Content Management System

Labels
AJAX(112) Apple(1) Application Builder(244) Application Factory(207) ASP.NET(95) ASP.NET 3.5(45) ASP.NET Code Generator(72) ASP.NET Membership(28) Azure(18) Barcode(2) Barcodes(3) BLOB(18) Business Rules(1) Business Rules/Logic(140) BYOD(13) Caching(2) Calendar(5) Charts(29) Cloud(14) Cloud On Time(2) Cloud On Time for Windows 7(2) Code Generator(54) Collaboration(11) command line(1) Conflict Detection(1) Content Management System(11) COT Tools for Excel(26) CRUD(1) Custom Actions(1) Data Aquarium Framework(122) Data Sheet(9) Data Sources(22) Database Lookups(50) Deployment(22) Designer(177) Device(1) DotNetNuke(12) EASE(20) Email(6) Features(99) Firebird(1) Form Builder(14) Globalization and Localization(6) How To(1) Hypermedia(2) Inline Editing(1) Installation(4) JavaScript(20) Kiosk(1) Low Code(3) Mac(1) Many-To-Many(4) Maps(6) Master/Detail(36) Microservices(4) Mobile(63) Mode Builder(3) Model Builder(3) MySQL(10) Native Apps(5) News(17) OAuth(7) OAuth Scopes(1) OAuth2(10) Offline(19) Offline Apps(4) Offline Sync(5) Oracle(10) PKCE(2) PostgreSQL(2) PWA(2) QR codes(2) Rapid Application Development(5) Reading Pane(2) Release Notes(168) Reports(48) REST(28) RESTful(26) RESTful Workshop(15) RFID tags(1) SaaS(7) Security(77) SharePoint(12) SPA(6) SQL Anywhere(3) SQL Server(26) Stored Procedure(4) Teamwork(15) Tips and Tricks(84) Tools for Excel(2) Touch UI(93) Transactions(5) Tutorials(183) Universal Windows Platform(3) User Interface(335) Video Tutorial(37) Web 2.0(100) Web App Generator(101) Web Application Generator(607) Web Form Builder(40) Web.Config(9) Workflow(28)
Archive
Blog
Content Management System
Tuesday, December 14, 2021PrintSubscribe
December / January 2022 Roadmap

We are happy to introduce the Level 3 REST API Engine, the new amazing feature of Code On Time apps. Automatic production of Progressive Web Apps and the barcode scanning with the device camera will follow shortly 

Level 3 REST API Engine

The work on our own content management system and numerous inquiries from customers have prompted us to build a new REST API Engine. It is built directly into the server-side framework and exemplifies an exceptional piece of technology. Your app converts into powerful middleware with just a few keystrokes. The API of the app evolves as you create new data models and customize your app with actions and views. The new engine classifies as the Level 3 REST API according to the Richardson Maturity Model

The hypermedia links are self-documenting the API. Developers can extend their own Code On Time app frontend with the help of the built-in RESTful interface. Alternatively the entire application can become the backend of a custom mobile or web client making HTTP requests to the REST API to read and write data.

Here is an example of an application resource with the hypermedia controls embedded in it. The singleton of a product has the hypermedia links for the SupplierID and CategoryID lookup fields. Links to “edit”, “replace”, “delete”, and execute a custom action “custom-action2” are also available with the corresponding HTTP methods.

This is the same data item presented in the editForm1 view of the Products controller. Change the form and the API will change automatically.


The inventory resource corresponding to the dashboard controller Inventory is presented next. It has Categories, Products, and Suppliers fields of the dataview type and an alternative dashboard2 view. 

This is how the Inventory dashboard looks like in the application when running in the development mode.


The standard frontend of your application provides the visual interpretation of its  REST API resources. Naturally you can use this frontend as the primary user interface for your application or create custom mobile or web apps using the technology of your choice.


The new REST API engine produces the responses in JSON, Yaml, and XML formats.


Future releases of the product will include a complete GraphQL runtime that will convert the queries and mutations into the internal REST API calls.

Barcode Scanning With Device Camera

Your apps will finally have an option to scan the barcodes and QR codes without relying on the external scanners. The powerful UI Automation and Kiosk UI already available to the app developers are getting a boost! The QR code icon on the toolbar activates the camera-based scanner powered by the Zxing (zebra crossing) library.  

The camera scanner icon is available when barcode support is enabled. Developers will also have an option to automatically activate the scanner when a particular form is displayed or a field is focused. The scanned barcodes and QR codes are placed in the barcode processing queue, which is also populated by the external scanners and readers.

The simple and powerful IfThisThenThat API allows creating complex rules that force the UI of the app to perform various actions in response to the contents of the barcode queue.

Automatic Production of PWA 

We are finally bringing a unified native experience to Android, Chrome OS, and Windows. Code On Time apps are getting built-in support for Progressive Web Apps technology. Users running your application in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome will see a prompt to install the app. Installed applications will have no address bar and will behave just like any native application does.

We will continue to support the Cloud On Time universal client for Apple and Mac OS platforms. 

Last But Not Least

REST API engine provides the missing building block for the Content Hub, the new Content Management System (CMS) for Code On Time applications. The new CMS will infuse them with the community forum, help desk, blog, and documentation library. 

Our website will move to our own technology. The documentation library and community forum will become integrated into https://my.codeontime.com. New live design environment v9 integrates with the Content Hub to deliver the unmatched level of productivity when building applications with Code On Time. 


Thursday, October 26, 2017PrintSubscribe
DotNetNuke + Code On Time = RAD for Business

DotNetNuke Portal and Code On Time apps are great together!

Create an online presence for your business or organization with the help of DNN in minutes. Build powerful data-driven apps for your portal and fully integrate them in the DotNetNuke portal with Single Sign On (SSO). Present data directly in the portal pages or access them offline, online, and on-premises. Use the power of DotNetNuke tokens in the business logic and access control rules of your apps.

App created with Code On Time is integrated in the instance of DotNetNuke Portal.

Rapid Application Development (RAD) tools available in Code On Time will help you build the apps that can be integrated with a DNN portal even if your app is running on its own server.

The introductory video demonstrates an app integrated into a DotNetNuke instance running in Microsoft Azure cloud. The app data can be presented in the online portal, access directly, or execute in offline mode on a mobile device.

This is possible without writing a single line of code. Simply install Cloud On Time Connector for DNN extension in your portal, configure an OAuth endpoint page, and create a corresponding SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) registration record in your app.

The in-depth review of Rapid Application Development for DotNetNuke with Code on Time takes through the various aspects of integration enhanced with the video tutorials.

The tutorial covers the following subjects:

  • Configuring DNN Portal in Azure
  • Creating a Sample App with Code On Time
  • Configuring DNN for Open Authentication
  • Advanced Features (Roles and DotNetNuke tokens)
  • Rapid Application Development and Data Model Builder
  • Server-Side Technology of Code On Time apps
  • Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
  • Data Access
  • Business Rules
  • Server Deployment
  • Client-Side Technology
  • User Inteface Design (Forms and Navigation)
  • Data Binding
  • Client Deployment

Apps created with Code On Time can also integrate with other content management systems such as SharePoint Online in Office 365.

App created with Code On Time is integrated in SharePoint Online.
Monday, October 16, 2017PrintSubscribe
Rich Text in Touch UI

By default any HTML content stored in the database table column will be displayed in the raw format with the tags plainly visible to the end user. Rich text mode will force the framework to prevent encoding of the values and let the browser to render the content with the formatting. Property Text Mode of a data field  enables rich text formatting when set to Rich Text. End users will have access to the text formatting options available on the special toolbar displayed when the field is focused on the form.

Rich Text Editor in apps with Touch UI.

The formatted text will also be visible in the Grid and List view styles.

Rich Text formatting in visible in Grid and List styles in apps created with Code On Time.

If the Text Mode is set to the default value, then the formatting tags are revealed as plain text.

By default Rich Text formatting tags are revealed in plain form.

Button “…” displayed on the right side of the formatting toolbar will bring up a full list of formatting commands available to the user.

The panel of RTF options activated from the built-in RTF editor in apps with Touch UI.

Developers control the Richt Text Format (RTF) toolbar with the tags assigned to the data field.

Tag rtf-frame will display a frame around the field content when the focus is received.

A frame may optional surround the boundaries of Rich Text in apps with Touch UI.

Tag rtf-toolbar-location-bottom will set the preferred location of the formatting tollbar to be at the bottom of the field in the form. This option may prove to be useful when implementing messaging forms with the the recepient and subject displayed above the field value.

An optional location as the bottom can be specified for RTF fields in apps with Touch UI.

Note that the framework will move the toolbar above or below the field boundaries as the user scrolls the contents of the form. The text boundaries will grow as the user types in more content.

Tag rtf-editor will force a dedicated editor form to be displayed when user activated the field with the Text Mode set to  Rich Text. This mode may help when a long text is expected to be entered as the field value. User can press Ctrl+Enter keyboard shortcut to save the contents when edting is finished to retun to the data form.

A dedicated rich text editor form can be activated by default or when user preses F11 while editing RTF text in apps with Touch UI.

Tag rtf-editor-fullscreen will display a fullscreen editor window upon activation.

A fullscreen editor can be specified as the default editing option in apps with Touch UI created with Code On Time app generator.

The dedicated editor form can be activated by pressing F11 when the rtf-editor tag is not specified and the focus is on the Rich Text field.

Individual commands on the toolbar can be controlled by providing a combination of rtf-command-(command-name) tags. For example, if a limited text formating is desired then rtf-command-bold rtf-command-italic rtf-command-insertUnorderedList combination of tags will transform the formatting toolbar as follows.

Developers have a control over RTF formatting commands in apps created with Touch UI.

The complete list of supported formatting commands is presented in the table.

Tag Description
rtf-command-formatBlock-p Formats text as a paragraph. This option is avialable in under Format drop down on the toolbar.
rtf-command-formatBlock-blockquote Format text as a quotation. This option is avialable in under Format drop down on the toolbar.
rtf-command-formatBlock-h1 Format text as Heading 1. This option is avialable in under Format drop down on the toolbar.
rtf-command-formatBlock-h2 Format text as Heading 2. This option is avialable in under Format drop down on the toolbar.
rtf-command-formatBlock-h3 Format text as Heading 3. This option is avialable in under Format drop down on the toolbar.
rtf-command-formatBlock-h4 Format text as Heading 4. This option is avialable in under Format drop down on the toolbar.
rtf-command-formatBlock-h5 Format text as Heading 5. This option is avialable in under Format drop down on the toolbar.
rtf-command-formatBlock-h6 Format text as Heading 6. This option is avialable in under Format drop down on the toolbar.
rtf-command-bold Format text as bold.
rtf-command-italic Format text as italic.
rtf-command-underline Format text as underlined.
rtf-command-strikethrough Format text with a strike through.
rtf-command-insertUnorderedList Format selected text as unoredered list or start a new unordered list.
rtf-command-insertOrderedList Format selected text as ordered list or start a new oredered list.
rtf-command-justifyLeft Align the selected text to the left.
rtf-command-justifyCenter Align the selected text to the center.
rtf-command-justifyRight Alight the selected text to the right.
rtf-command-justifyFull Justify the text to fill the full width of text boundaries.
rtf-command-indent Increase indentation of the text on the left side.
rtf-command-outdent Decrease indentation of the text on the left side.
rtf-command-removeFormat Remove formatting from the selected text.
rtf-command-rtf-editor Enables an option to activate a dedicated editor for the field content.

Additional formatting commands will be available in the future releases. Don’t hesisitate to contact customer support if specific formatting options are desired.

The implementation of rich text formatting is based on the native content editing capabilities of the modern browsers. Applicaiton frameowork will use P tag to format paragraphs accross different platforms and strip all formatting when the text is pasted from the clipboard. The implementation of rich formatting is touch friendly. The new RTF editing support will be also utilized in the upcoming page builder of the built-in Content Management System (CMS) available in the apps created with Code On Time.

Note that variations in the implementations of content editing by browser vendors may produce a slightly different formatting output but appear the same to the end users on different platforms. An attempt to provide a unified formatting across various platforms will require creating a full featured document editor, which is not an easy task.

There are great RTF editors out there. Many of them are with a permissive licensing. Some of the editors are already providing a decent touch-friendly user interface. We will be integrating support for the leading solutions in the future implementations of the framework. Custom RTF editors are equipped with their own extensive user interface. Therefore we will be offering external RTF editor integration as dedicated forms via rtf-editor tag extensions. External editors will display on top of the forms. If you would like to sponsor an integration of a particular RTF editing framework, then please contact customer support to request a quote.