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App Builders

App Builders

Apr 15, 2024

  • Knack - 

    • Website: www.knack.com

    • Knack’s utility: The platform has a built in front-end and back-end capabilities. Everything is hosted and backed up on knack servers. Drag-and-drop style database for non-technical clients (can build fully functioning database and front end with no code). The front-end is designed so that system users can log-in and record attendance, metrics, etc., while the technology lead can maintain database relationships and add tables as necessary through the back-end. Extensive manual online and 24/7 chat support.

    • Build-ins: Reporting features, user selection methods, potential for restricted access, queries run via simple search box, calendars, attendance tracking, pre-built templates

    • Plug-in capabilities: Zapier (can connect multiple accounts: email,calendars, etc.)

    • Pricing: Dependent based on required storage (between $40-$100). Nevertheless, still affordable for small organizations. 501c3 status guarantees a discounted rate (25% discount)

    • Additionals: Fully developed quick reference guides for user and developers. Along with extensive user and developer manuals with pictures created by the Datababes. Contact us if you would like them (gabriellalio@utexas.edu) 

  • Google App Maker - Only available through Google GSuite product which starts around $10 a month. Allows drag and drop web apps to be built with backend MySQL or PostgreSQL databases that are hosted in Google Cloud which will incur an additional cost.  App Makers allows developers to use templates to style forms and widgets to add complexity to functionality.

  • Build Enterprise Grade (Mobile/Web Apps) Fast

    • Outsystems - https://www.outsystems.com/ 

    • Low code framework to build apps quickly

    • NOTE: Costly when you reach a certain user number but they have a free tier for small groups.



    Views vs. Scenes:

    Understanding how Knack Constructs pages will help you write more effective JavaScript.

    • Scene —a Knack “scene” is basically an entire page. If you create a page with multiple visualizations, tables, and forms, they will all be grouped together under a single scene

    • View —a Knack “view” is a single front-end element (e.g. a form, a table, etc). To learn more about Knack views, visit https://support.knack.com/hc/en-us/articles/226221788-About-Views


    Custom JavaScript

    Knack allows you to write custom JavaScript to manipulate your front-end elements. Most JavaScript you write will be configured to run when a scene or view loads. For example, this code will load when scene 1 loads:


    Some useful tasks you can accomplish with JavaScript:

    • Hide elements

    • Control the logic of forms

    • Add additional validation to forms

    • Reformat pages

    • Generate custom visualizations (the library d3.js can be used if Knack’s built-in visualizations do not suit your needs)

    • Perform calculations and aggregations

    • Display alerts to the user


    Some tasks you should NOT try to accomplish with JavaScript:

    • Making calls to Knack’s API

    • Making calls to 3rd party APIs (Since your custom JavaScript is client-side code, you cannot make an API call without exposing your API key)


    For more possible uses, visit: https://www.knack.com/developer-documentation/For general help with JavaScript, visit: https://www.w3schools.com/js/default.asp

    Custom CSS

    CSS deals with the layout/style of a website. You can manipulate a page’s CSS through the JavaScript or you can write your own CSS.
    TIP: use the “!important” tag to overwrite Knack’s default CSS
    We recommend using

  • Google Chrome’s dev tools to better understand how CSS affects the layout of a page: https://developers.google.com/web/tools/chrome-devtools/css

  • Knack’s CSS documentation: https://www.knack.com/developer-documentation/#css

  • W3’s CSS tutorial: https://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp