Application. Note: When a Page is deleted, the platform checks is see if it is the start page for any Application. If it is, the delete is aborted and an error message is displayed.