Integrating applications with Zoho Projects through Connections | Community | Zoho Projects

Integrating applications with Zoho Projects through Connections | Community | Zoho Projects

In our last post, we discussed the essential features that a Zoho Projects extension can provide. Starting with this post andin every subsequent post going forward, we'll go through each of those features in depth, one by one, with an example use case.
In this post, we'll explore the Connections feature in detail.

Connections: When and why?

Creating a tightly coupled integration requires the establishment of a secure connection between applications. To achieve this secured connection, the Sigma platform provides the Connection feature that can be used to establish a secure link and perform data operations across applications seamlessly and efficiently through an extension.

Use case

Working on development-related tasks might require dealing with a variety of files, such as code snippets, help documents, or service level agreements. While several file management applications are available to securely store and organize data, manually handling file storage between applications remains challenging.

For our example, let's use Zoho Projects to manage all tasks, and Dropbox to manage and store data.

What is the difficulty faced?

Dropbox offers a file request feature that allows you to collect files and organize them into folders. However, as we talked about in our previous post, manually categorizing and uploading task-related files to their respective file request folders in Dropbox would be a time-consuming and laborious activity. Instead, it would be more efficient to integrate Dropbox with Zoho Projects so that uploading task files to Dropbox file request folders can be done instantly from within Zoho Projects.


How can it be sorted?

You can create a connection between Zoho Projects and Dropbox. With the secure connection setup, the file request folders available in Dropbox can be listed on the task details page of Zoho Projects through an extension. You may then easily upload files from Zoho Projects to their corresponding folders in Dropbox, saving time and making you more organized.

What are the components required to achieve this use case?

  1. A connection between Zoho Projects and Dropbox.
  2. An extension configuration that includes:
  • Creating an extension
  • Configuring the plugin manifest
  • Setting up the widget code to display the Dropbox file request folders inside the Zoho Projects task details page.
Now, let's see how we can achieve each of these components.

1. Creating a secure connection using the Connection feature

  • Log in or sign up into developer.zoho.com.
  • Go to Sigma and access your workspace.
  • Once you enter your workspace, select the Connections section in Sigma.
Note: Connections created in Zoho Projects are also accessible within the Connections section in Sigma. These connections can be used in extensions to connect with other applications.

  • Choose the service as Zoho Projects and select your Zoho Projects organization. Click on Create Connection.

  • Sigma offers a list of default services from which you can choose and easily connect with Zoho Projects. If the application you want to integrate isn’t in the default list, you can add and build a connection with it using the custom services option.
Note: If you’re looking to connect Zoho Projects with another Zoho Product that also follows the OneAuth authentication mechanism, select the service Zoho OneAuth from the Default Services list to create the connection.

  • In our example, the application to connect with Zoho Projects is Dropbox, and because it’s in the Default Services list, go ahead and choose Dropbox.

  • After choosing the service, enter the connection name. A connection link name will be populated automatically.
  • Toggle Use credentials of login user to Yes if you want every user installing the extension to access the connection using their own login credentials, or No if admin credentials are enough to access the connection.
  • In our example, we'll proceed with the former. So toggle to Yes, and then click Create and connect.
Note: For services in which the option to choose the scopes is displayed, choose the necessary scopes, and then click Create and connect.

  • You’ll be directed through a series of authorization steps before being prompted to connect with Dropbox by entering your login information.
  • The connection will be established successfully once you sign in with Dropbox, and you will be redirected to the Connection Summary details page in Sigma.
  • To access this connection as part of an extension, you’ll need to configure the sample code provided under the JSON section in the plugin-manifest.json file. We’ll explore this in the next section.

2. Extension configuration

Now that we've successfully established our connection, let's look at how we can achieve our use case feature of displaying the Dropbox file request folder within the Zoho Projects task detail page. As mentioned earlier, to accomplish this, we’ll need to implement the following measures.
A. Create an extension

B. Configure the plugin-manifest.json file

C. Set up the widget code
Let's explore these steps in order.

A. Create an extension
B. Configure the plugin-manifest.json file
  • As previously stated, to access the connection established between Zoho Projects and Dropbox, the connection must first be configured in the plugin-manifest.json file.
  • Copy the JSON sample code from the Connection Summary Details page and paste it into the plugin-manifest.jsonfile as the value for the connections key.

  • You will also need to white list the Dropbox domain for Dropbox calls to be processed without being blocked.
  • Include the domain in the plugin-mainfest.json file as the value for the whiteLitsedDomains key.

  • As we saw in our earlier post, the plugin-manifest.json file includes a widget called Projects Extension by default. For our example, because we’re connecting with Dropbox and constructing a widget that will include Dropbox request folders to upload files, enter the widget name and location.

  • The final configured plugin-manifest.json file for our example would be as follows:
  1. {
  2. "connectors": [{
  3. "connectionLinkName": "dropbox",
  4. "userAccess": true,
  5. "sharedBy": "xxxxxxx",
  6. "connectionName": "dropbox",
  7. "serviceName": "dropbox",
  8. "isUserDefinedService": false
  9. }],
  10. "whiteListedDomains": ["https://api.dropboxapi.com"],
  11. "service": "PROJECTS",
  12. "cspDomains": {
  13. "connect-src": []
  14. },
  15. "storage": true,
  16. "locale": ["en"],
  17. "config": [],
  18. "modules": {
  19. "widgets": [{
  20. "name": "Dropbox - File Upload",
  21. "location": "taskdetails_rightpanel",
  22. "url": "/app/dropbox.html"
  23. }],
  24. "triggers": []
  25. }
  26. }

C. Setting up the widget code

Now, that we’ve created an extension and configured the plugin manifest file, let's finally set up the widget code in order to display all Dropbox file request folders inside our task details right panel.

Dropbox.html widget code: Please find the widget code snippet as an attachment in this post.
  • In this widget code, we’ve invoked the Dropbox API to list file request folders by constructing and passing the required data along with the connection we had established for Dropbox.
  • The API will be invoked and return all of the file request folders in the task details right panel, from which users can click on the link and directly upload files to Dropbox from within a task in Zoho Projects itself.
Sample output
  • Once the code is setup, publish and install the extension to check the functionality in the Zoho Projects portal.
  • Enter a task and click the extensions icon in the right panel.

  • From the lists of your Dropbox file requests, select the requests to which you wish to upload files.

  • The file will be successfully uploaded in the respective Dropbox file request.


We’ve demonstrated how to upload files directly to Dropbox file request folders from within Zoho Projects in this example. As part of your extension, you can use the Connections feature to do a variety of tasks, some of which are highlighted below.
  • View and update files associated with a certain request.
  • Create Dropbox folders and share them with collaborators.

Connections, therefore serves as a powerful tool that assists you in establishing a connection with other apps and performing smooth data transactions across your applications, thereby improving business functions and optimizing your work.

We hope this information was useful to you. Continue to follow us for further updates!

Sign up for a Zoho Developer account and start developing extensions for Zoho products using Sigma.

SEE ALSO


Next>>

    • Recent Topics

    • How to get the Dashboard page to be the first page when you open the app

      So when it opens on a tablet or phone it opens on the welcome page, thanks.

    • Integration between Zoho CRM and Zoho WorkDrive

      I'd like to search Zoho for an invoice I've added as an attachment (pdf) to an account. The name of the invoice is 1388-advertiserx-July.pdf - but I can't find it using the search function for any of these terms: 1388 1388-advertiserx 1388-advertiserx-July.pdf

    • Tip #17: How to mandate partial payment for your appointments

      When you require partial payments during the booking process, customers can only schedule with you after paying a certain amount in advance. This deposit acts as a commitment between both parties. Apart from that, it has many more advantages. Benefits

    • Why option for 'include form submission in the body of the email' check box is missing

      Hi In all our forms we have configured an <Email Notification> (<Rules> <Form Rules>) In some forms, there is an option to <include form submission in the body of the email> in the <Additional Options> section, however, this option is not available in

    • no puedo recibir correos

      Hola, en la cuenta de la empresa desde hace unos tres días dejamos de recibir correos y no hemos realizado ningun cambio de configuracion, requerimos asistencia urgente por favor

    • NO PUEDO RECIBIR CORREOS EN MI CUENTA ZOHO MAIL

      LO QUE SI PUEDO HACER ES ENVIAR CORREOS PERO NO PUEDO RECIBIR CORREOS. Y LA CONFIGUIRACION DE MI DNS YA ESTA CORRECTA Y APUNTAN A ZOHO PERO AUN ASI NO PUEDO RECIBIR  NECESITO AYUDA URGENTE YA QUE EN MEXICO NO HAY FORMA DE COMUNICARNOS VIA TELEFONIA CON

    • Mozilla Vault extension will not Unlock even once.

      I have been using the Vault extension in Chrome based browsers for years, yet after installing the Mozilla Extension in Firefox, it will not unlock. Initially it did redirect me to log into my account, and then enter the master password. However, it did

    • Unable to Download CRM Contact Data: WorkDrive Integration Issues

      ## Problem Description We need to let users download contact information from CRM as CSV files to their local computers. Since we couldn't implement a direct download option, we're trying to use WorkDrive as a workaround - but we're encountering issues

    • Sort mail by name and subject

      I don't see sort function on columns FROM and Subject. I see only sort functio by date. Could add it ?

    • Zoho Creator monthly roundup - September 2024

      Hello all, We're back with an exciting set of new features and enhancements that will elevate your Creator experience even further. In case you missed it, we’ve recently revamped our Product Roadmap page, now with a refreshed design and showcasing all

    • Kiosk Studio Session #1: View paid customers in the same industry

      Update | 15 Oct 2024: Session #2 is now available here! Hello everyone! We're excited to launch our new series of posts on Kiosk Studio today. Called Kiosk Studio Sessions , these posts will be packed with actionable ideas to help you get the most out

    • Issues hosting Zoho Desk Web Form on SharePoint and/or Power BI

      Zoho Desk onboarding support has no experience with embedding their web form in either SharePoint or Power BI. Microsoft states that SharePoint and Power BI only support iframe HTML. And unfortunately, the web form embed code that Zoho generates is not

    • "Send with Zoho Sign" broken

      Our company uses hyphens in our file name conventions. Our users have been sending the files from other modules with the "Send with Zoho Sign" shortcut in the upper right buttons. Since around June 10, 2024, this stopped working. Our users can send the

    • Not able to change colors help center

      Hi. How can I change the orange color in the help center? You can change everything besides this font color And how can I remove the part on the bottom?

    • Transform Numeric Values using st, nd, rd, th or Convert Numerals to Ordinal Form - Deluge

      Please Use this sample Code This_Day_Date = zoho.currentdate.toString("dd"); value1 = "th"; if(This_Day_Date.right(1) ="1" && This_Day_Date != "11") { This_Day_Date = This_Day_Date+" "+"st"; } else if ( This_Day_Date.right(1) = "2" && This_Day_Date !=

    • Kaizen #166 - Handling Query Variables in Zoho CRM

      Hello, Code Enthusiasts! Welcome to another week of Kaizen! This week, we'll dive into handling variables in Zoho CRM Queries and see how they can be deployed in Kiosk to dynamically retrieve data. This technique is especially useful for integrating data

    • Automate User Invitations on Zoho Desk with API

      Automate User Invitations on Zoho Desk with API Hello Team, We are excited to announce that you can now automatically invite users to the Zoho Desk portal using the API! ### How It Works For example, when a contact is created in Zoho Desk and you enable

    • Is there a way to add clients who don't have organisation in Zoho Books/Payroll/Expense ?

      The Zoho Practice software is only allowing a total of 15 such clients who are not organisations in Zoho Books/Payroll/Expense. i.e. 5 organisation in each of the software by creating a new organization for them and adding the accountant as the admin

    • Email with attachments saving attachments into Zoho CRM from Zoho Mail

      Hi, I get a lot of emails from prospective clients asking if we would bid their project. Those projects usually have many documents associated with them that I link to.  I would like to have those documents be saved as an attachment in my Potential or Contact or Account. I don't see a way to do that that isn't multi-step. As of now I do the following: 1.) Open email 2.) If email sender isn't in my Zoho CRM database I enter them creating a Potential 3.) I download the attachment and save it to a different

    • Fixed assets recording

      Hello there, I recorded a bill for a vendor contain (Computer) so the PC is a fixed assets, do I need to do a manual journal to include this PC under the fixed assets category (furniture & equipment)? If yes, please take me through the manual journal

    • Multi-Select lookup field has reached its maximum??

      Hi there, I want to create a multi-select lookup field in a module but I can't select the model I want the relationship to be with from the list. From the help page on this I see that you can only create a max of 2 relationships per module? Is that true?

    • Zoho Sheet-Pulling in Data

      I have a module where we track POs, Bills etc (its easier for us this way). In this PO Module, we have a task related to a Job/Deal and various fields for costs. A Supplier on a Job might have several POs in this module for the job. I want to generate

    • Can't get ZFS file ID of a field via specific module record

      I have a `fileupload` field on a custom module that I need to replace the file for but I don't know how to get the ZFS ID from the module record. # Getting the current fileupload GET https://www.zohoapis.eu/crm/v7/<MODULE>/<ID> # Response { data: [{ //

    • Contemplating moving my site from WordPress to Zoho Sites

      Hi Everyone, We currently find ourselves in a situation where we ant to review and update our current sites content. We are small business owners, not developers. We currently use a wide range of Zoho products. We sometimes think about the possibility of either moving or just starting from scratch on Zoho Sites. I would like to know if anyone has done this and of course the things that need to be considered. We have spent quite a bit of time getting our current site positioned organically and I guess

    • Multiple Salesperson against an invoice

      Hello, Against a particular invoice, we have multiple sales people working. The reason we combine the invoice is becuase we are an exporter and often consolidate cargo for our customer to save them freight costs. How do I capture the contribution of each

    • Allow a brand to connect multiple facebook pages at the same time

      Our company have multiple facebook pages to represent, every branch, right now we can only link one facebook page, so we can only recive messages from one branch. It would be nice to be able to connect all pages.

    • Whatsapp reply not reflected under Tickets for offline agent

      Hi, We are encountering a situation where WA response from customer is not reflected under tickets (if the agent handling the case previously is not active due to off day/ MC). The ticket will remain in the offline agent's queue until agent is back to

    • Select CRM Custom Module in Zoho Creator

      I have a custom module added in Zoho CRM that I would like to link in Zoho creator.  When I add the Zoho CRM field it does not show the new module.  Is this possible?  Do i need to change something in CRM to make it accesible in Creator?

    • Send Whatsapp with API including custom placeholders

      Is is possible to initiate a session on whatsapp IM channel with a template that includes params (placeholders) that are passed on the API call? This is very usefull to send a Utility message for a transactional notification including an order number

    • Increase Round Robin Scheduler Frequency in Zoho Desk

      Dear Zoho Desk Team, We hope this message finds you well. We would like to request an enhancement to the Round Robin Scheduler in Zoho Desk to better address ticket assignment efficiency. Current Behavior At present, the Round Robin Scheduler operates

    • Separate One-Time Mentions from Ongoing Ticket Following in Zoho Desk

      Dear Zoho Desk Support Team, We are writing to request an enhancement to the mention functionality within Zoho Desk. Currently, when an agent is mentioned in a ticket, they receive notifications for all subsequent activity on that ticket, similar to being

    • Mass update Accounts in Zoho Desk

      We used the integration feature to bring in all of our accounts from Zoho CRM. While all of the names and links are in place, on the Zoho Desk side the email, phone, website, and address fields are blank. By going into each account I can select "Update

    • Vivaldi will not open the Zoho Mail app when I click a email link in the browser

      I'm running Vivaldi on Arch with the Plasma desktop and have under default applications Zoho Mail set as my default email client. Whenever I click a email link in Vivaldi I get the below when it should be launching Zoho. Any ideas on rectifying this issue?

    • Digital publisher

      Kinetic Digital Publisher provides comprehensive digital publishing services, including eBook creation, formatting, cover design, and marketing. We help authors publish and promote their work across online platforms with ease.

    • Time Zone Correction with Daylight Savings Time

      Hey, I'm writing a series of reports where the source data is synced from an external source which stores the date/time information in GMT, but I want the reports to be in local time. Now, I understand there is the CONVERT_TZ function which allows me

    • Load form in iframe without header

      I am trying to load a form into an iframe without the header, but I am not having any luck. I am using openUrl() to load the iframe with the form URL and zc_Header set to false, e.g. #Form:Add_Case?zc_Header=false but it is still loading the header. Any

    • Filter embedded report

      How to filter embedded report in a page, below code is not working. dateField => startDate & dateField=< endDate The report should print on page containing records from startDate to endDate. params='zc_Header=true&amp;Service_Date__gte=<%=startDate%>&amp;Service_Date__lte=<%=endDate%>'

    • Creator Simplified #5: Set file upload restrictions in Zoho Creator

      Hey Creators, Welcome to the next post in the Creator Simplified series. Today, we’ll explore how to implement file upload restrictions to limit user submissions to specific file types. By implementing an allowed list for file uploads, you can optimize

    • Field Type: Address, Change District/State to Dropdown with picklist??

      Using the Address Field type, is there a way to make the District/State field be a dropdown with a picklist so the users can select rather than type the state name every time? I know this can be done if I use a drowdown field for the State (or entire address information), but that isn't as tidy as using the address field type. I apologize if this is a duplicate. I posted this question the other day, or so I though. Can't find that post.

    • cutomized fields are not showing up in zoho creator from zoho crm

      We have customized fields in zoho crm under accounts module like "Last production upgrade" --> This field is a date. When created a solution in zoho creator i couldn't find any of the customized fields. Would you please help me on this matter? Thanks

    • Next Page