# CDE dashboard overview

The Community Dashboard Editor (CDE) and its underlying technologies ([CDF](https://github.com/pentaho/documentation/blob/main/PDIA/11.0/CTools/CTools%20overview/CTools/General%20overview%20of%20Pentaho%20and%20CTools/CDF%20Community%20Dashboard%20Framework=GUID-7E13C2F9-024B-4777-9412-65306E00E5CA=1=en=.md), [CDA](https://github.com/pentaho/documentation/blob/main/PDIA/11.0/CTools/CTools%20overview/CTools/General%20overview%20of%20Pentaho%20and%20CTools/CDA%20Community%20Data%20Access=GUID-F89F307A-A542-4B93-BEAB-047C77C04E7B=1=en=.md) and [CCC](https://github.com/pentaho/documentation/blob/main/PDIA/11.0/CTools/CDE%20dashboard%20overview/broken-reference/README.md)) enable rapid development and deployment of the Pentaho CTools dashboards. The CDE tool was created to simplify the creation, design, and rendering processes of the CTools dashboards. It is a powerful and complete tool, seamlessly integrating the user interface with data sources and custom components.

**Note:** Since CTools dashboards operate independently from the Pentaho Dashboard Designer, the dashboards are not compatible with one another.

The following tour of the Editor interface assumes you have [activated CDE](https://docs.pentaho.com/pba-ctools/activate-cde).