QuickBase Straight Up

Making your Application Fun and Easy to Use

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:55:19 +0000

Like chrome on a car, icing on a cake, or bling on your favorite outfit, there are certain details to a QuickBase application that can make or break the application. They may not have to do with the fundamentals of the application (tables, fields, relationships) but they are very important to the user.

So before you send your application off to users, here is a checklist for QuickBase bling.

1. The Blue Bar — This is a list of tables in your application. It’s handy for savvy users, but confusing for your more tech-phobic users. If your user base has no idea what it would mean to “List All”, you should hide the tables in the blue bar, and instead put function-oriented links on their dashboard (see here).

You can hide the tables either of two ways:

(a) to hide them for all users, click on the table name, then customize, then properties. Click on the Advanced tab, and then on “Hide from Menu Bar.”

(b) To hide a table for certain roles, click on Users in the Silver Bar, then Permissions (by role), then the role you want to address. Then click on the User Interface tab, and then the “Hide Table” checkbox, either for one table or all.

And while you are on that page…

2. The Silver Bar - Most of your users do NOT need to see some of the links on the silver bar. So follow the same instructions as in (b) above, and then in the “Menus” area, deselect the options you want to remove from the silver bar. Typically, you can remove “Customize” and “Users”, as those are options most users are not concerned with. If you want to have total control over the user experience, you can remove all the options. (see https://www.quickbase.com/db/bdx6xa6th for an application that is tightly locked down).

And while you are there….

3. Saving Shared Reports - While you are setting up roles, go to the “Permissions” tab and decide whether your users should be able to “Save Shared Reports”. The answer is probably no. We all create reports all the time, and if we all save them as “shared”, then pretty soon the list of available reports is huge, and no one know what any of them do. So let your users share Personal Reports - that should still keep them happy. For more info, see this.

4. Help Bubbles - It may be totally clear to you what “Capitalizable Task Budget Revision Number” means, but it might not be so clear to your users. So make judicious use of “Help Bubbles”. They are set in the field definition, and then available on forms.

5. Dashboard, Dashboard, Dashboard - You can’t spend too much time on the dashboard. This is the first page most users will see and it needs to clearly show them exactly how to do what they want to do. If they do not like the dashboard, you’ll hear from them (or worse, you won’t hear from them, and they just won’t use the application).
Think about the following:

What buttons and links should I put on this page, so that the user can easily get to whatever reports, forms, and pages they need to get ti?
What reports and charts should be on this page so that the user sees them immediately?
Do I want to keep the report list (on the left margin) and the “Introduction Section” on the dashboard? Usually, the answer is no.

What if some users need one dashboard and another set of users need another dashboard? Most likely, you then want to create separate roles for those sets of users, and give each what they want.

6. Default Fields - Dashboards with columns that head off to the east horizon or confusing or worse. To fix that, click on the table name in the blue bar, and then customize, and then fields. If you don’t see some check boxes on the left of your screen, click on “Show Advanced”, and then in the “Default Columns” field, select the fields that users will typically want to see in a list - usually not more than 10 fields. If the list gets too long, the important fields get pushed off to the side of the screen and your users will have to scroll to the right, which no one likes to do.

7. Face time - No, not the Apple application, real face time. No matter how great your application is, don’t just email your users a link and tell them to have a nice day. Find a time to work with them, live or over the web. Explain what the app is for, and show them how to use it. Check to make sure that fields and reports have names that make sense to the users. Make sure there is plenty of time for questions.

That’s it! Remember, it don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that bling.

Happy clicking

Eric Segal
The Data Collaborative

Security Changes - Steps You May Need to Take before November 15

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:54:09 +0000

In the cyber world, there is a never-ending battle between the bad guys, who are trying to steal or corrupt your data, and the people you pay money to, who are trying to protect your data.

QuickBase is no exception. My first QuickBase password was a three letter word, but those days are long gone. There has never been a data breach from QuickBase, but Intuit staff are still working hard to stay ahead of the bad guys.

If you have been in QuickBase recently, you probably saw this:

What does this mean?

You don’t need to do anything for now - but sometime before November 15, you need to click on the update link. At that time, you will need to

(a) Change your password to have letters and numbers in it, and
(b) Enter a security question - this is the kind of question that we have all become familiar with — what elementary school did you go to? What is your favorite ice cream flavor, etc.

No big deal, right? Well, maybe.

How could this be a big deal?

If you are running any scripts that access QuickBase and use a username or password to log in, then you need to think about their username and password too.

For the time being (even past Nov 15), these scripts will not be required to comply. But at some point (Intuit does not say when), compliance will be required.

Just as important, if someone uses those credentials to log in at some point, they will have to upgrade their password when they log in. And if the old password was too simple, they won’t be able to change it back, and the script will stop working.

Could you explain that again, please?

I’ll try. First - Do I have any scripts that are affected by this? For most people, the answer is no. Here is the easiest way to figure it out: does your application take any actions in response to a script that includes your password? If you are running a third party tool, if you have written custom scripts in php, dot net, or other languages; if you have a spreadsheet that pulls data from QuickBase, or if you ever gave someone a password to include in a program, then the answer is probably yes. Otherwise, probably no.

What do I need to do? Nothing, until either Intuit starts requiring compliance, or someone logs in with that username/password *.
At that point you will need to bring the password up to compliance, and update the script.

Can I get some help?

Absolutely. Start by talking to whoever wrote the script for you in the first place. You can also call us at the Data Collaborative.

We’re here to help you, no matter who you worked with before. We’ll talk with you for free on the phone, and if it looks like it’s a good idea to check your application for compliance with the new requirements, we’ll be happy to help you at our normal low hourly rates.

But call us soon. November 15 is not that far away, and we expect to be busy. Call us at (781) 777-1119, or email us at
Info@DataCollaborative.com.

Yes, this is a pain - we know it. But data security is one of the reasons that we are all working with Intuit in the first place. Bottom line, it’s a good thing to keep several steps ahead of the bad guys.

Happy clicking,
Eric Segal
The Data Collaborative

———————
* There is one exception to this. If you have a script that uses non-API calls, you might need to be in compliance by November 15. For example, the command “a=GenNewRecord” is often included in scripts, but it is not an API call and so may not operate if you don’t update your credentials. Intuit has not been specific about this.

Intuit Empowers the Masses

admin — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:02:05 +0000

Reading the news these days, you might begin to feel like the voice of the common people is lost amid the din of corrupt politicians and big business agendas. But a few weeks ago, Intuit made an announcement that is sure to please frustrated citizens and QuickBase users alike: a new Customer Feedback Forum in which users can “create, browse, and discuss suggestions for product enhancements.”

The forum also includes a voting system which allows you to put your weight behind the ideas that you like best. QuickBase Project Management will be taking the feedback seriously, so if there are changes you want to see in QuickBase, you now have an opportunity to make them a reality. Perhaps our elected leaders will take a hint.

Spruce Up Your Apps with iPhone-Style Icons

admin — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:57:39 +0000

Want to make your QuickBase application look like an iPad or iPhone app, complete with a custom logo? Just follow these easy steps:

Create an icon that is 114 x 114 pixels and save it in PNG format. You might call it apple-touch-icon.png. Higher resolution images will be scaled down.
Upload the picture to your QuickBase application in any file attachment field.
Click on the file attachment and copy the full path and file name from the address bar, e.g.
https://www.quickbase.com/up/XXXXXXXXX/g/rb/eg/va/-apple-touch-icon.png.
On your dashboard, add a text section and click on the HTML button (or use an existing HTML text section).
Paste the following code, using the URL from step 3:

It should look like this:
On your iPad or iPhone, pull up your application in Safari.
Click on the and then click “Add to Home Screen.”
Enter the name for the app (it will default to the QuickBase application name) and click “Add.”
The QuickBase app will now appear on your iPad/iPhone home screen.

About the author of this tip:

“Base for Business” is an Intuit Solution Provider that specializes in developing QuickBase applications for project management and construction management. For more information, contact David Bruton, Principal, Base for Business. 952-226-1714.

Happy clicking,

Eric Segal
The Data Collaborative

Enhance Your Forms with Custom Tabs

admin — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:51:21 +0000

As a QuickBase table becomes more complex, its forms can become increasingly cluttered and visually overwhelming. To combat this, the Data Collaborative is proud to present Tabs for QuickBase, an elegant solution for reorganizing your forms. Each tab links to a different form, providing a new interlinked interface for visualizing and editing your records. The interface is simple, familiar, and smoothly integrated with QuickBase’s visual aesthetic.

Each tab has two components: a label, which will take you to the read-only form specified, and an edit button, which allows you to edit the current record you are viewing. (With custom tabs implemented, we recommend not using QuickBase’s built-in edit button - it only works for the main form.) Tabs are easy to configure and customize with a few custom HTML fields.

Want to bring tabs to your application? Get in touch with us, and our QuickBase experts will work with you to implement tabs ideally suited for your needs.

Happy clicking,

Eric Segal
The Data Collaborative