Connections: When and why?

Use case

What is the difficulty faced?

How can it be sorted?

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.

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

A. Create an extension

B. Configure the plugin-manifest.json file

C. Set up the widget code

• Create an extension for Zoho Projects using the Sigma cloud editor.

• 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:

• 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.

• 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.
  

• View and update files associated with a certain request.

• Create Dropbox folders and share them with collaborators.

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