Enhance Your BizzStream Aero Experience with Layouts

Welcome to the dynamic world of BizzStream Aero, where layouts empower you to unleash your creativity and craft stunning visualizations with seamless data interactions. In this article, we'll take a deep dive into the exciting concept of layouts, discover the power of datasets, and explore the wide array of controls at your fingertips to create the perfect user experience.

The Power of Aero Layouts

BizzStream Aero takes your experience to new heights by breaking free from rigid structures and introducing a flexible layout system. With Aero layouts, administrators can seamlessly combine data from different sources, thanks to the innovative datasets feature that organizes and harmonizes information effortlessly.

A BizzStream layout is essentially a grid; it has rows and columns. However, there is a third dimension to its structure: elements. When configuring a layout, you place elements (i.e. fields or controls) within a column. A column, in turn, is positioned within a row. Hence, a row can have multiple columns, while a column can have a list of elements. Theoretically, an infinite amount of columns is supported. However, we discourage using too many columns within a layout, as the horizontal space is often limited. On the mobile application on a smartphone, BizzStream will rearrange all controls in a single column. On a tablet, multiple columns are supported, allowing for a flexible and responsive layout.

You can easily change the amount of rows and columns in a layout:

• If you want to add a row or column, simply hover the border of a row or column and click the icon.
• If you want to remove a row or column, click the icon.

In Aero you can also configure the width of a column, allowing you to further customize layouts:

• Click the icon to open the column properties.
• Under Column Width you can enter a value for the width.
• Under Unit you can determine whether the width represents a pixel value or a percentage.

If no custom width is configured, the available screen width will be equally distributed across the columns. The same holds true for the situation in which some columns have a width assigned, but others don't. In that case, the available remaining width will be equally distributed across the remaining columns.

Explore a World of Controls

With Aero layouts, you have an impressive range of controls at your disposal, allowing you to design captivating interfaces with ease. These controls automatically adapt to the type of document dataset you are working with, simplifying the process. However, some controls offer advanced customization options that enable you to override document definition configurations. Whether you're a seasoned user or new to the platform, our comprehensive list of available generic controls will be your guide on this creative journey. Generic controls are essentially controls that can be used in combination with other controls or data. Some of these controls are merely 'containers' that can be used to order information in an intuitive way and help the user to move through the layout step by step. Other controls, such as the grid control, actually render data from the dataset they are connected to. Most of these controls can be conditionally hidden using BizzStream expressions. Another option a lot of controls support is the disabled property. This allows you to (conditionally) disable a control from being modified.

Understanding the Control Group

At the heart of Aero layouts lies the Control Group – a fundamental building block that enriches user interactions with dataset fields:

1. Label: The label clearly identifies the field for the user, providing essential context.
2. Input Component: This is the heart of the Control Group, enabling users to view or edit the dataset field effortlessly.
3. Validation Indicator: A helpful feature that appears when the input component contains invalid data, ensuring data accuracy.

Play around with different label types

In Aero, we give you the freedom to determine how a field label should be rendered. You can choose the default way and render it inline, right in front of the input field. Alternatively, you can stack it on top of the input area for a different layout approach. Feeling bold? Hide it from view altogether to streamline the interface. Plus, you can even overwrite the document definition label by setting the label property in the layout JSON. It's all about customization!

Additionally, you can apply formatting to this control group. The control properties pane offers a Formatting section, where you can determine the amount of space allocated to the label in pixels or as a percentage of the available width. More details on this can be found in our layout configuration documentation.

Getting Started

As you embark on your layout creation adventure, don't be afraid to experiment with different controls and combine them creatively to suit your specific business processes. Use descriptive labels and intuitive layouts to ensure users can effortlessly navigate and interact with your data.

Let your creativity take flight with BizzStream Aero layouts, and enjoy the boundless possibilities they offer in streamlining your workflows and user experiences.