Preserved Topic: Product Idea - please give feedback!

Howdy Folks,

I'd like to know if any of you think that the following product would be of value and at what price range (Under $5000, 5-10K, 20k?). One way of thinking of it is as a "backend in a box" that is completely customizable without programing. Seems like this would save LOTS of time and make database driven web sites more doable if the price and features were right...

1. TABLES. Users can create their own data tables. Instead of a pre-defined set of canned table structures and input forms based on what a developer thinks your needs are, users can create their own data tables and the forms necessary to populate them based on their needs or the needs of their customers. The process of table and form creation would be very easy and non-technical ("point and click", really).

2. FORMS. Users can create their own completely customizable forms; multiple forms could be created for a single table. Additionally, access to forms would be controlled by definable Group permissions. What this means is that one could create a data table for holding employee info such as name, address and salary. Someone with access to forms creation could create one form with all fields visible and editable for a Human Resources Manager and another form with only the name and address available and editable for a secretary or perhaps a temp. Forms could also be used to filter content.

3. FIELD TYPES. Predefined form field types that could be mixed and matched in any combination to create just about any conceivable input form. Field types would assure that the proper data type is automatically used in the table (for instance, if a user selects the zip code field type, a data type of character is automatically used for that field in the table).

Each field type would have its own unique set of user definable properties as well as others that are shared. Some of the shared definable properties would be whether a field is editable, read-only, or hidden; whether the field is required; default values can be assigned; notes, tips, or instructions that can be displayed in-line or within a pop-up, etc.

All JavaScript and Cold Fusion code necessary to present the field and validate data entry is automatically generated when the form is published for use.

An example of initailly useful field types are: Character, Checkbox, Currency, Date, E-mail, File Upload, Image Upload, Numeric, Password, Phone, Radio Button, Select, TextArea (WYSIWYG or Plain Text), Time, URL, Yes/No, Zip.

4. RECORDS. The presentation of records for editing would be optimized for productivity. Instead of a standard ?list and click for detail? scenario that would then take one to a separate page or bring up a pop-up window, records would be listed on the left side of the interface while the edit form is on the right. This would allow the user to perform tasks such as deletions, putting records on hold, releasing held records, duplicating records, etc on multiple records simultaneously and makes editing quicker. Records could be filtered, sorted and viewed a number of ways (by any viewable field or by record status, for instance) and there would be a search feature that would allow users to search on any viewable field.

5. USERS & GROUPS. An administrator could create custom group permissions that not only control what features of the data management system they have access to such as tables, forms, or records, but also what access to forms and levels of access a member of a group has. In otherwords, there would be no predefined roles, YOU would define the roles.

For example, an administrator could create a group that only has access to Records. The administrator may give their client access to this group. Their client could then manage the content of their site using the forms that have been created specifically for their client by the administrator. The client wouldn?t have access to Forms or Tables since they aren?t able to edit the code necessary for output. Another group could be created for a specific section of a Web site that has Add and Edit permissions, but no delete capabilities.

The idea here is that you can create your Web site with any editor and out of the box you would have a product that can create an intuitive and customizable back-end in a few hours or even minutes depending on the complexity of the site, with no programming.

Does anybody see a value in this?

Thanks!

Jon

Welcome to the Asylum glowsinthedark. As for whether or not it would be useful...I guess that depends. Backdoor programming is a very complex issue. For just small things, it is not that hard, but for something really big...

Are you sure you could create something that can handle the small to the large? If so, and it is user-friendly, I would say, go for it. I, for one, would be interested in at least giving it a chance...as long as there are no pop-ups...I hate pop-ups.

Webshaman, thanks for your reply. I hate pop-ups too! I also hate it when you have to click on a record listing and then go to another page to edit the record. I realize that this is easier to code, but this is the point of my idea. Since the complex interface with built-in usibility, data validation based on field type, user permissions, record searching, etc. is already done, programmers can concentrate on the output part (the coding necessary to present the data within the database to the end user) and designers can concentrate on the user experience. Seems like if the price was right and you could develop a completely custom backend product in about an hour that allows your client to update their data and would allow you to change individual field properties, permissions and table structure in a few seconds, it wouldn't matter too much that it only got you 90% there. It would allow you to spend more time focusing on the other 10%.

Jon

Jon Betts
President
Glows in the Dark Studios

Haven't read your whole post but what would make
your product unique or well-differentiated. There
are dozens if not hundreds of database products
out there for both NT and Unix boxes.

You haven't posted anyting i couldn't do free
with MS Access and DAP under NT..don't know
the unix db's which are obviously 100's of times more powerful
then a simpleMS Access solutions...so can't tell....what are the apps you had in mind
where your product would outshine the competition or fill an unmet need?
you talked more about functionality than applications

as for no programming...sorry, impossible
to have a system that meets even 80% of potential
backend requirements..programming means flexibility.
backend is not for joe home website...either you do it
properly or you don't do it?

not trying to stifle your idea..just don't see it clearly.

Another point and click website producer?

What an insanely original idea. Rather then taking the time out to learn various languages and programs, this program saves you time and energy by creating a full working website with backend coding and everything by the click of a button. Unfortunetly there is a market for this sort of thing.

-Jestah
Cell 277

Wow, this is great feedback, not on the product idea but on my ability to communicate it.

1. The product has nothing to do with web sites. It is a web-based product and therefore has all the advantages of a web-based product. If the end result of the data that is entered is a Web site-cool, Flash animation-cool, series of XML files-whatever. Output is totally separate from the product. It is mearly a tool for creating a means for entering data. I use Web sites as an example because that is what I do, so I'm pretty much thinknig about building this for the management of content that will ultimately be part of a Web site.

2. As for the no programming response. It will take no programming on the part of the user to create a friendly, easy to use backend for entering data into an ODBC datasource. There will be LOTS of programming needed to do anything with the data. I defintely agree that one can't cover everything with one product. Obviously if the product doesn't meet your needs you won't by it (or more importantly use it). But then again, if it meets your needs 80% of the time and saves you the same percentage of time when it is meeting your needs, seems like it would be of value. I'm thinking in terms of it being valuable to people creating multiple interfaces. So on one project it may not work, but maybe it would for most.

3. Someone mentioned something about creating a backend for free. I can create a backend for free too. By the time I'm done and have it to the clients spec or more importantly, their expectations, I might as well have done it for free. That is where the idea stemmed from. I find myself re-inventing the wheel creating a means for my customers to have an "idiot-proof", accesible way to enter data in a familiar way. I'm not going to hand over SQL Management tools to a temp that is entering in a series of recipes, or a secretary that is uploading some press releases. No way! But if a client hires me to create a backend for thier Web site that allows them to manage their own content, and I'm not working by the hour, but working by value, seems to me I'd want to get the job done as quickly as possible and yet have a product that just wouldn't be possible without hundreds of hours of work.

4. I'm not sure what to do with the taking my time to learn languages and programs comment. (I probably know and use over 100 programs since I've been working in some form of media production and communications since 1979--who cares? I'd gladly throw them all out if one program did it all, frankly I'm getting sick of having to learn something new everytime I get a job, have been looking longingly at burger flippers lately--not good.) If you are hired by someone to create a calendar of events section on a Web site for $1500 and you can get a kick ass reusable "canned" solution with open source that goes way beyond your clients expectations for $495 and two hours of integration, what is there to think about? So what if you didn't learn a new language to get the job done, you learned good business practices and that's usually worth something. Besides, this is all assuming that the person buying this is even interested in programming. They could just as easily be interested in a totally different aspect of Web site, or Flash, or whatever creation such as visual design, interactive design, architecture, content, promotion, etc. Are they idiots because they don't want to drop everything and spend two or three years to become proficient enough in a programming language to do something they needed yesterday?

Hope this makes the reasons for thinking about this clearer anyway. Thanks again for your comments I really do appreciate your responses.



Jon Betts
President
Glows in the Dark Studios