One of the benefits of using GeneXus is that it makes possible the generation of applications running on many different platforms (from a Web interface, a watch, cell phone, tablet or TV, to cloud server farms). It generates code in different programming languages and stores the application data in different databases.
An Environment allows you to set and store all the information related to a certain implementation of your application, for example: the generators you want to use to generate the Backend of your application, the generators to be used to generate the Frontend, the database information, etc.
When creating a Knowledge Base, a default Environment is created.
If you are using GeneXus Next Desktop, the New Knowledge Base dialog —in addition to asking for the Knowledge Base name and path— asks you to select the programming language to be used to generate the Backend code (as well as the programs used to create/modify the database structure, called Reorganization programs) and the programming languages to be used to generate the application Frontend code.
If all Frontend options are cleared, the Knowledge Base is created as a Backend-Only Knowledge Base. In this scenario, before the Knowledge Base is created, an informational message is displayed indicating that it will be created as Backend-Only.
The rest of the Environment information must be configured through its properties. So, after the Knowledge Base creation, you can verify the default Environment is created by going to the Preferences window:
The default Environment name (i.e. ".NET Environment", "Java Environment", etc.) can be changed by editing the Name property. In the same way, you can set the different Environment properties.
An Environment is made up of the following nodes:
- Backend: It refers to everything related to the application server, the access to the database, and the services.
- Frontend: It refers to everything related to the UI (what is shown and used to interact) and connects with the Backend. So, the resources to generate (and set) these are .NET, Java, Angular, Android, Apple.
- Deployment: It refers to the Deployment Unit objects defined in the KB Version.
The Backend node defines:
- The programming language(s) that will be used to generate the code corresponding to the application Backend as well as the programs to create/modify the database structure. There is a Default language (in the example shown, .NET, since it was selected at the Knowledge Base creation time), and it is possible to define additional generators for specific scenarios. Learn more about GeneXus Generators.
- The Default Data Store to set the information to access the database associated with your generated application.
- The Services node, whose properties allow you to configure the handling of services, storage settings, notifications, etc.
It shows the generators available to generate the Frontend of the application so that you can configure their properties. For example, you can add the Angular generator by setting the Frontend Generate Angular property to Yes.
This node allows you to define different Deployment Unit objects.
Each Environment stores the details corresponding to a specific application implementation.
To define a new Environment, being in the Preferences window, right-click and select "New Environment". The New Environment dialog will be opened. In this dialog, the available Frontend options depend on the Knowledge Base type:
- If the Knowledge Base supports Frontends, Web (.NET) is selected by default and cannot be cleared.
- If the Knowledge Base is Backend-Only, all Frontend options are disabled, and an informational message explains that Frontends are not available.
Only one Environment can be active at a time, which means that it will be the one used to generate the application, reorganize the database, and run when pressing F5.
The one active by default is the Default Environment.
To get an Environment "active", right-click on its name (over the root node of the environment tree) and click on "Set As Current Environment". When it becomes active, the name of the Environment is highlighted in bold, and the icon next to the name shows an orange arrow (such as the "PLAY" symbol) to indicate that that Environment will be the one used.
An inactive Environment is indicated by its name being displayed in non-bold text, showing that the Environment will not be used for code generation or for connecting to a database.
When changing Environment properties, usually a Rebuild All is needed; for more details, check Applying property changes.