Create an App with Forge
What you’ll do on this page
You’ll start with a simple description of your goal in Forge, then polish the App in small, practical steps until it fits how you actually use it every day. This page focuses on refining: adding fields, buttons, categories, and a few simple “when this happens, do that” behaviors.
Start with your goal (keep it plain)
In Forge, you can describe your goal like you would to a helpful assistant. A good starter request is short and focused:
- What you’re trying to manage (meals, chores, workouts, expenses, meds, etc.)
- What you want to enter (a few pieces of info)
- What you want to happen (save it, show a list, total it, remind you, etc.)
Add the right fields (what you type in)
Fields are the pieces of information you enter. Most everyday Apps only need a few. When refining, ask for fields in the words you’d expect to see on the screen.
Common field upgrades people ask for
- Make something required or optional: “Make ‘Amount’ required, but ‘Notes’ optional.”
- Limit choices: “For ‘Mood’, use options: Great, OK, Bad.”
- Add a quick date/time: “Default the date to today.”
- Reorder the form: “Put ‘Category’ at the top, and ‘Notes’ at the bottom.”
- Rename labels to match your language: “Change ‘Entry’ to ‘Log’ and ‘Title’ to ‘What I did’.”
Example requests you can paste into Forge
- “Add fields: Amount, Category, and Notes. Amount should be a number.”
- “Add a field called How it felt with options: Easy, Medium, Hard.”
- “Make Notes optional and keep it collapsed unless I tap into it.”
Add buttons (faster, fewer taps)
Buttons are for the things you do all the time—quick actions that save you from typing the same thing repeatedly.
Great uses for buttons
- Common values: “Add buttons for 5, 10, 15 minutes.”
- Quick status updates: “Add a ‘Done’ button.”
- Frequent categories: “Add buttons for Grocery, Gas, Coffee.”
- One-tap logging: “Add a button that logs ‘Took meds’ with today’s date.”
Example button requests
- “Add quick buttons: ‘Quick add $5 coffee’ and ‘Quick add $40 groceries’.”
- “Add a button that sets Status to Done and saves immediately.”
- “Add buttons for Favorite meals so I can log one tap and then edit details if needed.”
Add categories (so your list stays readable)
Categories help you group entries so you can find them later (and keep your main list from becoming a single long pile).
Ways to use categories
- Simple grouping: Work, Personal, Family
- Locations: Home, Office, Gym
- Types: Meal, Snack, Drink
- People: Me, Partner, Kids
Example category requests
- “Add a Category field with options: Home, Work, Errands.”
- “Show entries grouped by Category, and let me filter to just one category.”
- “Default category to Home, but let me change it.”
Add simple behaviors (make the App feel “smart”)
Simple behaviors are small rules that make the App easier: automatic defaults, gentle checks, and small shortcuts. You don’t need to think about “automation”—just describe what you want to happen.
Everyday behaviors people ask for
- Defaults: “Set the date to today,” “Start category as Grocery.”
- Auto-fill: “If I choose ‘Coffee’, set amount to $5 (but let me change it).”
- Simple checks: “If amount is empty, ask me to fill it in before saving.”
- Smart sorting: “Show newest first,” “Pin favorites to the top.”
- Small summaries: “Show total spent today,” “Show count this week.”
Example behavior requests
- “When I tap Save, show a short confirmation like ‘Saved’ so I know it worked.”
- “If I select category Gas, suggest common amounts: $20, $40, $60.”
- “Show a simple weekly summary at the top: Total and number of entries.”
A practical refine loop (use this every time)
Most great Apps in Spanner are built in 10–15 minutes of small tweaks. Here’s a repeatable loop that keeps changes focused.
Common refinement requests (pick what matches your situation)
Try requests like:
- “Add a big ‘Quick Add’ button for my most common entry.”
- “Reduce the form to only: Title, Category, Notes.”
- “Move the ‘Save’ button to the bottom and keep it visible.”
Try requests like:
- “Don’t let me save without selecting a Category.”
- “Use a short list of categories instead of free typing.”
- “If I leave Amount blank, prompt me before saving.”
Try requests like:
- “Show the most important info on the first line, and notes on the second line.”
- “Group by Category, and show totals per category.”
- “Add a filter so I can view just ‘This week’.”
Try requests like:
- “Add buttons for my top 5 items and let me edit after tapping.”
- “Add a ‘Done today’ button that logs today’s date automatically.”
- “Add a ‘Reset’ button to clear the form after saving so I can enter the next one.”
Keep it “everyday simple”
- If you don’t use a field weekly, remove it.
- Prefer choices over typing when you keep entering the same words.
- Add buttons only for the top actions you do repeatedly.
- Ask for one change at a time so it’s easy to confirm what improved.