It has been a really interesting project for me to create this software app. I am a freelance web developer and I built this system guided by Tina Sahay. I knew nothing about Logic Models at first but I was intrigued by the potential to work on software meant to make things better for non-profit organisations. It has been challenging and it will evolve as we learn from user feedback.
The OPIS Logic Model Creator was built using the LAMP stack for server architecture( Linux, Apache, MySql, PHP) with a heavy dose of enterprise level javascript on the front end. We are using the WordPress backbone as the content management system (CMS). The software itself was built as a plugin and it can be quickly installed on any other WordPress website.
All user actions take place in one dynamically rendered web page. There are regular interactions with the online web server that update the page and save your workflow (AJAX). Your work is stored as a JSON object in a database. When you create a Logic Model you are manipulating HTML elements on a web page. Most of what you do will be entering text and dragging and dropping elements with your mouse. This application is meant to be operated using a laptop computer or desktop. There are two types of Logic Model files saved in the database. One is a ‘rolling build’ that is constantly saving the latest and deleting the oldest files. The second are individual files you can save separately. I recommend you save completed work as individual files. They will persist in the database until you delete them permanently by clearing your archives. Once a file is deleted in this fashion it is really gone.
Your finished work is converted into a PDF file; a universally accepted digital document standard that is easily shared on the web. You can also import PDF files into programs like MS WORD as long as the document meets normal paging sizes.
Sometimes the Internet does not always work as well as you want it to, the automated software interactions( AJAX ) may not occur as I intended. Feel free to refresh the web page if something is ‘glitchy’. If the problem is still present then contact us.