If you've spoken to us, or to Zoho, about customising your setup beyond what the standard settings allow, you've probably heard several different words thrown around: Deluge, code, scripting, functions. The good news is that in a Zoho context, these are all basically pointing at the same thing.
What is Deluge?
Deluge, short for Data Enriched Language for the Universal Grid Environment, is Zoho's own scripting language, built specifically to work inside Zoho products. It's used across the ecosystem, in Zoho CRM, Zoho Creator, Zoho Desk, Zoho Books, Zoho Flow, and more, to add logic that the standard point-and-click configuration simply can't achieve.
So what's the difference between all these terms?
- Code is the general term for written instructions that tell a computer what to do. Deluge is a type of code.
- Scripting is the act of writing that code, usually to automate something or extend what a system can do beyond its built-in options.
- A function is simply a named, reusable chunk of code (in this case, Deluge script) that can be triggered by something happening in Zoho, a button being clicked, a workflow rule firing, or a schedule running.
In practice, when someone says "we'll need a custom function for that", or "that will need some Deluge", or "this needs a bit of scripting", they're almost always describing the same underlying thing: someone writing Deluge code to make Zoho do something the standard settings can't.
Note: Deluge is Zoho's own language, built specifically for Zoho products, rather than a general-purpose programming language you'd use outside of Zoho. It's designed to be relatively approachable, with a readable, plain-English style syntax, even if you're not a professional developer.
Need help? If you have something in mind that might need a custom function, our team can tell you honestly whether it's straightforward, complex, or somewhere in between.
Book a discovery call with 1 Cloud Consultants.