Creating Message Templates

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You can create and configure message templates using Designer.

Before you start

To create and configure message templates, you must have Designer selected in your General Access Security Role.

To maintain an audit trail of changes made to screens, forms and message templates, Designer must be selected in the Auditing window.

  1. ClosedDisplay the Designer window if it is not already visible on screen.

    Select and then Admin.

    From the submenu, select Designer.

    This window consists of three tabs . They display different views:
    Find a ScreenCan be used to search for and work with specific screens, forms or message templates, as well as create new in-house screens
    View screens Displays details of currently selected screens and is used to modify screens
    SkinsEnables you to create and modify skins for your vFire Self Service Portal(s)
  2. ClosedFind the screen, if it is not already displayed.
    1. Make the Find a Screen tab uppermost, if necessary .

      2. The left pane contains an alphabetical list of the main entity types in vFire Core (such as, Agreement, Bulletin, Call, etc) with which screens are associated. The main pane has a set of filters across the top of the window, beneath which there is a browse table.

    2. Select the entity type (such as Call) from the left pane. The table displays the configurable screens, templates and forms associated with the selected entity, with the first one highlighted. Items you cannot create or configure are not included. The number of screens associated with the selected entity is displayed in the bottom right hand corner of the window.
    3. Filter and sort the screens if you wish:

      To filter the number of entries displayed on the table, use the fields at the top of the window:
      4. Screen Name Type a name and select .
      Screen Set

      A drop-down list of all screen sets. Each entity type has a standard screen set which has the same name as the entity. For example, the default screen set for calls is Call Screen Set.

      Certain entity types, such as Organization, Person, Agreement and Location, only have default screen sets. Others, such as Call, Request, Task, CMDB item, Contract and Knowledge can have custom screen sets and these will appear on the list. Only one Details screen and one Submission screen can exist per screen set. You can have multiple message templates and service desk forms in the same screen set.
      Screen Design A drop-down list of available designs

      To sort the information, click on the required column heading (such as Name). The entries are displayed in alphabetical order for that column.

    4. Select the screen, template or form you wish to work with, and select at the bottom of the window. To select multiple screens, select one and hold down the Shift or Ctrl key and select the rest.

      5. You can also view a history of changes to a screen, create new screens, delete and rename screens and view deleted screens from this window.

    5. The window changes and if you look in the top left corner, you will see that the View Screens tab is now uppermost.

    6. You can select the Find a Screen tab again if you wish to select a different screen.

     
  3. Select . The Screen Details window is displayed.
  4. Complete the details:
    5. Create Select Message Template from the dropdown list
    Name Specify a name for the new message template
    Screen Set Select a screen set to which the new message template must be associated. You can select from all screen sets for the selected entity, since there can be multiple message templates per screen set

    If you selected Knowledge from the Screens list in the left hand pane, this list displays the visible Knowledge Base types defined by the system administrator. If you selected CMDB Item, it displays CMDB Item sub-types.
    Copy From Select an existing message template on which to base your new message template. You can select any active message template for the selected entity.

    If you are creating a new message template for the Person entity, this list displays all message templates associated with Person (such as Person User Access Granted, Person User Details).

  5. Select OK to create the new message template. An entry for the new message template is created in the browse table below the message template it is based on, and added to the list of templates in the Message Type Map window. From this window you can map the template to a message type or edit the subject of the mail message template.

    6. If the system detects that there is a deleted screen, form, or message template for the name and screen set you selected, a warning appears. Select Yes to permanently remove the deleted screen from the database and create the new screen. Select No to close the window without creating the new screen and restore a deleted screen.