Newtown User Manual

Welcome to Newtown, your group computer! It’s more than a tool - it’s a shared space where your group can build, use, and evolve all the apps you need together. You don’t need to be a systems architect or a programmer. All you need is an idea. Describe what you want in simple english, and the system takes care of everything else.

Are you a developer? Check out the Developer Manual for technical details and API references.

How it works ?

In Newtown, everything in your app is a visual component — your data, your buttons, your logic. You describe what you want in plain words, and Newtown builds it as composable pieces your whole group can see and use.

  1. Say what you want: Describe a piece of data, a button, a behavior, or a whole app — in plain words.

  2. Anyone can add or improve things: Everyone in the group can create and shape the apps.

  3. Safe to try things: You won’t break what others built, and you can still use / extend it.

  4. Preview everything: See your changes live, from whole app to individual parts before publishing.

  5. Newtown handles the rest: Everything technical is handled for you.

Getting Started

Start by describing the first thing your group wants to build. It can be as small as a single piece of data or a button, or as big as a full app.

  • A piece of data: "Add a title to posts"
  • A behavior: "Add a vote button"
  • A scope of logic: "Add a karma block to users"
  • A side effect: "When a post is voted, update the user karma"
  • A full app: "Build a hacker news style app"

The more specific you are, the better. Describe who should be able to see or update things, what should happen when something changes, and how your group will use it.

Example Prompts

Create a task tracker where team members can assign duties, set deadlines, and see who is responsible for each task. Make sure everyone can view tasks, but only assigned members can mark them complete.
Build a potluck signup where members can add the dish they’re bringing, see who else is participating, and update their own entries without affecting others’ choices.
Make a shared inventory list for our shop so people can track items, quantities, and who last updated them. Allow everyone to view the inventory, but only designated staff can modify quantities or add new items.

Many apps begin by supporting basic group activities like knowing who’s part of the group, sending messages, sharing updates, or helping members exchange things. Defining these core functions upfront helps you create powerful combinations later.

How to Prompt

Here’s a guide on how to describe what you want — from a single visual component to a full app.

Add / Update Features

Every feature is a visual component — a piece of data, a button, or a behavior. Describe exactly what you want to add or change and Newtown builds it as a composable piece your group can use right away.

Example Prompts

Add a feature that lets team members mark tasks as complete and automatically notify the assigned person.
Modify the signup form so members can also leave notes about what they are bringing.
Improve the inventory list so it highlights items that are running low and only managers can update quantities.

Foundational blocks

Think about the basic activities that keep your group coordinated. Focus on core functions like knowing who’s in the group, sharing updates or messages, and helping members exchange things or coordinate work. Add these blocks early on to aid powerful combinations later.

Example Prompts

Add a messaging feature so members can post updates visible to the whole group.
Set up a member directory so everyone can see who is part of the team.
Create a simple peer-to-peer exchange where members can offer and request resources.

Combine foundational blocks

Start a new app by combining basic group functions you’ve used before, like member management, messaging, task tracking, or resource sharing. Think about how these functions can work together to support a complete workflow for your group.

Example Prompts

Build an event planner app where members can RSVP, post messages, and track who is bringing what.
Create a team coordination app that combines a task tracker with a messaging board for updates.
Make a shared project hub where members can see tasks, share files, and communicate progress.

Coordination / Side Effects

Describe what should happen when something changes — Newtown wires the pieces together automatically. One action can trigger many things at once, each independently.

Example Prompts

When a member signs up for a task, automatically update the task list for everyone involved.
Completing a volunteer shift should adjust the schedule and notify the team responsible.
Adding a new item to the inventory should update stock counts and alert the staff managing supplies.

Update Styles & Layouts

Use prompts to adjust how your app looks and feels. You can change layouts, colors, styles, or the arrangement of sections to make the app easier and more enjoyable for your group to use. Be clear about which parts you want to update.

Example Prompts

Change the dashboard layout so tasks are grouped by priority and displayed in cards.
Update the color scheme to make high-priority items stand out and headings easier to read.
Reorganize the signup form so fields are grouped logically and labels are clearer.

Fix Things

Use very specific prompts to describe exactly what isn’t working or needs correcting. Include details about the part of the app, what went wrong, and what you want to happen instead. The clearer you are, the faster the system can fix it.

Example Prompts

The task completion checkbox isn’t saving. Make sure checking a task marks it complete and updates the assigned member’s list.
The RSVP form doesn’t show who has signed up. Fix it so all members can see the list of participants for each event.
Inventory quantities aren’t updating when a staff member adds an item. Correct it so the count increases immediately and shows to all staff.

Test Data

Start by adding some example entries for the things your app manages. This helps your group see how the app works with real information. Focus on adding a few items for each type of thing, so people can interact and test the app.

Example Prompts

Add sample tasks with names, due dates, and assigned team members so we can test the task tracker.
Create a few example events with titles, dates, and locations for the event planner app.
Add some items to the inventory with names, quantities, and owners so staff can start managing stock.

Preview & Publish

  • Preview: Use the preview to see all changes in real time before they go live. The preview environment is shared, so everyone in the group sees updates instantly.
  • Publish: When you’re ready, publish your changes to make them live for all users. Choose a good time to publish so your group can see a stable version of the app.

App Organization

In Newtown, everything in your app is a visual component — your data, your buttons, your logic. Your app is made of fields, actions, blocks, and pages.

Fields are state as components — a title, a score, a timestamp. Say "Add a title to posts" and you get a title that displays itself and edits itself.

Actions are behaviors as components — a button or control that does something when clicked. Say "Add a vote button" and you get a button wired to the logic that increments the post score.

Blocks are named scopes that group related fields and actions around one concern. Say "Add a karma block to users" and you get a new independent scope tracking karma, without touching identity or anything else.

When something happens in one block, it can trigger things in others — say "When a post is voted, update the user karma" and voting automatically updates the author's karma, without either block knowing about the other.

Pages bring everything together into a usable interface — feeds, detail views, and forms. Say "Build a hacker news style app" and you get posts, voting, comments, and karma all composed into a full interface.

Looking for code examples? The Developer Manual covers the framework APIs.