Development, testing and debugging

Developing in the production system

Normally, no dedicated XPhone server is available to the dashboard developer for development. Therefore, development must be performed in the production system without disrupting operations. This essentially means that users should not be able to see “half-finished” dashboards. The means of choice for selectively displaying dashboards in the dashboard configuration is called “Additional Conditions” (See Displaying the Matching Dashboard). To do this, the developer must be created as a user of the XPhone system. The client passes the identity of the logged-in user in the form of his e-mail address. This is converted by the dashboard server in a normal search in the XPhone Connect Directory into a “user context” (see Variable names of the data fields) which is then available in the dashboard designer. A dashboard that is only displayed to the responsible developer can be achieved, for example, with the following condition in the dashboard configuration in the Conditions tab:

User.EMAIL1 equal david.miller@company.de

Instead of the email address, other data from the user context can be used (e.g. department). As soon as the dashboard is released, this condition is replaced (or removed) by a filter on the productive user group.

Prepare data source

Before the development can begin, it must be clarified on which data sources the dashboard is to be based. It is essential to decide whether a special data source should be set up for development. Technically, there is nothing to be said against development with a productive data source. The only thing to keep in mind is that test data may have to be introduced into this data source. For this, authorizations of the developer in the original application (e.g. CRM system) are required. It should also be noted that changes to the test data may only be available after an index match of the XPhone Connect Directory. If index matching is not possible at all times (developer’s authorization to the XPhone Connect Directory, disruption of productive operation, duration of the process), this may disrupt the progress of the development.

Furthermore, it must already be clarified during development which authorizations are assigned to the data source and how authentication takes place. A particularly differentiated administration of the authorizations is possible via the integrated Windows logon. If authorization via the integrated Windows login is activated for a data source, the dashboard must also use this method (see Authentication to the Connect Directory).

As a consequence, this usually means that if authorization for at least one data source with a dashboard is controlled via Windows authentication, this must also be controlled in this way for all other data sources for which dashboards exist. Mixed operation is possible, but requires a high level of understanding of the subject matter and increases the possibility of errors. Another important point is the adaptation of the data model of the original data to the requirements of the dashboard (see Enterprise application data model).

Prepare test data

A test data record must be available in a data source of the XPhone Directory for the development. In addition to the usual contact data, this should also contain a phone number that can be reached from the developer’s voice terminal and from which calls can also be made to the developer’s device. It must be possible to monitor the developer’s voice terminal or soft client via the XPhone Connect server. Many tests in the context of dashboard development can also be performed without a voice terminal by bringing the test contact into the display via the contact search and opening a conversation (or alternatively, in the case of the Connect client, the contact card) from it. Only the test of a dashboard in the caller toast requires a voice terminal connected to the XPhone Connect server.

Online logging

Online logging is activated in the XPhone Client under the Logging settings page.

The function helps the system administrator to detect problems in the configuration of the system. Such problems can be:

Insufficient contact or conversation data for dashboard search
Missing permissions or incorrectly connected data sources
Authentication issues
Incorrect dashboard configuration (especially filters on data sources)

The online log can be accessed from the dashboard display:

log

Test in browser

The test in the browser allows a quick review of visual changes.

Hint

Note that the function of actions that use local plugins is not possible. Only actions that have the term Web browser in the Run with field can be executed via the browser (see also Actions). The test of actions will therefore usually not be performed from the browser, but from the XPhone client.

The Search URL text box displays the URL that the dashboard server receives when the test case is run. The front part of the URL is automatically generated depending on how the AppLink client interface of the XPhone server is accessible (http://<server>/XPhoneConnect/AppLink/). After running the test function, the URL can be easily copied from the browser address bar to run again or modify. For the browser test with Windows login, we recommend using Internet Explorer or Edge. Note that the browser test function in the current version of XPhone Connect server does not allow integrated Windows login, only anonymous login. A workaround is to run the test function and initially get no hits. Now modify the URL in the address bar of the browser window with the failed search to AppLink2 and run the call from the browser window again.

If the dashboard search does not find a contact, the web page displays No entry available. Otherwise, the dashboard appears. Other displays indicate a problem with the server connection.

Test in client

A test from the XPhone Client is easily possible by finding the test contact via the contact search and opening a chat or the contact card there. There you will find the dashboard activated for the user. Toast dashboards must be tested by making a real phone call.

Troubleshooting

Contact is not found in the client, nor is a dashboard displayed

Is the test contact actually in the data source? Try to bring the contact into the display with the client first.
Does the contact contain the assumed data? For example, is the phone number stored correctly? If the test contact appears in the display, go to the next test step.
If not: Has index matching been performed for the data source?
Does the user of the client application have permission to access the data source on the XPhone Connect Directory page?

Client displays the contact, but the dashboard does not appear

Check if Data Source, Additional Conditions and Clients are configured correctly in the dashboard configuration. Perform a test using the test function of the Designer (see Test in browser). Make sure that the built-in Windows login is enabled for the data source and use the Applink2 URL for searching if necessary (see Authentication to the Connect Directory)

Anzeige im Browser, nicht aber im Connect-Client

If the dashboard is displayed in the browser but not in the XPhone Client, this may be because the XPhone Client always searches for a contact using their unique XPhone Directory ID. This type of search can also be simulated in the browser. Activate client logging under Configuration > Logging.

Then run your dashboard test scenarios. Open the folder with the log files. Open the DashboardUrl.txt file and copy the URL to the address bar of your browser for control. If you are using the AppLink2 URL, you must use the Edge browser.

Contact or dashboard does not contain the expected contact information

In XPhone Client, you can check the content of the record found by double-clicking on the data source icon in the contact card. You will then see the data that XPhone Directory has returned for the contact. The current value is visible for each attribute.

dtl

The attribute names can be found in the Field mapping dialog in the XPhone Connect Directory. The Name column contains the attribute names for the XPhone Connect Client interface. Via the field mapping of this client interface you can find the mapping of the fields back into the internal schema of the XPhone Connect Directory (left column of the field mapping dialog in the admin interface of the XPhone Connect Directory).

The attributes of the XPhone Connect Directory internal schema are in turn assigned to the dashboard variables via the AppLink client interface. The meaning of the variables in the default field mapping is described in the appendix (see Variable names of the data fields).

Batch files do not work

First check which data the action wants to pass. See Displaying the current data of an action. If all data is correct, call the batch file from a command prompt. If necessary, create a second batch file that passes the data read from the action to the batch file. You can use the ECHO statement to output from the batch file to the command prompt window.

Have you found a mistake on this page?

Or is something not formulated well or too vague? Then we look forward to receiving an e-mail, preferably with a suggestion for improvement, to doku@c4b.de. Thank you very much!