Key Concepts and Terminology

What You'll Learn

This guide introduces Knack's essential components and how they work together. Get familiar with the Dashboard for managing your apps, the Builder for designing your database structure, and Pages for creating intuitive user interfaces. You'll also learn about Themes for styling and Flows for automation, giving you the foundation to start building confidently with Knack.

The Knack Dashboard

The Dashboard serves as your central control panel for managing all your Knack applications and account settings.

Key Features:

Create and manage multiple applications
Share apps with team members
Access billing and subscription settings
View usage statistics and logs

Tip: You can access the Knack Dashboard at any time by clicking on the Knack logo next to the name of your app.

The Knack Builder Interface

The Knack Builder is your essential workspace where you'll design your database and create the pages that bring your app to life.

Key Features:

Design your app structure
Set up data tables and fields
Create user roles and permissions
Configure app settings
Access flows and automation tools

DataTables

In Knack, data is organized into tables, similar to spreadsheets or database tables. These tables appear in the left sidebar of the data section. Each table contains multiple fields (like spreadsheet columns) that define specific attributes.

Key Features:

Define data structure through tables and fields
Set up connections between related data
Store and manage records in a structured format
Configure conditional and validation rules in fields

Data Structure

Understanding how data is organized in Knack is fundamental to building effective applications.

Tables

Collections of related data, similar to spreadsheets, composed of fields and records.

Key features:

Organize different types of data (customers, orders, products, etc.)
Define relationships between different data types
Store and manage records in a structured format

Fields

Define types of data stored in tables (like spreadsheet columns).

Key features:

Multiple field types (text, number, date, address, etc.)
Formula fields for calculations
Validation rules to ensure data integrity
Formatting options for consistent display

Records

Individual entries in a table (like spreadsheet rows).

Key features:

Store specific instances of data
Auto-assigned unique identifiers
Searchable and filterable
Connected to related records in other tables

Connections

Link related tables together to create a relational database structure.

Connection types:

One-to-many: Single record connects to multiple records (e.g., one customer has many orders)
Many-to-many: Multiple records connect to multiple records (e.g., products in multiple categories)

Tip: Well-designed connections are crucial for building efficient applications. Take time to plan your data structure before building.

User Management

Control who can access your app and what they can see or do. Users are a fundamental component of Knack applications, allowing you to control who can access your app and what they can do within it. With Knack's user management system, you can create different user roles and create customized Live App experiences.

Set up login credentials for users to access your Live App.

Key features:

Secure authentication system
Password reset functionality
User profile management

User Roles

Different types of users with varying permissions (e.g., admin, employee).

Custom roles: Define app-specific roles with tailored permissions such as:

Account Owner: Primary account administrator
Managers: Define application-specific roles with tailored permissions
Employees: Define application-specific roles with tailored permissions
Customers: Define application-specific roles with tailored permissions

Tip: Design your user roles based on job functions or responsibilities rather than specific individuals for better scalability.

## Pages

In the Page Editor section, you create and customize Live App pages, each serving a specific purpose or displaying different parts of your data. The Live App is the final product where your users will interact with your application.

Key Features:

Create and organize pages with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface
Create multiple pages with different layouts
Add and configure elements to display or collect data
Set up rules and dynamic actions
Preview changes before publishing

Knack's different page types help you control user access to data:

Elements

Elements are visual components that work with your Live App to display or collect data.

Some of our most popular element types:

Forms to collect data
Tables for inline editing
Lists for organized data display
Detail elements to view individual records
Maps and calendars

Tip: Choose the right element type based on the user's needs. Tables are great for scanning multiple records, while forms are best for data entry.

Themes

Themes allow you to create a cohesive visual identity for your Live App through customized styles and layouts. With Knack's theming capabilities, you can transform the look and feel of your app to match your brand without writing custom code.

Key Features:

Customize colors, fonts, and spacing for a consistent brand experience
Choose from pre-designed layouts or create your own
Define color schemes that work harmoniously together
Apply responsive designs that work across different devices

Flows

Flows serve as a centralized hub within Knack, housing all of your automation processes. By integrating the connector apps you utilize regularly, you can streamline and automate your workflows effectively.

Key features:

Integrate with 450+ external applications
Create trigger-based automations
Build complex conditional workflows
Reduce manual data entry and processing

Live App

The user-facing web interface where users interact with your application through pages and elements.

Key features:

Responsive design works across devices
User-specific views based on permissions
Real-time data interaction
Custom branding and styling

Rules & Dynamic Actions

With Knack's powerful rules and dynamic actions that can be configured in the Builder, Pages, and individual elements, you can create interactive user experiences in the Live App and seamlessly manage data updates. Easily automate processes, implement conditional logic, and create dynamic responses to user actions without writing any code.

Rule types:

Submit rules: Direct users after form submission
Display rules: Control data visibility
Record rules: Update data automatically
Conditional rules: Set field values based on conditions
Validation rules: Ensure correct data entry
Page rules: Trigger actions when users enter pages
Email rules: Send customized, automated emails

Next Steps

Now that you understand the basic components of Knack, you're ready to start building your first application:

Plan your data structure by identifying the key tables and connections
Create your DataTables to hold your data. Data can be imported, entered manually via the Builder, collected from the Live App, or created via the API
Design your pages and add elements to display and collect data
Set up user roles and permissions
Deploy your Live App

Explore our detailed guides on creating tables, designing pages, and customizing themes to bring your app to life.