QuickBase Application Library Help

The QuickBase Application Library is a repository of QuickBase and customer applications where our users can discover and share their creations. This is a customer-driven site, so while QuickBase will publish its own applications, it is primarily intended to be a forum for our user base to share their applications. We hope this library will enable new users to create their first application more easily as well as help our current users discover new ideas and applications to increase the benefit QuickBase provides.

Concepts

This section describes some of the basic concepts used in the library. The primary records managed are Applications. Each application can have multiple Versions to allow authors to release new features or updates to their application. Each application can also have multiple files associated with it. These are described in more detail below.

Application Type

Each application has a single type:

Premier Application: These are applications created by the QuickBase team and include the latest features. They include help guides, sample data, and best practices in QuickBase design.
Sample Application: These are other ready-to-use applications built by either the QuickBase team, 3rd party developers, or other customers. However, they may not include the latest features or be as polished as the premier applications.
Example Application: These are applications submitted as-is, so they may not be ready-to-use. They may contain labels specific to the author's company. They can be used as a good source of ideas on how to generate your own applications.
Tutorial: These are applications that have examples of advanced features or integrations with other sites.
Tables: These are single table applications that contain a generic table (e.g. Customer, Company, etc). We are still experimenting with this type of application.

Controlling How a User Installs the Application

An author can select the access to his application and whether a customer can install it directly from the library or they must contact the author to gain access through the Availability field.

Install from library: If the author selects the Install from library option, then when a user clicks the Get button, the application will be copied to the user's account.
Contact author: If the author selects the Contact author option, then when a user clicks the Get button, the user will be taken to a Request page where they can send a message to the author requesting access to the application. The author may or may not want payment for the application, but that can be worked out between the user and the author. The dialog between you and the author is not proctored or facilitated by Intuit.

Popularity

The popularity field totals how many times the application has been installed or requested (if the author selected Contact author). This is summed for all versions of the application.

Versions

Whenever an author wants to release a new version of his application, then he or she will create a new version in the library. Only the author can see past versions. The other customers will only be able to get the latest version. Each version is a new submitted application since the author does not have access to a application after it has been added to the library.

Files

Each application can have multiple files. These could be screen shots, overview guides, exact forms, or any other type of file that the author may provide. These are attached to the application profile, not individual versions.

Reviews

Each application can be reviewed by any user. We use a 0-10 scale with 10 being the best score and 0 being the worst. You can also add a detailed review to describe your likes and dislikes for the application.

Bookmarks

Users can create bookmarks for their favorite applications in case they want to refer to them multiple times.

Getting Started

You can find the right application for you by either browsing by clicking on the most relevant category or searching by keywords (e.g. architecture). Once you browse or search, you will see a list of applications. To help you differentiate the applications, the following information is included in those lists:

a brief description of the application
the type of application (see Application Type section for more detailed descriptions)

Premier Apps are created by QuickBase and contain the latest features and best design
Sample Apps may be created by QuickBase or customers but may not be up to date
Examples Apps are submitted by customers as-is and may not be ready-to-use
Tutorials are meant to help users understand advanced concepts within QuickBase (e.g. Exact Forms)
Tables are single generic table templates that can be copied into other applications

the application's categories (either its function or industry or both)
a list of data tracked (tables in QuickBase) by the application
how many times the application has been installed by other users (popularity)
the Display button will show you more details for the application

Once on the details page for the application, you can

View more details like the author's name, reviews and ratings, and any relevant screen shots or files.
Click on the View Properties button to view even more information about how the application was designed including the names of the tables and their fields, views, and forms.
Click the Get App button to copy the application to your account and start using it. Remember you can delete the application at any time under Go To | Miscellaneous | Delete Application.

Trial users: if you are having trouble finding the right application for you, call your Application Specialist or email us

Submitting Your Application

Submission Process

Currently, this process is manual, and there are 3 tasks you must complete. In the future, we hope to automate more of this process. This section provides a detailed description of each step.

Copy and prepare your application for submission
1. Create a copy of your live application by selecting Go To | Miscellaneous | Copy without Data. You can use Copy with Data if you plan to alter your real data to become sample data. Please be sure to remove all personal information if you copy with data!
2. Make the application as general as possible (e.g. remove company specific acronyms). Also, it is important to have a Viewer (or equivalent) role in your app that can view all tables (it does not need to be able to modify any). This is the role we will assign to Everyone on the Internet when we publish your app. Please see the Application Preparation section for more details.
3. Make a copy of the URL of the new application because you'll need to enter it in the URL of the Submitted App field on the Submission form.
Transfer ownership of your copied application to "QuickBase"
1. Select Go To | Miscellaneous | Transfer Application.
2. Enter "QuickBase" in the Transfer to field and click Next. This is a generic account that owns all of the application templates.
3. Confirm the To account is QuickBase and click Next again.
4. Ensure the "Transfer both management and ownership" option is selected and click Next. If you do not select management and ownership, the application will still appear under your billing account. If you do not see that option, please contact us for advice.
5. Click the Authorize Transfer button to complete the transfer.
Complete the Submit Application form
1. Click on the Submit New Application button on the top of the Customer Dashboard. This table describes all of the fields on the form.

Application Name	This will be the name of the application as it appears in the library. It does not have to be the name of the application itself although we strongly recommend it.
Availability	If the author selects "Contact author" then a user can not install the app from the library, he or she must contact the author to get the app and possibly arrange payment. This will be done by adding a Request record when they click on the Get app button. The author will then receive a notification that a request has been added for their application. We still require you enter a submitted application URL, so we can display the app schema to prospective users. Please note if you select "Contact author", we will automatically change the Anonymous flag to unchecked since users must know who you are to help contact you. If the author selects "Install from library", the user can copy the application directly to their account.
Description	This is the detailed description of the application. It will be one of the main criteria other users use to evaluate whether your application is a fit for them. Please be as detailed as possible in your description to help users find your app.
Category	These category values will classify your application. If a relevant category is not in the list, you can select the closest category or General and enter keywords or tags in the Keywords field to help users find your app. Each application must have at least 1 category and can have no more than 4.
Keywords	If the categories are not enough to classify the application, you can also add keywords to help users find your app when they search. Please note, any words in the description field will already be found by the search engine, so you do not need to duplicate those keywords.
URL of Submitted App	This should be the URL of the application you have prepped and are transferring to the QuickBase account. This helps us match the submitted application to this application profile.
Notes	Here you can enter notes that will be read by the QuickBase team. These notes will not appear in the application profile when the app is published.

After you complete this form and transfer ownership of the application, we will configure the application to become a template and publish it to the library. You can track its progress in the Manage My Submitted Apps view from the Customer Dashboard. This may take some time depending on the submission queue. If you have any ideas on how to improve this process, please send us feedback through the Submit Feedback link on the Customer Dashboard.

For Developers

If you have been added to the library as a Developer, then there are a few extra fields you will have access to when you submit your application.

Developer Name	This is the name of your company if you have one.
Pricing	This is a text area field where you can enter in information about your pricing scheme if the application is not free. This is only editable when you select Contact Author for Availability. You can also simply put Negotiable or To be determined if you like.
Contact Info	This is text area where you can enter in additional contact info like a web site URL or email address if you wish.

Application Preparation

Below is a list of best practices in preparing your application for the library. The majority are not required to submit, but they will make your application much more reusable to other customers. These are categorized by where the changes should be made within the application.

Data - does your application include any proprietary or personal data?
Personally identifiable info	According to Wikipedia, personally identifiable information or personally identifying information (PII) is any piece of information which can potentially be used to uniquely identify, contact, or locate a single person. Below are items that might be considered PII include, but are not limited to, a person's: Full name (if not common) National identification number Telephone number Street address E-mail address IP address (in some cases) Vehicle registration plate number Driver's license number Face, fingerprints, or handwriting Credit card numbers Information that is not generally considered personally identifiable, because many people share the same trait, include: First or last name, if common Country, state, or city of residence Age, especially if non-specific Gender or race Name of the school they attend or workplace Grades, salary, or job position Criminal record
Proprietary data	Proprietary data is more vague but could include financial records, partner lists, or strategic documents. You should ensure all of this data is removed from any submissions as well.
Locations to check	The majority of these risks can be addressed by deleting all data from your application. Then, if you are feeling altruistic, you can add some sample records to give users a feel for how the application works. However, even if you delete all the data, you should still double check a few places: Drop down values - admins will frequently include email addresses or names Descriptions - below is a list of descriptions that you can enter to help users understand your application; these should also be checked to ensure contact information is not included in them Pages - any text pages added to your application could include personal or proprietary data, so these should be checked
Reusability - will other be able to reuse your application?
Specific labels	We recommend you generalize any specific labels (e.g. organization-specific acronyms) that you are using in the description of field names. Try to determine a new more abstract name that others will more readily understand. Here are the places you should check for these: Table names and description Field names and help text Text-multi choice (drop down) values View names Form names, field label overrides, and section headers Role names Custom pages
Cross-application relationships	If your application has any cross-application relationships, it becomes more difficult to share in the library since it is unlikely users will have access to the other applications. We recommend that you remove the cross-application relationship and try to replicate the feature within the submitted application itself. For example, if you are accessing another application with a list of countries, import the table into the submitted application and replace the cross-application relationship with the new imported table.
Exact Forms	Any Exact Forms that are used in your application should be included as Resources in the Application Profile. These can be added after you submit your application by editing your Application Profile through Manage My Submitted Apps on the Customer Dashboard.
Usability - will others be able to understand how to use your application?
Descriptions	There are a number of locations where your application usability can be easily increased by entering detailed descriptions. Below is a list of them as well what is recommended to include. Application description Purpose of the application Target audience for whom the application is intended Overview of any major processes that the application manages Overview of the major relationships between the tables Overview of the major roles and how they're different Overview of email notifications Overview of any Exact Forms and how they're used Overview of any Javascript included in the application (see Security section below) Table description What records are stored in the table Overview of child or parent relationships to other tables Overview of the forms used to manage the data (there is no form description field at this time) Overview of the access rights to this table Field help Purpose of the field Overview of any special form rules used to control this field Overview of any complex formula fields that are used by this field View description Purpose of the view Overview of the logic behind a custom column if it exists Overview of any form overrides used with this view Overview of any access rights to the view
Instructional copy/documentation	In general, it is always advised to include as much instructional copy, help, and documentation to describe how to use and administer your application. Often the descriptions above are enough, but you can easily add an html page to your application that provides even more info to help users learn how to use your application. To learn how to add an html page to your application, you can click on the Help link in QuickBase and look up pages, text.
Quality - are there any bugs or broken features in your application?
Cross-application relationships	This was mentioned above as a recommendation to remove, but any dependency on a cross-application relationship should be checked to ensure it still works as well.
Broken references to other tables	You can do a quick scan of broken references by looking at all of the Fields and Tables tabs. Under relationships, it'll show any broken references.
Shared multiple choices for drop downs	Multiple choice fields that use a shared source can become broken. These can be checked by opening up a form with that field and selecting the drop down to see if there are any values.
Advanced features	Below is a list of advanced features that will sometimes break when generalizing an application for the library. Custom user interface - Custom UIs look great, but they often refer to images or style sheets that not available from the Internet. Double check your HTML to ensure that other customers will be able to reuse your UI. XSL transforms - These should also be double checked to ensure they do not rely on any internal resources (e.g. images or style sheets) that won't work for other customers. Custom integrations - Any custom integrations (e.g. to back office applications) will be difficult to maintain within the library. If possible, you can include detailed instructions on how to replicate the integration with their own applications.
Security - will your application violate security policies?
Javascript	Any Javascript included in your application could violate the security policies of other companies. Please describe any Javascript you use in detail in the application description, so other customers are aware of it and can make an informed decision.
System integrations w/ private applications	It is possible the author has embedded access into the QuickBase application to a company application. This should not be allowed into the library and the author should be notified.

Publishing Process

Managing Your Applications

View Activity of Application

After your application is published, your application will be visible to other customers using the library. They will be able to review your application and install or request access to it depending on how you set the Availability field.

Reviews: The author as well as every customer can view all of the Reviews that have been submitted for that application.
Installs: The library will track how many times the application has been installed, but you can only view the total number and not the details to protect everyone's privacy. This total is displayed in the Popularity field.
Requests: The library will similarly track how many times the application has been requested, but again, you can only view the total number and not the details to protect everyone's privacy. This total is displayed in the Popularity field.

If you do not understand the difference between Installs and Requests, please view Concepts section.

Update the Application Profile

All of the fields with one exception can be updated after the application has been published. These changes will appear immediately in the library after they are made.

The one exception is the URL of the Submitted App. This is editable up until the application has been published, then it becomes read only. If you'd like to release a new version of your application with updates, then please refer to the Add a New Version section.

Manage Files

The author can add, edit, and delete files associated with the application in its profile. These could include screen shots, exact forms, or documentation. These must be added after the application has been submitted, but any changes are shown immediately in the library. You can add a file by clicking the Add File button at the top of your application profile. Files are associated with the Application and not individual Versions, and they must be added after the Application record has been created.

Add a New Version

Whenever you wish to release a new version of your application, you can submit a new version. This is very similar to when you submit a new application.

Copy and prepare your new version for submission (same as when you submitted the application)
1. Create a copy of your live application by selecting Go To | Miscellaneous | Copy without Data. You can use Copy with Data if you plan to alter your real data to become sample data. Please be sure to remove all personal information if you copy with data!
2. Make the new version as general as possible (e.g. remove company specific acronyms). Please see the Application Preparation section for more details. Hopefully, this was already done when you submitted the application.
3. Make a copy of the URL of the new version because you'll need to enter it in the URL of the Submitted App field on the New Version form.
Transfer ownership of your copied application to "QuickBase" (same as when you submitted the application)
1. Select Go To | Miscellaneous | Transfer Application.
2. Enter "QuickBase" in the Transfer to field and click Next. This is a generic account that owns all of the application templates.
3. Confirm the To account is QuickBase and click Next again.
4. Ensure the "Transfer both management and ownership" option is selected and click Next. If you do not select management and ownership, the application will still appear under your billing account. If you do not see that option, please contact us for advice.
5. Click the Authorize Transfer button to complete the transfer.
Complete the New Version form
1. Click on the Add Version button on the top of the Application form. This table describes all of the fields on the form.

Version No	This is defaulted to one plus the current version number, but you can edit it to be something different. It must be numeric and it must be greater than the last version.
URL of Submitted App	This should be the URL of the new version you have prepped and are transferring to the QuickBase account. Each version is a new application that you submit which is why we ask for a new URL.
Notes	Here you can enter notes that will be read by the QuickBase team. These notes will not appear in the application profile when the app is published.

Update the application profile if necessary
1. You may want to update the description to note what changes have been made with the new version or make any other relevant changes to the profile.

After you complete this process, we will again configure the new version to become a template and publish it to the library. You can track its progress in the application form under the Versions section.

Please note if you do not need to add a new version if your application has been submitted but not published. You can simply access the application profile and update it with the URL of the new submitted application. Once the application has been published, then you must add a new version.

Remove an Application

There may come a time when you need to permanently or temporarily remove one of your published applications from the library. You can accomplish this by clicking the Remove App checkbox next to the Status field in your application profile. This will change the status to Removed, and the application will immediately be removed from the library (although not deleted). You will still have access to your removed applications in your Manage My Submitted Apps view. If you wish to reinstate the application (maybe after a new version has been published), you can return to that application's profile page and uncheck the Remove App checkbox. The status will return to Published and the application will be visible in the library again.

Delete an Application

Deleting an application is permanent. It will delete the application profile the library completely. It is unlike removing an application in that you can not reinstate the application when you're ready. You would have to resubmit the application, and you would lose all of the activity data including reviews and popularity. You can accomplish this by navigating to your application profile and clicking the Delete button.

Delete a Version

Currently, there is no method to delete a version. Instead, you can remove the application from the library as mentioned above until a new version is published that will override the bad version.

Using the Application Library

Find Applications

Searching

To search for an application, simply enter in a keyword or keywords into the search field on the Customer Dashboard and press the search button. This will return any applications that contain that keyword in the Application Name, Description, Category, Keyword, or What's Tracked fields.

Browsing

There are multiple ways for use to browse for applications. You can browse by type, by functional category, or by industry category. In addition, there are views sorted by most popular, highest rated, and most recently published to the library. These are all accessed in the left navigation pane of the Customer Dashboard.

Evaluate an Application

Finding the right application for your needs can be difficult. We provide numerous pieces of information to help you evaluate the application.

Application Profile: We encourage the authors to enter in detailed descriptions and each application is tagged with categories and keywords to help you understand what the application does. For each application, there is also a What's Tracked field that states what tables are in the application.
What's Tracked: This field lists all of the types of data (tables) that is tracked within the application. This should help you determine whether the app will manage the info you need.
Application Properties: You can also view more details of the application including the list of tables. For each table, you can view the list of fields and list of views (reports). This information can help you determine if the application manages the data you need and is the right complexity. This can be accessed through the application profile by clicking on the "View Properties" button.
Reviews: You can also rely on the reviews of other customers. In the application profile, you can view the average rating (out of 5 stars) as well as the details of each customer's review.
Popularity: Another metric to gauge the application is its popularity. As described in the Concepts section, the number in the popularity field denotes how many times the application has been installed or requested.

Get an Application

An author has two options to control how a customer can get an application.

Install from library

If the author selected the Install from library option, then when the user clicks the Get App button, the application will be copied to the user's account..

Contact author

If the author selected the Contact author option, then when the user clicks the Get App button, the user will be taken to a Request page where the user can send a message to the author requesting access to the application. The author may or may not want payment for the application, but that can be worked out between the user and the author. The dialog between the user and the author is not proctored or facilitated by Intuit.

Rate an Application

You can also rate and review any published the application. Click on the Rate App button for a given application. You will be taken to an Add Review page where you can give the application a rating of 0 to 10. 0 is the worst possible rating, and 10 is the best. If you like, you can also add comments or a review for others to read.

Remove an Installed Application

Removing an application you installed from the library is done just like deleting a normal application. Within the application you wish to remove, navigate to Go To | Miscellaneous and select Delete Application. Accept the confirmation dialog boxes, and the application will be deleted from your account.

Make a New Application Request

If you do not find the application you are looking for, you can make a request for a new application by clicking on the Request a New Application link on the home page. This is a separate QuickBase where you can add a description of the application you would like. There is no guarantee that it will be created, but other customers, developers, and the QuickBase team can review this list to determine any unmet need for applications. You can also vote on existing submissions by clicking on the Vote button for each request.

FAQs

General

What is the purpose of the library?

The application library's primary purpose is to help our customers find the right solution for their needs, so they do not always have to build it from scratch. It will also help demonstrate the variety of solutions that QuickBase can help you create. Lastly, the library is meant as a customer-driven community where our users can share their creations with each other.

What does the library contain?

The library contains hundreds of applications of varying types. The majority of these applications are free to copy into your account. They are created by the QuickBase team, 3rd party developers, and other customers. Below are the different types of applications in the library.

Premier Application: These are applications created by the QuickBase team and include the latest features. They will include help guides, sample data, and best practices in QuickBase design.
Sample Application: These are other ready-to-use applications built by either the QuickBase team, 3rd party developers, or other customers. However, they may not include the latest features or be as polished as the premier applications.
Example Application: These are applications submitted as-is, so they may not be ready-to-use. They may contain labels specific to the author's company. They can be used as a good source of ideas on how to generate your own applications.
Tutorial: These are applications that have examples of advanced features or integrations with other sites.
Tables: These are single table applications that contain a generic table (e.g. Customer, Company, etc). We are still experimenting with type of application.

Who can use the library?

Any user with a QuickBase account can use the library. This includes paying customers as well as trial users.

What do the applications cost?

Almost all of the applications are free and can be copied directly into your account by clicking on the Get button. The author may elect to control who installs his applications. If that is the case, then when you click on the Get button, you will be asked to fill out a message to the author requesting the application. The author will then contact you on how to get the application.

Using the Application Library

How can I find the right application for me?

You can either search by keyword or browse the categories and types on the application library home page. Whether you search or browse, you will be presented with a filtered list of applications. This list will show the name, type, description, categories, popularity (how many times its been installed), and data that is tracked by each application. The applications are usually listed with the Premier Applications on top down to the Customer Applications.

If you click on the Display button, you can view even more information. On the details page, there is a View Properties button that will open a window showing all of the tables (data tracked) in the application with all of the reports and fields for each table. In addition, there are detailed reviews of the application on the details page as well.

If all of the above information is not enough, you can always install the application by clicking on the Get button and evaluating the actual application in detail.

How do I install the application?

For each application, there is a Get button you can click to install the application. It will confirm you want to install the app, then it will make a copy of the application to your account.

In some applications where the author wants to control who installs his application, you will be asked to send a message to the author rather than having the application automatically copied to your account.

Can I uninstall an application?

Any application you install from the library, can be deleted or uninstalled at any time. In the new application, simply navigate to Go To | Miscellaneous | Delete Application.

What if I can't find the right application for me?

Our goal is to have an application for everyone, but sometimes you won't be able to find the application you are looking for. If you are a trial user, you can call your Application Specialist. You can also request an application be built or found for you, by requesting a new application here: https://www.quickbase.com/db/bb52yw2vi.

Do the applications have sample data or help text?

All of the QuickBase Premier Applications have both sample data as well as help text. As for the rest of the applications in the library, it depends on whether the author has added sample data and instructional copy. At this time, the easiest way to determine if there is sample data and/or help text is to install the application.

What if I want to contact the author?

The author can include contact info in the application profile. Otherwise, we keep all personal information about the authors anonymous.

What if I need support for an application?

Applications from the library are not supported by QuickBase or the author at this time. If you have questions, you can always use our numerous help channels including the online help, community forum, and knowledge base. These can be accessed from the Help link in the top menu bar.

Submitting Your Application

Why should I submit my application?

The library is intended for our customers to share their solutions with each other. There are a number of great reasons to share your solution:

Sharing is contagious. If you share your application, others are more likely to share their applications.
Every application is of use to someone, so you should share yours.
It does not cost anything to submit your application.
It's easy. Simply click on the Submit Application button on the home page.

Will others be able to access the original application?

No. When you submit, you should submit a copy of your original application (Go To | Miscellaneous | Copy Application). We will double check to ensure you don't accidentally submit your original application. Either way, after your application is published to the library, nobody will be able to access your original application.

Will others be able to see my data?

When you submit your application to the library, you can submit it with sample data to help other users learn how to use your application. We strongly do not recommend keeping a subset of your real data due to privacy concerns. To easily erase your data before you submit, you should select Copy this application without data when you make the copy that you will submit to the library.

Is my application a good addition to the library?

You may think that your application is either too simple for anyone to find useful or too complex/specific for anyone else to understand. Simple applications are often the most useful for those who have never thought to use QuickBase in that manner. Complex applications may require a bit more work to make them understandable, but they can be the most helpful to new users who don't have the experience in creating complex applications.

Also, we are always looking for great examples on how to integrate QuickBase with other applications (e.g. Google Maps) or examples of the more advanced features of QuickBase.

Can I edit the application after I submit?

After you submit, you can always edit the application profile or the applications itself. You can access your submitted applications by clicking on the Manage My Submitted Apps link in the right side of the home page. You can then edit the application profile by clicking on the Edit button of the application.

If you wish update the application itself (maybe you added a new feature), you can click on the Add Version button on the application detail page. Adding a new version is similar to your original submission in that you make a copy of the application that will be the new version and submit it. We will then process it and publish it. Once it is published, users will not be able to access old versions.

Can I remove my application after I submit?

As the author, you can remove your application at any time by accessing your application's detail page. There is a checkbox labeled Remove App on this page. When you check that box and save, the application will be removed from the library. If you want to make it available again, navigate back to that application's detail page and uncheck the checkbox. You can always access your applications under Manage My Submitted Apps on the library home page.

What if I don't want others to see my name?

When you submit or even afterwards, there is a checkbox available labeled Anonymous. If this checkbox is checked, then the author's name will not appear in the application's profile.

What if I want to control who installs my application?

When you submit or even afterwards, there is a drop down menu labeled Availability. The default is Install from Library which will allow users to install your application directly. The other option is Contact Author which will require users to send you a message if they want to install your application. This may be useful to developers that have advanced applications who prefer not to give them away.