Basic Concepts & Terminology

Core Concepts

System

A System is the top-level container for your application. It defines the overall configuration, version, and package structure. Each system contains all the components needed to build a complete application.

Studio vs Runtime

• Studio - The design-time environment where you configure your application using visual tools
• Runtime - The execution environment that runs your configured application for end users

Data Structure

Data Dictionary

The Data Dictionary is the central repository that defines all data structures in your system. It contains entities, attributes, relationships, and validation rules.

Entity

An Entity represents a business object or concept (like Customer, Order, Product). Entities are similar to database tables and define the structure of your data. Learn more about creating entities and attributes.

Attribute

An Attribute is a field within an entity that stores specific data (like Name, Email, Date). Attributes have data types, validation rules, and display properties. See the complete guide to entities and attributes.

Link

A Link defines relationships between entities. Links can be:

• One-to-One (cardinality = 1) - Each record relates to exactly one other record
• One-to-Many (cardinality = 0) - One record can relate to multiple other records

Value List

A Value List defines dropdown options for attributes (like Status: Active, Inactive, Pending).

Data Organization

DataSet

A DataSet is a collection of related entities used together in your application. It defines which entities are available and how they're connected for specific business processes. Learn how to define and configure datasets.

DataSet Entity

A DataSet Entity represents an entity within a dataset with specific configuration:

• Alias - Unique name within the dataset
• API Input/Output - Whether the entity accepts or returns data via API
• Read-only - Whether users can modify the data

Business Logic

Flow

A Flow defines a sequence of actions that execute business logic. Flows can create data, validate information, call external services, and control application behavior.

Script

A Script contains custom business logic written in Opadeez scripting language. Scripts can perform calculations, data manipulation, and complex processing.

Lookup

A Lookup enables users to search and select data from existing records. Lookups can filter, sort, and display data based on specific criteria.

Job

A Job runs automated processes in the background, such as file processing, data imports, or scheduled tasks.

Decision Making

Decision Matrix

A Decision Matrix uses multi-dimensional tables to make decisions based on multiple input values. Ideal for complex business rules with many variables.

Decision Tree

A Decision Tree uses hierarchical if-then-else logic to make decisions. Perfect for sequential decision-making processes.

User Interface

Page

A Page defines the user interface for data entry, display, and interaction. Pages are built using the visual page designer.

Menu

A Menu defines the navigation structure of your application, organizing pages and functions into a logical hierarchy.

Integration

External Call

An External Call enables your application to communicate with external systems via REST or SOAP APIs.

API Block

An API Block defines the structure of data exchanged with external systems, mapping internal entities to external formats.

Key Terminology

Cardinality

Defines the relationship type between entities:

• 1 - One-to-one relationship
• 0 - One-to-many relationship

Exclusive

When a link is exclusive, deleting the parent entity automatically deletes all related child entities.

Alias

A unique identifier used within datasets to reference entities. Aliases must be unique within each dataset.

Selector

A UI component that allows users to navigate through multiple records of the same entity type.

Generated Entity

The runtime representation of an entity with actual data values. These are the objects that hold your application's data.

Development Workflow Terms

One-Click Deployment

The automated process that generates your complete application, updates the database schema, and deploys the runtime system.

Schema Generation

The automatic creation and updating of database tables based on your entity definitions.

Configuration vs Code

Opadeez uses configuration (visual design and settings) instead of traditional code (programming) to build applications.