You may be required to write some code behind when creating new screens. For this reason, it is recommended that users have knowledge of Visual Studios and VB.NET.Studio Tools are a set of builder tools that are designed to let you customize Personify360 to better serve your organization and its clients.
This section is designed to help you understand and use a number of important tools included in the Personify360 application. This section is broken into several chapters, each one featuring a different studio tool. Each chapter contains task-oriented procedures and information to help you maximize use of these tools.
This section is designed for users, specifically System Administrators, that may eventually need these tools. It is specifically written for users that plan on working with customizations for their clients and may want to modify the following:
· Forms
· Database content
· User interface appearance
You may be required to write some code behind when creating new screens. For this reason, it is recommended that users have knowledge of Visual Studios and VB.NET.
The five tools in the Studio Tool suite allow you to perform a number of important tasks as a System Administrator. These tasks include the following:
· Working with screen search controls
· Modifying base screens and customizing functionality
· Adding new tables and columns to the data structure
· Creating new, customized screens
· Modifying task groups
Each tool serves a unique purpose within Personify360. It is possible that you may only use some and not all of these resources. The tools are beneficial by giving you the ability to adapt Personify360 to your association’s specific business requirements. You can also add additional functionality to your Personify360 implementation without any major programming. This saves your organization time and money by reducing the costs spent on implementing custom modifications.
The Database Designer lets you work with the data tables that are found in your database. You can use it to create customizations within your table and then synchronize these customizations with your Personify database.
The Database Designer allows you to perform a number of specific tasks in Personify360 (e.g., you can create new database tables and columns). You can create tables related to tables as one-to-one, one-to-many, or simply as stand alone tables. If you want to create new columns, you can do so in either user-defined tables or in existing Personify tables.
Using Database Designer, you can also delete user-defined tables and columns or modify user-defined columns. However, you cannot delete existing tables and columns or modify existing columns.
If you create a new column or table, you can remove or modify it. You cannot delete or modify its base structure.
For more information, please see Database Designer.
The Application Designer is a distinct tool in studio that provides multiple functionalities when working with controls or screens in Personify360. You can use Application Designer to:
· Add new screen controls to a screen. For example, you can add buttons or text boxes.
· Modify attributes of existing screen controls. For example, you can modify the properties of buttons or text boxes.
· Add additional interface functionality using the advanced Code Behind feature detailed later in this guide.
· Create new screens using user-defined data or the Personify database.
The Application Designer uses Actipro and Infragistics controls along with some additional “home grown” controls designed for use with Personify360. Using these controls you can add, modify, and rename screens and tasks.
For more information, please see Application Designer.
The Visual Style Designer uses the third-party application Infragistics to modify appearances and behaviors within the Personify360 user interface. This chapter contains pertinent information on using the application within Personify360.
For more information, please see Visual Style Designer.
The debug tools allow system administrators to see what one PC is doing in terms of passing commands, SQL calls to the database, and how code is written for a particular screen.
For more information, please see Debug Tools.
The Web Form Designer is designed to allow you to create screens that are similar to those in the back office, but are designed exclusively for use on your organization’s website.
For more information, please see Web Form Designer.