Create a Basic App

Steps:

1. Open the mashup or mashable you want to use, if needed, and run the mashup or mashable to preview response data. See Run and Preview Mashable/Mashup Data for instructions.

2. If the mashup or mashable has no views, add one or more views. See Add Views to Mashables and Mashups for instructions.

   If you do not have permissions to add a view, or the view you want to use is not available, you must ask the owner of this mashup or mashable or a Presto administrator to add the view you need.

3. Click Create App.

   Use the tabs in the Create an App window to configure and save this App.

4. If the mashup or mashable has input parameters, chose how these inputs should be handled for the App in the Configure Properties tab.

   Select a parameter from the list to set properties for the parameter. Input parameters for mashups or mashables can be treated as:

   Hidden	This is useful for input parameters that users should not change and do not need to see, such as technical keys necessary to run a mashable. Hidden properties are, however, visible for wiring Apps in Mashboard. For hidden properties, set the following configuration properties: Allow User Input = No Visibility = Hidden Default = the value that should always be used for this input parameter.
   Read-only	This is similar to hidden properties, except that users may need to see the assigned value. Read-only properties are visible, but not editable, when users edit App settings in Mashboard or for App they have saved to MyApps in the App Store. Read-only properties are also visible for wiring Apps in Mashboard. For read-only properties, set the following configuration properties: Allow User Input = No Visibility = Read-only Default = the value that should always be used for this input parameter. Label = the label to use in Edit Settings for this property. Tooltip = a hint explaining the purpose or values for this property.
   Visible	Visible properties are visible and editable only when users edit App settings. Visible properties can also be used in wiring Apps together in a workspace. Visible properties save space when you use the App, but are less obvious than input parameters. They can simplify input for workspaces that use wiring. They also allow users to create customized versions of Apps for MyApps. For visible properties, set the following configuration properties: Allow User Input = No Visibility = Visible Default = the default value for this property. Label = the label for this property in Edit Settings. Tooltip = a hint explaining the purpose or values for this property. Input Type = the type of input field to use to allow changes to this property. Single Line Text Multi Line Text Enumeration = a short list of valid values for this input parameter. Enter the valid values in Possible Values, separating each with a comma. Number = numbers only, along with decimals and commas. Boolean = true or false as the only valid values. Date Required = is this property required for the App to run? Validation = set validation only when the input type is text. Choose from: Any character = no validation is performed. This is the default. Alphanumeric = alphabetical characters and numbers only. Alphabets = alphabetical characters only, no numbers. Numbers = numbers only, no alphabetical characters. Width = the width for the input field for this property as a percentage of the App or Edit Settings window.
   Input Parameter	This makes the mashup or mashable input parameter an input parameter for the App. Input parameters are always visible and every user can change them wherever the App is used. Input parameters do take vertical space. They can also make workspaces more difficult to use when there are many Apps with input. Lastly, input parameters cannot be used to create personal versions of an App for MyApps in the App Store. For input parameters, set the same properties as you would for a visible property (see above) with one change: Allow User Input = Yes.

5. You also set pagination properties for the App in the Configure Properties tab:

   Many Apps have repeating items in their information. They may have only a few or a large number of items. This can be overwhelming to see all together and trying to display it together can make the App perform very slowly.

   Pagination determines whether all repeating items appear on one page (display of the App) or allows items to be grouped into smaller sets that users can page through one at a time. For some kinds of views, such as a pie chart or some types of maps, you may want all the items to appear together. For other views, such as tables or even bar charts, it may be better to group items into separate pages (to paginate the view).

   the pagination you set for the App applies to all of the views that you include in the App. In some cases, it is better to create several basic Apps from the same mashable or mashup using a single view in each where you can control pagination individually. If you want these views to appear together, use a workspace to group the individual Apps.

   The two properties that you can set for pagination include:

   • Rows per page: this determines how many repeating items can appear on one page within the App. This defaults to 20, but you can choose another value.

     Use All to ensure that all repeating items for the App are kept together and appear in one page. This turns pagination off.

   • Show pagination controls: defaults to true. If pagination is enabled, this shows a pagination toolbar in each page of the App to allow users to flip to other pages. You can change this to false to hide the pagination toolbar.

6. Choose which views you want to include in this App in the Configure Visualization tab and the type of layout you want to use:

   • Tabbed = each view appears in a separate tab that users can click to switch views.

   • Combo = the App has a single current view which users can switch by selecting a different view from a pull-down list.

   • Two Column = views are organized in a two-column grid.

   • Stacked = views are stacked vertically in one column.

   • Wide Top Row = similar to a two-column layout, except the first row spans both columns.

7. Click Preview to view the results of your choices at any time.

8. Once you are satisfied, click Finish and:

   1. Enter a Name for the App.

      This name also typically appears as the title for the App. You can hide the title, if you choose, when you use it in Mashboard or the App Store or when you publish or embed the App in other environments.

      Presto uses the App name to assign a unique identifier to the App. App names can contain ASCII letters, numbers, spaces, tabs, line ends and these common symbols: _ ~ - * ' .

   2. Enter a short Description for the App.

   3. Optionally, select or enter meta data for this App including:

      • Category = the primary purpose, product, area of interest, aspect or other grouping for this artifact or resource. Categories define what an artifact pertains to. Categories are defined by Presto administrators.

      • Provider = the organization, department or group who provides or is responsible for the information in this artifact or resource. Providers define who or where information comes from. This can be external sources or systems or groups within your own organization. Providers are defined by Presto administrators.

      • Tags = one subject, purpose or other aspect of this artifact or resource. Tags define a finer grain of what an artifact is about. Artifacts can have any number of tags. Tags are defined by users.

        You can enter multiple tags, separate by commas. If the tag does not already exist, this also creates a new tag.

9. Click Create.