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The Activity Feed module is intended to line up the communication process among users within the same company between users, for example, between among employees who set tasks and those who handle them.

This functionality allows keeping an eye either you to monitor either on Additional Comments or Work Notes left within some a record or tracking to track the record field changes (all record fields or a fieldset field set specified by the user).

InfoAdditional Comments and Work Notes fields are both of

the

Journal Input type and intended for cross-

user

communication.
  • The Additional Comments field is for communication with the caller. It may be, for example, progress updates or clarifying questions. These comments are visible for the requestor on the portal view of the record.
  • The Work Notes field is for internal communications of the task fulfillers (agents

    )

    . These comments may be technical and can contain information that should not be shared with the caller

    .

    Activity Feed can be used on in table records in both of the main interfaces (agent interface and Self-Service Portal), which allows using it by users enables the use of the module without specific roles.

    Using Activity Feed

    Creating an activity

    Create an activity feed


    To use a feed on forms, you need to configure the Activity Feed widget first. For To do this, please complete the steps below:

    1. Navigate to Portal Structure → Widgets.
    2. Click New to create a new widget.
    3. Fill in the fields as described below.
    4. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply the changes.

    Widget form fields


    Widget Widget a guide script guide script guide for data guide for In the case described, it's the Task table. a
    FieldMandatoryDescription
    NameY
    Specify a name for the widget. For example: "Activity feed widget".
    DescriptionY
    Enter a brief description of the widget. For example: "Enabling activity feed on tasks".
    Active

    Select this checkbox to activate

    the widget.

    Note

    Until the widget is not activated, it cannot be used within objects.


    TemplateN

    Fill in the widget template. The default template value will contain the <activityFeed> SimpleTag:

    Code Block
    languagexml
    themeEclipse
    titleactivityFeed
    <activityFeed></activityFeed>

    Check the widget creation

    procedure for more information about this field.

    CSSNSpecify CSS classes for the widget structure and style.
    Client
    ScriptN

    Fill in the widget client logic if necessary. Check the widget creation

    procedure for more information.

    Tip

    Generally, no additional logic is required in the described case.


    Server
    ScriptN

    Fill in the widget server logic if necessary. Check the widget creation

    procedure for more information.

    Tip

    Generally, no additional logic is required in the described case.


    Demo
    DataNSpecify additional widget options if necessary. Check the widget creation
    procedure for more information.
    TablesNSpecify tables (one or more) to enable the activity feed functionality on their forms.
    InheritanceNSelect this checkbox if you want to make
    the widget available for adding to child table forms.

    After saving the record , it will be available to add on is saved, the activity feed can be added to the record form by the using Form Layout functionality as described below.

    Add an activity feed to forms


    Add the activity feed widget created in the previous step to the record form using the Form Layout functionality. To do this, complete the steps below:

    1. Open the hamburger menu in the top left of the form.
    2. Navigate to the Configure → Form → Layout item and click it.
    3. Find the Activity Feed widget in the Available area and move it to the Selected area.
    4. Click Save to apply the changes. 

    After this, your changes are displayed on the record form.

    Note

    Perform these steps for every form on which you need to enable the Activity Feed functionality since it is not inherited, and every activity feed is related to the specified table.

    By default, two activity feed fields are available:

    • Additional Comment
    • Work Note

    When the Activity Feed is added to the form with fields of the Journal Input type, these fields are hidden on the form. The Activity Feed displays input fields and activity types corresponding to the hidden ones. Input fields have the same logic as hidden fields. For example, they become mandatory or hidden from the widget under certain conditions.

    See the Creating custom activity feed field section of this article to customize your activity feed.

    Activity feed default view


    After a widget is created and added to a form layout as described above, create a new record or open an existing one to one to find the activity feed view as shown below (this screenshot is given as an example; the production out-of-the-box version in your application may differ from it).).

    The Additional Comments and Work Notes fields are both of the Journal Input type and intended for user communication.

    1. The Additional Comments field is for communication with the caller. It may contain progress updates or clarifying questions. These comments are visible to the requestor on the portal view of the record.
    2. The Work Notes field is for internal communications among the task fulfillers (agents). These comments may be technical and can contain information that should not be shared with the caller.
    Tip

    Comments or work notes can be sent using the Ctrl + Enter keyboard shortcut.

    Besides that, the Activity Feed displays the history of field changes. It displays information on the fields whose values have been changed.

    • Previous values are in gray color. The new values are in black color.
    • Field changes are displayed according to the history display settings.

    By selecting By clicking on the tabs under the input field, you can filter out the displayed information.

    note

    .

    SectionDescription
    AllThis section displays all field changes and all comments left in this record.
    Work NotesThis section allows users to filter out only work notes left in this record.
    Additional CommentsThis section allows users to filter out only additional comments left in this record.
    HistoryThis section allows users to filter out only record field changes.


    Section

    Image Added

    Filtration


    The displayed information can be filtered for

    specified

    specific users or user roles by

    using 

    using the ACL

     functionality

    functionality. Thereby, the activity feed view can

    differ

    look different for users granted different roles.

    For this

    To filter displayed information, Create an ACL Rule for information filtering.

    Info

    For securing fields

    allowing commenting

    that allow you to leave comments on records (such as Additional Comments or Work Notes), create an ACL rule for a corresponding column of the Journal Input type.

    Otherwise, you may create an ACL rule that will restrict access to the Activity Types (sys_activity_type) table for specified roles.

    Image Removed

    SectionDescriptionAllThis section displays all field changes and all comments left to this record.Work NotesThis section allows filtering out only work notes left to this record.Additional CommentsThis section allows filtering out only additional comments left to this record.HistoryThis section allows filtering out only record field changes.

    In the Activity Column Filters (sys_activity_column_filter) table, activity type settings are saved for each user individually. 

    Note

    To display changes of the specified fields in the History section instead of all fields changes, use the

    Available history

    Select fields handler functionality: 

    Anchor
    history settings
    history settings

    1. Click
    on
    1. the three dots on the right to open the kebab menu.
    Click Available history fields item
    1. Click the Select fields.
    Unselect
    1. Clear fields whose changes
    of which
    1. should not be displayed in the activity feed.
    2. Click Apply.
    Info

    If History contains fields that have been changed but are not selected in the Select fields handler, they will be replaced by the No fields selected text:

    Image AddedSettings are saved in the Activity Column Filters (sys_activity_column_filter) dictionary for every user individually.

    Even if the field value changes are not displayed here, they are logged and can be reached in the History dictionary.

    Adding

    Add an activity feed

    Add an activity feed widget created in the previous step on the record form using the Form Layout functionality. For this, please complete the steps below:

    1. Open the hamburger menu on the top left of the form.
    2. Navigate to the Configure → Form → Layout item and click on it.
    3. Find the activity feed widget in the Available area and move it to the Selected area.
    4. Click Save to apply changes. 

    After this, your changes are displayed on the record form.

    Note

    Perform these steps for every form on which you need to enable Activity feed functionality since it is not inherited, and every activity feed is related to the specified task object.

    Configuring an activity feed

    to pages


    You can add the Activity Feed widget to pages. To learn how to do this, see the Portal Structure article. 

    For the portal pages, download the SOP. file with the preconfigured Activity Feed widget that has its own style. Then import the local pack so that the Activity Feed for Portal widget appeared in the Widget (sys_widget) table. See the Importing configuration packs article to learn more. Add the widget to the portal page you need as described in the Portal Structure article. 

    Create a custom feed type
    Anchor
    Creating custom activity feed field
    Creating custom activity feed field


    By default, two commonly used fields of the Journal Input type are delivered for Task objects; these are are the Additional Comment and Work Notes fields.

    To add more custom journal input fields, please complete the steps below:

    1. Navigate to System DefinitionSettings → All Columns.
    2. Click New and fill in the fields.
    3. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply the changes.
    Tip

    Another way to add a column is through the related lists in the Table (sys_db_table) record. Open the table you want to add a new activity type to, scroll down to the Related Lists area, open the Columns tab, and click New.

    Journal Input fields

    FieldMandatoryDescription
    TableYSpecify a table on which the activity feed widget
    was
    is enabled (for example, the Task table).
    Column
    type
    TypeYIn this field, select the Journal
    input
    Input value.
    TitleY

    Specify a column title for

    this

    the additional field in any language. It will be displayed on the record form

    and can be multilingual

    .

    NameYThis field contains a system column name and is populated automatically once you have filled
    a column title
    the column title.

    See the Column Attributes article to learn about a more precise configuration.

    Info

    You can use available column attributes on this page for more precise configuration. For example, turn on the Mandatory attribute to make the field mandatory to fill in.

    Deactivating custom activity feed field

    As a result, a new activity type will be created automatically by the system in the Activity Type (sys_activity_type) table.

    Configure a feed set


    You can easily configure the set of activity feed fields using the Form layout functionality.

    To add or remove an activity feed field, perform the following steps:

    1. Open the record form that you need to configure.
    2. In the hamburger menu Image Added, navigate to Configure → Form → Layout.
    3. In the Section field, select the section containing the Activity Feed.
    4. Move the field of the Journal Input type:
      • from the Available section to Selected to add the field to the Activity Feed.
      • from the Selected section to Available to remove the field from the Activity Feed.
    5. Click Save.
    Info

    When creating a new record, you will see the Journal Input fields as regular fields. In saved records, these fields are included into the Activity Feed.

    Customization


    To configure a new activity feed field, To perform this, please complete the steps below:

    1. Navigate to Activity Feed → Activity Types.
    2. Click on Open the activity you need to deactivate.Turn off the Is Visible attributeand fill in the fields.
    3. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply the changes.

    Activity type Type form fields

    all languages you need please User-created OOB input in color that in
    FieldTypeDescription
    TitleN

    Custom activity feed field title displayed on the record form.

    Info

    This field is of the Translated Text type, so you can define a title in

    any language. To add a title for a language other than the default one,

    complete the steps below:

    1. Open an activity type record to edit a title.
    2. Change the interface language through the General Preferences menu on the right.
    3. Type the localized title value into the Title field.
    4. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply the changes.


    NameN
    This field contains an activity system name and is populated automatically out of the table name and the journal input column name. 
    User CreatedNThis checkbox is intended to distinguish custom activity types from
    the out-of-the-box ones to be able to filter them out if needed.
    Specific tab
    Title (plural)NSpecify a title plural form if needed.
    ParentNA parent activity type. If this activity type is of the highest level, then this field value will be empty.
    TableNA table or tables for which this field is enabled (for example, Task).
    Journal
    Input columnNA reference to the previously created column of the Journal Input type.
    Title (plural)NSpecify a title plural form if needed.
    Is VisibleNThis attribute is responsible for field visibility on the record form.
    NameNThis field contains an activity system name and is populated automatically out of the table name and the journal input column name. 
    OrderNSpecify the field order.
    Style tab
    Title colorN

    Specify a title color that is displayed

    on the comment form.

    Title background colorN

    Specify a title background

    color that is displayed

    on the comment form.

    Info

    For example, settings like shown on the screenshot below

    Image Modified

    will cause a result as follows

    Image Modified


    IconN

    Here, you can add an icon to customize the activity type. The system will display it instead of the default speech bubble icon Image Added.


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