Create custom widgets for a simplified end-user experience | Community | Zoho Projects

Create custom widgets for a simplified end-user experience | Community | Zoho Projects

Discover the benefits of using widgets!

We explored the significance of widgets, prerequisites, and the availability of JS SDK methods as part of our previous post. In this post, let's go over a detailed example of using widgets along with certain Zoho Projects JS SDK methods.

Use case: A developer is working on a Zoho Projects task and wants to know if there are any existing references that could be used to get a head start on their work.

Goal: Our goal here is to simplify the developer's job by presenting them with articles that are relevant to the task at hand.

Solution: Widgets! To achieve this goal, it would be ideal for the developer to have access to relevant Zoho Desk articles from a tab on the Task Details page. This can be accomplished by developing a custom widget.

Required components:
  1. A connection between Zoho Projects and Zoho Desk.
  2. An extension configuration process that includes:
A. Creating an extension
B. Configuring the plugin manifest
C. Setting up the widget code to display the Zoho Desk articles on the Zoho Projects Task Details tab
We have already explored the steps to establish a connection, create an extension, and configure the plugin-manifest.json file as part of our earlier posts. You can refer to those resources for detailed guidance. In this case, we have already completed most of these steps (screenshots below).

1. Connection

We have created a connection to establish a secure integration between Zoho Projects and Zoho Desk.



2. Extension Configuration
A. Extension creation: We have created a new extension for Zoho Projects.



B. Plugin-manifest.json configuration: Once the extension is created, we next configure the plugin-manifest.json file to include the created connection and a widget.
For our extension use case, the plugin-manifest.json file is configured as shown in the below screenshot.



C. Setting up the widget code:
Now that we have the connection established, the extension created, and the plugin-manifest.json configured, let's go ahead and set up the custom widget code to achieve our goal.

Index.html - Widget code

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>App Default Screen</title>
<style>
div.a {
line-height: 200%;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="a">
<ul id="demo" style="font-size:20px"> <b>Article Details</b></ul>
</div>
</body>
<script>
var subject = "";
Util = {};
zohoprojects.init().then(function() {
//Fetching the task subject using the Zoho Projects JS SDK method
zohoprojects.get("task.name").then(function(response) {
subject = response.data;
var articledetails = {
type: "GET",
headers: {
"orgId": "xxxxxxx",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
};
//Using the request JS SDK method to invoke and get the Desk articles matching the task subject 
using the connection
zohoprojects.request(url, articledetails, "zohodeskforlistingarticles").then(function(response) {
var list = document.getElementById('demo');
var a = document.createElement("a");
var result = response.result;
var data = result.data;
//Looping through the articles
for (i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
var title = data[i].title;
var author = data[i].author;
var authorname = author.name;
var weburl = data[i].webUrl;
var entry = document.createElement('li');
entry.innerHTML = title.link(weburl) + " by " + authorname;
list.appendChild(entry);
}
});
});
});
</script>
</html>
  • Here, we utilized the Zoho Projects JS SDK method to extract the task name, which is the task subject.
  • We then used the Zoho Projects Request method to invoke the Zoho Desk API to search for articles.
  • The Request method is used to make requests to third-party applications. It must be invoked with the belowparameters:
  • Third-party API URL: This is the URL of the third-party application's API that needs to be invoked. In our case, we need to fetch articles from Zoho Desk based on a search value, so we used the Zoho Desk Articles Search API. We've included a search query parameter in the API as the title of the help article (wildcard search), and we've set the value of the search query parameter (title) as the task's subject. As a result, the API will look for any Zoho Desk help articles that satisfy a wildcard match with the task subject.
  • Data object: Depending on the type of action being performed, each API requires a method type, body, header, and/or parameters to be invoked. To invoke the third-party application API, a data object with the necessary API details must be created. In our scenario, a header providing the Zoho Desk org ID is required to call the Zoho Desk article search API, which we have hardcoded.
  • Connection: To work on the data of a third-party application safely, we would need to connect to that application. The link name of the connection created for the third-party application is the value of the connection parameter. This value will be available in the JSON code generated when the third-party application connection is established. This connection allows you to invoke the Zoho Desk API securely.
  • Once the API is invoked by providing the necessary parameters for the Request method, the response for the invoked Zoho Desk search articles API is returned. We extract the information we require from the response, like the title, author name, and web URL. We then list and display this data in the Zoho Projects task details widget, Related Articles.
Sample output
  • Access your Zoho Projects portal and enter into a task.

  • Choose the Related Articles task tab, which is the widget we created.

  • The widget displays the available Zoho Desk articles that are related to the task at hand.

  • Finally, click on an article to view its detailed information in Zoho Desk.


Using this method, developers working on Zoho Projects tasks can discover relevant articles and get helpful information to troubleshoot problems.

You can further enhance this use case by including a text box in the widget that allows the developer to enter a keyword and search for related articles using the Zoho Desk search articles API.

You can also accomplish use cases such as creating a task tab widget to associate data with a task. Every time the task loads, task-specific data can be displayed on the Task tab. To accomplish these kind of use cases, the data storage feature is available in Zoho Projects. We look forward to exploring the data storage feature,, and other use cases for custom widgets, in future posts.

We hope you found this information useful. Follow this space for further updates!

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

SEE ALSO


    • Recent Topics

    • Zoho Desk add OIDC federation for 3rd party IDP

      Please consider adding the ability to use OIDC/OAuth compliant Identity Providers to Zoho Desk. You currently have Zoho, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Google and Facebook. But if you added the ability to use ANY OIDC compliant provider, you would add compatibility
    • Cliq funtion not triggerring from Books.

      Gentlemen, I have been requesting the Zoho Books team for 15 days through various emails- then even escalated. The response that I get from Zoho is " Our back-end team is working on it......." It is a template-type response. I authenticated the link(Cliq
    • Tracking Agent Diligence in Updating Records

      Our organization mainly focus on B2B. While we've implemented automations like pushing info from web forms into CRM, we often get info from events and individual networks. The complete/updated info relies in the agents who directly interacts with them,
    • how to create a company without an assigned owner

      In my company we are reassigning accounts and we need to leave some companies without an owner to review their potential and then assign them, but the options that appear in owner require that they be assigned to a seller, how to leave them without an
    • Stop selling out of stock Items.

      Hi I have been using Zohobooks for a around 8 month now. I am not involved in selling process but my staff cant stop selling product which they do not hold in stock, this is a big headache for me as physical count never matches what is shown on the books. 
    • Matrix dropdown

      Is there a way to create a matrix question with dropdown answers but 1 row correlates to 1 column? So really I want to combine 4 dropdown questions into 1 matrix but each question has a single, and different, dropdown for answers.
    • Managing Rental Inventory in Zoho

      Can Zoho Inventory manage rental inventory efficiently, or is there another Zoho app that would be better suited for this kind of operation? Looking for advice on the best approach. Thanks in advance.
    • Code API récupération enquêtes et documents

      Bonjour peut-on générer des codes API avec Zoho Survey ou Forms afin de récupérer des questionnaires existants sur nos autres outils ? Comment procéder ? Faut-il disposer d'un abonnement particulier ?
    • Field Updated based off Call Status

      I'm trying to create a Field Update where: When Call Status is Completed Lead/Contact/Account Description field with the information in the "Outcome Of Outgoing Call" Description field. Once our sales team finishes their calls and they add a description
    • Exporting uploaded files in bulk on Zoho Survey?

      Hi, I have a survey that includes an image upload field, I'd like to be able to export the individual responses in bulk, but it appears only the name of the image uploaded, and not the image itself gets exported. Any way to have the images be exported
    • Is there API Doc for Zoho Survey?

      Hi everyone, Is there API doc for Zoho Survey? Currently evaluating a solution - use case to automate survey administration especially for internal use. But after a brief search, I couldn't find API doc for this. So I thought I should ask here. Than
    • Create Quote does not show the "Product Description" entered as part of the Product setup.

      The product description created as part of the product setup page, does not show in the Create Quote module; The module allows for an additional description to be added but without access to the original stored description. By selecting the product from the "Product Name Lookup" pop-up, the "Product Description" part should be populated from the product record where the user is allowed to further modify it.
    • How to convert Item to composite Item

      Dear Team, We need to convert Item to composite Item as Zoho is importing partial information from Shopify.
    • Function #4: Schedule Customer Statements

      Regularly sending statements to customers is an imperative part of many business processes as it helps foster strong customer relationships and provides timely guidance on payments. While you can generate the statement of accounts and have it sent over
    • Why wont Zoho Support Grammarly!! --- PLEASE VOTE FOR THIS to show Zoho we need this

      The spell check and grammar in ZOHO are so buggy and a waste of time. Please support Grammarly! I'm sure I'm not the only one — there are other CRMs that support this. If you're not planning to add this feature, Please let others know before accepting
    • Email Verification on Subdomain

      Hi, The latest guidelines for setting up an email newsletter are to set it up on a subdomain of your main domain so that if you get put in a spam block, it doesn't block all your company email. We have been trying to set this up and managed to get our
    • Phone Number Format Change - Bulk Add Country Code and Remove Dashes

      In the past I would create a new customer in my Zoho Books, and enter their phone number in the format customary for the USA (that's where we are domiciled): Areacode-Prefix-Number 234-456-6789 This scheme is important as many other software packages
    • User Tips: Auto-Create Opportunity/Deal upon Quote Save (PART 1)

      Problem: We use quotes which convert to sales orders but Users / Sales Reps do not create opportunities / deals and go straight to creating a quote. This leads to poor reporting. Implementing this solution improves reporting and makes it easier for users.
    • Client Can't View Ticket

      Hi, I created a ticket for my Client since he had an issue. I added him as a Contact as well. My client got a notification in his email that the ticket has been created. When he went to view the ticket on his desktop, the screen was blank. He then viewed
    • Automating Custom Web Link Messages to Customers via Instant Messaging in Zoho Desk

      Hello, I am looking for assistance with Zoho Desk's Instant Messaging feature. Is there a way to automate the sending of a custom web link to customers every day at 6:30 PM? Any guidance or suggestions on how to achieve this would be greatly appreciated.
    • Categorise Attachments

      We take ID, proof of address, right to work documentation and more.  I can upload a single file in to field, but we often receive multiple files for each category e.g. someone may send a separate file for the front and back of their national ID card.  My team don't have time to manipulate the files in order to upload them as a single file. The options, as far as I can tell, would be to create additional fields on attachments in order to categorise what the file is, or to be able to upload single
    • How to autorespond for inactive users?

      Hi, we have a few inactive users that we would like to set up an autorespond to the sender telling that the email addresses are no longer active. How can we do that?
    • Mass Action Button Script

      Hi all, I've been trying to search a lot of places for a solution on how to do a button placed at the "Mass Action Menu" and thus only updating multiple CHOSEN records at once. After finding no success whatsoever, I decided to just run and test whatever
    • Error 553

      Hello how are you? I'm having trouble sending email. This message appears whenever I try to send an email. I'm receiving emails normally, but I just can't send them
    • Implement Regex in Layout and Validation rules

      Hello all, We are excited to announce that users can now implement Regular Expressions (Regex) in our layout and validation rules. This new functionality allows for more flexible rules to be created when designing and validating forms. What is Regex?
    • Zoho Desk Validation Rule Using Custom Function

      Hi all, I tried to find the way to validate fields using custom function just like in Zoho CRM but to no avail. Is there a way to do this?
    • Confirmation prompt before a custom button action is triggered

      Have you ever created a custom button and just hoped that you/your users are prompted first to confirm the action? Well, Zoho knows this concept. For example, in blueprint, whenever we want to advance to the next state by clicking the transition, it is
    • How do we add Google Analytics code to Zoho Bookings scheduling pages or the thank you page?

      We need to track user activity on individual Bookings' pages and/or the thank you pages? How do we do this?
    • Zoho Sheets working offline

      Hi,  I am looking for the ability to work offline in Zoho Sheets, but currently I cannot find the process to complete this.  Does someone have any ideas or steps I might have missed?  Also does Zoho Sheets have the "Format as Tables" function as is currently in MS Excel 2016??  Many thanks. 
    • Repeating Sections in Writer

      I am wondering if it's possible to create repeating sections or text boxes of a document based on a merged subform fields coming from Zoho Forms. We are currently using excel to dynamically create a legal PDF document based on input fields in another
    • Add Knowledge Base KB Articles to multiple categories

      Greetings,  Love you help center system.  One item that would be incredibly helpful to many of us would be able to add a single Knowledge Base KB article to multiple categories in our system.  It seems it could be quite easy to use a checkbox form, instead
    • Trying to copy Active Leads to a Custom Module called Dead Leads

      Hi, I am trying to code when the "Active Lead Status" field is changed to "Dead", a copy of the record should be created in the "Dead Leads" module while keeping the original lead in "Active Leads." I am using the following code but I keep getting the
    • Important update in Zoho Forms: Enhancements for improved email deliverability

      Hello, form builders! We would like to inform you about some changes we're making in Zoho Forms to ensure the deliverability of your outbound emails. Changes to Gmail policies Gmail has updated its DMARC policy which quarantines emails sent with gmail.com
    • Error 403: Forbidden When Updating Email Signature via API

      Hi Zoho Desk team, First, congratulations again on the excellent Zoho API. But, I’m encountering an issue while attempting to update an email signature via the API. Whenever I make a request to update the signature, the response returns an HTTP 403 Forbidden
    • Directly Edit, Filter, and Sort Subforms on the Details Page

      Hello everyone, As you know, subforms allow you to associate multiple line items with a single record, greatly enhancing your data organization. For example, a sales order subform neatly lists all products, their quantities, amounts, and other relevant
    • Lost the ability to sort by ticket owner

      Hi all, in the last week or so, we have lost the ability to sort tickets by Ticket Owner. Unlike the other columns which we can hover over and click on to sort, Ticket Owner is no longer clickable. Is it just us, or are other customers seeing this too?
    • Default Reminder for tasks set to Pop-up instead of email

      Try to save a click every time we create a task we want it to default to pop-up instead of email. Also default is to have reminder unchecked anyway to change so reminder is checked and method is pop-up default instead of email? Attached picture. Thanks,
    • Why hasn't Zoho CRM For Everyone been rolled out?

      I don't understand the point of rolling out new features so slowly after a big fanfare launch 8 months ago. I've signed up for 'early access' and also contacted my point of contact, but nothing. Not even an auto reply. Would you say that this is good
    • Canva Integration

      Hello! As many marketing departments are streamlining their teams, many have begun utilizing Canva for all design mockups and approvals prior to its integration into Marketing automation software. While Zoho Social has this integration already accomplished,
    • Can I print a set of record templates as a single pdf?

      I have a record template formatted as a gift certificate. I can email a single gift certificate to each recipient, but I also need to print the whole batch for the organiser, and they won't want 40 separate files. The layout needs to be identical, so
    • Next Page