Customer Login
Forums
Support
Welcome to the seventh in a series of Version 4 development updates and previews.
In preview #6 we looked at file transfers and screenshot sharing in the operator’s live chat application.
In this preview we will take a look at some of the new template management and cosmetic customization features we are introducing to V4.
Template and interface management
Like in V3, client-facing layouts are stored in the database as templates. These templates are editable via the administrator control panel, as shown below. Cosmetic modifications and layout customizations can be made with knowledge of basic CSS and HTML.
We will be adopting a new third-party templating engine called Dwoo to handle template code and logic. Dwoo is very similar to what V3 uses (TemplateLite), so there won’t be a steep learning curve for customers moving from V3 to V4. The syntax is simple, and mixes cleanly with HTML and CSS.
Viewing templates and template groups
The new template management interface - click for full screen
Templates are organized into groups that correspond to how the client support center is arranged and navigated. This makes it easier for you to correlate what you want to change with which template you need to edit.
List of templates under a template group
Clicking on a template opens the editor.
Editing a template
Editing a template
Template versioning
Template edit history
Template versioning has been implemented in V4, which lets you view, compare and revert to past versions of templates. We have also created a template diff tool that allows you to visually compare templates – highlighting exactly what has changed between templates.
This makes upgrading, collaborating on and tracking template changes a breeze.
Template diffing. The screenshot was too wide for this post, so the right-side (changed version) has been overlapped onto the left-side (previous version) with a shadow
Customization options
New interface to some cosmetic customization options
The support center logo can now be changed in the administrator control panel on a per-template group basis.
Frequency of previews
We are sorry this one has taken a while to be published – all of us have been working hard on V4 and an upcoming V3 maintenance release. Preview #8 will follow this one soon, and will feature a new addition to the Kayako product line.
Filed under 
Tagged with:
13 Comments
ยก Outstanding versioning functions! Keep up the good work guys ! Can’t wait for beta release
This looks great! I can’t wait for the next update, and btw, when’s that beta come out?
Keep on keeping on!
-Tony V.
Excellent job! Keep up ALL the hard work and keep us posted!
Waiting for Beta !! Awesome work guys !!
I cant wait for the new release… the separate email addresses for departments in live response is something we have been desperately waiting on to allow for multi site deployment
Looking good – any news on the beta date? Can we still expect it this quarter?
This product seems highly function for our purposes except I am unable to determine if it will be compliant with Federal Section 508 Accessibility requirements. Will this be addressed in the V4?
I’ve got a feature request for Ticket Status and Priorities in V4:
Currently, a status or priority can exist in one of two places:
A Specific department
or
EVERY department.
in V4, it would be very nice if this was implemented as a “many-to-many” relationship so that I could have a status or priority that exists in some departments but not others.
Here’s an example:
I want every department to have an “On Hold” except for “Support – Level 1″ and “Support – Level 2″. If Support – Level 1 can’t do something or needs something scheduled, it is a support- Level 2 issue. Support – Level 2 issues should always be in progress.
I am also interested in better support for web standards and accessibility in V4. I have looked at the 3.x product and noticed that all default templates are rendered with old school table’s based layout and presentational HTML. Will the new product be using CSS layout and semantic HTML templates by default?
Thanks
I’ve got another feature request for V4:
When managing departments, currently all departments have one of two settings: Public Department or Private Department. If a department is public, users can create tickets in the department. If a department is private, only staff members can.
What I would like is the ability to assign departments to user roles so that I can say, “A customer who is a basic customer can only open Level 1 tickets, but a customer who is a premium customer can open tickets in both Level 1 and Level 2 support.”
Hello there,
I have a few enhancements that i am looking for. Is this something that is achievable using templates or should i be searching for a new system?
1. Be able to add attachments to a ticket after it is filed by editing.
2. Being able to edit custom fields after a ticket is filed.
3. Being able to link tasks to a Ticket already filed or to a new ticket.
4. Being able to show custom fields as a column in the view tickets template.
5. Being able to filter based on custom fields.
6. Filters not showing the right content, after viewing one of the tickets in the filter and then clicking on the filter name link on the top of the page.
7. Adding additional Text boxes to save information as a part of custom fields. we are looking to use a field to enter Release/Build notes for a ticket.
8. Being able to link a Ticket to a perforce change list.
9. Being able to mark one ticket as a duplicate of another ticket.
10. Being able to mark one ticket as being associated to another ticket (and specifying how they are associated)
11. Customers being able to search on a specific ticket or do a text search for the tickets filed based on their agency.
12. Customers being able to sort their data like they want after they do a query.
thanks,
Sath
What we hope for in Version 4 is the ability to quickly assign a telephone ticket to a registered user. Currently you need to click on the find button and then search for them, before finally selecting them. A simple, AJAX’d input box to find the user would be great.
Jamie – is this going to be possible in V4 – please say it is – we record all of our telephone calls as a ticket and this will save us hours!
Thanks – and very much looking forward to the Beta.
Slippy.
PLEASE document available template variables this time around.
Thank you! =)
One link-back to this post
[...] having said that a new sneak peek post was posted on Feb 8th which is not too long ago – V4 Update #7: Template management, versioning and visual comparison tool | Kayako Blog Professional and Affordable Kayako Skins – Specialists in Kayako Skinning & [...]