Default input and output rich controls for a custom chat integration

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Default Input and Output Rich Controls for a Custom Chat Integration

    The default input and output rich controls are essential for mapping to your custom chat integration within the ServiceNow Virtual Agent. These controls enhance the chat experience by ensuring that user interactions are effectively managed and that responses are delivered accurately. Proper configuration in the Custom Adapter Configurations table is critical to prevent unsatisfactory user experiences due to missing outbound transformers.

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    Key Features

    • ActionRichControl: Manages various conversation events and actions, supporting a range of message types without the need for inbound transformers.
    • DefaultPicker: Utilized for File Picker, Topic Picker, and Boolean controls, allowing for flexible user prompts and options ordering.
    • DefaultText: Handles Input Text, Output Text, and File Upload controls, enabling user input and file interactions with customizable properties.
    • DefaultDate: Manages Date and Time controls, facilitating date-related user queries.
    • DefaultOutputLink: Provides link response controls for user navigation.
    • DefaultOutputImage: Allows for image responses to be sent to the user.
    • DefaultOutputCard: Supports card response controls for structured information delivery.
    • DefaultOutputHtml: Enables HTML response controls for rich content presentation.
    • DefaultOutputTable: Facilitates table responses for organized data display.
    • DefaultGroupedPartsOutputControl: Supports multi-response controls for presenting grouped information.
    • DefaultMultiPartOutput: Manages multi-response controls with navigation options.
    • DefaultCustomControl: Allows for the integration of custom controls based on user-defined specifications.

    Key Outcomes

    By effectively utilizing these rich controls, ServiceNow customers can enhance the functionality and user experience of their chat integrations. Proper configuration ensures that users receive timely and relevant responses, leading to improved satisfaction and engagement. The flexibility of these controls allows for customization to meet specific business needs, making the Virtual Agent a more powerful tool in conversational interfaces.

    Input and output rich controls must be mapped to your custom chat integration in the Custom Adapter Configurations [sys_cs_custom_adapter_config] table. If a rich control is missing an outbound transformer implementation, a response is not served to the end user and that user may get an unsatisfactory chat experience.

    The following default rich controls map to input and output rich controls. The uiType parameter refers to a topic control used to build conversations in Virtual Agent Designer.

    Table 1. Default input and output rich controls
    Rich control Description
    ActionRichControl This component handles the different events and actions that occur in a conversation. Some actions may not apply to all channels. For example, StartSpinnerActionMsg is ignored in SMS.

    ServiceNow® Virtual Agent produces the following types of action messages through this framework. The custom chat interface only recognizes certain action message types.

    • SeparatorActionMsg ||actionMsg instanceof
    • SystemActionMsg ||actionMsg instanceof
    • TopicFinishedActionMsg ||actionMsg instanceof
    • SwitchToVirtualAgentActionMsg ||actionMsg instanceof
    • SwitchConversationActionMsg ||actionMsg instanceof
    • ChatSubHeaderActionMsg ||actionMsg instanceof
    • StartSpinnerActionMsg ||actionMsg instanceof EndSpinnerActionMsg
    • SubscribetoSupportQueue ||actionMsg instanceof
    • SubscribeToChatPresence ||actionMsg instanceof
    • SwitchToLiveAgentActionMsg ||actionMsg instanceof

    ActionRichControl wraps these messages inside the actionMsg element. So, a single outbound transformer for ActionRichControl can handle all of these messages. There is no need for an inbound transformer for this component.
    agentInfo parameter If the rich control is sent from a live agent, then the agentInfo attribute is added to the rich control.
    Example:
    {
     uiType: "someType",
     group: "someGroup"
     agentInfo: { sentFromAgent: true }  // please note that this object may contain more info in subsequent releases.
     ...
}
    DefaultPicker Maps to File Picker, Topic Picker, and Boolean controls.
    Example:
    {
    uiType: "Picker/TopicPicker/Boolean",
    group: "DefaultPicker",  
    nluTextEnabled: true/false,
    promptMsg: "", // optional (needed for TopicPicker)
    label: "The question for the list",   // always filled
    itemType: "Picture/List"  // needed to user key to expect picture attached
    options: [
        {
            label: "display label prompt",
            value: "the value required to satisfy the question",
            description: "a description of value_1 item"
	    attachment: "www.foo",
            enabled: true/false
        }, 
	...
    ]
}

    The optional order parameter lets you specify the order in which promoted topics should display. For example:

    "options": [
    {
      label: "Check IT Ticket Status",
      value: "55720b465bf0201024f11fc40a81c72d",
      order: 100,
      enabled: true
    },
    {
      label: "Live Agent Support",
      value: "ce2ee85053130010cf8cddeeff7b12bf",
      order: 200,
      enabled: true
    },
    {
      label: "Open IT Ticket 2",
      value: "2a46cffbc7602010v088bbf603c260a7",
      order: 300,
      enabled: true
    }
]
    DefaultText Maps to Input Text, Output Text, and File Upload controls.
    Example:
    {
    uiType: "InputText/OutputText/FileUpload/Picture",
    group: "DefaultText", 
    required: true/false,
    nluTextEnabled: true/false,
    itemType: "file/image/inputtext/outputtext",
    maskType: "SECURE/SENSITIVE/NONE"  // null except for InputText/OutputText
    label: "The Question?"        
}
    DefaultDate Maps to Date and Time controls.
    {
    uiType: "Date/DateTime/Time",
    group: "DefaultDate", 
    required: true/false,
    nluTextEnabled: true/false,   
    label: "The Question?"
     
}
    DefaultOutputLink Maps to link response controls.
    Example:
    {
    uiType: "OutputLink",
    group: "DefaultOutputLink",
    label: "link label",
    header: "link header",
    type: "link",
    value: {
        action: "www.foo",
    }	
}
     
}
    DefaultOutputImage Maps to image response controls.
    Example:
    {
    uiType: "OutputImage",
    group: "DefaultOutputImage",
    value: "www.foo"
}
    DefaultOutputCard Maps to card response controls.
    Example:
    {
    uiType: "OutputCard",
    group: "DefaultOutputCard",
    templateName: "Card",
    data: "some json data string"
}
    DefaultOutputHtml Maps to HTML response controls.
    Example:
    {
    uiType: "OutputHtml",
    group: "DefaultOutputHtml",
    style: "inline",
    height: 100,
    width: 100,
    value: "<div>html</div>"
}
    DefaultOutputTable Maps to table response controls.
    Example:
    {
    uiType: "OutputTable",
    group: "DefaultOutputTable",
    label: "Table Title",
    headers: ["Column 1", "Column 2"],
    navigationBtnLabel: "See next",
    data: [
        ["foo1", "foo2"],
        ["bar1", "bar2"]
    ]
}
    DefaultGroupedPartsOutputControl Maps to multi-response controls.
    Example:
    {
    uiType: "GroupedPartsOutputControl",
    group: "DefaultGroupedPartsOutputControl"
    groupPartType: "Link",
    header: "header message",
    values: [
	{
	    action: "www.foo",
	    description: "description",
	    label: "link_1 label",
	    context: "ITSM"
	},
	...
    ]
}
    DefaultMultiPartOutput Maps to multi-response controls.
    Example:
    {
    uiType: "MultiPartOutput",
    group: "DefaultMultiPartOutput"
    navigationBtnLabel: "Go next",
    content: {
        uiType: "OutputHtml",
        style: "inline",
        type: "html",
        height: 100,
        width: 100,
        value: "<div>html</div>"
     }
}
    DefaultCustomControl Maps to custom controls.
    Example:
    {
    uiType: "CustomControl",
    group: "DefaultCustomControl",
    name: "The name of the Custom Control (sys_cs_custom_control.name)",
    required: true/false,
    uxComponentDefinitionSysId: "seismicComponentId" // or null if not
    isInput: true/false, // whether to wait for a response value or if just output
    serializedControlData: "User defined JSON from generateControlData function";    
}