Platform Overview

Editing Knack

Knack is an online platform that lets you build custom business applications without writing code. We manage a growing suite of business applications built with Knack.

When to Use Knack

  • When users want to have a flexible cloud database

  • Public/Log-in accounts

  • Page restrictions: user roles, active/inactive users

  • Versatility with form entry, table entry

  • Email notifications

Minimum Project Requirements

Form Fields:

Application Name: what the name of the application is Application Description: explanation of what application is Application Class: what kind of application is it

  • Enterprise

  • Device-Specific Firmware/Software

  • ArcGIS Online Feature Service

  • ArcGIS Online Web App

  • Database Server

  • Database - Other

  • Web Application - Other

  • Computer File

  • Knack Application

Notes: any important notes about the application Vendor: vendor that application is made by

  • CSDC

  • City of Austin

  • Esri

  • Fulcrum

  • Gridsmart

  • IBM

  • KImley-Horn

  • Knack

  • Microsoft

  • Motorola

  • None

  • Open Source

  • Post Oak Traffic

  • Socrata

  • Wavetronix

URL: link to access application City of Austin Department Owner: who application owner is

  • ATD

  • CTM

  • Other

Best Practices

Project Documentation

Code Documentation

Code Versioning

Data Retention Policies As per Knack, for customers with a Plus plan, record versions are retained for 3 months.

Backups

  • Database records - retained for 7 days and backed up at 3am.

  • App Structure - retained for 7 days and backed up at 2 am and 2pm.

    More Information.

Attachment Size Files larger than 250 MB cannot be attached to a record. If there is a need to attach a file larger than 250 MB, please contact the administrator for assistance.

Attachments When designing an application, an attachment table is preferred to an attachment field, to facilitate multiple attachments.

Password Control

  • Knack custom password settings

  • ADFS

Style Guide

See here

Knackpy

Knackpy is our Python client for interacting with Knack applications. We use it to integrate Knack with other software systems.

ADFS Configuration

See here

Current Supported Applications

  • AMD Data Tracker

  • ATD Visitor Sign-In

  • ATD Forms

  • DTS | Data and Technology Services Portal

  • Finance and Purchasing

  • HR | Human Resources

  • RPP | Residential Parking Permits Portal

  • ROW | Right of Way Portal

  • Parking Enterprise Portal

  • SMO | Shared Mobility Operations

  • Street Banners Portal

  • Signs and Markings

  • TDS | Transportation Development Services

  • VZA | Vision Zero in Action

Knack Change Log

Whenever you make changes to a production Knack application, log those changes here. To do so: 1. Go to the change log (it's available via the Admin menu): Change Log/ 2. Click Add Entry 3. Select the name of the app that you edited, along with a detailed description of the changes. Links to new modules and service requests are welcome. 4. In the "tags" field, enter at least one keyword that is relevant to the change you made 5. Click Submit to save the entry.

Knack Editing Calendar

Prior to editing Knack applications, it's important to log your work, and schedule, in the Knack Editing Calendar. This helps those who'll be using the application of potential changes to the system, while using the system. If major changes are happening, the user may want to avoid the app until the maintenance/work is complete. Here are the steps: 1. Go to DTS Portal 2. Select any of the button options and 'Sign in' 3. Choose 'Admin' menu located in the banner 4. Select 'Knack Calendar' from the list of values 5. Select the 'Date/Time' to reflect your work (This will prompt more menu items) 6. Fill in all required information 7. Select 'Submit'

Object Creation

  1. Always place derived field after source fields, for example a text formula field or equation field should be placed lower than the source field.

  2. To avoid corrupted fields, don't overwrite text formula or equation fields. Start a new field when trying an alternative approach.

  3. If calculated fields are not refreshing as expected, create a dummy field and run an update all records process with that dummy field (for example, update a dummy date field to current date) to initiate the refresh process.

Training Users

  1. Recruit someone who has not been involved in the process so far to do UAT.

  2. Ask product owner to keep builder/ product manager in the loop for all app related communication to their team.

  3. Aim for a user training plan that involves users at different user levels.

  4. Communicate with product owner how user testing and training will help with application adoption.

Using Tasks

  1. Tasks take a fairly long time to run especially with some filter parameters.

  2. The task runs through each record to see if it needs to be processed.

  3. Need to research if there is a way to narrow down the records to be processed before the task can start. It takes about half an hour for one task to go through 660 records.

  4. Tasks should be run after hours since running a task might slow the whole app down for users.

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