Template Based Email - Adding Email Buttons

At one of the GearUp Fucus Groups this past week, many people requested the ability to be able to perform TeamSite activities from their common tools (such as email, Word, etc.) with no TeamSite UI interaction at all. This was a probably the biggest request of all. One such request was providing the ability to utilize Outlook voting buttons to approve/reject tasks directly from an email. I thought this was a brilliant idea.

This is more a continuation of a previous thread where I requested a means of triggering a workflow event (callback) from a remote server. The response I got was to use email to invoke a script on my TeamSite server. I figured out how to do that and have created a special user that, when any email is sent to that user, will invoke a script to parse the email and invoke the proper callback in a workflow task based on the information in the email. The problem I'm having is coming up with the best UI in the email itself to invoke the email. I use the Template Based Email functionality that is included with 5.5.2 (on Solaris). Because this is already an HTML formatted email, I would hope it would be easy to add a couple of buttons (one for Approve, one for Reject) that would invoke an email message to my special user. I am not very HTML/CGI savvy, so I have been unsuccessful so far in finding a way to create such buttons. I was, however, able to create a hyperlink that invokes a "mailto:" operation that sends an email. The drawback to this is that when I click on the hyperlink, it pops up the email so I can add text to it - I would prefer it just sent the email without any prompt. So, I'm hoping that James or Brinko or anyone familiar with Template Based Email can give me pointers or better yet - a solution that would put buttons in the email that, when clicked, would send an email.

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com

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akshathp

I have not worked on Template based email. But, I am replying to this post as I had a solution for similar issue for one of my custom workflows. I had to provide users with the ability to select and approve/reject the files all using an email interface.

1. I used Mail::Mailer and constructed an html email.
2. In this email I created a form with a call to my custom CGI
3. Within the form I had put many hidden variables and many text, radio and checkboxes for user inputs.
4. I also construct a dynamic set of radio buttons depending on number of files sent for approval so that approver could selectively reject/approve the files.
5. This custom CGI I used for kicking off another workflow and also for sending emails to contributors.

Here is a sample code for the fomr I used:

print $mailer "<form name='conf' method='post' action='$webapp_url/login/iw-bin/iwmyscript.cgi'>";
my $t2_url = "$webapp_url/TaskAction?taskid=@{[ $tmp_t2_url_value ]}&taskaction=task_transition&fileupload=true";
print $mailer "<p><hr align='left'><br>";
print $mailer "NOTE: If you have opted to reject any file listed above, the submit operation will be on halt and user will be notified. Please make sure to enter appropriate comments in the text box provided.<br>";
print $mailer "<TEXTAREA name='comments' rows='3' cols='80'></TEXTAREA><br>";
print $mailer "<input type='hidden' name='taskid' value='$taskid'>";
print $mailer "<input type='hidden' name='username' value='$recipient_name'>";
print $mailer "<input type='hidden' name='wfid' value='$wfid'>";
print $mailer "<input type='hidden' name='workarea' value='$workarea'>";
print $mailer "<input type='hidden' name='counter' value='$i'>";
print $mailer "<input type='hidden' name='nexttask' value='$t2_url'>";
print $mailer "<input type='submit' name='confirm' value='  Continue  '>";
print $mailer "</form>";

Besides this, I also have worked with some JavaScript functions that sends emails. And with the form button I can kick off the javascript function.

Hope this helps!

Akshat Pramod Sharma
Interwoven Inc.

Migrateduser

The final question raised in your post has very little to do with TeamSite. It is really an HTML/Outlook question. But in the interest of making customers happy, I will offer this example:

<html>
<body>
<form action="mailtoavidH.Smith@nike.com" method="post">
<input type="text" name="comment"><br>
<button name="decision" type="submit" value="ok">Approve</button>
</form>
</body>
</html>

This will try to send an email message when the recipient presses the button. The message will appear to be cryptic (it is encoded) but I expect that it will be received by an automated agent that could easily decode it.

Big Disclaimer: The actual behavior depends totally upon your email client.

The solution proposed by akshat requires that the email recipient has web access to the TeamSite server, something that you are trying to work around.

Brinko Kobrin
Interwoven Staff Engineer

Migrateduser

Thank you Brinko - this is exactly what I need. And you are correct, this is outside the realm of standard TeamSite, however I might argue that it is completely unrelated since you have promoted the Template Based Email solution and this opens the door to all kinds of HTML/CGI possibilities. Regardless, I am appreciative of your response and my customers will be very happy indeed. This is great stuff.

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com

akshathp

I thought you required an email with details about the task and some approval system with FORM buttons. That's why I suggest that method.

Youcould also use a normal CGI approach or JavaScript approach as that would not be related to your email client at all. And ofcourse no warning prompts too.

However, Brinko's solution is great and will work in almost all cases.

Akshat Pramod Sharma
Interwoven Inc.

Migrateduser

Sorry if I wasn't very clear in my request. My requirements are that I need the ability for a button embedded in an email to invoke another email. I can't run a script or anything as the person getting the original email can possibly be outside the company. Thanks for your help.

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com

Migrateduser

With a little research, I was able to use a slightly modified syntax to what Brinko suggested and get this working. I now have the ability to embed CGI-style buttons in my workflow notifications that allow a user to approve/reject (or perform any successor function) on an active task without entering TeamSite at all. The user simply clicks on the approproate button, an email is automatically formed and sent to a special account on my TeamSite server. The receipt of the email automatically kicks off a script that parses the subject of the email for all pertinent info (action to be performed, workflowID,taskID) and performs the appropriate callback. Fun stuff. If anyone is interested in the details, email me.

OK, I lied. I am able to do everything I described, except I'm having difficulty transitioning a usertask to one of it's successors using either iwtaskselect or the WFtask->SelectTransition method. I can perform iwtaskselect from the command line and it works, however when I try to execute it from my script, it does not work. What the ****? Neither `/interwoven/iw-home/buin iwtaskselect $taskID 0` nor $task->SelectTransition(0) work from my script. Ugh. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Ahhhh, I figured it out. I needed the owner of my special email account to be a TeamSite user. Now it works. Yay!

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com

Edited by Smitty77 on 11/04/02 11:40 AM (server time).

Migrateduser

I did a little experimentation of my own this weekend, and came up with an script the works... sometimes. I found that there are tremendous variations in how various email client applications handle forms embedded within an HTML-formatted message. Often the client will send a message without the form data. I think this approach is going to be too unreliable for general use. I know that within Nike you have great control over what software is used, but if you send these messages to people on the "outside" you probably won't know what clients they are using.

BTW, I used $task->Callback($transitionIndex, $comment) to transition the task. I also had the workflow create a DCR from the data that was received.

Brinko Kobrin
Interwoven Staff Engineer

Migrateduser

Can you list which email clients did not process the form data properly in your test? This could be a hitch, but I'm hoping most people use Outlook. I'll have to keep that in mind and do a trial run before going live with this. Thanks for the input.

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com

Migrateduser

This feature is, in our workflow, only going to be utilized by perhaps one or two individuals outside the company. Perhaps as we integrate more with our 3rd party contributors, it will blossom even more. The odds of the buttons not being rendered properly is a minor issue, as we can choose not to use buttons and use hyperlinks instead that kicks off the email. The important thing is that it can be done and that opens up significant opportunities for us, and will streamline the workflow in ways it could not be streamlined before. The reward is certainly worth the risk in this case.

I also was able to enhance the script to handle a grouptask if the task following the email is a grouptask. The script will take ownership of the task prior to processing the chosen successor, all behind the scenes. The person getting the email doesn't have to know it's a grouptask he/she is acting on.

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com

Migrateduser

Brinko - I still would like to know which email applications you found did not render the form buttons properly within an email message. Knowing which email clients you had trouble with could save me some time in the future. Thanks...

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com

Migrateduser

I never received a reply from Brinko on this. I would still like to know which email applications you found that did not render form buttons properly within an email message. Please respond, either publicly or privately.

Dave Smith
Sr. Software Engineer
Nike, Inc.
(503) 671-4238
DavidH.Smith@nike.com

Migrateduser

I did not compile a record of all of the mail client applications and their versions, platforms, operating systems, and service packs involved. I simply sent test message to several people, received their replies, and then asked each of them about their experiences. (In that way, I could simulated the real-world condition of users with no special training on how to handle the email notice.)

The email forms only worked correctly for about half of the users. I know that there was at least one user in each camp (success and failure) using Microsoft Outlook 2000 with an Exchange server, so there may even be some subtle configuration issues. I know that it failed when it was sent to a Yahoo! mail account.

Brinko Kobrin
Interwoven Staff Engineer

Migrateduser

Let me reiterate that as wonderful as putting fancy stuff (such as form elements and especially javascript) in emails is, it's also risky--especially if your users use different email clients. I don't think there are any hard and fast rules that dictate "what works in what email client". So now that we're all happily using iw_solution_mail to create fancy html emails (right?) let's use this forum to swap stories about what email clients appear to work, and what email clients cause us problems. Sound like a plan?

Here are some of my findings:
1. Textarea + form post (for example: adding task comments inside an email). I don't know the upper limit, but try to keep comments concise. This is especially the case in Yahoo! mail. Also, you can't cut and paste into textareas in Outlook and Outlook Express.
2. Outlook and Outlook Express act differently. If you have something working in Outlook, this doesn't mean it's going to work the same in Outlook Express! Test both.
3. Using Javascript to populate hidden form fields: I experimented with this a bit in Outlook and had problems.
4. Browser-based email clients, such as Hotmail: If you plan to write out links in your email and use Hotmail (or another email client that pops up links inside a Hotmail frameset) note that Hotmail alters the HTML for your links in order to make the frameset popup occur. This is problematic for browser plugins that do URL monitoring (and rely on a URL looking a certain way).

Note that regardless of these hurdles, users (especially business users) continue to marvel when they see fancy HTML emails generated by TeamSite. HTML email is a good thing as long as you make sure to test with a variety of email clients. The safest bet (when using iw_solution_email) is also to provide a text version of the email that includes links that users can cut and paste into their browsers.

Michelle