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Using the Desk

The Desk is Framework M's web-based interface for managing data. It provides list views, form views, and navigation for all your DocTypes.

Starting the Desk​

The Desk is the main application UI served by the Framework M backend:

Production mode

m start


Open [http://localhost:8000](http://localhost:8000) in your browser.

> **Note:** The Desk is different from Studio. Studio (`m studio`) is a development tool for building DocTypes visually. The Desk is for end-users to manage data.

## Navigation

### Sidebar

The sidebar shows all available DocTypes grouped by app:

📁 CRM ├── Contact ├── Lead └── Opportunity

📁 Accounting ├── Invoice └── Payment


Click a DocType to open its list view.

### List View

The list view shows all records of a DocType:

| Column | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| Name | Unique identifier (click to edit) |
| Fields | Configured display columns |
| Status | Current state (if applicable) |
| Modified | Last update timestamp |

**Features:**
- **Sort**: Click column headers
- **Filter**: Use the filter bar
- **Search**: Type in the search box
- **Pagination**: Navigate pages at bottom

### Form View

Click a record name to open the form view:

- **Edit fields** directly
- **Save** changes with the Save button
- **Delete** with the Delete button
- **Submit/Cancel** for submittable DocTypes

## CRUD Operations

### Create a Record

1. Open the DocType list view
2. Click **+ New** button
3. Fill in the required fields
4. Click **Save**

### Read/View a Record

1. Open the DocType list view
2. Click on the record name
3. View all fields in the form

### Update a Record

1. Open the record form
2. Edit the fields
3. Click **Save**

### Delete a Record

1. Open the record form
2. Click **Delete** button
3. Confirm deletion

## API Access

The Desk is powered by a REST API. You can access it directly:

### Base URL

http://localhost:8000/api/v1/resource/{DocType}


### Endpoints

| Method | Endpoint | Description |
|--------|----------|-------------|
| `GET` | `/api/v1/resource/{DocType}` | List records |
| `GET` | `/api/v1/resource/{DocType}/{id}` | Get single record |
| `POST` | `/api/v1/resource/{DocType}` | Create record |
| `PUT` | `/api/v1/resource/{DocType}/{id}` | Update record |
| `DELETE` | `/api/v1/resource/{DocType}/{id}` | Delete record |

### Examples

**List all contacts:**
```bash
curl http://localhost:8000/api/v1/resource/Contact

Get a single contact:

curl http://localhost:8000/api/v1/resource/Contact/1

Create a contact:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/api/v1/resource/Contact \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "first_name": "John",
    "last_name": "Doe",
    "email": "john@example.com"
  }'

Update a contact:

curl -X PUT http://localhost:8000/api/v1/resource/Contact/1 \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email": "john.doe@example.com"}'

Delete a contact:

curl -X DELETE http://localhost:8000/api/v1/resource/Contact/1

Query Parameters​

Filtering:

# Filter by field value
curl "http://localhost:8000/api/v1/resource/Contact?status=Active"

Pagination:

# Page 2, 20 records per page
curl "http://localhost:8000/api/v1/resource/Contact?page=2&limit=20"

Sorting:

# Sort by creation date descending
curl "http://localhost:8000/api/v1/resource/Contact?order_by=-creation"

Metadata API​

Get DocType schema for building dynamic UIs:

curl http://localhost:8000/api/v1/meta/Contact

Response includes:

  • Field definitions (type, label, required)
  • Meta options (is_submittable, naming_rule)
  • Permission settings

Keyboard Shortcuts​

ShortcutAction
Ctrl+SSave current form
Ctrl+NCreate new record
EscapeClose current form

Next Steps​