Initializing help system before first use

Building an Xpress Insight App

This main section walks through the key steps in building an Xpress Insight app. They are typical of the stages through which all models progress as they are transformed into independent Xpress Insight apps.
  1. An example business problem is introduced and formulated as a simple Mosel model.
  2. This initial model is executed from within Xpress Workbench, without any Xpress Insight -specific enhancements.
  3. Next, a set of minimal, but mandatory changes are made to the model - these allow it to be published and executed within an Xpress Insight environment.
  4. A standard Xpress Insight directory structure is created, the model is annotated with metadata that provides Xpress Insight with further application configuration information, and the groundwork for a custom user-interface is prepared with the creation of a companion file, which describes some of the organizational features of a proposed user interface.
  5. The main user interface is built from a combination of VDL elements, introducing the techniques required to use familiar, industry-standard components like tables, forms and fields.
  6. A Tableau view is added, illustrating how to provide more complex visualizations of the underlying model data.
  7. Finally, the app is enhanced by adding the capability to manipulate attached files from both the model and the user interface, together with the creation of a custom execution mode which offers opportunities to select and trigger model actions.
Note When an Xpress solution is created on the FICO Analytic Cloud (FAC), it has an empty un-managed database provisioned at the solution level that is available exclusively for development (Scenario data, Tableau mirror data, and all decision models are held separately). All Xpress components (Insight, Workbench, and Executor) deployed in the same solution at the same lifecycle stage will share this solution database. For more, see the topic Using the Shared Database. Previously, each component had an independent custom database.
Covered Topics
  • Introducing the Example Business Problem
    All models start off with a problem to be solved—in this case, we are going to be working with and extending a portfolio optimization problem introduced in Getting Started with Xpress, part of the Xpress documentation set.
  • Formulating the Model
    This section offers one approach to formulating the initial real-world problem as a Mosel model. Even if you are not a Mosel expert, this model is simple enough for you to be able to glean its intent if you have some programming experience.
  • Running the Model in Xpress Workbench
    At this stage, you can run the model via the Mosel command line or from Xpress Workbench. This guide follows a workflow that uses the facilities provided by the browser-based variant of Xpress Workbench and (later) its close integration with Xpress Insight.
  • Up and Running in Xpress Insight
    Before you can begin to add custom views to your Mosel model, some small but mandatory changes need to be made to the model code. These changes ensure that your model can be recognized by Xpress Insight itself, and that it can continue to be run independently via the Mosel command line.
  • Completing the Recommended Directory Structure
    When you deploy an Xpress Insight app, you will need to present an app archive file—a ZIP or GZIP file containing the app's resources arranged within a known directory structure.
  • Working with Annotations
    Mosel annotations are a very powerful means by which you can configure the way in which entities interact with the Xpress Insight user interface.
  • Introducing the Companion File
    Alongside the compiled Mosel file in the archive root directory, you can provide an additional file that contains metadata—the companion file (or cfile)—to customize your Xpress Insight app.
  • Adding a Custom User Interface
    You can create custom views using VDL, JavaScript and Tableau.
  • Adding a Visualization Using Tableau for FICO
    You can incorporate Tableau visualizations in Xpress Insight apps as custom views that report on scenario data.
  • Using Attachments
    Attachments are files you can associate with an app or individual scenario. They can either be provided with the initial app archive in the attachments folder, or created and modified by interacting with Xpress Insight itself.
  • Understanding Execution Modes
    Every scenario execution initiated by Xpress Insight has an associated execution mode.
  • Adding an App Icon
    It is straightforward to customize the icon displayed on an app's tile on the Xpress Insight Home page.
Parent Topic Getting Started

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