Start Building with Appian Composer

This page explains how to transition from planning to development and the options available for getting started.

Once you've reviewed and finalized your application plan, you're ready to start building.

Scroll or drag to pan · ⌘+/⌘− to zoom · Esc to close

There are two ways to start building with Composer:

• Generating foundational objects with Composer.
• Building objects from scratch.

Either option takes you to the Build view, where your stories appear on the Board tab and Composer is available to help break down user stories into tasks and execute them.

Generate foundational objects with Composer

To accelerate your application setup, Composer can generate groups, record types, interfaces, and process models based on your application plan. You must review and select objects across each category—personas, processes, screens, rules, and data—before Composer creates them.

To generate foundational objects:

1. In the Plan view, click START BUILDING. The Start Building dialog appears.
2. Click Generate foundational objects with Composer.
3. Select the I understand… checkbox to confirm that you have reviewed the application plan.
4. Click NEXT.
5. In Personas, select the groups you want to generate. Groups are suggested based on your personas, and all are selected by default.
   • Clear the checkbox next to any group you don't want to generate.
   • Click to rename a group.
   

   Scroll or drag to pan · ⌘+/⌘− to zoom · Esc to close

6. Click NEXT.
7. In Process, select the starter process models you want to generate. Process models are suggested based on your process diagram, and all are selected by default. A single process diagram may result in multiple process models.
   • Clear the checkbox next to any process model you don't want to generate.
   • Click REFRESH RECOMMENDATIONS to update suggestions if your process diagram has changed.
   

   Scroll or drag to pan · ⌘+/⌘− to zoom · Esc to close

8. Click NEXT.
9. In Screens, select the site and interfaces you want to generate. A site and interfaces are suggested, and all are selected by default.
   • Clear the checkbox next to any site or interface you don't want to generate.
   • Click to rename the site or an interface.
   

   Scroll or drag to pan · ⌘+/⌘− to zoom · Esc to close

10. Click NEXT.
11. In Rules, select the expression rules you want to generate. Expression rules are suggested based on your business rules, and all are selected by default.
    • Clear the checkbox next to any expression rule you don't want to generate.
    • Click to rename the expression rule.
    

    Scroll or drag to pan · ⌘+/⌘− to zoom · Esc to close

12. Click NEXT.

13. In Data, select the data source for your record types and the record types you want to generate. Record types, their fields, data types, and relationships are suggested based on your tables, and all are selected by default.
    • Clear the checkbox next to any record type you don't want to generate.
    • Click Add actions and views on a record type to generate record actions or the Summary view. Select the checkbox next to each option you want to add.

    Tip:  Some record views and actions may already be selected and disabled. These are required to generate the associated screen and cannot be changed.

    • Click to rename the record type.
    

    Scroll or drag to pan · ⌘+/⌘− to zoom · Esc to close

14. Click NEXT.

15. In Review, expand each object section to review the objects that will be generated. In the Review Security and Organization section, verify how your objects will be secured and organized.

    

    Scroll or drag to pan · ⌘+/⌘− to zoom · Esc to close

16. Click BUILD.

The Board tab opens in the Build view. A Generate Foundational Objects story appears in the In Progress column.

When the foundation objects are generated, the story moves to the In Review column and your foundational objects are ready for review. This may take a few minutes.

Generated objects

After you click BUILD, Composer creates the selected design objects and displays them in the Build view. Some objects are fully configured, while others provide a starting structure that requires further configuration. Review and update all generated objects as needed.

• Groups: Generated as empty objects. You must add members to each group.
• Process models: Starter process models with workflow structure but without configured process variables or expressions.
  • Includes nodes, gateways, and smart services.
  • Includes supported smart services: Write Record, Execute Generative AI Skill, Execute Robotic Task, Call Integration, and Send Email.
  • To-Do annotations highlight areas that need your configuration.
• Interfaces: Fully configured with rule inputs, local variables, and interface components.
• Expression rules: Fully configured with rule inputs, local variables, and Appian functions.
• Record types: Generated with a data source, fields, relationships, and any record actions or views you selected. If you generated All Users and Administrators groups when you created your application, those groups are assigned permissions to each record type by default. Review the security and add additional permissions as needed.
• Site: A site object connecting your interfaces.

Review generated objects

After generation, a Generate Foundational Design Objects story appears on the Board tab in the In Progress column. This story uses the card number <APP_PREFIX>-0 and does not display an action type icon. When objects generate successfully, the story moves to the In Review column.

To review generated objects:

1. In the Build view, go to the Board tab.
2. Click the Generate Foundational Design Objects story.

3. Review the objects section, which lists all design objects that Composer generated.

   

   Scroll or drag to pan · ⌘+/⌘− to zoom · Esc to close

4. Click each object to open it and review its configuration.

From this detail view, you can also:

• Search for objects by name.
• Filter by object type (All Objects, Group, Expression Rule, Process Model, or Sites).
• Click NEW to create a new design object and associate it with the application.
• Click ADD EXISTING OBJECTS to associate existing objects with the application.
• Click GENERATE WITH COMPOSER to generate additional or remaining objects.

Build objects from scratch

Building from scratch skips object generation and lands you directly on the Board tab. All stories from the Plan view appear in the To Do column, ready for development.

To build from scratch:

1. In the Plan view, click START BUILDING. The Start Building dialog appears.
2. Click Build objects from scratch.
3. Select the I understand… checkbox to confirm that you have reviewed the application plan.
4. Click BUILD.

The Board tab opens in the Build view. All stories appear in the To Do column. You have full control over your app's structure and logic, and can build only what each story needs, when you need it. Composer is also available in the Build view to help you break down stories into tasks and execute them.

Feedback