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Notifications and Messages

The bell in the top bar gathers everything Pyplan notifies us about, from all our applications: workflow tasks, scheduled tasks, processes, and the messages other users send us. From the same place we can write messages to people, departments, and teams, linked to the application, interface, or section they are about.

The Notifications Panel​

The bell shows a badge with the number of unread notifications. Right after we log in, if we have unread messages, a notice next to the bell tells us how many: clicking it opens the panel on our messages, and its X dismisses it.

Clicking the bell opens the panel, which has two tabs:

  • Received: the notifications and messages we received, from every application.
  • Sent: the messages we sent. See Following Up on a Message.

In Received we can narrow the list with these filters:

  • All or Unread.
  • Messages (written by people) or System (generated by processes, scheduled tasks, and the platform).
  • Only this app, in the panel's ⋮ menu, when an application is open. While it is on, it shows as a chip that we can remove with one click.

The panel's ⋮ menu also has Mark all as read, which applies to the filter in use: with Messages on, it marks only the messages.

Each notification shows who sent it or what generated it, the message, the time (in our browser's time zone), and the application it belongs to. Its ⋮ menu lets us mark it as read or unread, and delete it. Deleting a message removes it only from our list: the sender still sees whether we read it.

New notifications arrive in real time. When someone sends us a message, Pyplan also shows a short notice with a link to read it.

Opening a Notification​

Opening a notification marks it as read and takes us where it points:

  • If it belongs to the application and version we have open, Pyplan goes straight to the interface or section.
  • If it belongs to another application or version, Pyplan asks before closing the current one. When we have unsaved changes, it lets us Save and open or Open without saving.
  • If no application is open, Pyplan opens the application and goes to the interface or section.

Sending a Message​

To send messages we need the Can send messages to other users permission. It is granted by default to the roles of people who work in Pyplan, and it is not granted to guest or login-only accounts. Anyone who receives a message can reply to it, with or without this permission.

We write a message with the + (New message) button of the panel, or of the Notifications component when the interface allows it. The dialog has these fields:

  • To: people, departments, or teams. We search them by name. Each person receives the message only once, even when reached through several departments or teams. Agents, inactive users, and ourselves are left out. A message can reach up to 200 people.
  • Message: plain text, up to 1000 characters.
  • Link to: where the message takes its recipients.
    • None: the message is only text.
    • Interface: an interface of the open application. It starts with the interface we have open, and we can pick another one.
    • Section: My tasks, Scheduled tasks, Versions, Scenarios, Files, or Code.
  • Also send by email: checked by default. Each recipient also receives the message by email, with a button that opens it in Pyplan: it asks them to log in if needed, and then opens the application and version and goes to the interface or section the message is linked to.

Linking a message requires an open application. By default the message is linked to the application and version we have open. In Advanced options we can leave the application out, or keep the application without tying the message to our version.

Reading and Replying​

Opening a message shows who sent it, when, the text, and the application and version it is linked to. When it has a link, a Go to button takes us there.

We can reply from the message itself. Replies are private and one level deep: a recipient's reply reaches only the sender, and the sender answers each recipient separately. The other recipients do not see these conversations.

When the sender is no longer in the company, the message stays in our list with Deleted user as its sender, and it can no longer be replied to.

Following Up on a Message​

The Sent tab lists the messages we sent. Opening one shows two tabs:

  • Reads: who read the message and who has not yet, grouped by how each person was reached (directly, or through a department or team). Someone reached through several groups appears in each of them, and the total counts each person once.
  • Replies: one private conversation per person who replied. The replies of people who are no longer in the company are grouped under Deleted user.

Sending Notifications from Code​

Applications can notify users from Python code with pp.send_notification, for example when a process finishes. It can address users, departments, and teams, link to an interface or section, and also send the notification by email.