Understanding Panels
This section provides in-depth explanations of how the Panels Management System works, helping you understand the concepts, architecture, and design decisions behind the system.
Architecture & Design
Understanding the system's structure and design principles:
- System Overview - High-level architecture and components
- Data Model - Entity relationships and data structure
- Multi-tenancy - Tenant isolation and data security
- Security Model - Authentication, authorization, and protection
- Performance Design - Scalability and optimization strategies
Core Concepts
Deep dives into the fundamental concepts:
Panels
- Panel Philosophy - Why panels exist and what problems they solve
- Panel Lifecycle - How panels are created, used, and managed
- Panel Organization - Structuring and categorizing panels
Views
- View Concepts - Understanding views and their purpose
- View Types - Different types of views and their use cases
- View Publishing - Sharing views across teams and organizations
Columns
- Column Types - Base columns vs calculated columns
- Column Relationships - Dependencies and data flow
- Formula System - How calculated columns work
Data Sources
- Data Source Strategy - Connecting to external data
- Synchronization - Keeping data up-to-date
- Data Transformation - Processing and normalizing data
Technical Deep Dives
Detailed technical explanations:
Database Design
- Entity Design - Database entity structure and relationships
- Query Optimization - Database performance optimization
- Migration Strategy - Database schema evolution
- Indexing Strategy - Database index design
API Design
- REST API Design - RESTful API principles and implementation
- Type Safety - TypeScript integration across the stack
- Validation Strategy - Input validation and error handling
- Caching Strategy - Performance optimization through caching
Frontend Architecture
- Component Design - React component architecture
- State Management - Application state handling
- Rendering Strategy - SSR, CSR, and hybrid approaches
- Performance Optimization - Frontend performance techniques
Design Decisions
Explanations of key architectural and design choices:
Technology Choices
- Framework Selection - Why Fastify, Next.js, and other choices
- Database Choice - Why PostgreSQL and data modeling
- TypeScript Strategy - Full-stack type safety approach
- Monorepo Strategy - Workspace organization and tooling
Architectural Patterns
- Domain-Driven Design - DDD principles in the codebase
- Repository Pattern - Data access layer organization
- Service Layer - Business logic organization
- API Client Design - Frontend-backend communication
Trade-offs
- Performance vs Flexibility - Balancing competing concerns
- Consistency vs Availability - CAP theorem implications
- Security vs Usability - Security design decisions
- Complexity vs Maintainability - Managing system complexity
Domain Knowledge
Understanding the business domain and use cases:
Business Context
- Problem Domain - What business problems Panels solves
- User Personas - Who uses Panels and how
- Use Case Scenarios - Common usage patterns
- Industry Applications - How different industries use Panels
Data Management
- Data Governance - Managing data quality and compliance
- Data Lineage - Tracking data sources and transformations
- Data Privacy - Privacy considerations and GDPR compliance
- Data Integration - Connecting diverse data sources
System Evolution
How the system has evolved and future directions:
Historical Context
- Evolution from Worklist - How Panels evolved from the original worklist concept
- Major Milestones - Key development milestones
- Lessons Learned - What we learned during development
- Technical Debt - Managing complexity and technical debt
Future Vision
- Roadmap Considerations - Future development directions
- Scalability Planning - Planning for growth
- Technology Evolution - Keeping up with technology changes
- Community Growth - Building a community around Panels
Integration Patterns
How Panels integrates with other systems:
Enterprise Integration
- Enterprise Architecture - Fitting into enterprise systems
- SSO Integration - Single sign-on patterns
- API Gateway Integration - Enterprise API management
- Microservices Integration - Microservices architecture patterns
Data Integration
- ETL Patterns - Extract, transform, load patterns
- Real-time Integration - Live data synchronization
- Event-Driven Architecture - Event-based integration
- Data Mesh Integration - Modern data architecture patterns
Quality & Testing
Understanding quality assurance and testing strategies:
Testing Philosophy
- Testing Strategy - Overall approach to testing
- Test Pyramid - Balancing different types of tests
- Quality Gates - Ensuring code quality
- Continuous Quality - Quality in CI/CD pipelines
Code Quality
- Code Standards - Coding conventions and standards
- Documentation Standards - Documentation best practices
- Review Process - Code review guidelines
- Refactoring Strategy - Managing code evolution
How to Read This Section
The Understanding section is organized to build your knowledge progressively:
- Start with Architecture - Get the big picture
- Dive into Core Concepts - Understand the fundamentals
- Explore Technical Details - Go deeper into implementation
- Learn from Decisions - Understand why things are the way they are
- Apply Domain Knowledge - Connect technical details to business value
Contributing Understanding
Help improve the collective understanding:
- Share Insights - Document discoveries and insights
- Ask Questions - Questions often reveal gaps in understanding
- Explain Concepts - Teaching others helps solidify understanding
- Connect Dots - Help connect concepts across different areas