Add-Ons

The i-net HelpDesk desktop application can be extended in its functionality by add-ons. These settings provide backward compatibility to previous feature expansions that were implemented as add-ons. Add-ons are set up on the server and are then ONLY part of the desktop application, i.e. not available in the web-based Ticket application.

Create Add-On Configuration

Adding an add-on configuration requires the following settings:

Type

There are three types of add-ons:

  • Menu item: The add-on is started via a menu item below the i-net HelpDesk button.
  • Action button: A button with a link to an external program is stored in the respective module toolbar. This URL can be passed a start parameter from the ticket data, e.g. the computer name, if the external program supports call parameters.
  • Tab Dialog: If the selected dialog has a tab dialog, the add-on will be included as another tab.

Note: You can only select one type for each add-on at a time. If an add-on is to appear both as a menu item and as an action button in a dialog, you must enter the add-on twice.

Dialog

In this field, select the dialog in which the add-on is to be included.

Important: Add-ons are exclusively supported in Java dialogs. Web dialogs like the knowledge base or the ticket list for customers/end users do not provide options for add-ons.

Title

This text is displayed in the client as the name of the menu item, tooltip or tab dialog (tab).

Class Name

The names of the Java classes are fixed and can be selected from a list box. A description and examples of their use can be found further down this page.

Image

At the type Action Button an individual GIF can be deposited, which must have a size of 24x24 pixels. If you leave the entry empty, the default GIF will be used. The entry is not required in every add-on.

Position

Determines the display position of the add-on depending on the selected type in the menu commands, toolbar or tab arrangement. The specification is not required in every add-on.

Execution Parameter

Instructs the add-on to consider a specific program, URL or parameter. If a column from the i-net HelpDesk database is used as a parameter, then the name of this column in the database must be used. Placeholders for HelpDesk columns must be used with the following syntax: <%column name%>.

The following classes are available for selection in the listbox:

  • AdditionalFields: additional fields are provided on a tab. This additional tab could be useful for extended user data, for example. The extended user data can be displayed in i-net HelpDesk in the modules Inquiries and Orders.
  • ChangeAction: Only available as icon in the module "Orders", detail view. Applicable only in the "Order" tab. Used to change editing steps (actions). Only actions from the "Edit" tab can be used.
  • ChangeReaTime: Only available as icon in the Orders, detail view. Applicable only in the Order tab. Used to edit processing times. Background: Sometimes a resource employee makes a mistake when entering processing times. This add-on provides a dialog with the possibility to reset the date and time (start and end) for a selected processing step. In addition, the name of the resource can be changed.
  • Links: A preset URL is opened in a second browser window. Any column name from the tblUser table of the i-net HelpDesk database can be passed as a parameter, usually this will be the placeholder <%Computername%>. Other column names are: Last name, First name, Phone, Email, Room, Department, Cost center, Free1, Free2, Free3, Free4 and Free5.
  • MessageDeliverer: A kind of pure text chat between supporters who are currently logged in to i-net HelpDesk. However, it is also possible to send a message to logged in end users within i-net HelpDesk.
  • ProgramExecute: Any program can be started, a parameter can be passed.
  • ReportLink: Until now it was only possible to call the report Order_detail.rpt in the order processing via the Print button. The add-on offers the possibility to call any other report (which makes sense for this order) via another button.
  • SMS: On this tab you can view the computer data of the i-net HelpDesk user who made the request. This data is available in the MS software System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). In the Select field, various views of the SCCM data are available for selection. The views have been compiled by i-net software.
    • Note: Prerequisite is a connection to the MS SQL database of SCCM. The connection is defined in Home > Configuration > General > Connections > Additional databases > Add database connection > Designation: SMS. The name of the connection must be SMS.
  • SMSDlg: Offers the selection from a list of all computer names. The menu item has no reference to a specific ticket.
    • Note: Note the requirement described in the previous item SMS.
  • TabList: A list with data from the external source is displayed on an additional tab. The reference field in i-net HelpDesk can be freely selected from the order, user or device data.
  • TreeFields: Tree structure with list. "TreeList" and "TreeFields" allow loading non-referenced data whose structure is mapped in a tree control. The records are then presented in a list ("TreeList" n-records per node) or in (optionally) editable fields ("TreeFields" 1-record per node).
  • AdditionalFields: A tab dialog with additional 3 fields (total 6 text fields; 1 memo field), which can be freely assigned with additional data for a ticket.
    • Note: If this add-on is included, then the 4 already existing free fields of the order are offered on THIS tab. Advantage: These 4 fields now extend over the entire width of the dialog.