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Vinyl Glossary

A

  • Action: A specific task or operation that gets triggered when an Event is executed. Vinyl supports many different types of Actions, including Bridge, Event, Export, Import, Plugin, Procedure, RFC, and Rule.
  • Action Drawer: Vinyl's primary navigation menu located in the top right of every editable Vinyl screen. The Action Drawer supports navigation to perform basic actions such as adding a page, designing a page, or navigate to the IDE.
  • Alias: Used to provide a name to a function so you can refer to it.
  • Allow Nulls: Allows null values to be stored in the associated column.
  • App Workbench: Centralized page providing quick shortcuts to everyday tasks required for building and maintaining apps.
  • Assembly: In Vinyl, an Assembly is a way to group Plugins and move them across environments (e.g., Development > QA > Production).
  • Audit: Vinyl offers the ability to audit any changes made to the data source by Vinyl.

  • Audit Lite: Audit Lite allows tracking a specific set of audit data:

    • AddedBy
    • AddedOn
    • ChangedBy
    • ChangedOn

    These attributes can be assigned to a set of columns in the database. The developer sets the Usage Type to the appropriate fields.

  • Authentication: Vinyl supports many of the most popular authentication methods. You can configure your site to support a single method of authentication or multiple methods. Authentication is responsible for identifying the end User.

  • Authorization: Authorization controls "what" an end User can do, once they have been Authenticated.

B

  • Binding: The process of establishing a connection between the app UI and underlying data it displays. This concept is often used with Panel configuration, where Binding criteria matches a field from a child Panel to a corresponding field in the parent Panel. Example: Order Details (Panel) is bound to the Order (Panel) by the Binding Criteria OrderId = OrderId.
  • Bitwise Operators: Bitwise operators are characters that represent actions (bitwise operations) that are performed on single bits. Depending on the database vendor, bitwise operations can be performed on int and byte columns and allows creating a column that holds multiple states of information.
  • Bridge: A Bridge is an application level concept which enables a designer to send a message to a user. This message may have multiple options which define how the user can respond to the message. As of Vinyl 3.2+, Bridges are now named Notifications.
  • Business Layer: The layer of Vinyl that is used to expose your data, as well as allow you to manipulate and filter data from the tables in the Data Layer.
  • Business Object: In Vinyl, Business Object is a common type of Business Rule which controls what data the User has access to.
  • Business Rule: Business Rules are created in the Business Layer of Vinyl to provide instructions about data and information available and able to be saved from the application UI Layer. Business Rules can also be created to manipulate existing data in the Data Layer.
  • Button: A type of Control represented by a clickable button that takes the end User to a desired location (e.g., another page or external location) and/or triggers an Event.

C

  • Category: Category is used by Charts as the Control Type to represent the Y (secondary or vertical) axis on the graph.
  • Chart: Charts are used to visualize data in a graphical representation, and are tied to a Business Object via a Panel.
  • Chart Panel: Vinyl has charting integrated into the UI, and uses Highcharts as the charting engine. Pages can link to charts and charts can link to pages.
  • Checkbox: A Checkbox is a Control Type in Vinyl used to represent a boolean bit field from the database. Visually it appears as a square outline, and either contains a checkmark (1) or is empty (0) depending on the underlying field value.
  • Collection: A Collection in Vinyl is where application assets reside, specifically Themes, Images, Templates and Widgets. Collections are associated with applications.
  • Column: Tables are a collection of Columns and each Column has a logical data type. A Column is a vertical series of cells residing in a table.
  • Column Templates: A Vinyl feature that intelligently autogenerates and maintains column names, sizes and types of data used by applications. Feature is available in Vinyl 3.3+.
  • Control: A field (oftentimes maps to a Column in a table) that is displayed on a panel. Vinyl supports many Control Types, depending on your business use case.
  • Control Rules: Control Rules can be used to Enable and Disable controls, as well as Hide them.
  • Control Sets: Control Sets are used to organize Columns on a Single-row Panel into an arranged box (stacked layout), or to insert multiple Columns horizontally in the space one would normally occupy (side by side layout). Control Sets are deprecated in Vinyl 3.3 and handled by Groups. Control Type: The type of Control that will be displayed on the panel. Examples: text, button, checkbox, date, image, list, etc.

  • Control Wizard: The Control Wizard helps automate the process of adding a control to a panel on a page. Feature is available in Vinyl 3.3+.

  • Cosmetic Panel: A Cosmetic Panel is designed to give the developer more control over the look and feel. A Cosmetic controlled panel is bound to a data source, but the developer uses raw HTML to build out the Panel. Fields from the underlying data source can appear in the HTML area via dynamic substitution. The syntax for referencing a field in the data source is {{filename}}.

  • Cram: An Action type available on CRUD Business Rules, which inserts distinct/unique records based on the fields marked as Primary Keys.

  • Create: Provides instruction to insert into a table, but only where an existing record does not exist.
  • Cross-Platform List Controls: By allowing list controls to have differing data providers for the Key Field and the Title Field, a user can set binding keys between two disparate application / data providers.
  • Cross-Platform Panel Integration: Panels bind to each other at the Presentation Layer. As such, virtually all the technology differences between Data Providers can be ignored. This feature allows and end user to view data from different applications / data providers on the same screen and the same time.
  • CRUD: Type of Business Rule in Vinyl, CRUD stands for Create, Read, Update, Delete. This Rule allows for tables to be edited and manipulated on the data layer.
  • CSS: Cascading Style Sheets, a language used to define styles rendered and presented by a web browser in the UI Layer.

D

  • Data Area: The Data Area refers to the area on a Page reserved for data. For a Grid Panel, the data appears in the Panel as an Excel spreadsheet. The first row contains the filenames or labels, and each subsequent row contains a row from the Data Object. For a Form panel, the data that appears is from a single row of data from a Business Object, in a Label / Value Pair listed vertically down the Panel.
  • Data Platform Base Agnostic: Term used to refer to software or solution designed to function with any vendor's database management system (DBMS). Vinyl is Data Platform Base Agnostic.
  • Data Server: In Vinyl, Data Servers lists out all connection information to Data Providers currently configured.
  • Data Source: The underlying tables of your application which contain the data.
  • Data Layer: The layer of Vinyl that contains all the tables where the physical data is stored
  • Data Type: In Vinyl there are Logical and Physical Data Type values, which define information about the type of data being stored within a Column. For example: Number and Integer - Int
  • DB2: DB2 is a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) designed by IBM.
  • Default: A type of Business Rule which is used to default a control to a certain value.
  • Default (Dynamic): Dynamic Defaults respond and default based on User Actions.
  • Delete: The action type Delete is used to delete data.
  • Design Center: The Design Center as a shortcut landing page for Developers to rapidly build and maintain apps. From the Design Center you can quickly access all key areas needed for app development, including the Data Storage, Business Logic, UI, and Security Layers of Vinyl as well as some General application settings. Feature is available in Vinyl 3.3.
  • Dynamic Substitution: Dynamic Substitution is a type of syntax that can be used in Vinyl to dynamically substitute in the result of an expression either in the Business Layer and/or in the UI Layer

E

  • Edit Option: Allows you to Edit a given field or Control on a panel.
  • Enclosed Layout: This layout puts a single Control into its own box, similar to a Group.
  • ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is the integrated management of core business processes, often in real-time and mediated by software and technology.
  • Event: Events are added to Business Objects in order to build processes.

  • Event Response: All Events have the same set of mechanisms to respond to an Event.

    1. CRUD Rules (Create, Read, Update, and Delete)
    2. Workflow Rules
    3. Plugin (Vinyl provides a framework for C# developers to add their own plugins.)

    You can mix and match these response mechanisims to respond to any Event initiated in Vinyl.

  • Event Type: There are two types of Events in Vinyl Runtime: Intrinsic and User Defined.

  • Event Validation: Validation Rules are used to protect the data. These Rules are built in mvSQL and executed whenever a Rule is fired (Create, Update and Delete). Validations can also be associated with User Defined Events.

F

  • File Control: This Control Type allows a User to upload (or download) a file.
  • Foreign Key: A Foreign Key is a field (or collection of fields) in one table that uniquely identifies a row of another table or the same table. In other words, the Foreign Key is defined in a second table, but it refers to the Primary Key or a unique key in the first table.
  • Form Panel: A Panel type that contains data from a single record and is displayed vertically down the panel with a label on the left and the value on the right.
  • Format: Format allows you to apply Conditional Formatting/State to a Control. For example, you can use Format to define when Text should appear as Red Font Color or Green Font Color.
  • Full Audit: Full Audit is an auditing feature added to complement the existing Audit Lite capability. Full Audit records business level changes to your data, and allows you to view those changes.
  • Function: A SQL-based expression used to manipulate data within Business Rules.

G

  • Grid Panel: A Panel type that contains multiple records and is displayed as a Data Grid, much like Excel.
  • Group: Used to make more complex page layouts. Groups are the parent of two or more panels, or represent a container used to group together Controls on a panel.
  • Group By: The GROUP BY statement is often used with aggregate functions (COUNT, MAX, MIN, SUM, AVG) to group the result-set by one or more columns.

H

  • HTML: Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. With Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript, it forms a triad of cornerstone technologies used on the web and leveraged by web applications.

I

  • Icon: Control Type used to display an image as an icon.
  • IDE: The IDE (Integrated Design Environment) is the end-to-end framework area in Vinyl where a developer user can create, build, maintain and launch a Vinyl application. Depending on a User Role and Permissions, they may or may not have access to specific areas in the IDE.
  • Image: Control Type used to display images.
  • Inline: Panel configuration option that instructs Vinyl to create and edit records on the current page.
  • Inner Join: A type of join used in Business Logic to join tables which returns all columns which have context within both tables.
  • Interface: Refers to the collective elements on the page, such as buttons, navigation, or toolbars.
  • Intrinsic Events: Intrinsic Events are the default events within Vinyl that exist on all tables. Specifically they are Update, Delete, Insert, and Save. These events are configurable at the panel level and are used to add process and functionality to a Page.

J

  • Joins: Joins are used in the Business Logic layer by data objects to create a relationship between two tables.
  • Join Columns: When joining two tables, one must specify which columns they have in common. The columns usually used are an ID column shared by the tables.

K

L

  • Label Visibility: Labels on controls can be visible or hidden, and Label Visibility allows a developer to configure whether they display or not.
  • Layout: Layout is used at the Page level to determine overall placement and presentation of information displayed on the page. Current Layout options include: Side by Side (Left to right), Stacked (Top to bottom), and Wizard (Displaying one panel after another)
  • Left and Right: Refers to the sides of an equation, when working on logic in the Business Layer.
  • Link To Page: Setting used to control if a panel links to another page or external resource.

  • Linking: Panels (and therefore) Pages can be bound to each other using Linking. Page linking allows a Panel to Link to a different Page. The Link Criteria allow a constraint to be defined field by field, called Link Criteria.

    Example: The Customers Page (Panel) is linked to the Orders Page by placing a link on an Order Panel. The Link Criteria is CustomerID = CustomerID.

  • List Control: A control type that allows users to pick from a list of choices.

  • Live Designer: Live Designer is a feature to provide a quicker method for developer users to edit and maintain pages in applications. Feature is available in Vinyl 3.3+.
  • Localization: The Vinyl Runtime Component customizes the user experience to reflect localization requirements.
  • Logical Data Type: The type of data which is to be stored inside of the column.
  • Logical Storage Type: Categories for a Logical Data Type.

M

  • Managed Table: A Managed Table is like a regular table, except that the data that gets stored in it is being managed or maintained by Vinyl. They are managed by either User, Window or Session, depending on how the table(s) get configured.
  • Marketplace: The Marketplace is a repository of components to accelerate your Vinyl app development productivity. Feature is avaiable in Vinyl 3.3+.
  • Menu: Refers to the visible navigation links that appear in an app. Vinyl supports the ability to configure an Application Menu, Home Page menu (displayed on the home page), and/or Mobile menu (displayed on mobile devices). An Application Menu typically appears in the top right area of an app, directly to the left of the Action Drawer.
  • Menu Designer: Allows you to assign pages to a menu and make configuration updates to menus.
  • Methodology: Refers to the standard approach or methods used when building out Vinyl apps.
  • Microsoft SQL Server: Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system developed by Microsoft. As a database server, it is a software product with the primary function of storing and retrieving data as requested by other software applications.
  • MS CRM: Microsoft Dynamics CRM, a customer relationship management software package developed by Microsoft.
  • Multi-Row Panel (MRP): Contains multiple records and is displayed as a Data Grid, much like Excel. MRP is now named Grid in Vinyl 3.3+.
  • mvSQL: Vinyl's own dialect of SQL, used as an intermediate format by the Rule Builder, or for writing rules manually.
  • MySQL: An open source relational database management system (RDBMS).

N

  • Nested Menu: A nested menu sits inside an application's menu and allows you to create a drop down list of more menu items (it is useful for organizing a menu).

O

  • OnInsert Defaults: Allows the user to add a Default Rule which defaults a column when adding a new record.
  • Operator: Symbols that denote a function such as >, <,>=, <=, <>, ...
  • Oracle: Oracle is a company that specializes primarily in developing and marketing database software and technology, cloud engineered systems, and enterprise software products — particularly its own brands of database management systems.
  • Outer Join: Type of join used in Business Logic which selects all records that exists in the outer table regardless if the other table contains corresponding values.

P

  • Page: Displayed on the Application UI Layer, a Page is a container made up of a collection of panels.
  • Page Designer: Allows you to create and manage pages in an application.
  • Page Wizard: The Page Wizard helps automate the process of adding a page to an app. Feature is available in Vinyl 3.3+.
  • Panel: A container residing on a page, considered the basic unit of design in Vinyl. A panel is typically linked to a Business Object or table.
  • Panel Size: Panel Size is an option available for Panel configuration that allows you to make a panel larger or smaller relative to those around it.
  • Panel Wizard: The Panel Wizard helps automate the process of adding a panel to a page. Feature is available in Vinyl 3.3+.
  • Photo: Control Type that displays an image as a full sized photo.
  • Platform Agnostic: Platform Agnostic technology means it'll run on any computer operating system such as Linux, Unix, Windows, Mac, etc. Vinyl is Platform Agnostic.
  • Plugin: Plugins support Vinyl extensibility by allowing C# programmers to extend the functionality of Vinyl.
  • Popup Form: A Panel Layout type that allows the resultant Form page to popup when navigated to.
  • Presentation Layer Agnostic: The Presentation Layer handles the interactions that Users have with Vinyl. Vinyl is presentation layer agnostic and supports IIS, Apache, iOS, and Android.
  • Presentation Server: The Presentation Server provides connection information to the Application UI Layer.
  • Primary Key: Every table must have at least one Primary Key. This information is used to uniquely identify the record.
  • Priority: When there is limited screen space to display, Priority determines what fields appear on the screen.
  • Purpose: Purpose is used to define the type of Business Rule you want to create in the Business Logic Layer.

Q

R

  • RDBMS: A relational database management system (RDBMS) is a database management system (DBMS) based on the relational model invented by Edgar F. Codd at IBM's San Jose Research Laboratory. Most databases in widespread use today are based on his relational database model. RDBMSs have been a common option for the storage of information in databases used for financial records, manufacturing and logistical information, personnel data, and other applications since the 1980s.
  • Reach: Reach in Vinyl is row level security used to control a User's access to a category of information.
  • Read Only: A Read Only column in a table cannot be edited.
  • Reference Table (Master): The table which contains the Primary Key for the relationship.
  • Relationship: In the Data Storage Layer, Relationship is where you configure information about Primary and Foreign Key relationships across tables.
  • Responsive Design: Responsive Design is an approach to design that makes apps automatically adapt and render well on a variety of devices and screen sizes.
  • Roles: Data sources may define Roles. Roles organize permissions; permissions determine a role's access rights to data objects.
  • Rules: Rules are created in the Business Layer of Vinyl to provide instructions about data and information available and able to be saved from the Application Layer. Rules can also be created to manipulate existing data in the Data Layer.
  • Rule Builder: The Rule Builder is a Vinyl SQL generator. It is used to guide a Vinyl developer through the process of creating Business Rule logic. These Rules are translated at runtime to the language required by the data platform. i.e. Database, SaaS or PaaS.

S

  • SaaS: Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the internet. SaaS is one of three main categories of cloud computing, alongside Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS).
  • Salesforce: Salesforce is the primary enterprise offering within the Salesforce platform. It provides companies with an interface for case management and task management, and a system for automatically routing and escalating important events.
  • SAP: SAP SE is a German-based European multinational software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations.
  • Save Event: This default event runs every time a record is saved.
  • Session: All interactions with Vinyl occur within the context of a session. A session is created when a user first visits Vinyl. Subsequent requests from the same user are associated with the session.
  • Set Cascade: Whenever rows in the master (referenced) table are deleted/updated the respective rows of the child (referencing) table with a matching foreign key column will get deleted/updated as well.
  • Set Default: Whenever rows in the master (referenced) table are deleted/updated, the respective rows of the child (referencing) table with a matching foreign key column will set to their default value.
  • Set Null: Whenever rows in the master (referenced) table are deleted/updated, the respective rows of the child (referencing) table with a matching foreign key column will set to null.
  • Side by Side Layout: A page layout where the panels are set side-by-side.
  • Single-row Panel (SRP): Contains data from a single record and is displayed vertically down the panel with a label on the left and the value on the right. This panel type is now named Form in Vinyl 3.3.
  • Site: A Vinyl Site hosts a set of applications, users, and their rights.
  • Site Menu: Provides users with a better landing page experience for viewing and accessing applications residing on a Vinyl environment.
  • Sort Direction: Used to define what order data is presented, options include Ascending or Descending.
  • Sort Order: Sort Order determines which field is sorted 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.
  • SMS: SMS allows you to deliver notifications via smartphones.
  • SMTP: Standard Mail Transfer Protocol. This must be properly configured in the IDE in order for a Vinyl app to take advantage of notifications.

  • Sort: Grid Panels can be sorted by the following methods:

    • By Default, all Grid Panels are sort on the first column of the Panel.
    • A developer can override this default behavior and specify one or more columns to be sorted. Each Column can specify Sort Direction (Ascending or Descending) and the Sort Order (1st, 2nd 3rd, etc).
    • The user can change the Sort, by selecting a Single Column, via pressing the Label and the Panel will instantly resorted. This change in sort order is only temporary. It will reset itself, next time the page is launched.

  • Sort Direction: This sets if a column sorts by Ascending or Descending order on a page.

  • Sort Index: Determines which field is sorted 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc...
  • SQLite: SQLite is a relational database management system contained in a C programming library. In contrast to many other database management systems, SQLite is not a client–server database engine. Rather, it is embedded into the end program.
  • Stacked Layout: A page layout where the panels are stacked on top of each other.
  • Styles: Styles provide the capability to apply specific styling or formatting to a page, panel, and/or control element. Feature is available in Vinyl 3.3+.
  • Subtitle: Subtitle can be used to designate a value that gets displayed below a title value in lists.
  • Supported Languages: In Vinyl where you configure what additional Language(s) are supported by your app.
  • Supports Delete: A configuration setting that allows records to be deleted in the table.
  • Supports Insert: A configuration setting that allows new records to be added to the table.
  • Supports Update: A configuration setting that allows records to be updated in the table.
  • Sync: Updates the physical database with the changes you made.

T

  • Table: Tables are the structures in data sources that hold your data. Tables have one or more rows and each row contains one or more columns.
  • Table (Child): When two tables are joined, the Table (Child) represents the table which contains the Foreign Key for the Relationship.
  • Table Wizard: The Table Wizard is an automated workflow supporting creating a table using one of two supported paths, Table Builder (manually define table) or Excel Spreadsheet (upload table). Feature is available in Vinyl 3.3+.
  • Target: The Target represents the table you want to build your Business Rule against.
  • Template Designer: Area in Vinyl where you create and manage Templates to be used by your Vinyl app. Templates contain custom formatted information and allow you to finely tune an application look and feel.
  • Temporary Columns: The Temporary Columns feature allows for editable columns in a Rule which aren't targeted in a physical table. Feature available in Vinyl 3.2+.
  • Text: A Control Type that allows you to type text into a field.
  • Text Area: A Control Type for larger amounts of text.
  • Themes: Themes control the color scheme and other visual properties of the application. Themes can be built with specific designs to allow for branding of applications.
  • Title: Designates what will be displayed in place of the Primary Key for Lists.
  • Total Expression: The Total Expression is an equation used to display a total, such as price times quantity.
  • Total Function: A Total Function can be added to a column with numerical contents to display the Sum, Average, Count, Minimum or Maximum value of that column.
  • Translations: The Translations feature allows apps to support multiple languages. Keys and their corresponding translations are stored in a Vinyl Bundle. The Bundle is associated with Applications and Data Sources.
  • Trace: Trace, or Tracing, is a diagnostic feature available within Vinyl that allows Developer Users to troubleshoot applications.

U

  • UI Layer: The layer of Vinyl where you build the actual application and customize the user interface the application User will interact with.
  • Unstored Procedure: An Unstored Procedure is similar to a Stored Procedure, except that it is never stored in the Database. It is a database action that either Creates, Updates or Deletes rows from the Data Source. Unstored Procedures are built at runtime based on an CRUD Rule and are designed using mvSQL.
  • Update: The action type Update is used to update data.
  • Usage: Allows the user to designate a Title and Subtitle for Lists from the data source layer.
  • User-Defined Events: User Defined Events (UDE) are events defined by a Vinyl developer to define and augment a business process.

V

  • Validation: Validation Rules are used to protect the data from unwanted or incorrect manipulation.
  • Value: Charts in Vinyl use Value as the Control Type to represent the x (principal or horizontal) axis on the graph.
  • Vinyl: Vinyl enables full stack and citizen developers alike to create powerful, end-to-end, enterprise-grade applications with sophisticated logic, workflows, security, and integrations. No code required.
  • Vinyl Connector: A Vinyl Connector is a feature designed to connect two different Vinyl instances together and treat it like a Rule, import the Table and start using it.

W

  • Widget: Widgets in Vinyl allow developers to provide 3rd party (or their own) code in order to show a customized Control on the page.
  • Width: A setting that determines how much space is allocated to a column or element.
  • Wizard: Wizard is a page layout option in Vinyl where you define a workflow with Previous, Next, and Finish button elements for navigation.
  • Workflow: Vinyl supports two types of workflow: Event Driven and Condition Driven.

X

  • XP CRUD: A type of CRUD Rule that can be applied between business objects across platforms (the XP means cross platform).

Y

Z

  • Zones: Zones are a UI feature that provide more flexibility and control over layout of content within a panel on a Page. Zones are deprecated in Vinyl 3.3+ and replaced with Groups.