Configure the Validation API

This API allows Take Control customers to pre-process the data gathered through the Take Control Applet prior to the creation of a support request. This pre-processing action provides the ability to validate the client’s data, forward support requests to the right departments or technicians, compare information with the database and automatically identify a client.

The pre-processing acts as a “webservice”, apart from the Take Control structure, that must be in compliance with the terms of the present document. That service will be published by the Take Control client on it's own infrastructure and should be available through via internet access. The corresponding URL is configured by the client. The communication between the Take Control Applet and the service can be executed in HTTP - or HTTPS for stronger security.

Input Parameters

These parameters can be submitted by GET or by POST, depending on the options configured in the Take Control Admin Area. Clicking the SUBMIT button to send this form and gather client’s data from the Applet and send it to the webservice.

Response Format

This response will be interpreted by the Take Control Applet and controls the Applet’s form behavior. Below is a list of the available tags for the response. Depending on the context, not all tags can be specified or will be interpreted simultaneously.

Tags

SUBMIT_SUPPORT_REQUEST (MANDATORY, BOOLEAN)

This tag is mandatory and determines whether the support request should be created or not. the allowed values are TRUE and FALSE.

REQUEST_ROUTE (OPTIONAL)

This tag is mandatory and determines whether the support request should be created or not . The allowed values are true and false. To forward a request to a specific department, this tag should include the department sub-tag specifying the respective department’s numeric ID . The ID can be found in the Take Control Admin Area. Alternatively, it’s possible to specify the department’s name.

Forwarding a request to a specific technician obeys the same logic. The tag should include a technician sub-tag specifying the respective technician’s numeric ID . Alternatively, it’s possible to specify the technician’s username. If this tag is not specified, the request forwarding will take place as defined during the Take Control Applet creation.

CUSTOMER_DATA (OPTIONAL)

This tag is optional and allows the replacement of the client’s data values as they were submitted in the creation of a support request. The data will be visible to technicians in the Take Control console.

CUSTOM_MESSAGE (OPTIONAL)

This tag is optional. It specifies that a popup will be activated after the query as been submitted for pre-processing to the pre-validation “web service”. This pop-up can present error messages, warnings, or any other messages. For example, it can warn the client that they need to fill out a specific form field or that the stated client’s number is not accurate.

The message_type and message_text tags are mandatory. They specify the pop-up type and what message will be presented to the user. The supported message types are MSG_OK, MSG_YESNO, MSG_OKCANCEL, and can specify that an OK button pop-up will be activated, or a YES or NO button popup, or an OK button and a CANCEL button popups will be activated in that order.

The message_ok_url, message_cancel_url, message_yes_url and message_no_url fields are optional and direct the client to a URL after pressing a specific button. The message_icon field allows the control of the existing icon placed in the pop-up that is presented to the client. The supported values are ICON_ERROR, ICON_INFORMATION, ICON_WARNING and ICON_QUESTION. The pop-up can be showed when the support request is submitted or when an error occurs. In the first event, the pop-up is displayed before the creation of the support request.

FOCUS_FIELD (OPTIONAL)

This tag is optional and allows for a specific field on the client’s data form to become active. This tag is useful to deal with validation errors in specific form fields when used with the custom_message tag. The supported values for this tag are FLD_CNAME, FLD_CEMAIL, FLD_CNUMBER, FLD_PROBDESC that will place the cursor on the “client’s name” field, “client’s email” field, “client’s number ” field and “problem’s description” field.

CLOSE_APPLICATION (OPTIONAL)

This tag is optional and allows closing of the Support Express Applet. It will only be executed when submit_support_request is FALSE . The Applet shut down will be executed only after a pop-up is presented to the customer, if this is specified in the response.

Example 1

Here is a response example, where a data pre-validation has failed due to an invalid client number. An error message is presented to the client, indicating the situation.