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Thursday, May 8, 2025Print Subscribe

Stop Coding, Start Securing: Visually Configure Row-Level Security in Minutes!

Application security, especially controlling who sees what data, is often a complex and time-consuming task. Developers traditionally wade through lines of code or repetitive configurations to implement row-level security, making it prone to errors and difficult to audit. What if you could define and test these critical data access rules visually, getting instant feedback and ensuring your application is locked down precisely as intended, all without writing a single line of server-side code for most common scenarios?

Introducing Static Access Control Rules (SACR) in Code On Time, now supercharged by the integrated App Studio 2025. We've taken the power of declarative, SQL-based security and paired it with an intuitive visual interface. Imagine defining rules like "users only see their own orders" or "managers in the Sales department can only see customers in their region" through a simple point-and-click configuration, directly within your live application preview. No more hunting through business rule files or worrying if your custom code covers every edge case for standard security patterns!

With App Studio, configuring SACR becomes a breeze. See at a glance which parts of your application are protected with clear visual cues like the "security shield" icon directly in the App Explorer. Define rules using straightforward properties, get instant feedback on their impact, and even use the "Related Items" feature to see exactly which data fields and views are affected by a specific rule. Debugging is simplified to toggling a rule's Enabled status and observing the change immediately. This visual approach not only accelerates development but also makes your security posture transparent and significantly easier to maintain.

Ready to transform how you handle data security? Stop wrestling with complex code for common security needs and embrace the power of visual configuration. Learn how to master Static Access Control Rules with our comprehensive tutorial and start building more secure applications, faster.

Click here to learn how to master Static Access Control Rules with our comprehensive tutorial.

This access control rule is triggered by the presence of the `LastName` data field in the view. The framework will filter in the rows that have the trigger field value that matches the user’s name. The rule applies to the views of all existing and future data controllers of the application.

The maroon “security shield” icon is overlaid on the relevant configuration nodes of `Customers`, `Employees`, and `Orders` data controllers. The icon subtly hints of the security restrictions in the application making it possible at-a-glance security check. The `Access Control` property group of the affected nodes contains the `Triggers` property with the list of relevant “trigger” fields defined in **SACR**.

Friday, April 11, 2025Print Subscribe

A Glimpse into Unprecedented App Building Power

The Code On Time roadmap is focused on dramatically lowering development costs and empowering developers to create sophisticated applications with unprecedented speed and ease. This vision is driven by the introduction of embedded development tools directly within the application itself, streamlining the entire development lifecycle. This innovative approach eliminates the traditional complexities and overhead associated with custom app development, making it far more accessible and cost-effective.

A key element of this roadmap is the reimagining of Windows-based tools and the introduction of the App Studio. This feature provides a unified environment for designing, developing, and deploying applications. Developers can visually design the app, generate code, and manage various aspects of the project, all within a single, intuitive interface. This streamlines the workflow, reduces the learning curve, and significantly boosts productivity.

The roadmap also emphasizes enhanced compatibility and modernization. Existing applications will benefit from compatibility mode, ensuring a smooth transition to the latest platform. New projects will leverage .NET Core 9 support, enabling the development of modern, high-performance web applications. This commitment to both legacy support and modern design principles ensures that Code On Time remains a versatile and future-proof solution.

Code On Time is expanding its capabilities with a powerful Content Hub. This new feature will provide a centralized repository for managing application content, including text, images, and other digital assets. The Content Hub will also power the Community and Helpdesk features, which will be integrated directly into the App Studio, streamlining content creation, editing, and publishing for these resources and making it easier to keep applications up-to-date and engaging. This will empower developers to build more dynamic and content-rich applications with greater efficiency.

Looking ahead, Code On Time is committed to empowering developers to build increasingly sophisticated and user-friendly applications. The roadmap emphasizes a future where app development is more intuitive, efficient, and accessible to a wider range of users.

Explore the exciting future of Code On Time!

Monday, April 7, 2025Print Subscribe

Introducing App Explorer

App Studio 2025 introduces significant enhancements to the Code On Time development environment, focusing on streamlined app customization and improved user experience. Key features include the “App Explorer”, which combines a hierarchical view of app configurations with the Properties Grid, offering both horizontal and vertical layouts, as well as a table mode for easier navigation. “Live Inspection" allows developers to directly interact with the live application UI to select and modify configuration elements, while “Global Search” enables querying across all configuration hierarchies. Additional features such as “Background Inspection”, “Peek Through”, and “Auto Complete” further enhance the development workflow.

The App Explorer provides a tabbed interface for quick access to different configuration sections like Settings, Models, Controllers, and Pages, and it supports both tree and table views with breadcrumb navigation. Live Inspection simplifies the process of locating and modifying configuration elements by clicking on the UI, with background inspection and pulsating icons indicating corresponding UI elements. Global Search allows for comprehensive searches across the app configuration, including specific terms and related items, with search results displayed in a list with full paths and element types.

Transform your app development workflow with the all-new App Studio 2025! Unlock powerful features like Live Inspection, Global Search, and the innovative App Explorer. Ready to revolutionize your development process? Dive into the details and learn more about App Studio 2025 now!

Upcoming features planned for future releases include a standalone mode for launching apps directly from the App Studio homepage, an Assistant panel that provides contextual information and guidance, and a Toolbox panel that facilitates the creation and transformation of UI elements. The API View will also be introduced, allowing developers to work with RESTful APIs of Code On Time applications. These updates aim to enhance the developer experience, streamline the workflow, and make the powerful configuration options of Code On Time more accessible to both new and expert users.

The provided screenshot displays the App Explorer following a live inspection of the "Product Name" column header. The image shows the attached hierarchy and properties side-by-side, with the "Label" property of the "ProductName" field selected. A brief description explains the property's purpose. Tabs within the title grant quick access to "Settings", "Models", "Controllers", and "Pages". The right side of the title contains buttons for "Search", "Display Hierarchy as Table", "Split Vertically", and "Close".

The ability to view key node properties in a table format is incredibly useful. Clicking on a cell within the table rows will highlight the corresponding node in the Properties Grid and focus on the property associated with that cell. Boolean properties are displayed as checkboxes, allowing you to toggle the property value simply by clicking on them. Click the “Display Hierarchy as Tree” to switch to the standard navigation.

Finding application configuration elements is easy with App Studio's built-in search feature. Simply click the "Search" button located in the top toolbar of the studio, and enter your search terms into the provided prompt. The search icon within the prompt will pulsate to indicate that the search is in progress. Results will be displayed as a list of hierarchy nodes, each with its full path, including the hierarchy itself. Select any node to view it in the App Explorer.

Labels: App Studio, Designer, Tools for Excel

Secure your apps with the Static Access Control Rules (SACR)