Technology

How It Works

A metadata-driven, three-tier platform: Designer, Server, Client. One diagram, the whole picture.

GTmeta

Block Architecture

A metadata‑driven, three‑tier enterprise platform: Designer, Server, Client.

3 tier

Designer · Server · Client

Separation

structure ⁄ execution

DESIGN-TIMEon the developer's workstation

GTS Designer

GTSL · Lazarus/FPC · Windows and Linux · macOS in testing

visual metadata editormeta-circular

SQLite metadata file (local)

1 file = 1 application · GTS_<CODE>.db

43 metadata tablesSQL · forms · actions · toolbarsinspectable · zero lock-in

HTTP multipart upload → import into MongoDB (idempotent)

RUNTIMEcomponents interpret the metadata: no application-specific code

GTmeta Client

Angular + Ionic · metadata rendering engine (SPA)

Web

GtsDataService · metadata cacheAG GridAngular MaterialjsPDF · ExcelJSiOS · Android (Capacitor): planned

HTTPS · REST / JSON · JWT Bearer

nginx (reverse proxy / edge)

serves the static Angular build and routes the API

serves dist/ (static)proxy /api → :3000TLS · Let's Encryptgzip

/api · internal HTTP · :3000

GTmeta Server

Node.js (LTS) · Express (ES Modules .mjs) · REST API

import SQLite metadata → Mongoauth JWT + 2FA (TOTP)data proxy · action executionconnection poolingAI orchestration

GTSW management portal: GTmeta's admin portal is itself a metadata-driven project, built with the same technology as every GTmeta project. Accessible to administrators and developers.

MongoDB

runtime metadata store · 4 databases · Atlas or on-premise

to Mongo: metadata · auth · cache

GTSauth

users · roles · DB connections · project config

GTSdata

metadata (pages/sql/menu) · AI config & sessions · user cache

GTSlogs

audit: auth · DB queries · reports

GTSmeta

1:1 copy of the SQLite tables · re-downloadable, identical

Business DB

application data · pool per connection

to Business: SQL · Mongo via connector

OraclePostgreSQLSQL ServerMongoDB

Multiple simultaneous connections, routed by CONN_CODE.

Multi-company: one CONN_CODE per company (e.g. GTR district heating).

AES-256 credentials.

Provider AI

chat & report generation

to AI: server-side SDK

Claudeother providers on request

gts-ai-chat and gts-ai-analyzer components.

System prompt and context configured per project in GTSdata.

AI reports: Handlebars + Puppeteer (PDF).

Frontend

Angular

Latest Angular, built entirely with standalone components.

Ionic

The client is written with Ionic: one codebase for the web, ready to be packaged for iOS and Android.

AG Grid

Industry-leading data grid with virtual scrolling handling millions of rows.

Angular Material

The form fields, dialogs, menus and trees of every page. Built by the Angular team and released together with Angular.

Backend

Node.js

High-performance JavaScript runtime with ES Modules and native async/await.

MongoDB

Flexible document database for metadata, data and configuration storage.

Express.js

Minimal, robust web framework powering the REST API layer.

Claude AI

Anthropic's Claude integration for intelligent form assistance and data analysis.

DevOps

Docker

Containerized deployment for consistent environments across development and production.

Capacitor

The bridge that turns the Ionic client into a native iOS or Android app, with access to device APIs, when a project needs one.