Modes of an application

Overview

Zoho Creator has two modes through which you can establish an application from start to finish. You can create an application from scratch or from a template and customize it according to your needs in an app-building space. During that process or after you've completed developing the app, you can check the output of your app-building journey.

You can run through an application in two modes:

Edit mode of the application:
This mode is used by super admin, admins, and developers, you can build,v iew, and edit the components of the app, such as the forms, pages, reports, and workflows. The edit mode can be considered the workstation where your application's vision comes to life.
Live mode of the application:
In this mode, you can view the application's outcome. This mode helps you to have a preview of the application from an end-user's point of view. Users can also access the live mode to input data.

Example: Let's say you are creating an Employee Management app:

You will be using the edit mode of the application for constructing the app.
You will be using the live mode of the application to use the application you have just built.

URL patterns for edit and live modes

This section outlines the URL patterns for the Zoho Creator applications in both edit and live modes.

Live mode - <base_url>/<org_namespace>/<app_link_name>/#<component_type>:<component_link_name>
Edit mode - <base_url>/appbuilder/<org_namespace>/<app_link_name>/<component_builder_type>/<component_link_name>/edit

where

<base_url>	The base URL of your Creator account: Edit mode - https://creator.zoho.<dc>/ Live mode - https://creatorapp.zoho.<dc>/ Note: Ensure to use the URL specific to your Zoho account’s data center (DC). Accessing a different DC’s URL may prevent you from loading your application. For example, if your account is hosted in Zoho’s US data center, the base URL for live mode is "https://creatorapp.zoho.com", and for edit mode, it is "https://creator.zoho.com".
<org_namespace>	Namespace of your Creator account in which the application exists
<app_link_name>	Link name of the Zoho Creator application
<component_type> (Applicable only for live mode URL)	Any one of the following <component_type> values can be used depending on the target component: Form Report Page
<component_builder_type> (Applicable only for edit mode URL)	The <component_builder_type> value for the Creator components are listed below: Form - formbuilder Report - reportbuilder Page - pagebuilder
<component_link_name>	Link name of the target form, report, or page

Navigation guide for edit and live modes

1. When a user creates an application for the first time:

They enter directly into the edit mode of the application.
The live mode of the application can be accessed by clicking Access this Application.

Note: The Access this Application button will remain disabled until a form has been added to the application.

2. When a user wants to access an already created application from the dashboard:

The live mode of an application can be accessed from the Solutions page by clicking the application's card.

The edit mode of an application can be accessed from the Solutions page by clicking Edit in the application's card.

3. When Environments is enabled for an application:

The Environment dropdown shows the different levels (Development, Stage, and Production) at which one can Edit and Access the application.

Edit mode actions

The edit mode of an application looks similar to this:

The following primary actions can be performed from the edit mode:

Icon	Description
	The hamburger icon on the top-left corner leads to a pane that slides in from the left and displays the DEVELOP, DEPLOY, and MANAGE sections.
	The dropdown containing the application name leads to a pane that slides in from the left and shows a list of all the components in your application.
	Search for the required components in the search bar on the top.
	Filter the reports and workflows based on a form by clicking on the filter icon next to the required form.
	The + icon is used to add new components, such as forms, reports, pages, and workflows to your application.
	The palette icon is used to customize the design of your application. This is where the structure of your application folds out.
	This icon is used to create and configure workflows.
	This icon helps you access the Settings page where you can manage Permissions, Personalization, and access the Developer Tools.
	The bell icon is used to view notifications regarding record actions, approval actions, blueprints, push notifications in Deluge tasks, and other important announcements.
	This icon is used to view the application's summary containing basic details of the app from one place such as its URL, users' details, and portals.
	Access this application navigates you to the live mode of the application where you can review the outcome of your application.
	These three icons correspond to the browser, phone, and tablet modes of the application. You can view and edit their layouts here respectively.
	The paint icon is used to set and manage the theme of the application.
	This icon is used to view and manage the different sections of the application, its hidden components, and their icons.

Note: When Environments is enabled for an application, the live mode of the application can be accessed through the three environments - Development, Stage, and Production as shown below.

Identify components using icons

In the Edit mode, the application components are represented using icons to help you quickly identify and manage them. Understanding these icons makes it easier to navigate and work with your application structure.

The following table displays the various icons and the components that each of them represent.

Icon	Application component
	Integration form
	Stateless form
	Regular form
	Calendar report
	Kanban report
	Map report
	Pivot chart
	Pivot Table
	Spreadsheet report
	List report
	Timeline report
	Approval workflow
	Schedule workflow
	Payment workflow
	Form workflow / standard workflow
	Page

Live mode actions

The live mode of an application looks similar to this:

The primary actions that can be performed from the live mode are:

Icon	Description
	These three icons correspond to the browser, phone, and tablet modes of the application. You can view and edit their layouts here respectively.
	Subscription on the top-right corner is used to view your account's Subscription Details, Transaction History, Payment Method, Billing Details, and more. You can also make payments and upgrade your account.
	Edit this application navigates you to the edit mode of the application where you can make changes to your application.
	This Help icon lets you access the User Guide, Quick Start Guide, Forums, and to join Webinars to learn more about building an app using Creator.
	The horizontal ellipsis shows Connections where you can view and manage the connections created within your application.
	The bell icon is used to view notifications regarding record actions, approval actions, blueprints, push notifications in Deluge tasks, and other important announcements.

Note: As seen below, when Environments is enabled for an application, the live mode also contains a:

label of which environment stage it is in.

View as dropdown in which you can choose the demo user.