Actions

This section provides you with instructions on how to configure both Automated and Button Actions within Desktop Connect Express within a Rule.

Actions Overview

Actions can be either Automated Actions that occur when a PCAgent screen I ‘popped’ or Button Actions that occur when the Button is selected. By creating a Button Action within a Rule, the Button is displayed in the Desktop Connect window when the Rule is executed. The Default Rule is used on Start Up and the Buttons defined in the Default Rule will be displayed when the Desktop Connect window is first opened.

Action Types

There are 6 action types available, 2 of which can only be assigned to buttons – see table below:

Action

Popup

Button

Description

DDE

P

P

Send a DDE string to an application

SENDKEY

P

P

Send key strokes to an application

URL

P

P

Enter a URL into a browser

EXECUTE

P

P

Execute a command line function

TOGGLE

P

Toggle between applications

RULE

P

Execute another rule

Automated actions are applied using the Popup parameters. The following parameters must have values for one automated action to operate. The X denotes the unique number within the rule:e

Parameter

Description

PopupTypeX

Action type: DDE, SENDKEYS, URL or EXECUTE

PopupWaitX

Seconds to pause before continuing. This is often required to allow the PCAgent application to pass the variables before continuing

PopupApplicationX

Text string to search for the application window to send action to or for DDE this defines the DDE message to be sent for that application

PopupActionX

Action or command to be sent to application

PopupFrontX

Controls whether PCAgent remains in front (if set to Y) after the action. If set to N, the application that was sent the action will be brought into focus.

PopupBehaviorX

Controls how the IE browser acts when an URL action is triggered, possible values are:

NEW – Open URL in a new IE browser instance

NEWSESSION – Open URL in a new session and in a new IE browser instance

TAB – Open URL in a new IE tab instance

EXISTING – open the URL in the same IE window

The syntax and examples of each different Action Types are detailed in the following sections:

Type – DDE

The DDE Action Type enables DDE commands to be sent to any desktop application that accepts DDE.

Syntax

Application: DDE Topic,DDE Item,DDE Message

Action: [Command]

Example 1

In the following example, a DDE message is sent to Emulwin terminal emulator where:

DDE Application Title = EMULWIN

DDE Topic = EMULWIN|es70000

DDE Item = d3

The action or command is to send the data from the PC4 calling list field ACCTNUM.

PopupType1=DDE

PopupWait1=200

PopupApplication1=EMULWIN,EMULWIN|es7000,d3

PopupAction1=[sendData(<ACCTNUM>)]

PopupFront1=Y

Example 2

The following sample configuration snippet executes the built in ALERT macro of Excel.

PopupType2=DDE

PopupWait2=200

PopupApplication2=Microsoft Excel,Excel|System

PopupAction2=[ALERT("This is an XLS Macro alert. You can run a macro for account ID <ACCTNUM>.")]

PopupFront2=y

Type – SENDKEY

The SENDKEY Action Type enables keyboard actions to be sent to an application. This makes it possible to replicate any action undertaken using the keyboard where the application accepts SendKeys.

Syntax

Application: String to search in the application title to find the application

Action: [SendKey String]

Action Syntax

The SendKey string can contain the following:

Keys: All keyboard keys where + = shift ^ = Control and %= alt

Calling List Fields: <CallingListField>

Special Keys: {Special Key}

A list of special keys is listed in Special Keys

Example

In the following example, a SendKeys message is sent to Microsoft Notes by pressing Tab twice, entering the data contained in the Calling List field ACCTNUM and pressing Enter.

PopupType1=SENDKEY

PopupWait1=200

PopupApplication1=Notepad

PopupAction1={TAB}{TAB}<ACCNUM>{ENTER}

PopupFront1=Y

Type - URL

The URL Action Type enables a parameterized URL string to be entered into a browser thereby initiate a record search in a thin client desktop application. If a browser window with the Application Title/ URL is available, this will be used to enter the URL for each new call. If a browser window with the Application Title is not available, a new Browser window will be opened.

Syntax

Application: String to search in the browser title or URL to find the application

Action: [Full URL String]

Example 1

In the following example, the URL for a debt management application record search using the ACCTNUM field as the search criteria from the Proactive Contact Calling List and the browser is opened in a new window.

PopupType1=URL

PopupWait1=200

PopupApplication1=Debt Manager

PopupAction1=http://debtmanager/dmlive/AccountSel...imaryEntityId=<ACCTNUM>&search_mode=RouterAccount&accountTypeField=RouterAccount&perspective=RouterAccount&__selecta_field=<ACCTNUM>

PopupFront1=Y

PopupBehavior=NEW

Example 2

In the following example, the pop up action searches for an IE instance that contain the http://livevulcancluster/ and pops the crafter URL with the agent station extension, caller number, universal call identifier and the last redirecting device.

PopupType1=URL

PopupWait1=200

PopupApplication1=http://livevulcancluster/

PopupAction1=http://livevulcancluster/vulcan/docv...vbd?stationid=<STATIONID>&cli=<ANI>&ucid=<UCID>&vdn=<DNIS>&lastvdn=<LASTREDID>

PopupFront1=Y

PopupBehaviour=EXISTING

Type - EXECUTE

The EXECUTE Action Type enables a command line operation to be performed.

Syntax

Application:

Action: [Command Line String]

Example 1

In the following example, Microsoft Windows hyperterminal is run from the command line.

PopupType1=URL

PopupWait1=200

PopupApplication1=Debt Manager

PopupAction1=C:\Program Files\Windows NT\hypertrm.exe

PopupFront1=Y

Example 2

In the following example, notepad is run from the command line specifying <UCID> as argument

PopupType1=URL

PopupWait1=200

PopupApplication1=<UCID>

PopupAction1=C:\Windows\notepad.exe

PopupFront1=Y

Button

A Button is displayed on the Desktop Connect window when a Button Action is created. The Buttons are displayed in the unique number order. Buttons are created and actions applied using the Button parameters in the Desktop Connect configuration file. The following parameters must have values for one Button Action to operate. The X denotes the unique number within the rule:

Parameter

Description

ButtonNameX

The text displayed in the button

ButtonTypeX

Action type: DDE, SENDKEYS, URL, EXECUTE, TOGGLE, RULE, DEBUG

ButtonApplicationX

Text string to search for the application window to send action to or for DDE this defines the DDE message to be sent for that application

ButotnActionX

Action or command to be sent to application

ButtonBehaviourX

Applies only for URL button types, possible values are NEW, NEWSESSION, TAB, EXISTING

The syntax and examples of each different Action Types are detailed in the following sections:

Type – DDE

The DDE Action Type enables DDE commands to be sent to any desktop application that accepts DDE.

Syntax

Application: DDE Topic,DDE Item,DDE Message

Action: [Command]

Example 1

In the following example, a DDE message is sent to Emulwin terminal emulator where:

DDE Application Title = EMULWIN

DDE Topic = EMULWIN|es70000

DDE Item = d3

The action or command is to send the data from the PC4 calling list field ACCTNUM.

ButtonName1=GetRec

ButtonType1=200

ButtonApplication1=EMULWIN,EMULWIN|es7000,d3

ButtonAction1=[sendData(<ACCTNUM>)]

Example 2

The following sample configuration snippet executes the built in ALERT macro of Excel.

ButtonName1=XLSAlert

ButtonType2=DDE

ButtonApplication2=Microsoft Excel,Excel|System

ButtonAction2=[ALERT("This is an XLS Macro alert. You can run a macro for account ID <ACCTNUM>.")]

Type – SENDKEY

The SENDKEY Action Type enables keyboard actions to be sent to an application. This makes it possible to replicate any action undertaken using the keyboard where the application accepts SendKeys.

Syntax

Application: String to search in the application title to find the application

Action: [SendKey String]

Action Syntax

The SendKey string can contain the following:

Keys: All keyboard keys where + = shift ^ = Control and %= alt

Calling List Fields: <CallingListField>

Special Keys: {Special Key}

A list of special keys is listed in Special Keys

Example

In the following example, a SendKeys message is sent to Microsoft Notes by pressing Tab twice, entering the data contained in the Calling List field ACCTNUM and pressing Enter.

ButtonName1=GetRec

ButtonType1=SENDKEY

ButtonApplication1=Notepad

ButtonAction1={TAB}{TAB}<ACCNUM>{ENTER}

Type - URL

The URL Action Type enables a parameterized URL string to be entered into a browser thereby initiate a record search in a thin client desktop application. If a browser window with the Application Title is available, this will be used to enter the URL for each new call. If a browser window with the Application Title is not available, a new Browser window will be opened.

Syntax

Application: String to search in the browser title to find the application

Action: [Full URL String]

Example

In the following example, the URL for a debt management application record search using the ACCTNUM field as the search criteria from the PC Calling List.

ButtonName1=GetRec

ButtonType1=URL

ButtonApplication1=Debt Manager

ButtonAction1=http://debtmanager/dmlive/AccountSel...imaryEntityId=<ACCTNUM>&search_mode=RouterAccount&accountTypeField=RouterAccount&perspective=RouterAccount&__selecta_field=<ACCTNUM>

Type - EXECUTE

The EXECUTE Action Type enables a command line operation to be performed.

Syntax

Application:

Action: [Command Line String]

Example

In the following example, Microsoft Windows hyperterminal is run from the command line.

ButtonName1=GetRec

ButtonType1=EXECUTE

ButtonApplication1=Debt Manager

ButtonAction1=C:\Program Files\Windows NT\hypertrm.exe

Type - TOGGLE

The TOGGLE Action Type creates a button that allows the user to toggle between applications. For example PCAgent and the desktop application.

Syntax

Application: String to search in the application title to find the first application

Action: String to search in the application title to find the second application

Example

In the following example the button will toggle between PCAgent and Notepad.

ButtonName1=Toggle

ButtonType1=TOGGLE

ButtonApplication1=Proactive Contact Agent

ButtonAction1=Notepad

Type - RULE

The RULE Action Type creates a button that executes a previously defined rule. For example where an Automated Action was unsuccessfully executed because the desktop application screen was in the wrong state to accept the action, the rule can be re-executed using this button o re-query the information once the screen is put in a state to accept the action.

Syntax

Application:

Action: RuleX

Example

In the following example the button will execute Rule 1.

ButtonName1=Re-Query

ButtonType1=RULE

ButtonApplication1=

ButtonAction1=Rule1

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