Frequently-asked questions

What is Apsona AppMaker?

Apsona AppMaker is an internet database service for storing, querying and sharing structured data. It can store any data that would store in a spreadsheet or Access database — contacts, leads, projects, invoices, you name it.

Why would I use Apsona AppMaker?

When you store your data in an Apsona AppMaker application, you can:

• Access your data from anywhere at any time, via just a browser
• Search, sort and query the data very rapidly
• Update your data easily, either via direct editing or via imports
• Analyze and report on it via a simple user interface
• Enhance your data with new fields and tables, with no programming required
• Share and publish your data in other web pages for your partners and collaborators

All of this can be done from within a browser, with nothing to install.

What does the service cost?

Apsona AppMaker is currently offered in a fully-functional free version and a professional version with support aspects. Please see our signup page for details.

How do I get started using Apsona AppMaker?

Once you sign up for an account, you can create new tables directly from your data. The entire process takes less than five minutes, and you will then have a complete functional database on the web. More details are available in our screencasts.

How is Apsona AppMaker different from the competition?

Apsona AppMaker distinguishes itself in several ways:

• Apsona AppMaker's key strength is ease of use and enhancement. Creating filters and reports is very straightforward, and enhancing your application with new tables and fields is extremely simple.
• Apsona AppMaker lets you filter and report off data linked to your primary tables, making it very simple to create "exception reports". For example, questions like "Show the list of contacts who have had no activity in the last month" are very simple to answer in Apsona AppMaker.
• The Apsona AppMaker user experience is based on AJAX Rich Internet Application techniques, with a smooth flow between screens and no screen refresh. Response times are usually small enough to be unnoticeable.
• Data import and update facilities are very powerful, making it easy to maintain
• Each Apsona AppMaker application runs in its own protected database. So your data has significant protection: there is no danger of data "leaking" between your application and someone else's.

What browsers are supported?

Apsona AppMaker currently supports Firefox 3.0 or better, Google Chrome and Safari 3.0 or better. Internet Explorer is currently partially supported, and will have full support soon.

How can I import data into my Apsona AppMaker application?

Apsona AppMaker supports comma-separated and tab-separated data file imports directly through your application.

In addition, salesforce.com data can be imported via the Salesforce API. Contact us for details.

How can I export data from Apsona AppMaker?

Apsona AppMaker includes full support for exporting data in the Excel comma-separated format. You can export all your data records from any table, or you can export just a selected subset of fields from a filtered set of records. In addition, a developer API will soon be available for retrieving and processing data for integration projects.

How can I publish my app's data on the web?

You can publish the content of any of your reports on the web, merely by embedding a two-line code fragment into your web page. The technique is very simple to use, can be done in just a few minutes, and is commonly used around the web.

Can Apsona AppMaker be hosted in my company's premises?

Yes, it can be hosted on your premises. Contact us for details.

What kind of developer API is available?

Apsona AppMaker uses the industry-standard JSON format for data transfer between server and client. Developers can create their own applications using the very same API that the Apsona AppMaker web application uses to interact with its server.

What technology does Apsona AppMaker use?

Apsona AppMaker makes heavy use of JavaScript and dynamic HTML on the client side. On the server side, it uses a lightweight Java servlet runner (Jetty) that runs the Rhino JavaScript engine for business logic. We can support any JDBC-compliant database, and we currently use the h2 database.