Core terms

This page summarizes the most commonly used concepts in the Business Customization Platform. See the corresponding topic for configuration instructions, scope, and limitations.

Platform and development

Term	Description
Business Customization Platform (PaaS)	The platform capability layer for business modeling, interface design, process automation, access control, data governance, and application release.
Visual configuration	Customizing business features through forms, designers, and rule configuration in Setup without writing code directly.
Metadata	Data that describes system configuration, such as objects, fields, layouts, permissions, and processes. It is different from business data such as accounts and orders.
API Name	The system identifier for an object, field, or other configuration in development and integration scenarios.
APL	A development extension capability for implementing functions, classes, and complex backend business logic.
PWC	A development capability for extending pages, components, and frontend interactions.

Data model

Term	Description
Object	A container for one type of business data, such as accounts, orders, delivery records, or equipment ledgers.
Record	A specific item of business data in an object, such as one delivery record.
Standard object	A built-in platform object that supports a standard business scenario.
Custom object	An object that an enterprise creates for its own business.
Field	An object property that stores a piece of business information, such as an amount, date, or owner.
Primary attribute	The field used to identify and display the key information for a record.
Object relationship	A data association between objects, usually created through a Lookup or Master-Detail Relationship.
Lookup	A field type that associates the current record with a record from another object.
Master-Detail Relationship	A special object relationship in which a detail record depends on its master record. Permissions and lifecycle are usually controlled by the master object.
Reference	A field that displays the value of a field from a related object in the current object.
Formula	A field that automatically calculates a result from a formula.
Roll-Up Summary	A field that aggregates related data.
Record Type	A classification that distinguishes business branches within the same object and can be associated with different layouts and processes.
Life Status	A system field that identifies whether a record is active, voided, or in another lifecycle state.
Global Option Sets	A set of standard options that multiple objects or fields can reuse.
Global variable	An enterprise-level variable that can be reused in rules, processes, or development logic.

Interfaces and applications

Term	Description
Page layout	Configuration that controls how fields, components, and operations appear on a details page, form page, or list page.
Layout rule	A rule that dynamically controls whether a field is visible, required, or read-only based on page state or field values.
Platform application	A collection of work entry points organized for a type of business or user.
CRM application view	An application-view template that combines menus, a homepage, and an applicable scope.
CRM menu	A collection of entry points to objects, pages, and other features within an application.
CRM Home	The homepage or workspace that users see after entering a CRM application.
Custom page	A Web, mobile, or H5 page built with layouts and components.
Main navigation	A top-level application entry point on the Web or mobile client.
Applicable Scope	The users, departments, or roles to which an application, view, layout, or page applies.
Component	A reusable unit of content or interaction on a page. A component can be provided by the platform or custom-developed.

Rules and automation

Term	Description
Validation Rules	Rules that check business conditions before data is saved. If a condition is not met, they block submission and notify the user.
Duplicate Rules	Rules that identify duplicate records by specified fields and conditions.
Object mapping rule	A definition of how fields in different objects correspond so that business operations can populate and reuse data.
Object conversion rule	A rule that converts data from a source object into a target object.
Approval Process	A process for human decision scenarios such as approval, rejection, and co-signature.
Workflow	Lightweight automation triggered by a data change, time, or condition that automatically updates fields, sends reminders, or performs other actions.
Business Process	A cross-role collaboration process that combines manual tasks, approvals, system actions, waits, and branches.
Pipeline	A process that advances through business lifecycle stages and manages stage tasks and completion conditions.
Flow	An orchestration capability for complex logic such as variables, branches, loops, interface interactions, data operations, and AI nodes.
Trigger	A condition that determines when a process or rule starts.
Node	A processing unit in a process, such as an approval, task, wait, branch, or automatic node.
Post-action	An operation that runs automatically after a rule or process is triggered.
Process instance	A specific run created when a process is triggered.
To-do	An approval or business task assigned to a user for processing.

Organizations and permissions

Term	Description
Org Structure	The departments, users, reporting relationships, and multi-organization relationships in an enterprise.
Business role	A permission container for business users that assigns menus and business operations.
Administrative role	A permission container for system administrators that assigns administrative capabilities.
Functional permission	Controls which menus, buttons, and operations a user can access.
Object permission	Controls whether a role can view, create, edit, or delete data for an object.
Field permission	Controls whether a role can view or edit a field.
Data Permission	Controls which specific records a user can access.
Data owner	The user who has primary management responsibility for a business record.
Assigned Department	The organizational department to which a business record belongs.
Data sharing rule	A rule that shares records with specified recipients based on the owner, department, organization, or conditions.
Related Teams	A group of people who collaborate on a record and receive access based on their member roles.
Temporary permission	Data access granted during approval or business-process handling and revoked when the task ends.

Data governance and globalization

Term	Description
Import and export	Writing business data to or outputting it from platform objects in bulk through files.
Bulk processing	Importing, exporting, updating, deleting, or migrating many records.
Data cleansing	The governance process for identifying and correcting incomplete, nonstandard, or incorrect data.
Data audit	The capability to check data quality against rules and track exceptions.
Data archiving	Moving infrequently used historical data into the archive scope to manage its lifecycle.
Language Support	The capability to display UI terms, object and field names, or business data in a user's language.
Time Zones	The capability to display the same point in time in an enterprise's or user's time zone.
Regional Formats	The capability to display dates, times, numbers, and other values according to regional conventions.
Multi-Currency Management	The capability to manage the base currency, transaction currencies, exchange rates, and amount conversion.
Address Format	Configuration that defines address fields, order, validation, and assembly by country or region.

Templates, plugins, and releases

Term	Description
Print template	A template that outputs object data in PDF, Excel, Word, or a custom format.
Email Template	A reusable email-content template that includes a subject, body, and business fields.
Business Add-ons	Extension capabilities for scenarios such as online documents, e-signatures, and SMS.
Sandbox	An environment copy isolated from production for development, testing, training, or release rehearsals.
Production environment	The environment that runs the enterprise's live business and business data.
Change set	A release container for packaging and migrating metadata between associated environments. It does not migrate business data.
Outbound change set	A metadata collection sent from the current environment to a target environment.
Inbound change set	A metadata collection received by a target environment and awaiting validation or deployment.
Validation	A check that determines whether a change set can be deployed without writing configuration.
Deployment	Writing validated metadata to the target environment.