Setting up a Template for the Incident Description field

There may be instances where you want a user to enter specific information in an incident text field. You can help users enter the correct information by pre-formatting large text fields using a template. The same method can also be used to provide a template for the Description text field as well as the Workaround and Resolution fields.

The template feature is implemented as an optional part of a user’s profile. This makes it possible to create a different template for each individual user, the intent being that users could have a different template based on the type of incidents that they regularly submit.

Existing Visual Intercept users may already have a User Profile. If that is the case a new section must be added to the user’s profile. The profile is an .xml document located in the Profiles sub-directory of the Visual Intercept Web site directory (the default location is C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\VIWebDev\Profiles\<DSN Name>). However, for all new users you can add the template to the default user profile (viDefaultProfile.xml) located in the root of the C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\VIWebDev\Profiles directory. Since the default profile is used as a template for all new users, the additional input template would be added to the profile of any new user you create.

To insert template information, you will add an element to the user’s profile <InputTemplates> tag within the <viUserPrefs></viUserPrefs> element. For example, if you wanted to pre-populate the Description field with questions to which a user should provide answers when inserting a new incident, you may add the following:

<InputTemplates>
    <Incident>
        <Description>
            Problem Description:

            Error Message:
            Did this work in the past? (Yes or No)

            Steps taken to duplicate the issue:
            1. Launch the application...
            2.

            Steps taken to correct the issue:
            1. Restarted application...
            2. Rebooted machine...
            3.

            System Operating System (please specify service pack level):
            Applications running at time of incident:
        </Description>
    </Incident>
</InputTemplates>

Note: If you want to have the Workaround or Resolution fields formatted with a template of their own, you would simply need to add the elements <Workaround> or <Resolution> tags respectively.

The screenshot below shows how the template would appear when a new incident is selected:

If you have other questions about issues not included in or beyond the scope of this Tech Tip, please contact Elsinore Technical Support Services at or 866.866.0034, option 2.