Created by Rob Worthington on Nov 12, 2016. Copied from the Kwantu wiki to Github 2018-12-10

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This page exists for similar reasons to the Github wiki Notational conventions, tricks and traps page. In terms of consistency of semantics and syntax, new technologies inevitably involve the invention of new concepts and ideas for which there is no existing naming convention. This process is natural and continually evolving, as communication on projects is a vital ingredient for success. However, it is often iterative as the same subject is discussed between different team members and without recognition of the fact that a new term or phrase has just been coined, that term can be misunderstood or even misleading if not given adequate consideration at its inception.

It is important to have terms that mean what they are. Terms usually begin with a natural language metaphoric description for the concept or idea that is being referred to and then mutate into a shortened and more convenient form, eventually becoming part of the nomenclature of the project environment. During this process, there are often ideas and concepts that are similar, but differ in some fundamental way. For example a class and instance of a class in a taxonomical hierarchy where: a "vacuum cleaner" can become incorrectly known as a "hoover". For that reason, this page exists to help both the project team and wiki maintainers to attain clarity in their written and spoken communication. Some terms may at first seem innocuous and obvious in what they mean to the project team members, but may have other meanings and connotations to new team members and users of the product, who need certainty, clarification and disambiguation to build their own mental models.

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The table includes links to references to pages where they were initially encountered or used.

Term	Explanation	Page
accordion	An accordion is a collapsible panel containing a form and is part of a panelSet.	link
action	An automated action performed by the workflow. May include API calls to external systems as well as internal actions. Actions are instructions to the workflow to perform a particular task. Multiple actions may be linked together to act in a 'sequence'.	link
adoption profile	Is the core data inherited by an app when it is adopted within a community	link
app	An app is a higher-level profile that contains core data and a set of lower-level profiles and every profile contains a (set or collection) of indicator sets, data objects, workflows, taxonomies and reports, that relate to one specific business process.	link
application level		tolink
breadcrumbs		link
button	A button is a user interface Widget, like: radio or a event trigger button.	link
channel	The application channel, which is used to tag any other config files associated with an app. It is used to determine which files are synchronised to which app	link
combobox	Are a user interface feature which is associated with a field, like for example a combobox.	link link
core data	Data that is part of the app configuration by default as opposed to custom data, created by the Kwantu platform developer during configuration, that is part of (subordinate or lower-level) profiles of an app.	link
core fields	The "data object envelope" includes a set of core fields that are always available. This ensures interoperability between data objects.	link
community	A password protected web site. Can adopt one or more apps and create accounts and roles for users	link
community database	The database in which data profiles are stored.	link
component	A component is a functional module in the platform. Examples include the workflow component, taxonomy component, search component and reports component. Fields are components of the metadata of a DO.	link link link
configuration	A hierarchical arrangement of elements in a particular form, figure, or combination.	link
configuration file	This is a file of hierarchical data and meta data in the form of XML or JSON	link
data Dictionary	The data dictionary is at the heart of the reports module, making it possible for you to generate new reports that draw on any field in any form.	link
data model	This term has been used to mean something akin to a data profile, but the way it looks when it is in memory in the app rather than the way it is stored in the community database.	link link
data object	A Data Object, abbreviated to (DO or SDO) in this wiki, is the mechanism by which the platform knows about data. It is the data about the data. It is the meta data. It is a prerequisite for views workflows, searches and reports... all of which comprise an app.	link
data object envelope	This refers to the XML file containing the data object definition. The "data object envelope" includes a set of core fields that are always available. This ensures interoperability between data objects.	link link
data profile	A profile is the word used to describe the ("in-memory instance" or "data model") of the data object when it is stored as a file in the community database	link link
data Registry	A list of apps created by different organisations that may be shared with specific communities. Communities using a shared app may also share data collected using that app back to the Data Registry to aggregate across communities	link
data type	The dataType attribute ensures that only that data type can be captured into a field of a data object. Possible values can be found in the Table of data type attribute values: on the Data object component page.	Table in Own page?
definer	A person configuring any of the "configuration files" of the Kwantu platform.	tolink
display objects	Can be grouped into panelSet along with components.	link link
element type	Element types are the building blocks of views on a data object. They originate in the data object. There are only 4 element types, ie: (elfield, elSelect, elUpload and elRepeat). A type of field in an indicator set (for example a date picker, bio-metric identification element, geo-location, or drop down menu)	link
Element blocks	aka Element building blocks. Each element type contains (or is made up of) reusable blocks called "element blocks": ie: ( displays, data, fieldData, validations, help )	link
field	Fields originate in the DO. A DO mostly has multiple views (at least an "edit" and a "readonly" view) on it and the number is unlimited. Elements in the view model can contain one field each. In the case of the elRepeat which defines a table, each cell in the table is a field within the element. The data dictionary contains a list of all forms, the fields that they contain, the definition for each field (e.g. date, number, text etc.), any validations for the field and any help text.	link link
form	When an Element has multiple fields in it, it is often referred to as a form from the user interface perspective. The element's fields can be rendered in a panel, or a collapsible panel called an accordion. The fields on a for come from a data object. The data dictionary contains a list of all forms, the fields that they contain, the definition for each field (e.g. date, number, text etc.), any validations for the field and any help text.	link link link link
functional module	Also known as a 'module', it is a component in the platform. Examples include the workflow component, taxonomy component, search component and reports component	link
grid	A grid is like a table. The elRepeat is the way the platform implements a user interface grid.	link
index	This is the index in the context of a panel set as defined in a data object. uiLayouts.uiLayout.panelSet.panelType.accordion.selectedIndex	tolink
indicator set	A data collection form that can be used across multiple apps	link
indicator set instance	This is an instance of a category of an "indicator set". For example, a meeting form may be completed multiple times by different people. Each person will create a new instance. If the same instance is edited it will create a new sequence.	link
indicator set category	This is a type of data collection form. For example a meeting form, a participant form or a project form	link
linkages	Is a user interface mechanism used to link two data object instances, defining a relationship between them. For example in a list of contacts with contact details, two contact forms could be linked, defining one contact as being (the sister or some other kind of relative) of the other.	link
module	Also known as a 'functional module', it is a component in the platform. Examples include the workflow component, taxonomy component, search component and reports component	link
multi-valued property	???	link
notifications	Notifications alert users to information or a request so that they can act on it.	link link
natural language text	Refers to a language that people speak like English, Portuguese and Afrikaans. In the Kwantu platform these languages are referred to by their code in the i18n standard and there is a <i18n> tag that appears wherever translation into yet another language may be required in the XML configuration file. The default code value is "en" for English.
pages	Apps are created with a core set of pages. These may be hidden from users with page level permissions. There are also optional pages that may be added to your app.	link
panel	The panelSet is a more advanced layout concept that allows for the grouping of components and display objects into a single visual UI feature. It can be configured in accordions, tabs or wizard structure	link
panel set	???	tolink
periodic workflow	Is the mechanism that accommodates processes that repeat according to a specific frequency. This may be monthly, quarterly or annually. Periodic workflows will create a new sequence of both the sub process instance and the data object instance for each period.	link
permissions	Apps and communities each have permissions associated with them	link link
process	Key concepts for a workflow are: (Process; sub processes; and steps). A process is instantiated by a user in a workflow at run-time. Each workflow process must be defined as either a newSequence or a newInstance. Workflow may contain one or more processes. Each process deals with a specific set of steps. Processes may be interdependent.	link
profile	aka "data profile". An instance of app data stored in the community database. Depending on the process that the app models, this may be a project, a site or a facility, etc.	link link link
radio	Refers to a radio button widget.	link link link link
report	Reports are inherently available in the platform because they are driven by the Data Object metadata. Report are also configurable through the configuration files.	link
search	Is kind of view on a Data Object which is used by a user interface pick-list	link link link
sequence	Each indicator set, taxonomy and workflow sub process instance creates a new sequence each time it is edited. This keeps a record of who edited what and when	link link link
step	Each sub process instance may have one or more steps. These can contain user tasks or systems actions	link link link link
sub-process	Process, sub-process and step are hierarchical levels used to decompose a specific business process in the workflow. Instances of these are created as a business object enters the workflow. The location in the workflow is represented by a status in the instance.	link link link
sub Process Instance	Each process may have one or more sub process instance. Each instance is assigned to a specific user and tracks their version of the process.	link link link link link
sub profile categories	Sub-profile categories provide a way to group workflow processes together.	link
table	A table is like a grid. The elRepeat is the way the platform implements a user interface grid. (In the Kwantu platform there is no concept like a database table. The closest thing to a database table is the following set of closely related terms [data object, data-model, profile].)	link
tabs	A tab is part of a panelSet.	link
task	A task assigned to a user in a workflow step. For example to complete a form or approve data entered on a form
taxonomy	A set of keywords used to code or cross reference data on an indicator set	link link
unique key constraint	Any unique key constraints in the data may be defined when a data field has to comply with a unique constraint across all data instances of the data object in the community. The unique key constraints are defined as follows: * constraint.unique.element.id which refers to an element id defined in the elements section * constraint.unique.scope which currently may only be the value 'community' and defines the scope of the unique key.	link
taxonomy mapping file	tolink
user	A User is a person who has a valid user-name and password in a community on the Kwantu platform and has been assigned at least one role and has access to at least one app	link
user roles	Examples: definer, administrator, manager, controller, user, team leader, planner, etc.	link
version	All apps are versioned. This starts with version 1 and increments to 2 and on as you release a new version. All the configuration files associated with the app may also be versioned.	link
widget	Are a user interface feature which is associated with a field, like for example a combobox; data picker; pick-list; Radio button; etc.	link link
wizard	A Wizard is part of a panelSet.	link
workflow	One or more processes, sub-processes and steps that manage a set of tasks and actions required to complete a business function.	link