Aliases are items of metadata used as references to the resource with which they are associated (Self Help project or procedure). Using an alias is simpler and more user-friendly than an ID or UID. This can be:

• Project aliases assigned to the published versions of Self Help projects by customers, based on their requirements. These are used to run a published project using its alias.
• Procedure aliases assigned to procedures by customers, based on their requirements. These are used to run a procedure using its alias or to link a sub-procedure to another Self Help project within the same domain.
• Reserved aliases assigned to procedures whose role is defined by EasyVista. These are used to associate procedures with specific events using the procedure alias.

Notes

• The name of each alias (projet or procedure) must be unique in each domain and in each version.
  • If a Self Help project or procedure has several versions, they can share the same alias. When the element (project or procedure) is called, its last active version associated with the alias will be run.
  • An active project and an active procedure cannot share the same alias, even though they are different in nature.
• The name of the alias must not contain any spaces or the following: plus ( + ), semicolon ( ; ), colon ( : ), dot ( . ), percent ( % ) and backslash ( \ ).
• The name of the alias cannot start with on because this prefix is used by reserved aliases.

Caution

• Conflict between aliases may arise when a Self Help project is imported as an archive, when an FAQ import is performed, when a Self Help project or procedure is reactivated or restored, or when an alias is renamed. In these cases, an orange icon  will appear next to the relevant elements.  See Conflict management

Best Practice

• Add or modify procedure aliases easily by exporting the metadata of the Self Help project.  See the procedure
• You can display all existing aliases in publish mode in the Desktop Studio.
  • Expand the tree structure of the Explorer pane.
  • Select one of the Alias... options to display the list.
  • Select one of the aliases to display its properties in the Details pane.

Project aliases

Project aliases are used to replace the ID of a Self Help project in the URL or when integrating the Self Help project in Service Apps.

Notes

• A project alias is only associated with a published version of a Self Help project.
  • You can assign an alias in edit mode in the Desktop Studio when publishing the Self Help project. In this case, the alias is associated with the published version and with the new Self Help project version currently being edited.
  • You can assign an alias in publish mode. In this case, the alias is only associated with the published version. The alias of the project version currently being edited will not be modified.
• You can also assign an alias to a Self Help project by importing an AAR archive. In this case, the alias will automatically be associated with the first project version currently being edited. Procedure aliases are also imported.
• When an alias is assigned to a published version, the aliases associated with previously published Self Help project versions will not be modified.
• You can add or modify the alias of each published Self Help project version, even if they have been deactivated.

Best Practice

• You can access the list of aliases for published projects in the domain in publish mode in the Desktop Studio by selecting Project Alias in the tree structure of the Explorer pane.

Procedures

How to assign a project alias in the Desktop Studio

In edit mode
You assign an alias to a Self Help project when the project is published.

1. Open the Desktop Studio in edit mode by selecting Mode > Edit in the menu.

2. Expand the tree structure of the Self Help project by clicking  in the Explorer pane.

3. Right-click the name of the Self Help project and select Publish from the contextual menu.

4. Proceed to the Version history step.

5. Specify the New version alias field.

In publish mode

1. Open the Desktop Studio in publish mode by selecting Mode > Publish in the menu.

2. Expand the tree structure of the published Self Help project by clicking  in the Explorer pane.

3. Select the relevant published Self Help project version.

The properties will appear in the Details pane.

4. Specify the Alias field.

How to use an alias in a Self Help connector in Service Apps

Note: A Self Help project is called in Service Apps using a Self Help widget.

Prerequisites You must first define the project alias. See the procedure
 

1. Open Service Apps and call the Self Help project.

2. Open the Self Help connector by clicking .

3. Specify the full ID of the Self Help project in the Project Id or Alias field in the following format, <Self Help domain name> / <Self Help project alias>. Caution: The name is case-sensitive.

How to use an alias in a generated link to the Self Help customer portal

Prerequisites You must first define the project alias. See the procedure
 

1. Access the Studio in publish mode by selecting Mode > Publish in the menu.

2. Expand the tree structure of the Self Help project by clicking  in the Explorer pane.

3. Right-click the active version of the Self Help project and select Generate a portal link from the contextual menu.

The window for configuring the link will appear.

4. Select the Use the alias of this element in the generated link option.

5. Finish configuring the link.  See the detailed procedure

6. Click Finish.

Procedure aliases

Procedure aliases are used to:

• Replace the ID of a procedure in the URL or when integrating the procedure in Service Apps.
• Call a procedure as a sub-procedure from another Self Help project within the same domain.

Notes

• You can assign a procedure alias in edit mode in the Desktop Studio by specifying metadata specific to the Self Help project. In this case, the alias will be associated with the procedure version currently being edited, i.e. the last non-published version.
• You can assign a procedure alias in publish mode. In this case, the alias is only associated with the published version. The alias of the procedure version currently being edited will not be modified.
• You can also assign it as follows:
  • By exporting and importing the metadata of the Self Help project. Aliases will automatically be associated with procedures in the project currently being edited or with its last active published version.
  • By performing an FAQ import (Frequently Asked Questions).
• You can add or modify procedure aliases in active published Self Help project versions.
• You cannot add or modify procedure aliases in deactivated published project versions.
• Specified procedure aliases will automatically be added to the first project version currently being edited when a Self Help project is imported in an AAR archive.

Best Practice

• You can access the list of aliases for published procedures in the domain in publish mode in the Desktop Studio by selecting Procedure Alias in the tree structure of the Explorer pane.

Procedures

How to assign a procedure alias in the Desktop Studio

In edit mode
You assign an alias to a procedure in the metadata specific to the Self Help project.

1. Open the Desktop Studio in edit mode by selecting Mode > Edit in the menu.

2. Expand the tree structure of the published Self Help project by clicking  in the Explorer pane.

3. Select the procedure you want.

4. Display the Properties view by selecting View > Properties in the menu.

5. Select the *Info tab. *

6. Specify the Alias metadata.

Your changes will immediately be taken into account.
 

In publish mode

1. Open the Desktop Studio in publish mode by selecting Mode > Publish in the menu.

2. Expand the tree structure of the Self Help project by clicking  in the Explorer pane.

3. Select the title of the procedure you want.

The properties will appear in the Details pane.

4. Specify the Alias field.

How to use an alias in an EasyVista Self Help data source in Service Apps

Note: A Self Help project is called in Service Apps using a Self Help widget.

Prerequisites You must first define the procedure alias. See the procedure
 

1. Open Service Apps and call the Self Help project.

2. Open the EasyVista Self Help data source to which the Self Help widget is pointing.

3. Specify the fields below.

• Type: Select the Procedure value.
• Self Help Data Procedure: Specify the full ID of the procedure in the following format, <Self Help domain name> / <Procedure alias>. Caution: The name is case-sensitive.

How to use an alias in a generated link to the procedure

Prerequisites You must first define the procedure alias. See the procedure
 

1. Access the Studio in edit mode or in publish mode.

2. Expand the tree structure of the Self Help project by clicking  in the Explorer pane.

Note: Select the active Self Help project version if you are in publish mode.

3. Right-click the procedure and select Generate a procedure link from the contextual menu.

The window for configuring the link will appear.

4. Select the Use the alias of this element in the generated link option.

5. Finish configuring the link.  See the detailed procedure

6. Click Finish.

Use case: Assign a procedure alias to a sub-procedure

1. Open the procedure in the Conception pane.

2. Go to the Start Meeting step found just before the end of the procedure.

3. Right-click the step and select Insert a Step > Insert a Sub-procedure from the contextual menu.

 The new sub-procedure will be inserted in the Conception pane.

4. Right-click the sub-procedure and select Link a procedure from the contextual menu.

The Link a procedure window will appear.

5. Select the Link with an alias option.

The list of procedures and their aliases will appear.

6. Select the Create a Ticket procedure alias.

7. (optional) Click Next to configure the input and output parameters of the sub-procedure.

8. Click Finish.

The Conception pane will be refreshed. The Create a Ticket sub-procedure will be linked to the Start Meeting procedure via its alias, createTicket.

Reserved aliases

Reserved aliases are specific aliases used to associate procedures with specific events. This can be:

• For displaying a procedure when users click the escalation icon  in the Self Help customer portal.
• For a hidden call to a procedure when users click the pause icon  or the share icon  in the Self Help customer portal.
• For a hidden call to another procedure once the current procedure ends.

Notes

• Reserved aliases are defined by EasyVista.
  • You cannot modify their role.
  • You cannot modify their name.
• Only domain administrators can assign a reserved alias to a procedure.
  • They can be assigned only in publish mode in the Desktop Studio.
  • The alias is associated with the procedure version currently being edited, and by default, with all previous versions of the procedure.
  • You can change the procedure associated with a reserved alias by selecting another procedure and defining a new association. In this case, all active versions of the procedure previously associated with the reserved alias will be dissociated.
• For each reserved alias:
  • Only one procedure in a given Self Help domain can be associated with a given reserved alias.
  • One procedure in each domain administered by the logged-in user can be associated with the same reserved alias.

Caution

• Reserved aliases that send information transparently, such as onfinish, onpause, or onshare, must only contain steps that are invisible to users.

List of reserved aliases

oncall reserved alias

The procedure associated with the oncall reserved alias is called when users click the escalation icon  when running a procedure in the Self Help customer portal.

The procedure called will display information, e.g. the contact details of the Support team, or enable users to open a ticket or send a message to the Support team via a form, etc.

onfinish reserved alias

The procedure associated with the onfinish reserved alias is called transparently at the end of a procedure, regardless of how the procedure ends, e.g. normal end in the End step or interrupted procedure.

The procedure called can be used to send emails or execution reports systematically to a call monitoring tool or CRM at the end of the procedure. This will be transparent to users.

All of the steps in the called procedure must be configured as invisible to users.

onpause reserved alias

The procedure associated with the onpause reserved alias is called transparently when users click the pause icon  when running a procedure in the Self Help customer portal.

All of the steps in the called procedure must be configured as invisible to users.

onshare reserved alias

The procedure associated with the onshare reserved alias is called transparently when users click the share icon  when running a procedure in the Self Help customer portal.

The procedure called can be used to send alerts systematically to a team when a procedure is shared. This will be transparent to users.

All of the steps in the called procedure must be configured as invisible to users.

Procedure: How to assign and use a reserved alias

Step 1: Assign a reserved alias to a procedure

1. Open the Desktop Studio in publish mode by selecting Mode > Publish in the menu.

2. Expand the Reserved aliases node in the Explorer pane.

The list of reserved aliases will appear.

3. Select a reserved alias.

4. Click .

The list of procedures in Self Help projects currently being edited within the same domain will appear.

5. Select the procedure you want.

• (optional) Select the option at the bottom of the list to propagate the alias to all previously published and active versions of the procedure.

• Click Finish.

The Details pane will be refreshed. If you select the option to propagate the alias, a list of all previous procedure versions associated with the alias will appear.

Change the procedure associated with the reserved alias

• Click .
• Select the new procedure.

The alias will be assigned to the new procedure. All active versions of the procedure previously associated with the reserved alias will be dissociated.
 

Step 2: View the procedure associated with the reserved alias in edit mode in the Desktop Studio

Conflict between aliases

A conflict will arise when two elements (Self Help project or procedure) share the same alias. The conflict can occur:

• When a Self Help project is imported as an archive or when an FAQ import is performed.
• When an element (project or procedure) is reactivated or restored.
• When an alias is renamed.
   

In these cases, an orange icon  will appear next to the relevant elements.

Procedure: How to resolve a conflict between aliases

1. Place the cursor over the  icon next to the relevant element (Self Help project or procedure).

The name of the conflicting alias will appear, along with the other element.

Note: The alias will remain associated with the previous element but will not be associated with any new element created.

2. Enter a new alias for the element.

The  icon will disappear.

See detailed step by step on Self Help portal