Using Canvases

Canvases are iframes or web views shown inside the Optix core products. A more general explanation can be found in the Canvas overview. To specify canvases for your app, you need to add them in the app settings file.

We do not restrict the creation of the HTML which is displayed in a canvas, but we strongly suggest the use of our UI Kit. Doing so enables faster development and follows the Optix design guidelines, adapting the view to the proper platform (view or mobile). Using our UI kit will enable you to take advantage of our Content Delivery Network (CDN) to deploy most of the resources used in the app.

On this page

Canvas URL contextual parameters

When an admin clicks to open or view a canvas in the Optix admin dashboard, the Optix platform manipulates the URL specified in the app settings file and creates a custom URL, containing the context variables, e.g., the booking_id and the token (full details on context parameters are found in this table). The token can be used by the canvas target page to call the public API and retrieve the information related to the booking.

Example

A URL you might specify for a canvas:

https://www.mydomain.com/app/bookingtray.php

Is converted to:

https://www.mydomain.com/app/bookingtray.php?token=abcdef123p&booking_id=1000

You could choose to customize the token parameter using macro replacements.

Security tip

Always use HTTPS in your services. The usage of HTTP is insecure and can lead to identity spoofing.

Choosing the best canvas for your use case

There are several canvases available for the mobile app and admin dashboard. They display in different places and offer slightly different opportunities/restrictions. Use the lists found in the following pages to learn more about the available canvases and choose the best place to host your UI.

Each canvas in the list contains information regarding the sizing, scrolling behavior, and configurations available. The list is broken into two sections:

  1. Optix mobile app canvases
  2. Optix admin dashboard canvases

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