2: Workspace Overview
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      2. 2: Workspace Overview

      Application Elements: Tables, Workflows, Interfaces, Users

      A breakdown of the essential building blocks of a Rayven application

      Overview

      Every application you build in Rayven is composed of four essential elements:

      • Tables — where your structured data lives

      • Workflows — the logic engine that ingests, processes, transforms, and outputs data

      • Interfaces — the front end your users interact with

      • Users — the individuals who access and interact with the app interfaces

      Understanding how these parts work independently and together is critical to successfully designing and deploying applications on the Rayven platform.

      Tables

      Tables are the structured data backbone of a Rayven application. There are two types:

      Primary Tables

      Primary Tables store core records with unique identifiers (UIDs). They serve as the anchor for both structured and unstructured data storage. Every Rayven application must have at least one Primary Table with at least one row.

      Common use cases:

      • Customers

      • Assets

      • Users

      • Products

      Features of Primary Tables:

      • Label support for grouping and filtering data

      • Can link to secondary tables

      • Required for storing UID-based workflow data

      Secondary Tables

      Secondary Tables enrich Primary Tables by storing related or supporting datasets.

      Use cases:

      • Logs and historical entries

      • Lookup lists

      • Child records (e.g. invoices linked to a customer)

      Key differences:

      • Can contain multiple rows linked to a single Primary Table row

      • Do not support labels directly

      • Cannot link to other Secondary Tables via Workspace UI (but can be linked manually in logic)

      Workflows

      Workflows are where all your application logic lives. Each workflow processes data through a series of nodes.

      You can:

      • Ingest data from external sources (via connectors)

      • Transform and clean data (with logic nodes or JavaScript)

      • Trigger events and automations

      • Populate interfaces with live or calculated data

      • Push data to external systems

      Logic Types

      • Node-based logic: Drag-and-drop nodes to build visual logic flows

      • Coded logic: Use JavaScript or UI Code nodes for advanced functionality

      Iteration Model

      Workflows can run:

      • Once per data input

      • Once per UID in the Primary Table

      • Once per UID with a specific label

      This flexibility allows targeted processing for each device, asset, or user group.

      Interfaces

      Interfaces are the front-end pages of your application—the part that your Application Users see and interact with.

      You can create multiple interfaces and control:

      • What widgets appear on each

      • The navigation order and structure (Top-Level vs Drilldown)

      • Visual styling (background images, colours)

      Interfaces are made up of widgets, each of which corresponds to a Frontend node used in a workflow.

      Interface Types

      • Standard Interface — Displays any widgets from the selected Frontend nodes

      • Analytics Interface — Includes a date range selector, ideal for historical data analysis

      Widget Configuration

      Widgets only appear if:

      1. A Frontend node is present in a workflow

      2. That node is selected in the Interface configuration

      Widget behaviour (e.g. number of instances displayed) is controlled by settings in the node such as:

      • One widget per UID

      • One widget per Label Value

      • One widget per Label

      Configuration options in the settings of Frontend nodes:

      Users

      This section refers to Application Users—those who access your app’s interfaces (not Workspace users).

      User Groups

      Users must be added to a User Group, which determines:

      • What interfaces they can access

      • What data they can see (via Label-based filters)

      Creating users and user groups:

      User group settings:

      Permissions

      When creating a user, you assign them a permission level:

      • Super Admin: Full control

      • Customer Admin: Can manage users and content within their scope

      • Editor: Can modify interface widgets

      • Basic Viewer: Can view data

      • Public Viewer: Restricted viewing access

      Summary

      Tables, Workflows, Interfaces, and Users are the four pillars of every Rayven application. Each serves a distinct purpose, but their power comes from how they interact:

      • Tables hold structured data (Primary for core data, Secondary for supporting data).

      • Workflows are the application’s logic layer, processing and moving data between sources, tables, and interfaces.

      • Interfaces turn workflow outputs into usable, interactive visual pages for users.

      • Users are granted specific access to data and interfaces through User Groups and permissions.

      By understanding these elements and how they fit together, you can confidently design scalable, powerful apps using Rayven.

      FAQs

      What’s the difference between a Primary and a Secondary Table?
      Primary Tables hold core records with unique identifiers (UIDs) and support labels for filtering and grouping. Secondary Tables store related or supporting records but cannot be directly labelled.

      Do I need multiple workflows in every app?
      Not necessarily. A single workflow may be sufficient for simple apps. However, complex apps often use multiple workflows to separate concerns (e.g. data ingestion, processing, interface logic).

      How do I display data on an interface?
      Add a Frontend node in your workflow, then select it in the interface configuration. Data must flow through that node before it displays on the interface.

      Can I build an app without an interface?
      Yes. Rayven supports backend-only or workflow-based applications focused purely on integration, data processing, and automation.

      How do I control what a user sees in the app?
      Create a User Group and assign them specific label-based data filters and interface access rights.

      What’s the difference between a Top-Level Interface and a Drilldown Interface?
      Top-Level Interfaces appear in the main navigation. Drilldown Interfaces are only accessible by clicking through from a widget on another interface.