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The repository is a feature of the SmartFramework supporting the definition, storing and retrieval of user interface and backend objects such as screen layouts or the schema of dynamic business entities. The SmartFramework provides tools to define the structure of object types (classes), their attributes and inheritance and relations (links) in the repository and to edit objects (masters) and instances of objects.
Basic structures structure of the SmartFramework repositors repository are an evolution of the Progress Dynamics Repository (a develop development framework developed but no longer maintained by Progress Software). The structure in which classes (object types), objects (masters) and object instances and their attributes and relations are stored is conceptionally conceptually similar to the Progress Dynamics Framework. The database schema of the Progress Dynamics repository has been adopted to our naming schemes. During the design of our repository, we have dropped some repository features not relevant and added some missed features such as the ability to have instances in a container contained in another instance (such as a group box in a viewer).
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But most applications will have screens or components that don’t fit into such a standardized that pattern. This may be the case for screens such as a specialized dashboard or planning screen. But also, singleton screens like the application login screen are typically one of their kind. In business application applications certain screens may have specific filter requirements, where there is very specific behavior implemented in the filter component. Components like that may be easier to implement outside of the repository tooling in the Visual Designer or your favorite Angular editor. This mix of repository based and static user interface offers a much bigger flexibility for developers.
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We have chosen the term “Meta” as the naming prefix. So in the Repository repository we’re building applications based on components like the “MetaViewer” or “MetaGrid”. We have chosen not to use the term “Dynamic” as the prefix as that might also be associated with the Progress Dynamics framework.
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