Predefined response models

This extension is a complement to Send updates by email. It provides a quick way to fill the case log field by picking from a list of “precanned” answers. The answers are organized into Categories and Organizations (supporting multi-tenancy).

• List of “precanned” replies, for answering quickly the most common questions
• Organize the answers by category to easily find them
• Support of multi-tenancy: each Organization can have its list of “precanned” answers.
• Attachments can be added to the answer for automatic attachment to the email

• Predefined responses are available only
  • on the Console, not on any portal.
  • on object modification, not on transition forms, even if the caselog field is prompted.

• Limitation on a single class and a single Caselog field was removed from version 1.3.0.

This extension requires the Send updates by email extension to be installed as well.

Use the Standard installation process for this extension.

In the iTop configuration file, the administrator defines on which classes the predefined responses selection will be proposed and in which CaseLog the reply will be copied.

  'precanned-replies' => array (
                'targets' => array(
                       'UserRequest' => 'public_log',
                ),
        ),

To activate Predefined Requests also on another class MyClass, you can use:

                'targets' => array(
                       'UserRequest' => 'public_log',
                       'MyClass' => 'my_log',
                ),

To activate Predefined Requests also on multiple logs of the same UserRequest class, you can use:

                'targets' => array(
                       'UserRequest' => 'public_log,private_log',
                ),

To activated a log on a parent class and another log on a child class, you can use:

                'targets' => array(
                       'UserRequest' => 'public_log',
                       'Ticket' => 'private_log',
                ),

For the class UserRequest the behavior is the same, in both cases the 2 logs will propose the Templates button. For all other sub-classes of Ticket, just the private log will propose the Templates button.

The old module configuration parameters target_class/target_caselog are still understood

  'precanned-replies' => array (
                'target_class' => 'UserRequest',
                'target_caselog' => 'public_log',
        ),

In order to add attachments to your Precanned Replies, change the itop-attachments section in the iTop configuration file to:

        'itop-attachments' => array (
                'allowed_classes' => array (
                          0 => 'Ticket',
                          1 => 'PrecannedReply',
                        ),
                'position' => 'relations',
        ),

🚧 Is there an impact on this attachment configuration, now that PrecannedReply can be used on multiple classes and caselogs?

Use the menus under “Service Management” to create and maintain your precanned replies and their categories:

The form for creating a new Precanned reply looks as follows:

The “Body” field contains the text that will be added into the case log of the ticket when using this precanned replies. If you have configured the attachments to allow them on Precanned Replies, you can add attachments to the Precanned Reply using the “Attachments” tab.

It is possible to send email notifications anytime a user enters a comment in a case log.

The natural usage of the feature is in the area of user request management: the agent replies to the requester while updating the request within the iTop GUI.

The agent can save time by using precanned replies for the most common questions:

• Organize the replies by category to easily find them
• Support of multi-tenancy: each Organization can have its list of precanned replies.
• Attachments can be added to the answer for automatic attachment to the email

From the Admin tools/Notifications menu, create a trigger “when log is updated”, and select the expected object class and case log attribute code:

The optional argument 'Filter' is used to specialize the trigger. The filter is an OQL specifying which objects will be taken into account by the trigger. In the given example, the created trigger will be activated only for User Request having a Service named like “…Network…”.

Create an email action for this trigger. This email action can be configured as follows:

• Status = any active state (e.g 'In production' or 'Being tested')
• TO = SELECT Person WHERE id = :this->caller_id
• Body = Dear $this->caller_id_friendlyname$, … $this->head(public_log)$ …
• … plus other fields required to send notifications

When modifying a Ticket, the public case log contains a new button “Templates” in its header:

Click on the “Templates” button to select a Precanned Reply from the list:

You can use the search criteria at the top to filter the list.

When clicking “ADD”, the answer is written into the case log field. Attachments (if any) to the Precanned reply are added to the answer (the count next to the paper clip icon is increased accordingly):

When submitting the modifications to the ticket, the case log will be updated, as if the answer was typed manually.

The user can select the attachments to be sent along with the reply, by pressing the “Select Attachments…” button. This displays the following dialog box:

Click on the check-box in front of each desired attachment then click “Ok” to validate the choice.

All new attachments added during the modification of the Ticket will be checked by default. As soon as a new attachment is added to the Ticket (while it is being edited) the number next to the paper clip increases. Moving the mouse over the paper clip icon displays a small tooltip with the list of files that will be sent as attachments with the notification.

If the checkbox “Send the reply by email” is checked, an answer will be sent by email, as explained in Send updates by email.

Q: Can I filter the precanned replies proposed to the agent, based on the agent organization for eg?
A: Yes, since version 1.3.0 of the extension, you can by overwriting the static method PrecannedReply::FilterApplicableReplies in the Designer (or with an XML extension)

class:PrecannedReply

    public static function FilterApplicableReplies(DBObject $oObject, DBObjectSearch &$oFilter, string $sLogAttCode = '')
    {
        if (is_subclass_of(get_class($oObject), 'Ticket')) {
            $oContact = UserRights::GetContactObject();
            $oFilter->AddCondition('org_id', $oContact->Get('org_id'));
        }
        return;
    }

In fact this is just an example, as you can:

• filter based on reply categories or any additional field that you would have added to PrecannedReply class.
• filter differently depending on the class and even the log