Creation of low-code application via App Builder in Liferay 7.3

Issue

• How to use standard 'App Builder' application to create functional business applications with dedicated user interfaces and data separation without a single line of code.

Environment

•  Liferay 7.3

Resolution

• All apps made with App builder consist of three components defined in the app builder UI:
  • objects, form views, and table views
• To create applications based on an object takes four steps:
  • Create the object
  • Create at least one form view
  • Create at least one table view
  • Deploy the application. 
• Here are the steps where two simple feedback/review applications with App Builder have been created, backed by a custom object 'Employee feedback Request'
  • Creating a custom object 
    • Applications → App Builder → Objects
    • Click the Add button (Add).
    • Enter the name: 'Employee Feedback Request'
  • Creating Form Views
    • Applications → App Builder → Objects
    • From the Form Views tab, click the Add button. The Form Builder appears.
    • Name the form view: 'Employee feedback form'
    • Using the layout in the screenshot, add
      a required text field labeled Name
      a required number field labeled Contact No.
      a required date field labeled DOB
      a required select from list field labeled Department
      a required text field labeled feedback, which allows multiple lines
    • Save the form view
  • Creating Table Views
    • Open the 'Employee Feedback Request' object
    • From the Table Views tab, click the Add button. The Table Builder appears.
    • Name the table view 'Employee Submission Records'
    • Drag all the available fields except the Feedback and DOB fields onto the table canvas.
    • Save the table view
    • Create another table view
      Name the table view 'Manager Review Form'
      Drag Name, Department, and Feedback fields onto the table canvas.
      Save the table view
  • Deploying the Application
    • There are several deployment options: Widget, Standalone, and Product Menu
    • The Employee Feedback Request has two apps to deploy: a widget application for adding Employee details with their feedback and populating those data to a page, and a Manager Review application in the Product Menu, where employee's feedback would be visible.
    • Open the Employee Feedback Request (Applications → App Builder → Objects).
    • From the Apps tab, click the Add button (Add).
    • Name the app Employee Records
    • Select the form view, the table view, and configure the deployment options for the app.
    • For the Employee Records application, select Widget and click Deploy. The Employee Records widget application can now be deployed to a page and utilized immediately
    • Following the same procedure, create a second app called Manager Records, this time choosing to deploy the app in the Product Menu (leave the default selection to add it to the Applications Menu).
    • Here's the Manager Records entry in the Applications Menu