Emails in PSNext 3.

0
02/15/09 – Revision 1.0

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2009.

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Contents
A -Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
B -The Message's content.........................................................................................................................4
1 -Recipients...........................................................................................................................................5
2 -Body....................................................................................................................................................6
2.1 -Insert fields.................................................................................................................................6
2.2 -Raw HTML.................................................................................................................................7
2.3 -Include header images...............................................................................................................7
2.4 -Attachments...............................................................................................................................8
C -Email types..........................................................................................................................................10
1 -Triggered Messages.........................................................................................................................11
2 -Batched emails.................................................................................................................................15
3 -Template Lists...................................................................................................................................16
D -Email addresses..................................................................................................................................17
1 -Override user's email preferences...................................................................................................18
E -URL links..............................................................................................................................................19
1 -URL links as field tags......................................................................................................................20
2 -Manually created URL links ............................................................................................................20
F -Summary..............................................................................................................................................22

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A -Introduction

With the ever increasing usage of mobile devices and their capabilities to receive
emails almost anywhere and at anytime, email alerts can be considered as a
major feature enhancement in PSNext 3.0.

Users are now able to create custom email alerts and select the events and
conditions that will trigger them. For instance Managers can be informed of
important project delays or the approval of a project, while Resources could be
notified of the approval or denial of an absence request.

A whole new interface is available to create rich-text content that can include
inserted PSNext field tags. These tags will then be replaced with the correct
corresponding field value when the email is sent. Furthermore the recipients of an
email alert can be based on existing generic users.

URL links can also be added to email content, making it easy to link directly into
PSNext at the appropriate location of interest.

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B -The Message's content

Before getting into the detail of the new features, this section presents a common
dialog box used to define the content and recipients of an email message.
Further sections of this document present where this dialog box is used.

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Fig 1. The email's message content window provides standard

controls for setting the email's subject, body and recipients.

1- Recipients
The email recipients are PSNext declared users that can be be set in different ways:
● Specific user: A concrete named user.
● Through an organization branch: The set of
users within an organization.
● Through the “All Users” folder: Every PSNext
User.
● Through generic users: Based on the
value of a “user-typed” field (built-in or user defined).

Fig 2. Email recipients could be any PSNext identified user

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2- Body
The message itself can be entered in the lower section of the dialog box. The tool bar provides common
rich-text formating tools such as fonts, alignment options and a control to insert images and
attachments. Undo and redo controls are also available when editing a message's content.

2.1 -INSERT FIELDS

The “Insert Filed” icon displays the “Insert Field”
dialog box.
This box shows the available fields that can be inserted
into the message's body to dynamically customize the
content of the message. The available field sources are
related to the email type being defined. Table 1 presents a
summary of the available field sources per email type.
After selecting a field, a coded text value is inserted in the
message's body. PSNext will identify this tag and will
replace it by the appropriate value when the email is to be
sent.

Fig 3. Insert field tags for dynamic content

Fig 4. Field tags inserted in both the message's subject and body will be replaced by PSNext when sending the email

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2.2 -RAW HTML

The raw HTML check box allows the user to see and edit the HTML coding of the message. HTML
experts can directly use HTML code to customize the appearance of the email's body.
When switching back an forth from the raw HTML mode, the message might be altered. PSNext will
attempt to convert the formatted text into raw HTML and add embedded image tags for those header
images that are found. However, it should be noted that switching between formats may destroy some
of the content.

Fig 5. A message's body using raw HTML

2.3 -INCLUDE HEADER IMAGES

A good way to make email alerts get the PSNext look is by including PSNext logos in the header of the
message. This extended option will insert HTML image references to PSNext standard banners into the
message's header. These images are saved in the PSNext application server in the folder: classes\com\
sciforma\psnext\images.

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Fig 6. An example of an email alert received with PSNext headers on.

2.4 -ATTACHMENTS
Email alerts can contain an attached file within them. Attached files can be
either a system file (static file sent each time the alert is sent) or a user
defined file (the file is created by PSNext each time the alert is sent).
Fig 7. Inserting an attachment to an email alert

●System file attachments: Selecting a typical System file attachment will display the file open dialog
to allow the user to browse the system and select the file attachment. Each System file attachment
type will have a unique PSNext image based on the file's type and will be placed within the
“Attachments” tab in the lower section of the message's body.

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Fig 8. The “Attachments” tab holds the attached files that will be included

●User defined attachments: when inserting a User defined file attachment a dialog box will be
displayed allowing the user to specify the name of the file that will be generated, it’s MIME type,
and it’s content. User defined attachments can also make use of the Insert fields dialog for field's
value substitutions when the file is to be generated (each time the alert is to be sent).
In general, user defined attachments are intended to be primarily used to generate text based or
readable file types.

Fig 9. Setting the content of a user defined file Fig 10. User defined file attachments are hold
attachment. in a separate tab

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C -Email types

PSNext 3.0 email features have been enhanced to provide three main email
capabilities.

 Triggered messages: Event driven alerts.

 Batched messages: Alerts sent by a scheduled job or batch application.

 Templates: Predefined alerts used by collaboration workflows.

Under the Emails view of the System component there is a separate tab to manage
each of the above email types.

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Fig 11. There is separate tab for each type of email alert

1- Triggered Messages
These are email alerts that are sent when a specific event occurs in the system (a project is published,
a calendar is submitted, etc.). Additionally a filter can be included in the email alert's definition
determining the additional conditions that should be met for the alert to be sent (project is delayed,
calendar status is Rework, etc.)
Triggered messages are managed within the “Triggered messages” tab in the Emails view of the
System component. There is a set of triggered emails that are shipped by default with PSNext 3.0.
These alerts correspond to the action messages available in previous versions of PSNext. During the
database upgrade process to 3.0, all previous Batch and Action messages will be maintained and will
be converted to the new format. Users will then keep every email capability they were used to work with.

Fig 12. Triggered emails are event driven alerts

New triggered messages can be created from the File/New... menu or the related toolbar icon . The
“Triggered Email Message” dialog box is displayed allowing for user input to define the settings of the
new message such as its type and the events that will actually make the email to be sent.

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Fig 13. Triggered email alert settings

PSNext will adapt the available customization options for each triggered alert (such as the available
triggers, recipient's generic users and message's body tags) according to the alert type.

PSNext object that will trigger the alert.

TYPE

Unique name to identify the email alert.

NAME

Events that will trigger the email alert. Table 1 summarizes the available triggers per type.
TRIGGERS

An email's filter sets a condition determining whether the email should be sent or not
FILTER when the trigger event occurs.
For instance a filter can determine to send the alert only if the Project's finish date has a
gap of 20% or more with the baselined finish date.
Displays the “Message content” dialog box to set the recipients and the content of the
EMAIL DETAILS email alert.

Determines whether the alert is enabled or not. This option is useful when administrators
ENABLED want to temporarily deactivate an email alert.

Table below is a useful summary of the available options per email type.

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Table 1: Available Custom Controls by Type

TYPE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE

TRIGGERS GENERIC USERS FIELD SOURCES

On Save (save button) Global Project

On Publish Project Global
On Activate Project organizations Organization
PROJECT

On Deactivate Portfolio Folder Portfolio folder

Before Purge Special fields:
- URL to “Planner”
- URL to “My Work”
On Status Change (submitting, Global Global
TIMESHEET SUMMARY

reviewing, approving, etc.) Resource's Organization Timesheet

On Save (save button) Timesheet Summary (owner Organization
resource) Special fields:
- URL to “My Work”
- URL to “Approvals”

On Status Change (submitting, Global Global

approving, etc.) Resource's Organization Calendar
CALENDAR

On Save (save button) Calendar Organization

Special fields:
- URL to “My Work”
- URL to “Approvals”
On Publish Global Special fields:
RESOURCES

Resource - URL to “Resource”

Resource's organization

On Publish Cost item's organization Special fields:

COST ITEMS

- URL to “Cost Items”

On Publish Global Special fields:

ASSIGNMENT SUMMARY

Project - URL to “My Work”

Owning organizations - “Assignment loop” controls
Portfolio Folder
Assignment summary (assigned
resource)

At creation Global Global

DOCUMENT

On check in Project (if linked) Document

On deletion Task (if linked) Project

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TYPE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE

TRIGGERS GENERIC USERS FIELD SOURCES

Organization (if linked) Organization

Portfolio Folder (if project link) Portfolio Folder
Document Special fields:
- URL to “Collaboration”
At creation Global Global
On save Project (if linked) Document
On deletion Task (if linked) Project
ISSUE

Organization (if linked) Organization

On ranking open
On ranking submittal
PORTFOLIO FOLDER
Portfolio Folder (if project link) Portfolio Folder
Issue Special fields:
- URL to “Collaboration”
Global Global
Portfolio folder Portfolio folder

On ranking rework Special fields:

On last ranking submit (last - URL to “Portfolio Control”
ranker submitted)
On rework all ranking
On ranking close
On ranking publish (saving
results in objectives)

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2- Batched emails
Batched email alerts are not event-driven alerts, they are controlled by a .bat file or by a PSNext's
scheduled job that will send them. Batched emails are managed in the “Batch Messages” tab.
A set of batched messages are included by default in PSNext 3.0 corresponding to the built-in batched
email messages available in previous versions.

Fig 14. Batched email alerts are controlled by a scheduled job

The settings of the Batched messages are common to those the Triggered alerts except for the triggers
that are not available since batched emails are not event-driven.

Fig 15. Properties of a batched email message

Administrators can now create and schedule jobs that will launch the batch emails that have been
defined and enabled under System/Emails.

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Fig 16. Batch email is a new type of Scheduled Job. Fig 17. Enabled “Batched emails” can be referred by a
Scheduled job to be sent.

3- Template Lists
PSNext 3.0 provides email support for Document and Issue work flows allowing alerts to be sent when
workflow actions are performed. These kind of email alerts are likely to be used by many workflow
definitions. To avoid users creating multiple similar email definitions, email template lists are provided.
Any email item to be used in a Collaboration workflow definition must first be created within the template
list. These workflow based emails can be created under this “Template Lists” tab (under System/Email)
or directly from the workflow definition dialog box (under System/Workflows).
For further information on Collaboration workflows read “Collaboration in PSNext 3.0”.

Fig 18. Template lists for emails to be used in Collaboration workflows

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D -Email addresses

As previously presented in this paper, the recipients of a PSNext email alert must
forcibly be PSNext declared users. Any PSNext user can have up to three email
addresses, three built-in fields are provided for that intention (Email Address 1,
Email Address 2, and Email Address 3). The values of these fields are set by the
PSNext administrator in the Users component but can also be set or updated by
each individual user through the Global options of its profile
(Tools/Options/Global/Email).

Another preference that can be set by each user is the preferred email
address(es), that should be used when PSNext is sending them an email alert.

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Fig 19. An user changing his/her individual email preferences.

1- Override user's email preferences

When changing its email preferences, a user could decide to stop receiving email alerts by unchecking
all of the email addresses associated to its profile (no preferred address). With the new email
capabilities offered by PSNext 3.0, administrators now have a main control that can override the
preferred email addresses chosen by each individual user. When the “Override user global options”
option is checked under System/Email, PSNext will send email alerts to every known email address of
the user (recipient) even if the address is not marked as preferred.

Fig 20. Administrators can override the email preferences of every user
Additionally, field permissions are honored within the Tools/Global/Email dialog box so that access is
controlled to the field's values.

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E -URL links

URL links is a very useful feature of PSNext 3.0 specially when working with email
alerts. Users will receive emails from PSNext for very different reasons. Besides
providing relevant information within the email's content (by using dynamic
variables), it is also possible to include a URL link that will direct the user to the
context that generated the alert and is awaiting user action (approve a document,
rework a timesheet, etc.).

When a user tries to follow a PSNext URL link, if the user is already logged into
PSNext, the focus will be set to the context specified by the URL link. If there is no
PSNext session open, PSNext will launch and will lead the user to the right context
after authentication is accomplished.

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1- URL links as field tags

In Table 1, it is possible to see that dynamic URLs are provided as “special fields” to be inserted as a
tag in an email's body. As any other tags, the available URL tags are related to the type of the email that
is being created. For instance a “Project” alert could lead the recipient to the “Planner” component and
open the project that generated the alert.
The URL tag that is inserted will actually be replaced by a full qualified hyperlink that the recipient can
click on to reach the related context.
An important parameter to ensure that the final hyperlinks are valid is the “Email URL substitution” value
that can be set under System/Email. This value should detail the exact URL path to the PSNext domain.

Fig 21. URL tags use the “Email URL substitution” parameter when they are replaced

2- Manually created URL links

URL links to a given PSNext context can also be manually created so that users include them in
documents, web pages, non-PSNext emails or web browser favorites. This is the structure of a
PSNext's URL link:
<PSNext URL>?LinkData=TAB.VIEW.DATA

The url of the Psnext domain.

<PSNEXT URL> i.e http://ourdomain.com/psnext/Index.htm
The component the url will lead to.
TAB i.e. tabPlanner
The view of the component that should be focused.
VIEW i.e. viewProjects
Data parameters of the item to display.
DATA i.e. PROJECT:PRJ3217_2009;VERSION:0

An URL link leading to the Planner component displaying project PRJ3217_2009 looks as follows:
http://ourdomain.com/psnext/Index.htm?LinkData=tabPlanner.viewProjects.PROJECT:PRJ3217_2009;VERSION:0

Table 2 lists the available parameters that could be included in a PSNext URL link.

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Table 2: URL link parameters by component

COMPONENT TAB VIEW DATA

tabPlanner ViewProjects PROJECT:Project_Id,

viewGantt VERSION:version
viewNetwork
viewOutline
PLANNER
viewTaskUtilization
viewResourceUtilization
viewCostUtilization
viewGraphs
tabCollab FILE:File_Id
COLLABORATION
ISSUE:Issue_Id
tabMyWork ViewOverview DATE:MM-DD-YY
viewTimesheet
MY WORK viewCalendar
viewTasks
viewMyGantt
tabReports RPT:name PROJECT:Project_Id,
REPORTS STATIC:name VERSION:version
FAV:name
tabResources ViewResource
RESOURCES viewRAC
viewResUtil
tabApproval viewSummary(Timesheets,C DATE:MM-DD-YY,
alendars) RESOURCE:ResId
APPROVALS
viewTimesheet
viewCalendar
tabPortfolioControl viewProjects PORTFOLIO:Fullname,
viewGantt PROJECT:ProjId,
PORTFOLIO CONTROL viewRanking VERSION:version
viewTaskUtilization
viewgraphs
COST ITEMS tabCostItems

tabProjectControl PROJECT:ProjId,
PROJECT CONTROL
VERSION:version
USERS tabUsers

tabSystem viewAddProjectAccess
viewAssignmentOptions
SYSTEM
(consult full list in online
help),

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F -Summary

Email enhancements rely on three main types of alerts: triggered (event-driven),

batched controlled, and template lists.

By combining a filter with triggered or batched alerts, PSNext administrators are

able to define an endless number of email alerts to fulfill any specific need: a
project is delayed, expenses are over budget, timesheets are not submitted on
time, etc.

Email messages can contain rich text or html encoding as well as dynamic
variables to better adapt the message's content to the situation originating the
alert. Additionally file attachments can contain files generated on the fly that
could for instance create an iCalendar file for the recipient to accept/reject an
invitation.

Finally URL links can be inserted in an email's body so that the recipient can be
redirected to the exact PSNext component, view and object requiring attention.

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