Building an Application

Use the steps detailed on this page to build a custom application for your data. Before you begin, plan your application.

Task 1: Create the application

1. From the menu, click > Application Builder > Applications.
2. Click Add New .

   Note: If you are on an existing application, you can also select Add New from the Applications menu.

3. From the Type field, select Application. Enter a name, assign it to 1 or more solutions, and select a default language.

4. By selecting multiple solutions for a single application, you can reuse the same information for a variety of purposes. For example, you could group a Contacts application into your Customer Relationship Management and Project Management solutions so that both solutions can use contact information from the same source.

   Note: By default, the language is set to the language specified for the instance.

5. Click Create Application.

Task 2: Define application properties

Note: If you want Archer to automatically save any changes that you make in this application, in the Navigation Bar, select the AutoSave option.

1. In the Options section, enable the following options as needed.

   The following table describes the options.

   Option	Description
   Task management	This option allows users to easily track and manage open and completed tasks associated with records in this application. When enabled, a related records field is placed on the application layout, which lists both open and closed tasks. You can enter your own labels for the open and closed task lists. Note: If you are using Advanced Workflow, you must enable task management.
   Notifications	Users can receive notifications when content has been published or updated.
   Direct to edit	This mode allows users with update rights to open a record directly in edit mode from the following areas: Search Results list Cross references Related records Record links in notifications iViews (without having to display the report first) System reports that allow record drill-in
   Optimize calculations	Optimize related calculations after bulk actions complete. For example, after updating a record with many rows, the calculation waits until you complete the update. Note: This option may not be available if your administrator has disabled the option in the Archer Control Panel.
   Search results	Select a default format for search results generated from the Records link in the Navigation Menu and from the Search Records page.
   Advanced Workflow	Enable Advanced Workflow for an application. If you enable advanced workflow, Advanced Workflow Actions by Email allows end users to complete simple advanced workflow actions from their email. Important: Users must have Advanced Workflow Actions by Email enabled in their user account. For more information, see Adding User Accounts or Updating User Accounts. You must also ensure that Advanced Workflow Actions by Email is enabled in all applicable applications, questionnaires, notification templates, and advanced workflows.
   Language	Select the language for your application.
   Engage	Enable this application to be used for Engage.

2. In the Administration section, assign the following administrators:
   • Content administrators have unrestricted access to all record content in their applications, including sub-form content.

   • Full list of rights

     Content administrators can:

     • Create, read, update, and delete records in the application, regardless of your assigned access roles or record permissions.
     • Access an application in a Workspace menu, assuming that you have rights to the workspace. You can create new records, search, run reports, and import data, but you cannot access schedules.
     • Inline edit (if enabled), bulk update/create (if enabled), and delete.
     • Use the context menu (email, print, export, copy, edit, delete, related, recalculate, access).
     • Access the Workflow toolbar on the Record page. You can complete any actions, but you cannot accept or reject content unless you are also an assignee for that stage.
     • Access all Advanced Workflow transitions, even if you do not have access in the Advanced Workflow configuration.
     • See all records in the search results, regardless of record permissions.
     • Access all content displayed in global search for applications and questionnaires.
     • Receive notifications for all content that meets the filter requirements of their notification subscriptions.
     • Access all Voting Field details even if you are not assigned as a Voting Field administrator.
     • Read and update content in private fields.
     • Fully access the Attachment Download History link and drill into the history for any attachment field in any record.
   • Configuration administrators have full editing rights over their designated applications, which means they can fully customize their properties. This includes adding and arranging fields in the application, enabling notifications, and configuring data driven events.

   • Full list of rights

     • Edit all properties of an application, including the content, configuration, and report administrators, from the Manage Applications page, assuming that you have access to the page. You can also delete content if the application is retired.
     • Access an application from a Workspace menu, assuming that you have rights to the workspace. You can access search, reports, and schedules for the application, but you cannot create new records or import data.
     • Manage schedules for the application, including bulk and calculation schedules, regardless of task access or being assigned as the schedule owner. You can manage schedules through either the schedules button on the Search Results toolbar or the schedules icon in the Workspace menu.
     • Open the Report listing page for the application through the Search results page or through the icon.
     • Create, modify, and delete global reports associated with the application from the Report Listing page.
     • Edit or delete any mail merge templates for your application on the Manage Mail Merge Templates page.
     • Execute reports for your applications, if you have access to the Application Builder Reports page.
     • Select specific fields in the application to be tracked in the History Log.
     • Access full CRUD rights to custom values lists, regardless of other permissions. You must get access to View/Edit page through a role or record permission.

     If there are no Record Permissions in the Application, the Configuration Administrator only has Read access to the content (they cannot build and run a report).

   • Report administrators can configure global reports in a specific application.

   • Full list of rights

     • Global reports can be shared with any user in the application, but only users with access to the application for which the report was created can see the contents of the report.
     • Users who do not have global report creation rights can only create and share personal reports.

   Note: For a new application, the configuration administrator and report administrator default to the application creator. The content administrator is empty by default.

3. In the Navigation Menu section, select which menu items you want to display for the application. In the Advance Search section, define the default fields to display, sorting, and display options.

4. In the Structure section, name your level.

   Note: Create no more than 4 data levels in an application.

5. In the Documentation section, click Add New to attach supporting documentation, such as design specifications, approval forms, or other documentation about your application.

6. If you are using the Relationship Visualization feature and have created the visualization.xml file, attach this file to the application or questionnaire.

Task 3: Add fields

Use fields to display information within your application.

When you create a new application from scratch, 3 system fields are added by default: a First Published Date field, a Last Published Date field, and a Tracking ID field.

When you create a new application by copying another application, all of the fields from the original application are copied over. In both cases, create as many other fields as you need.

See the Fields section for more information.

Task 4: Define the layout

Use the Designer tab in an application to create an intuitive interface for the users.

• Define the layout of fields within the application.

• Add tabs, sections, supporting text, and custom controls.

• Organize page elements using the drag-and-drop control.

See the Layouts section for more information.

Task 5: Define a workflow

In order to automate a business process within an application, you have a couple options.

1. Data driven events (DDEs)

2. DDEs allow you to automate a variety of actions based on values or conditions within individual application records. For example, you can apply a conditional layout, generate a notification, or set a date.

   See the Data Driven Events section for more information and detailed steps for creating DDEs.

3. Use an advanced workflow to do the following with your records:
   
   • Create complex non-linear workflow processes within applications, leveled applications, or questionnaires.
   • Send notifications to multiple users on-demand.
   • Enable automatic enrollment for new records, updated records, or user initiated options.
   • Visually depict the end-to-end advanced workflow process at the administrator level.
   • Designate a specific name for each node to easily identify the intent of each stage in your workflow process.

   • Create tasks to display for specified users accessible with the .

Task 6: Set the run order for multiple calculated fields

Order your calculations to ensure that dependent fields complete calculation before being used in a subsequent calculation.

For example, you have 2 calculated fields, last review time and elapsed review time. Elapsed review time is dependent upon last review time. So you want to make sure the calculation that defines last review time completes before you begin calculating elapsed review time. This is accomplished by setting the execution order.

See Setting the Execution Order for Multiple Calculated Fields for instructions.