Introduction

Last updated 3/03/2026

Overview (Five Development Environment)

The Five object is the central API and primary access point for interacting with the Five runtime. It provides a unified interface to:

• Frontend functionality - UI interaction, validation, navigation, user messaging
• Backend functionality - database access, transactions, SQL execution, server functions
• Application context - current user, action, stack, parameters, environment, variables

Whether your code runs client-side or server-side, the

Five

object exposes the tools required to control behavior, manage data, and drive application logic.

Core Concept

At its core, the

Five

object acts as a central bridge connecting the user interface, the application runtime, the database layer, the Five server environment, and any external services or integrations. It brings all of these components together through a single global object, providing a unified and consistent way for developers to access context, execute logic, manage data, and control application behavior across both the frontend and the backend.

Five Object Structure

The

Five

object is made up of:

• Properties - access contextual data
• Functions - perform actions and operations

Properties

Properties provide read access to runtime state and values.

Parameter	Purpose	Typical Use
field	Access field values on the current form	Validation, calculations
form	Access fields from other forms in the stack	Cross-form logic
headers	Access HTTP headers	Public URL handling
parameters	Access URL parameters	Public URL integrations
stack	Access primary keys in the action stack	Navigation logic
variable	Access global variables	Persist runtime state

Example

const customerName = five.field.CustomerName;
const recordKey = five.stack.Customer.CustomerKey;

Functions

The

Five

object supports both frontend and backend development, giving you flexibility to control users experience and server-side processing within the same API. While many functions are available in both environments, they serve different purposes depending on where they are executed.

Frontend functions in Five provide the essential bridge between users and the application by managing UI messaging and feedback, controlling navigation and actions, maintaining UI state and context, and handling user interaction and input in real time.

Example

if (!five.field.EmailAddress) {
    five.showMessage("Please enter an email address before continuing");
}

Backend functions in Five power the application behind the scenes by handling business logic, managing database operations, enforcing security and validation rules, coordinating processes and workflows, and integrating with external services to ensure reliable, scalable, and secure application behavior.

Example

const result = five.executeQuery("INSERT INTO Customer (Name, Email) VALUES (?, ?)", 0, five.field.Name, five.field.Email);

if (!result.ok) {
    five.log(result.message);
}

Summary

The

Five

object is designed to:

• Provide one consistent API
• Allow low-code and full-code flexibility
• Give developers direct database control when required
• Keep UI and server logic unified
• Expose runtime context cleanly