Concepts
xAssets configuration is built around a small number of core concepts. Understanding these before you start will make the rest of this guide much easier to follow.
Core Building Blocks
| Concept | What It Does | Where to Learn More |
|---|---|---|
| Menus | Define clickable links that execute commands -- run a query, open a form, launch a transformation, or navigate to a page | Menus chapter |
| Queries | Define data lists, charts, and export formats. Queries power most of the reporting and data display in the system | Queries chapter |
| Forms | Define the layout of data entry screens and dialogs. Every editing screen, dialog box, and detail page is assembled from one or more forms | Forms chapter |
| Dashboards | Home pages and landing pages that combine menu links, charts, and data tables into a single view | Dashboards chapter |
| User Groups | Control what a set of users can see and do -- table access, menu visibility, and which editor forms are available | User Groups chapter |
| Profiles | Separate the application into functional areas (e.g., IT Asset Management vs. Fixed Asset Management) so each user sees only relevant menus and data | Profiles chapter |
| Specification Data | User-defined custom fields stored against asset records or other tables | Specification Data chapter |
| Transformations | Define imports, exports, business rules, scheduled tasks, and complex data operations | Transformations chapter |
| Settings | System-wide configuration values that control built-in behaviour such as depreciation, authentication, and discovery | Settings chapter |
How They Fit Together
These building blocks connect to each other in a consistent way:
- A menu item executes a command. That command typically displays a query or opens a form.
- A query retrieves and displays data. It can include header and footer menus that let users act on the displayed records.
- A form defines the layout of an editing screen. It can contain fields bound to database columns, sub-forms, embedded queries (via databox fields), and buttons that run menu commands.
- A dashboard is a special type of menu command that arranges multiple menu categories in a grid. Each cell in the grid shows the menus (links, charts, or tables) from its assigned category.
- User groups control which menus a user can see and which database tables they can read or write.
- Profiles control which menus, queries, and forms belong to each functional area.
- Specification data defines custom fields that appear on forms and can be included in queries.
- Transformations use queries as data sources and can be triggered by menu items or scheduled by batch jobs.
Configuration Objects Are Data
A key principle to understand: every configuration object (menu, form, query, etc.) is a record in the database. This means:
- You can search for any configuration object using the Admin screens
- Changes take effect immediately (or after a page refresh)
- All configuration objects have an ID, a name, and metadata that controls their behaviour
- You can clone, copy, and move configuration objects just like data records
- Your changes survive application upgrades (see Upgradeability)
Tip: To quickly edit any visible configuration element, hold Ctrl and click on it. This works for menu items, form fields, query columns, and dashboard elements. This shortcut is available only to Configuration Users.
Related Articles
- Configuration Guide Overview — Introduction to the configuration guide
- Configuration Levels — The different levels at which configuration can be applied
- Upgradeability — How configuration changes interact with software upgrades
- Forms Overview — Introduction to forms and the form editor
- Queries and Reports Overview — Introduction to queries and reports