Building Extensions #6: Configuration setup while building extensions - Part 2

This series aims to equip developers with all they need to build extensions for Zoho Desk in Zoho Sigma and publish them in Zoho Marketplace.

In our previous post, we introduced a part of the configuration settings required while building extensions for Zoho Desk. This post will continue by discussing the Zoho Authorisation and Connectors keys of the plugin-manifest.json file, which is mandatory for establishing a connection with other Zoho or third-party services and authenticating to establish integration with them.

Connectors

Connectors are objects that include various keys describing the connection between Zoho Desk and either another Zoho Service or a third-party service. The authorization of the third-party services is handled by Zoho Desk. As a developer, you just need to add the functionalities for the integration, adhering to the guidelines provided by Zoho Desk and the third-party service.

Type of connections

Default connection: You can choose a service from the list of ones available, provide your credentials, and establish a connection.
Custom connection: If the desired service is not available in the default services list, you can configure it on your own and connect to it.

Configuring connectors

A list of third-party services for which the connection is already handled by Zoho Desk is available under Connections in Sigma. To connect Zoho Desk with other Zoho services, you can use the connection Zoho OAuth. To connect with a service that is not in this list, you can create a new service in the Custom Service tab on the same page. A new connector for the requested service will be created and listed for use.

To configure a default connection for a Zoho service:

Navigate to the Sigma workspace.
Choose Connections from the left panel.
Under Pick Your Service, the list of services currently supported will appear.
Click on Zoho OAuth in the list.
In the Connection Details window:

Provide a connection name. This will be the display name for your connection.
Provide a connection link name. Link names must be unique and can be used in Deluge integration tasks and invoke URL scripts to establish authentication.
Choose access scopes for the connection.
Check Use Credentials Of Login User if you want every user to enter their service credentials to log in. If not checked, the admin login is sufficient for all users.
Click Create and Connect.

On the Connection Summary page, click the JSON tab.
Copy the code snippet and paste it into the plugin-manifest.json file within zohoAuthorisation.

You have now established a connection between the two Zoho services.

"zohoAuthorisation":{
"type":"connectors",
"connectionLinkName":"zoho_sign_for_zoho_desk",
"connectionName":"Zoho Sign for Zoho Desk",
"serviceName":"zlabs_integration",
"userAccess":true,
"isUserDefinedService":false,
"sharedBy":"4241905",
"scope":["Desk.tickets.ALL"]
},
"connectors":[ ],

To configure a default connection for a third-party service:

Navigate to the Sigma workspace.
Choose Connections from the left panel.
Under Pick Your Service, the list of services currently supported will appear.
Click the service for which you need to establish a connection.
In the Connection Details window:

Provide a connection name. This will be the display name for your connection.
Provide a connection link name. Link names must be unique and can be used in Deluge integration tasks and invoke URL scripts to establish authentication.
Choose access scopes for the connection, if required.
Check Use Credentials Of Login User if you want every user to enter their service credentials to log in. If not checked, the admin login is sufficient for all users.
Click Create and Connect.

On the Connection Summary page, click the JSON tab.
Copy the code snippet and paste it into the plugin-manifest.json file within connectors.