Any new object that you create in Alfabet Expand is a configuration object. This includes, for example, content areas, data workbenches, guided data views, workflows and workflow steps, configured reports, class settings, etc. Configuration objects are displayed as nodes in the explorers available in Alfabet Expand.
Right-click the configuration object node in the explorer to open the context menu and access functionalities associated with the configuration object, like, for example, create and delete interactions.
Click the configuration object node in the explorer to display the attribute window in the right pane.
For some configuration objects, like, for example, XML objects, an editor pane is available on double-click on the configuration object node in the explorer.
You must always click the Save 
button in the Alfabet Expand toolbar to save your changes to configuration objects.
Objects in the explorers display icons that indicate the editability of the object:
- A private object
with a red lock is ReadOnly and is displayed to provide guidance in defining new objects. - A protected object
with an orange lock may have some property values that can be changed but the object may not be deleted. - A public object
with no lock may have all relevant property values changed and may be deleted.
In addition, some objects in explorers may displays icons indicating their object state (for example, workflows). As a solution designer, you can change the state of a configuration object to indicate whether it is currently in developement or in use, or deprecated. The state influences the behaviour of the configuration object.
- An active object
will have a green symbol. Active objects are available for display on the user interface. An active object cannot be changed in Alfabet Expand. - A plan object
will have an orange symbol. These objects can be edited in Alfabet Expand. Planned objects are not available for display on the user interface. - A retired object
will have a red symbol. Retired objects are no longer in use. change
The state indicates the value of the attribute State of the configuration object. You cannot change the State attribute of a configuration obbject directly in the attribute window. Instead, right-click the object and select the relevant Set State to option.
- To ease the configuration of some configuration objects, an editor pane is available by double-clicking the object in its explorer. For example, the following editors are available:
- A design functionality supports the definition and visual design of custom editors
. The editor allows you to select view controls via buttons in the toolbar and place them in the custom editor. Clicking the view control refreshes the attribute window in the right pane in which the view controls attributes can be defined. - The XML object editor supports the definition of a selected XML object
. XML elements and attributes can be defined directly in an easy-to-use editor interface as well as the conventional XML format. The new editor provides verification of the XML syntax by means of Microsoft® IntelliSense® technology. Any errors in syntax are reporting with color-coding and can be immediately corrected by the solution designer.
- A design functionality supports the definition and visual design of custom editors