Extension Pointers - JS SDK series #4: Managing data from a widget using ZOHO.CRM.HTTP

Handling and managing the data between two applications is a major factor for an efficient business. There are a variety of ways to handle data between Zoho CRM and other third-party applications. You can use deluge CRM tasks, create connectors, use API tokens or JS SDK based on your business requirements. In this post, let's take a look at how the JS SDKs help manage data using a widget.

The JS SDK ZOHO.CRM.HTTP supports different HTTP methods and allows you to make Ajax calls from a widget.

The different HTTP methods are:

GET - To retrieve data/resources from the resource server.
DELETE - To delete a resource at a particular location.
PATCH - To update a specific detail of the resource. This method updates the target resource with the provided content without changing other data.
POST - To insert or upload any new resource to the server.
PUT - To update an existing resource. This replaces the target resource with the updated content.

In this post, let's assume a couple of scenarios that may be involved in an integration between Zoho CRM and Asana, a project management application. Let's explore how the HTTP methods GET and POST can be invoked from a widget while implementing the integration.

Consider a service-based software development company that manages its sales cycle in Zoho CRM and project management in Asana. Once they close a deal for a new app development, they kickstart their work and handle the project development and management processes in Asana. An integration between these two services can handle some valid use cases.

Scenario 1: Let's assume that a new project will be created in Asana as soon as a deal is closed in Zoho CRM. In this case, the details about the new project will need to be added into Asana with information from the Deals module of Zoho CRM in order to continue project management in Asana.

Lets see how to achieve this scenario using ZOHO.CRM.HTTP.post JS SDK.

Syntax: HTTP POST

ZOHO.CRM.HTTP.post(request)

Here request is the request object constructed with the following details:

Request Object

Name	Type	Description
params	Object	Request parameters to be constructed to invoke HTTP POST.
headers	Object	Request headers required.
body	Object	Request parameters to be constructed to invoke HTTP POST.

createproject.js Code snippet:

Util={};

var orgVal;

var json;

var jsonObj;

var EntityId;

var EntityName;

var rec3;

var wid="11**********71"; //hardcoded the workspace id for demonstration purposes

var projname;

function initializeWidget()

{

//Subscribe to the EmbeddedApp onPageLoad event before initializing the widget

ZOHO.embeddedApp.on("PageLoad",function(data)

{

EntityName=data.Entity;

EntityId=data.EntityId;

console.log(EntityId);

console.log(EntityName);.

//Fetching deal related details using getRecord API

ZOHO.CRM.API.getRecord({Entity:EntityName,RecordID:EntityId})

.then(function(data){

console.log(data)

projname= data.data[0].Deal_Name;

})

/*The personal access token of Asana has been stored in custom variable and retrieved using the getOrgVariable method */

ZOHO.CRM.API.getOrgVariable("jssdkextension__Accesskey").then(function(data){

org=data.Success;

orgVal="Bearer "+org.Content;

console.log

(org.Content);

console.log(orgVal);

})

Util.create=function()

{

setTimeout(function(){

/*Constructing the request parameter (header and body) to pass to the HTTP POST method */

var request ={

url : "https://app.asana.com/api/1.0/projects?workspace="+wid,

headers:{

Authorization : orgVal,

//Field values to create a project in Asana are passed in the body section

body:

{

"data": {

"name": projname,

"start_on": document.getElementById("dateproject").value,

"due_date": document.getElementById("lastdateproject").value,

"notes": document.getElementById("notes").value,

}

// Invoke the HTTP POST to create the project

ZOHO.CRM.HTTP.post(request)

.then(function(data){

jsonObj = JSON.parse(data);

console.log(jsonObj);

rec3=jsonObj.data.gid;

console.log(rec3);

})

},500)

}

})

//Initialize the widget

ZOHO.embeddedApp.init();

}

In this above code snippet, the Asana API to create a project is used. The deal-related details are fetched using getRecord Zoho CRM API. The fetched deal name, along with the input values (project start date, project due date and project notes), are constructed and passed to the body parameter of the API call. The project is created upon clicking the 'Create project in asana' button. Similarly, you can modify and enhance the above functionality according to your business needs.

Scenario 2: Assume after creating the project in Asana you have gone ahead and added some tasks for that project in Asana to manage the project. Now, while you're looking at the Zoho CRM contact associated with this particular project, you'd like to look at the tasks associated with that project, from within Zoho CRM itself.

Lets see how to achieve this scenario using ZOHO.CRM.HTTP.get JS SDK.

Syntax: HTTP GET

ZOHO.CRM.HTTP.get(request)

Here request is the request object constructed with the following details:

Request Object

Name	Type	Description
params	Object	Request parameters to be constructed to invoke HTTP GET.
headers	Object	Request headers required.

associatedTasks.js Code snippet:

Util={};

var orgVal;

var json;

var jsonObj;

var rec;

var pid="1**********3"; //hardcoded the project id for demonstration purposes

function initializeWidget()

{

//Subscribe to the EmbeddedApp onPageLoad event before initializing the widget

ZOHO.embeddedApp.on("PageLoad",function(data)

{

/*The personal access token of Asana has been stored in custom variable and retrieved using the getOrgVariable method */

ZOHO.CRM.API.getOrgVariable("jssdkextension__Accesskey").then(function(data){

org=data.Success;

orgVal="Bearer "+org.Content;

console.log

(org.Content);

console.log(orgVal);

})

setTimeout(function(){

/*Constructing the request parameters to pass to the HTTP GET method for fetching tasks associated to the specific project*/

var request ={

url : "https://app.asana.com/api/1.0/tasks?project="+pid,

headers:{

Authorization : orgVal,

}

// Invoke the HTTP GET to receive the response of the initiated request

ZOHO.CRM.HTTP.get(request)

.then(function(data){

jsonObj = JSON.parse(data);

console.log(jsonObj);

rec=jsonObj.data;

console.log(jsonObj.data);

//Looping through every task detail and retrieving the task names

for (i = 0; i < rec.length; i++)

{

/*Creating a list and populating the task name of the different tasks associated with the respective project*/

var taskname=rec[i].name;

var node = document.createElement("LI");

var textnode = document.createTextNode(taskname);

node.appendChild(textnode);

document.getElementById("myList").appendChild(node);

}

})

},500)

})

//Initialize the widget.

ZOHO.embeddedApp.init();

}

In the above code snippet, we used the Asana APIs to get tasks. The list of tasks for a particular project is fetched using the get tasks API and populated in a list. Similarly, you can modify and enhance the above functionality according to your business needs.

In this way, you can use the JS SDK ZOHO.CRM.HTTP to manage data through different HTTP methods. We hope you found this information useful. Keep following for more inputs.

Extension pointers: Working with widgets to power-up extension capabilities (Part-2)

Asana API Documentation

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