The following guidelines apply to any service desk procedure.
Global Procedure Variables - Global procedure variables are defined using Service Desk > Procedure Variables.
The same global variable can be applied to any procedure run by any service desk.
The checkVariable() command tests the value of a variable in a procedure.
The value of a global variable can be changed within a procedure using the getVariable() command, but that value persists only for the duration of the procedure.
Within a procedure, a global variable is referenced in text by bracketing its name with the [= and =]. Example: [=varname=].
Global variables are defined by name and set type. For example, a global variable could be called varname and use the set type All.The set type All means the global variable can be used in any procedure. If a variable is defined using a set type for a specific procedure, it can only be used in procedures matching that set type. For example, a variable defined using the Goal set type can only be used in Ticket Goals procedures.
A global variable of any set type can be associated with a policy. Policies ignore the set type assigned to the global variable.
Procedure-Specific Variables - Within a procedure you can create a procedure-specific variable using the getVariable() command and assign it a value.
Unlike global variables, the scope of a procedure variable applies only to the procedure it was created in.
Like global variables a procedure variable is referenced in text by bracketing its name with the [= and =]. Example: [=varname=].
Property Variables - Property variables reference the values of fields within the VSA.
Property variables are distinguished by bracketing their names in text with [$ and $]. Example: [$machine$].
Types of property variables include[$TicketId$] or [$Organization$] or [$Status$]. See Ticket Properties and Variables for a list of property variables.
Like global variables and procedure variables, the values of property variables can be tested with IF statements.
Setup for the [$Manager$] property variable:
Create an Organization.
Create a Department within that Organization.
Create a first Staff member assigned to that Department.
Create a second Staff member assigned to that Department.
There is a field named Supervisor in the Staff record. Assign the second Staff member as the Supervisor of the first Staff member.
Create a ticket and assign the first Staff member to the ticket, the one who has a Supervisor. The Supervisor name does not display in the ticket.
Save the ticket.
Any associated procedure such as stage entry or ticket change can now test for the ticket's[$Manager$] property variable being equal to the name of the first staff member.
Custom fields property variables are supported.
Case Sensitivity - All three types of variable names are case sensitive.
Where Used - Once variables are created you can include them, in their bracketed format, in any text entry field displayed by an IF-ELSE dialog box.
Any user name included in the To field of a message template is automatically converted into that user's corresponding email address. For example, if the user jsmith has a corresponding email address of jsmith@acme.com, then the same message template—with jsmith in the To field—can be used by a sendMessage() step to send a message to jsmith and also used by a sendEmail() step to send an email to jsmith@acme.com. Email addresses for each user are maintained using System > Users.
Note Templates - Property variables, global variables and procedure variables can be resolved in note templates.
Procedure Variable Time Zone - The Procedure Variable TZ option on the Desk Definition > General Info tab sets the time zone used by date/time procedure variables such as [$CreateDateTime$], [$ClosedDateTime$], and [$EscalationDateTime$]. This time zone also applies to procedure-generated date/time text embedded in the Note column of the notes history of the ticket and date/time text embedded in messages and emails generated by procedures. (The dates/times displayed in the Time column of the notes history continue to use the time zone specified for the VSA user in System > Preferences.)
