Hey,
I have an idea for a new app and like to discuss it with you.
Why I post it here:
- First: tell you what are my plans. Is there something similar known?
- Second: Lets discuss and optimize the idea.
- Third: I know what im doing in the backend with php, but the frontend with js, specially vuejs is new to me. Is there anybody who a) like to help me to start or b) like to develop together or c) likes the idea and develop the hole app (for me, hahaha (;P))?
- Fourth: Do you know a better and applicable name for this app?
Here comes the idea, cop from: https://github.com/datenangebot/ncSmallApps
SmallApps
App for nextcloud that serves a possibility to create and use individual small applications.
idea
usecases
Do you want to fetch and manage a number of bookings, employees, guests, logbook or whatever?
Maybe you want to track who payed the contribution or a list of status for todos or invitations?
Another example that uses the calculating options ist an automatic calculator for “who payed what” within a list of transactions.
Based on numbers you can create und publish diagrams.
Invite cloudusers or non-cloudusers to participate by sharing inside or with links.
Maybe you want to create a template of a smallapp to serve it in your company or online.
It should replace parts of doodle, easy excel-sheets, easy surveys, todo-lists… with some more new benefits.
Target audience
Everybody who like to manage data. It should be ease of use otherwise the target is not achieved.
It is also good for administrator of a company, club or other, that create and serve a small app.
So it should be good for everyone.
structure to use
small apps
First you create a new small app. This is like a new context. In there you can create actions.
Small apps can be marked as explicit and get an own link in the app-bar.
actions
Actions can be very different. Some may only show some data like a table.
Tis can be expaned with calculated data-fields. For example show a list of items from a logbook.
You can calculate the sum of kilometers, the max and minimum per period and even the average values.
This values can addintionally shown as a diagram.
An small app can have multible actions.
An other action can be a form for input new data.
You can have different form for input data for different usecases inside one small app.
Actions can link to other actions, so this way you can create easy workflows.
export data
To export data you can define an action that generates tables for download as csv and maybe if possible for excel/xml/json.
Additionally an api-connection is planned so data can be pushed inside from different other applications and some exports can be generated automatically.
sharing
Actions can be shared with nextcloud groups, users or external via link.
It should be possible to manage per small app if resharing is allowed.
Maybe password protection is a good idea.
Sharings can be set to readonly.
If data are shared, it is interesting to know, when data kicks a threshold. Let us inform you by that with notifications and/or mails. It should be possible that every user can create her or his own notificationsset.
settings and rights management
In the admin settings you can manage who (group and users) can do followings:
-
small apps admin
- create, edit, delete small apps
- create, edit, delete actions
- create, edit, delete tables (including columns)
-
small apps manager
- create, edit, delete actions
- create, edit, delete tables (including columns)
-
author
- create, edit actions
- create, edit tables (including columns)
data management
tables
The data is stored in tables in the cloud-database.
Every small app can create one or more tables. These can be used in the actiondefinitions.
columns
For the columns are many types predefined.
For the start typically types:
- text (line, as link or textarea with wysiwyg)
- number (define the range, presentationformat, maybe a unit)
- date and time
- selection
more types:
- File (from cloud)
- person (persons from contacts)
- counter (update by trigger like views, saves, …)
- place (coordinates and map integration)
- calculated (implement typical operations and use other fields from the same table (or even app?)) -> detecting of circles!
- tbc
Columns can have a special formatting like colored background.
The formatting can be combined with conditions.
So it should be possible to show numbers red, if they kick a threshold.
Or put a flag on it, if the date is in the past or whatever.
Multible formatting rules should be possible.
technical details
Storagemanagement and calculating operations go to the server in php.
List for external used librarys:
- tbd
Presentation, forms, formatting and of cource userinteraction go to the client with vuejs.
It should be possible to become an enterprise app. Therefor it is important to keep an eye of a well datamanagement and request call-structure.
use of other cloud-apps
- notifications for notifications
- activity for information whats going on
- mail for mailing?
- tbc
blueprint
startscreen
Left navigation:
maybe favorites of actions
Main content:
Metro UI for apps, some statistics (number ow lines, last action) and links for navigation-marked actions.
small app main view
Left navigation:
top: name of the small app
middle: list of navigation-marked actions depeding of the small app
settings-area: checkbox for activation api and adress for it
Main content:
left column: list of all actions (mark maybe with symbols if the action is shared), link or symbol for editing and link for generating a new action
right column: link for editing the app and some statistics (depending tables and lines in them, last access, sharings)
small app action view
Left navigation:
top: name of the small app
middle: list of navigation-marked actions depeding of the small app, mark actual action
settings-area: checkbox for activation api and adress for it
Main content:
depending of the action definition
delimitation
Calculating sheets like Excel: it should be possible to define different actions that can be used by different targets and users.
Microsoft Sharepoint: it is quite similar, but details are absolut different. The calculation field for actions with diagram possibiltys are new. Also sharing different views (via different actions) to different users with different rights is new.
And of course it is well integrated in nextcloud.
Looking forward for your answers,
Florian