Customizing the Explorer

In WinStudio, the Explorer window contains the following folders:

  • Master Explorer: The All Forms folder is read-only and lists every form in the forms database. Other folders in the Master Explorer are created by the Vendor Developers who build a WinStudio application.
  • Public Folders: Initially, the Public Folders folder is empty. When a WinStudio application is deployed, developers with Site Developer editing permissions can create public folders available to all users. For example, a form can be distributed to all users or to a group of users by copying it into a public folder.
  • User Folders: User folders are created automatically by WinStudio when users log on. User folders mirror each user's My Folders folder and are displayed only to developers with Site Developer editing permissions. Site Developers can also edit user folders, and any changes are reflected in the user's My Folder folder. For example, a user can be sent a form by copying it into his or her user folder. The user sees the copied form in his or her My Folders folder.
  • My Folders: The My Folders folder is created automatically by WinStudio when a user logs on. All users can display and modify their own My Folders folder. For example, users can create new subfolders within My Folders, can copy or delete forms in My Folders, and can change the caption of a form in My Folders. (The caption of the opened form is not affected.) Consequently, changes made to a user folder by a Site Developer are not secure because each user can subsequently modify his or her My Folders folder.

Administration

Customizations are stored in the forms database. When a new version of a WinStudio application is to be installed, developers can use Form Sync to preserve their customizations while updating the forms database with new vendor default versions.

Several options in Form Sync affect the Explorer. Typically, customizers update the Master Explorer but retain their customizations in public folders, user folders, and each user's My Folders. After synchronization, customizers might need to revise public or user folders to reflect any new vendor default forms that did not exist previously. For more information, see the online help for Form Sync.