Keyboard shortcuts

[e.gailiss]

Finesse 10.5. Is there a recommended way to make keyboard shortcuts for Finesse desktop (similarly to CAD)?

For example I have a gadget that opens new tab with customer data. In CAD I would just create a button with "action" and it would have a shortcut (like Ctrl-1) that agent could press instead of clicking the toolbar button.

Thanks!

Ervins

[golmsted]

Hey Ervins,

Unfortunately Finesse does not yet support keyboard shortcuts.  There are a couple of main reasons we have not done these yet:

1) Because Finesse runs in the browser, the keyboard shortcuts a lot of times conflict with keyboard shortcuts of the browser itself.  And the keyboard shortcuts for browsers differ for not only each browser, but also sometimes each O/S the browser is running on.    That means it makes it very difficult to do keyboard shortcuts work consistently across all browsers and all O/S platforms.

2) Not sure if you have ever "snooped" around Finesse with Firebug (or the like), but you will notice that Finesse is made up of a container, and an iFrame for each Gadget hosted in that Container.  Depending on the Browser you are running in, when a keyboard shortcut keystroke is made...and depending on where you currently have focus...that keystroke may go into a Gadget (rather than perhaps the container).

We do understand that this is an important feature and have discussed possibilities of how to do this in the future.  One way considered, is potentially introducing a new Workflow Action type "When a key combination is pressed" (or the like).  We'd have to wire keystroke listeners at the container (and maybe each iFrame), but could possibly fire a Workflow Action when detecting.  That would allow configured Workflow Actions to run and/or gadgets subscribed to the WorkflowActionEvents to pick these up and take an action.

Does that sort of thing sound like it could work?  There is nothing in the Backlog for the current release, but we are always planning our next release. 

Cheers,

g.

[e.gailiss]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for looking into this. I have snooped around and even tried to implement something but ran into all kind of difficulties. To me as well it looks like proper way would be to use subscribers to finesse object events. This,  probably would still involve some work in container to properly pass key-press "upstream" to container. But yeah, this would solve the problem. Using some boiler plate code in gadget to propagate key-press events is a small price to pay if you get key shortcuts in return. Of course, we have to forget about using shortcuts used by browser, but I don't think it would be a problem at all.

Thanks for your answer!

If I may ask another question - agent/supervisor chat. Any plans to implement that? It would be nice to be able to have custom events going through normal server event feed. This way it would be possible to pass info from one agent to another.

Thanks,

Ervins

[golmsted · Accepted solution]

Hey Ervins,

Yeah, you definitely will need some container-level support for this. I will remind our Product Owner that there is another person who would like this capability.

So that we keep the Forum with the right subjects, would you mind posting your follow-up question as a new Topic? ☺

Thanks,

g.

[Motorizing]

I'm not familiar with Finesse, I have been using a keyboard shortcut program since 2000 for various windows applications that have  Macros = Hot Keyboard, Windows Automation Tool.  I have used it in various jobs through-out the years.  I have been able help automate and simplify repetitive tasks from within web-based applications, program based applications and with its menu system organize numerous internal websites and shared network drives. From executing shortcut keys to control the keyboard and mouse, and its easy to use.  It also has more advance features in using RegEx commands for string extraction  This past week, currently working on creating a tool-box of commands for ASR9000 Cisco Enterprise router and another series of commands for supporting a 4G Wireless backup network for various MPLS networks.   I have also used it for many non-profit projects that I volunteered for.