is a platform that presents a customized App Gallery containing apps specific to a customer's activity or business. 

Each app can provide users with numerous items of information (e.g. number of incidents, distribution of employees by country, rate of satisfaction or percentage of disk space available) from different sources (e.g. , CSV files, social networks or third-party applications) displayed in different ways (e.g. chart, table, text or map).
            Dashboards for monitoring sales or incidents, or the Self Service portal

• Access to the App Gallery is secured using access management that extends generally to the entire platform and individually to each app.
  • Authorized users can access the  platform using their login and password. 
  • Users can only access the apps for which they have access rights, e.g. administer, modify, duplicate or run the app.

• Each app is built using a set of objects selected from different libraries, e.g. data sources, widgets or custom widgets.
  • The connection settings to data sources such as databases, website data or third-party products are defined using connectors.
  • Generic apps shipped with the  setup can be duplicated and used as templates.
  • You design this in the graphic editor.
  • You define the app style guide using themes.
  • Each app can be associated with a Public user. This is used to define public pages, i.e. pages that display data to all users without requiring user authentication, and private pages, i.e. pages that contain data requiring user authentication.  See Public mode.

• You deploy apps by sending users a link to the app, i.e. its direct URL or a shortcut.

• You can export an app from a test environment in order to import it to the production environment.

Notes

• The presentation of the App Gallery may vary:
  • Depending on the rights of the logged-in user.
  • Depending on the screen definition/size, to ensure optimal display. If the resolution is less than 1012 pixels, certain elements, such as the app toolbar, will not be displayed.

• Only the app administrator (Admin) or platform administrator (App Center Manager profile) can manage the rights to an app.
• Users whose profile is App Creator are authorized to duplicate existing apps.

• Import / Export:
  • You can import apps in the App Gallery. You can export them in the App Gallery or in the graphic editor.
  • You can import themes in the App Gallery. You can export them in the theme editor.
  • You can import custom widgets in the App Gallery. You can export them in the graphic editor.

     Also see remarks on:

Caution

• When you delete an app, the action is final.

Best practice

• You can use an existing app as a template and duplicate it.
• To create a new version of an app, duplicate the previous version and work on the duplicate.
• When you import an app, you can duplicate it and work on the duplicate so that you can keep the original as a template.

• If you need to deploy an app for several users, e.g. via a portal:
  • You should send authorized users a shortcut to the app instead of the app URL. Users can then add the shortcut to their favorites and run the latest production version of the app at any time, without having to make any modifications.
  • You should define access rights using the shortcut instead of the app.
     

BestPracticeShow

Description of the App Gallery

The App Gallery is made up of four zones:

• A toolbar (1).
• A search field (2), used to search app titles and descriptions. It can also be used to filter results to display only apps or shortcuts. Note: This field appears only if the App Gallery contains apps as well as shortcuts.
• The list of apps/shortcuts (3), each with a toolbar and an image showing a preview of its contents.
• A tag cloud (4) formed dynamically based on the most frequently used keywords in titles and descriptions in the App Gallery.
  • The font size of a keyword depends on its frequency of use. More popular keywords are displayed in a larger font than less popular ones.
  • Click one of the keywords to display the relevant apps associated with it.
  • Click (X) at the top left to cancel this filter.
• A list of links (5) to pages linked to .
           

Toolbar

: Open the About dialog box to see the minimum version required, the installed version of the  API and version information on connectors. Note: Error messages are displayed in red.

Create App: Used to create a new app. The graphic editor will automatically appear, displaying the Application properties window.
 

Create Shortcut: Used to create a shortcut for an app.  See Screen description.
 

Theme Design (Note: Only for users with access rights to create themes, i.e. whose profile is Theme Designer): Used to create a theme. The theme editor will automatically appear.

Import: Used to import an app, a theme or a custom widget from a compressed file (.tar.gz format).

• If the object you want to import already exists, you will be asked if you want to overwrite the existing one.
• If a connector used by the imported app does not exist in the App Gallery, a dialog box will appear enabling you to select it among the existing ones.

 User Management (Note: Only for the platform administrator whose profile is App Center Manager): Used to manage access rights to the platform. 

Connector: Used to configure the connectors for defining connection settings to data sources and for retrieving dynamic content from websites via services.

• Connectors defined in the App Gallery are available for all apps.
• Connectors defined in the app using the graphic editor are available only for the app.
  
  

AuthenticationZone

EndAuthenticationZone

List of apps/shortcuts

Description

• Apps and shortcuts are displayed by their last modification date in reverse chronological order. 
• Each app/shortcut is divided into five zones:
  • The title (1), description (2) and image (3).
  • Time elapsed since the last modification of the app (in hours, days, weeks and months) (4), refreshed each time the App Gallery is displayed.
  • A toolbar (5) that varies depending on the access rights of the logged-in user.
• You can identify shortcuts by .

Best practice

• When you delete an app, the action is final. You should export the app first if you want to keep a copy of it.
• Before deleting the shortcut, you should ensure that the link is no longer used.
• To find the shortcut you want quickly, use the search field at the top of the App Gallery to filter results using the Shortcuts option.

Execute mode

To run an app in the App Gallery, click its name or image. The cursor changes to .

Run an app in the App Gallery	List of user apps

 : Used to display or hide the list of apps that users can access. Note: You configure it in the graphic editor.

• Click the name of the app to run it. 
• If users are authorized to access only one app, then this app will run directly without first displaying the App Gallery.

 : Used to display the help page associated with the app. Note: You configure it in the general properties of the app.

App/Shortcut toolbar

App	Shortcut

.. hours/minutes: Time elapsed since the last modification of the app (in hours, days, weeks and months), refreshed each time the App Gallery is displayed.

 : Used to switch to edit mode for the selected app and open the graphic editor. Used to display the properties of a shortcut.

 : Used to display the main app properties.

• To display all properties, click  to open the graphic editor and click  in the editor toolbar.

  (Note: Only for app/shortcut administrators (Admin) or platform administrators whose profile is App Center Manager): Used to manage access rights to the app/shortcut.

  (Note:  Only for users whose profile is App Creator): Used to duplicate the selected app and use it as a template.

 : Used to export the selected app in a compressed file (.tar.gz).

• Click the icon to create and save the file in the folder you want.
• Exported apps can be re-imported to another platform using the Import function.
• You can also click  to export it in the graphic editor.
   

 : Used to permanently delete the app/shortcut.

Procedures

How to access the platform

1. Click the link to access the  platform.

2. Enter your login information and click . Note: The password field is case-sensitive.
         

3. If you have forgotten your password, click the Forgot your Password link. Enter your email address and click [OK].
         

How to manage access rights to the platform

     See the procedure.

How to assign a new user access to the platform

     See the procedure.

How to create an app

          See App creation rules.

1. You can:

• Create a new app: Click Create App in the App Gallery toolbar. Specify the general properties of the app.

• Use an existing app as a template:
  • Click  in the toolbar of the template app. The graphic editor will appear with all of the objects used.
  • By default, the name of the app is the same as the one for the template app preceded by the words, Copy of. Click  to rename it.

2. In the graphic editor, define the new app by creating and configuring its objects.

3. Run the app to check its visual layout and that it is working correctly:

• Click  and select the device in which users will view the app:
  •  for Portrait orientation
  •  for Landscape orientation
• Click  to run the app in a new tab in the Web browser.

5. Assign access rights to the relevant users:

• Click  to return to the App Gallery. Note: The app will automatically be saved.
• Click  in the app toolbar.

How to define access rights to an app

     See the procedure.

Public mode

Public mode is used to create apps containing data in public pages accessible to all users with the app URL or shortcut without requiring user authentication, and data in private pages that require user authentication.

You define public and private pages by associating them with a Public user. This is a generic user for whom certain parameters (e.g. language, domain, time zone, date and number formats) have been predefined. This user configuration is applied when displaying data.

• In public pages, data is displayed based on certain parameters defined for the Public user:
  •  data is restricted to the Public user's domain
  • The date/time is based on the Public user's time zone
  • Text is displayed in the Public user's language
  • Dates and numbers are displayed in the Public user's format

• In private pages, data is displayed based on certain parameters defined for/by the logged-in user.

Example

ExamplePublicMode

EndExamplePublicMode

Notes

• When users attempt to access a private page, the standard login page will appear, except if SSO is used. Once users have logged in, the page will be displayed, together with the user information zone .

• By default, all of the pages in an app are private. To define public pages, you must associate a Public user with the app.  
  • Any user can be defined as a Public user using a specific profile enabled in Access Management.
  • You associate this user in the general properties of the app.
  • You can define public and private pages in the properties of each page.
  • The Public user configuration uses the language, domain, time zone, and date and number formats predefined for this user.

• You can modify the Public user at any time. If you do so, then the modified Public user configuration will be taken into account.
• You can remove the Public user from a given app at any time. If this is the case, the app will become private again and will only be accessible to users authorized to consult it.

• The home page of the app is automatically defined as public. This mode cannot be changed.
• If you move a private page to the top of the list of app pages to define it as your home page, its mode will change and it will automatically become public.

• If the app contains data from the  database, this data can be made accessible without requiring user authentication:
  • The Public user associated with the app can be linked to an  account.
  • If the Public user is not linked to an  account, the data can be made accessible via   the email address if  data sources based on an EasyVista IT Service Manager connector were defined using a registered user.

Shortcuts

When a new version of the app is released, you must send users a link to access it. This link may be:

• A URL. This link points directly to the app and must be resent each time a new version is released.
• A shortcut. This link redirects users automatically and transparently to the latest production version. Users can then add the shortcut to their favorites and run the latest production version of the app at any time, without having to make any modifications.

Each shortcut can point to:

• A specific app page.
• Two versions of an app, one for display on standard devices and the other for mobile display.

Example

		Implementation
		First release of the customer portal: Create a shortcut pointing to version v1 of the portal (1). Define access rights for the shortcut. Send the shortcut to users. ==> Users can add the shortcut to their favorites and access version v1 of the portal automatically.
		New version v2: To ensure that software development does not disrupt the current production version, you should duplicate version v1. Make the required modifications in the new version v2. Once you have run tests, you can release the new version. Version v1 will now become obsolete. Modify and point the shortcut to the new version v2 (2). ==> The modification made to the shortcut is transparent to users. When users click the shortcut in their favorites, version v2 of the portal will automatically open. You do not need to send them a new link to access it.
		New version v3: Duplicate the production version v2. Make the required modifications in the new version v3 and release it. Version v2 will now become obsolete. Modify and point the shortcut to the new version v3 (3). ==> The modification made to the shortcut is transparent to users. When users click the shortcut in their favorites, version v3 of the portal will automatically open. You do not need to send them a new link to access it.

Notes

• Only users whose profile is App Center Manager can create shortcuts.
• Users authorized to edit a shortcut can modify it.
• By default, the access rights of a new shortcut are defined in the app to which the shortcut points.
• When you edit an app to which a shortcut points, a warning message will appear.
• If the app has exposed properties, these are automatically shared with the shortcut. When you run the shortcut, only the records corresponding to the values of the properties will appear.

Screen description

• Shortcut title: Name of the shortcut displayed in the App Gallery.
• Short URL (optional): Simplified name for the app. Note: Authorized characters are as follows: upper/lower case letters, numbers, underscore and dash. There must be no spaces.

    Shortcut named MyApp ==> Launch URL = https://<server>/MyApp

• Description: Short description of the shortcut displayed in the App Gallery. Note: By default, this is identical to the description of the app. However, you can modify it.
• Application: Name of the app or version to which the shortcut points.
• Page: Page of the app to which the shortcut points.
• Mobile version (optional): Name of the app or version specifically for mobile display.
• Mobile Page: Page of the app specifically for mobile display, to which the shortcut points.
• Execution context: Name of the execution context to which the shortcut points. You specify the database to be used by the app run by the link. Note: By default, this is the execution context of the app. However, you can modify it.

OptionsShow

• Show Main Toolbar: In execute mode, this indicates if the app title bar should be displayed (box is checked) or not (box is not checked).
• Show App List: Only when the Show Main Toolbar option is enabled (box is checked). This is used to determine if the  icon is displayed in execute mode. It enables you to show or hide the list of apps that users can access. The icon is displayed if the box is checked, and hidden if the box is not checked.

Properties	Display in execute mode
Show Main Toolbar: Box is checked Show App List: Box is checked
Show Main Toolbar: Box is checked Show App List: Box is not checked
Show Main Toolbar: Box is not checked Show App List: Box is checked or box is not checked

Procedure: How to perform app versioning using shortcuts

1. When an app is ready for release, create a shortcut pointing to it:

• In the App Gallery toolbar, click Create Shortcut.
• Specify the information on the shortcut:
  • Select the app to which the shortcut will point.
  • Select the execution context corresponding to the Production step in your deployment process.  See the example in deployment process steps.
• Click [ OK ]. 
• If required, modify the access rights to the shortcut. By default, access rights are identical to those of the app to which it points.

2. Send the shortcut to authorized users: 

• Click  in the shortcut toolbar.
• Copy the URL and send it to users.
           

3. If you are required to make updates to the app:

• Duplicate the latest version of the app by clicking  in the app toolbar.
• Make the required modifications.

• Once the version is ready for release, modify the shortcut:
  • Click  in the shortcut toolbar.
  • Select the new version in the Application field.
  • Click [ OK ].
    • The contents of the shortcut will automatically be modified.
    • Its link, however, will remain identical for authorized users. You do not need to send them the new link.