Configuring Templates

A Template is a list of predefined object attributes. In Alloy Navigator Express, Templates are used to create objects and to assign starting values to those objects. In the Desktop App, technicians access Templates in the New menu above grids or at the top of object details windows. To create Tickets in the Mobile App, technicians should use the New button, which is available in the tab bar.

NOTE: The availability of Templates in the Desktop App and the Web App, as well as the availability of system Actions for creating objects, is controlled by the Create permission on those objects.

You can configure Templates for a particular object class in the Customization > [ Module] > [ Object Class] > Workflow > Templates section, as follows:

• To add a Template:

  NOTE: When the technician uses a Template for creating an object, Alloy Navigator Express creates a single object of the specified class. However, you can configure a Ticket Template for creating several Tickets at the same time: a parent Ticket with one or more child Tickets. Before creating such a Template, create one or more Ticket Templates for child Tickets.

  1. Click New. The Template window opens.
     
     If you want to base the new Template on an existing one, select the source Template and click Copy Item.

  2. Type in the Template name.

  3. Type in the caption that will be displayed to the user in the New menu.

  4. Optional: Type in the description.

  5. For Ticket Templates:
     If your Template is for creating child Tickets, select the This template creates child tickets check box. This Template will be available in the New menu on the Child Tickets tab of the Ticket window.

  6. In the Template Definition section, assign initial values to a number of fields as follows:

  1. Click New. A new row appears.

  2. In the new row, click the down arrow in the Field column and select the field from the list.

  3. In the Value column, assign a value to the selected field. For details, see Defining field values in Templates.

  Assign initial values to as many fields as needed. To modify the Template definition, use the Edit and Delete buttons.

  7. For Ticket Templates:
     If the Form tab is available, you can customize the default Create Ticket Form as follows:

  • To add a new field on the form:

  1. Click New. The Form Field window opens.

  2. Select a field name from the Name list.

  3. Type in a field label in the Label field. If you want to use the field name as the label, leave the Label field blank.

  4. Click OK.

  • To change the label for an existing form field:

  1. Double-click the field.

  2. Edit the Label value.

  3. Click OK.

  • To change the display order of form fields:

  • Select each field to re-order and use the Move Up and Move Down buttons.

  8. For Ticket Templates:
     If your Template is for creating parent Tickets, you can click Child Template and add one or more Templates for its child Tickets:

  IMPORTANT: Make sure that Ticket Templates for child Tickets already exist. Note that those Templates do not need to have the This template creates child tickets check box selected.

  1. Click Add. The Select Template window opens.

  2. Double-click a Template for creating child Tickets.

  Each child Template will create one child Ticket. Repeat these steps to add as many child Templates as needed. To delete a child Template, use the Remove button.

  9. Click OK.

• To modify a Template:

  1. Double-click the Template to modify. The Template window opens.

  2. Change the Template details, as needed.

  3. Click OK.

• To customize the default Create Ticket Form:

  NOTE: Customizing Forms is available only for New Quick Request [840], New Quick Task (Child) [841], and Recurrent Task Templates [806] Ticket Templates. For details, see Ticket Templates with customizable Forms.

  1. Double-click the New Quick Request [#840], New Quick Task (Child) [#841], or Recurrent Task [#806] Template. The Template window opens. Note that the Form tab is available.

  2. Click the Form tab and customize the default Create Ticket Form as follows:

  • To add a new field on the form:

  1. Click New. The Form Field window opens.

  2. Select a field name from the Name list.

  3. Type in a field label in the Label field. If you want to use the field name as the label, leave the Label field blank.

  4. To make the field either mandatory or read-only, select corresponding check boxes under Options.

  5. Click OK.

  • To change the label for an existing form field:

  1. Double-click the field.

  2. Edit the Label value.

  3. Click OK.

  • To remove a field from the Form:

  • Select the field and click Delete.

  • To group fields in a section:

  1. Select the field under which you want to add a section separator and click Add > Section. The Section window opens.

  2. Type in a section caption. To create a section with no caption, leave the Section field empty.

  3. Click OK.

  • To add text or a hyperlink:

  1. Click the element (a separator or a field) under which you want the text or hyperlink to appear and click Add > Text. The Text window opens.

  2. Type in the text, specify the URL if needed, and click OK.

  • To add an area for adding attachments:

    1. Select the form element (a field, separator, or text) under which you want the area to appear and click Add > Attachment Area. The Attachment Area window opens.

    2. Type in a name (the area name is typically used as the area label), specify whether adding attachments is mandatory, and click OK.

  • To change the display order of Form elements (fields, section separators, or text):

  • Select an element and use the Move Up and Move Down buttons.

  3. Click OK.

• To change the display order of Templates:

  • See Changing the display order of New commands.

• To delete a Template:

  • Select the Template to delete and click Delete.

  NOTE: The New Quick Request [840], New Quick Task (Child) [841], and Recurrent Task [806] Ticket Templates are marked as system. Alloy Navigator Express relies on these Templates, so they cannot be deleted.

Ticket Templates with customizable Forms

The majority of Templates only assign starting values, and the user enters the details directly in the object details window. However, several pre-defined Ticket Templates for Tickets request user input through customizable pop-up dialog boxes, referred to as Create Ticket Forms. You can specify which fields appear on the Form, group fields in sections, customize field labels and display order, and add text, which may include hyperlinks.

The current version of Alloy Navigator Express offers three Ticket Templates with customizable Forms:

• New Quick Request [840] - the Template for submitting "Quick Request" Tickets in the Desktop App, Web App, and in the Mobile App.

IMPORTANT: The New Quick Request [840] is the only Template that is available in the Mobile App. So if you want to customize the Form for submitting Tickets in the Mobile App, modify the Quick Request [840] Template.

• New Quick Task (Child) [841] - the Template for submitting child "Quick Task" Tickets for "Quick Request" Tickets in the Desktop App and the Web App. The New > Quick Task command is available on the Child Tickets tab of the parent Ticket's details window.

• Recurrent Task [806] - the Template for creating recurrent Ticket jobs in the Desktop App. Its Create Ticket Form is available to technicians on the Data tab of the Recurrent Ticket window.

Template window

You use the Template window to create a new Template or to modify its properties.

Name - the Template name.

Caption - the caption displayed to the user in the New menu. If you want to use the Action name as the caption, you can leave this field clear, and Alloy Navigator Express will populate the empty Caption filed with the value you have typed in the Name field.

Description - the description of the Template.

Enabled - enables the Template.

This template creates child tickets (for Ticket Templates) - specifies that the Template is for creating child Tickets.

Template Definition section - specifies how the Template assigns starting values to object fields:

New - adds a new row where you can select the field name and enter its initial value.

Edit - allows you to modify the selected Template field.

Delete - deletes the selected row.

Form tab (available only for New Quick Request [840], New Quick Task (Child) [841], and Recurrent Task [806] Templates) - specifies which fields appear on the Create Ticket Form, their labels, sections, and display order.

New - click and select the element to add to the Form:

Field - brings up the Form Field window, where you can configure a new field on the Form.

Section - brings up the Section window, where you can configure a new section for the Form.

Text - brings up the Text window, where you can insert text or a hyperlink to be displayed on the Form.

Edit - allows you to modify the selected element.

Delete - deletes the selected element.

Move Up, Move Down - moves the selected element one position up or down on the Form.

Child Templates tab (for Ticket Templates) - displays Templates for creating child Tickets.

Open - opens the selected Template for viewing or modifying.

Add - opens the Select Template window where you can select a new child Template.

TIP: Child Templates do not need to have the This template creates child tickets check box selected.

Remove - deletes the selected child Template.

Related Information:

Changing the order of workflow items

Managing Recurrent Tickets