Introduction

Starting from version 7.12.0 you can use the [Timeline] tab for quick analysis of customer cooperation, opportunity, case, etc. history in bpm’online. This tab is available by default in the [Contacts], [Accounts], [Leads], [Opportunities] and [Cases] sections.

The database tables

The following tables are provided in the database for setting up the timeline:

• TimelinePageSetting – for setting up sections and their tiles (table 1).
• TimelineTileSetting – for setting up all existing and custom timeline tiles (table 2).
• SysTimelineTileSettingLcz – for localizing tile names (see "Localization tables”).

Table 1. – TimelinePageSetting table primary columns

Table 2. – TimelineTileSetting table primary columns

Table 3. – Timeline tile configuration parameters in JSON format.

Adding the [Timeline] tab to the section

NOTES Adding the [Timeline] tab tiles to the new section is described in the "How to create the [Timeline] tab tiles bound to custom section" article.

To add the [Timeline] tab to the section page and display records thereon:

1. Add a new record to the TimelinePageSetting table.

2. Populate the corresponding columns (table 1). Indicate the section page schema name in the Key column. For example, if you need to add a tab to the {Accounts} section, the Key column value will be "AccountPageV2". The Data column contains the configuration of timeline tiles that are displayed on the indicated section tab in JSON format (table 3).

ATTENTION The [Timeline] tab will not be displayed on the section record edit page if the tile configuration in the Data column is not available or if there exist errors (for example, syntax error) in the configuration.

Usage of base tile

To start using the timeline in a section, perform base tile configuration (fig.1). The base tile compound elements:

• icon
• caption
• author
• date (sorting)
• message

Fig. 1. – The base tile element location

Example

Add the [Contract] tile to the [Accounts] section page. Sorting should be performed according to the StartDate column; the caption values, author and tile messages should be derived from the Number, Owner and Notes columns correspondingly.

Case implementation

1. Add a new record (or update an existing record) in the TimelinePageSetting table.

2. Set the "AccountPageV2” value for the Key column and populate the Data column with the following JSON object:

[
  {
    "entityConfigKey": "0ef5bd15-f3d3-4673-8af7-f2e61bc44cf0",
    "entitySchemaName": "Contract",
    "referenceColumnName": "Order",
    "orderColumnName": "StartDate",
    "authorColumnName": "Owner",
    "captionColumnName": "Number",
    "messageColumnName": "Notes",
    "caption": "My Contracts",
    "masterRecordColumnName": "Id"
  }
]

ATTENTION The [Orders] base tile is used in the following case. This tile has a record in the TimelineTileSettings table with the 0ef5bd15-f3d3-4673-8af7-f2e61bc44cf0 Id.

ATTENTION As the data in the Data column are stored in the varbinary(max) form, use specific editor (such as dbForge Studio Express for SQL Server) to modify them (Fig. 2). To do this: 1. Select a table. 2. Select the necessary column of the record and click the edit button. 3. Enter the text data display mode in the data editor. 4. Add necessary data. 5. Save the changes in the data editor.

Fig. 2. Editing data via the dbForge Studio Express for SQL Server

The result of the base tile usage on the [Timeline] tab in the [Accounts] section is shown in fig.3

Fig. 3. – The [Timeline] tab in the [Accounts] section.

See also

• How to create the [Timeline] tab tiles bound to custom section