Project Manager#
Overview#
Project Manager serves as a versatile tool designed to facilitate the creation, sharing, and downloading of Finplicity assets, which are further elaborated upon below. Operating akin to a virtual workspace, each project within the tool offers a dedicated environment for users to organize their assets efficiently. Users can easily access Public projects through Project Discover, and downloading their interested project and build upon it. Moreover, the tool empowers users with the flexibility to initiate their own projects, referred to as ‘Mine’ projects, from the ground up, ensuring customization tailored to their unique needs. One of the notable features of “Project Manager” is its collaborative nature, enabling users to effortlessly share their projects with other users. This functionality fosters teamwork, allowing for seamless collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members, ultimately enhancing productivity and fostering a sense of community within the user base.
Finplicity encompasses three distinct types of project:
Mine (Personal): These are local projects exclusively associated with the user’s account. They are not designed for sharing with others but serve as personal workspace for individual use.
Shared (Private): Private projects within Finplicity are intended for collaboration among select members. While these projects are not publicly accessible, users can invite specific individuals to view and contribute to them. Owner of the shared private project need to store the private code key in a safe location and share to members to invite them.
Shared (Public): Public projects are accessible to all users of Finplicity. They are openly available for viewing and downloading through the Projects Discover feature, allowing users to explore and utilize the shared resources contributed by the community.
Moreover, when initiating a new project, users have the option to fork/import an existing project from their downloaded projects. This functionality facilitates building upon pre-existing project structures, streamlining the development process and encouraging collaborative innovation within the platform.
Finplicity encompasses seven distinct types of assets in a project. Users can click the icon next to the asset’s name to open its corresponding forms or folder locations.
Workbooks (Main): These are the primary Excel workbooks that users actively engage with within the project. Users are required to manually place these Excel workbooks into the designated project folder. Once standard tasks are associated with a particular Excel workbook, it will become a main workbook shown in this asset list
Control Boards: control boards that users created in this project (see Control Board Manager for more information)
Workflows: workflows that users created in this project (see Task Workflow Manager for more information)
Tasks: tasks that users created in this project (see Task Workflow Manager for more information)
All files in project: all other files present within the project folder, irrespective of their direct involvement in project tasks. These files may include supplementary documents, reading data sets, or resources not directly utilized in task execution
Settings: the project settings for this project (see Settings for more information)
Python User-Defined Functions: the user defined functions Python file (see UDF Configure for more information)
Each project is associated with a unique file folder on your local device called the Project Folder. Upon syncing, all files and subfolders in the Project Folder are merged with your online account. The project folder can be located at different locations across your different devices. A project also contains all Assets shown in the Second panel associated with the project. The Project Folder and project Assets are locally encrypted and decrypted using advanced methods. Simply click on the project name to open a project or click “Open Project” button.
Videos#
Examples#
Example 1: Downloading a Public Project#
Here is a step-by-step instruction to download a public project (Tutorial DataReader_File) from Finplicity.
Open Finplicity, and then click the small green edit icon right below the ribbon. The form of Project Manager will appear, as shown below.
Click “Project Discovery” button at the top of the left side Projects section in the form. The form of Project Discovery will appear, as shown below.
Type “Tutorial” in the search box to get Tutorial public projects. There are list of available public projects for you to choose.
Find “Tutorial DataReader_File” from the list.
Click “Get” button for “Tutorial DataReader_File” project. You will see a short loading spinner.
Close “Project Discovery” form and go back to “Project Manager” form.
Click “Sync All Projects” spinner icon to add the selected public project to the Shared (Public) list.
After syncing for a while, you will see a “sync successfully” notification in the top right corner. And “Tutorial DataReader_File” shown in the Shared (Public) list as shown below.
Now you have added the selected public project into your project list. You need to download it to your local device by clicking the cloud icon right after the “Tutorial DataReader_File” name in the Shared (Public) list. When you click the cloud icon, the right side “Metadata” panel will change into the following content.
Select a local project folder location in “Metadata” panel.
Click “Download” button in the “Metadata” panel to download the selected public projects to your local device project folder.
When finish download the project, this project will be automatically open and select as current project. The green box below Finplicity ribbon will show the current selected project name.
Now you have successfully downloaded a public project (Tutorial DataReader_File). You can see all the assets in this project listed in “Asset” panel. And you can see this project metadata in “Metadata.” All the files in this project will show in your selected project folder location.
Example 2: Creating a Shared Private Project Forking from a Public Project#
Here is a step-by-step instruction to creating a shared private project forking from the public project (Tutorial DataReader_File) downloaded in the preceding example (Example 1: Downloading a Public Project).
Open Finplicity, and then click the small green edit icon right below the ribbon. The form of Project Manager will appear, as shown below.
In “Projects” panel, click the plus icon next to “Shared (Private)” name to create a new shared private project.
In “Metadata” panel, check “Start a new project” check box. Decide a project name and select a project folder location.
To create a new blank shared private project, simply leave the remaining settings as default and click the “Create” button. In this example, as we aim to build upon the “Tutorial DataReader_File” project, check the option “Fork (import) assets from another project” and choose “Tutorial DataReader_File” from the dropdown menu. Then, proceed by clicking the “Create” button.
You have successfully created a shared private project by forking from the “Tutorial DataReader_File” project. The new project name is now visible in the “Shared (Private)” list, and all assets from “Tutorial DataReader_File” have been included in this new project. You have full freedom to modify it according to your requirements.
Example 3: Sharing a Private Project to others#
Here is a step-by-step instruction to share the shared private project in the preceding example (Example 2: Creating a Shared Private Project Forking from a Public Project) to others.
Open Finplicity, and then click the small green edit icon right below the ribbon. The form of Project Manager will appear, as shown below.
Double-click the shared private project that you created in the preceding example to open the project.
In the “Metadata” panel, you can provide a project description and release notes. To ensure that a workbook opens automatically when the project is opened, simply choose one from the “At Open Workbook” selection. This option allows you to specify which workbook should be launched alongside the project, ensuring immediate access to the necessary files upon opening the project. To ensure that a control board opens automatically when the project is opened, simply choose one from the “At Open Control Board” selection. This option allows you to specify which control board should be launched alongside the project. To invite new member into this project, entering their username or email in the “Invite Members by Username or Email” text box. If you are inviting multiple members at a time, separate member username or Email with a comma.
Click the “Sync Project” button. When syncing successfully, you will see the invited member name will be shown in the users table in the “Metadata” panel.
Invited members will receive email notifications. Be sure to share the project passcode with them so they can download the project and begin collaborating. Now you have successfully invited members to this project. You can switch the project owner by selecting the new owner from the “Switch Owner” dropdown and followed by the project sync spinner located next to the project name in the “Shared (Private)” list. When syncing successfully, you will see the owner switched to your selected user in the users table in the “Metadata” panel. Only owner has the authority to remove or invite members.
Example 4: Creating a Mine Project and Promote to Shared Private Project#
Here is a step-by-step instruction to create a mine project and promote it to a shared private project.
Open Finplicity, and then click the small green edit icon right below the ribbon. The form of Project Manager will appear, as shown below.
In “Projects” panel, click the plus icon next to “Mine (Person)” name to create a new mine project.
In “Metadata” panel, decide a project name and select a project folder location.
If you want to build upon other existing project, check the option “Fork (import) assets from another project” and choose the project name from the dropdown menu. Then, proceed by clicking the “Save” button. In this example, we will simply leave the remaining settings as default and click the “Save” button to create a new blank mine project.
You have successfully created a mine project. The new project name is now visible in the “Mine (Personal)” list. You can add description and release notes in the “Metadata” panel.
In “Projects” panel, click the plus icon next to “Shared (Private)” name to create a new shared private project. If you want to promote it to a shared public project, click the plus icon next to “Shared (Public)” name.
In “Metadata” panel, check the “Promote from Mine” check box in the first section. And select the mine project name that we just created from the “Project” dropdown.
Click “Save” button in that section. When save successfully, you will see the mine project name removed from “Mine (Personal)” list in the Projects panel. And the name shown under “Shared (Private)” list.
You now have successfully created a mine project and promote it to a shared private project. Now you can share this project to other members and start your collaboration.
FAQ#
Can I use the Finplicity without opening a project?
Yes, you can utilize certain features of the Finplicity that do not necessitate opening a project. These features include data merge, data select, and others. However, without selecting a specific project, you can execute these tasks but won’t be able to save them.
For functionalities such as the web reader, task workflow manager, control board manager, user-defined functions, and settings, selecting a project is mandatory before accessing these features.
Why I get an error message that cannot sync a project with open Excel workbooks?
When Microsoft locks opening Office files to prevent accidental overwriting, we detect this situation and promptly alert you. To resolve this issue, ensure that all Workbooks are closed before initiating the syncing process.
Can I choose the same folder location for different projects?
No, one project folder location can only be associated with one project. Otherwise, when we do sync, any update will wipe out your assets.
After downloading a shared public project, I made some modifications such as adding a new task. If I sync the project, will these modifications be updated in the public project?
If you are not the owner of the public project, you are not allowed to sync changes. You can only get updates by owner.
Can I upload a shared public project?
Currently, users do not have the capability to upload their own public projects. This functionality is still being developed, and it’s something we plan to enable in the future.