Getting Started

What is Portrait?

Portrait is a low-code platform for building flexible and dynamic web applications to display, search, filter, and even modify existing datasets – all in one place!

Why Portrait?

Portrait, as a platform for building data-driven, fit-to-purpose apps based on existing business applications, is the solution for a modern, collaborative, location independent workplace.

It facilitates the newest technology for a fast and unmatched user experience on mobile and web. Instead of buying new software and apps to satisfy the needs for the “last mile” (=mobility and lightweight use-cases), connect Portrait with your existing applications and complement it.

Every user will therefore profit from a modern user interface, flexible search and apps that fit their needs.

Architecture

Portrait does not store the datasets themselves. Instead, the data originates from Sources, pulling data using Connections from external applications. The datasets are cached, using an index inside of Portrait, and display them in Sections. With Forms you are able to create, modify and delete existing data. All settings are customizable to your needs via Configuration. Figure 1 shows an overview of our architecture concept:

Figure 1 - Overview of Portrait

Build your own Demo instance

If you are familiar with the Linux command line and have a working docker and docker-compose environment, you can easily set up your own demo instance.

Your Linux system needs to have the following package pre-installed

  • docker engine

  • docker-compose

  • unzip

We offer an express installer that can be executed in the Terminal:

bash <(curl -sLk https://install.portrait.app/setup.sh)

Answer the Do you want to include demo data? [y/n] with y

If you set the URL for the app to http://localhost:80, the environment is only accessible locally.

After a short time, Portrait should be up and running. To log in, open a web browser on your configured host and port. The email and password are the same as you set during the installation.
Example http://localhost:80

Configure Portrait

Afterward, you can begin to configure Portrait to your needs. To do this, go to the Administration Panel and then click on Edit Configuration, see Figure 2. Afterward, you will be redirected to a VS Code Web instance. The password for VS Code is the same as the Portrait admin password. In VS Code, you will see a file called application-prod.yml see Figure 3. Here, you can customize your Portrait Instance. For details, please see Configuration

Some changes support hot reload, others require a restart.
For details, see: Reload Configuration

Figure 2 - Administration Screen

Further information