Interface to Helpdesk

For the conference we use helpdesk.com to communicate with attendees, speakers and sponsors as tea via a helpdesk.

This repo is a wrapper around the helpdesk.com REST API to simply interactions in regard to conference related communication.

Set-Up

git clone

cd py_helpdesk_com

Required packages are listed in environment.yml.

conda con create --file environment.yml

conda activate py_helpdesk_com

API Access

To access the helpdesk.com API you require a Helpdesk Auth Token.

api_credentials:
  "account": "some uuid"
  "entity_id": "helpdesk_email@team"
  "token": "ticKtacktokEN"

Store your credentials in _private/config.yaml

Use the same (shared) email you use to log into helpdesk to create the token". See here how to create: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EUZ_Ynvz5Q&t=32s In case there are problems with livechat subscription trails, contact an helpdesk admin.

Init

You need some additional ids to interact with helpdesk, as team and agent IDs.

Run this once you have your API credentials.

# make sure to set the PYTHONPATH, apps like PyCharm will handle this for you.
export PYTHONPATH=`pwd`

python app/init.py

Check ./docs_cache for:

• teams.json
• agents.json

Structure

PyHelpDesk

Is a base class with common functionalities

PyHelpDeskMailing

Create a batch mailing including customization.

We utilize pydantic models to validate the date beforehand:

Recipient

The person to receive the message.

Required:

• name: (full) name
• email

Optional:

• address_as: used to address the person "Hi {address_as}," If not provided, fallback to name.

BatchMessage

Required:

• subject
• message_text, see belo for details
• team_id, see teams.json
• agent_id, see agents.json
• status, "solved" by default. Can be any of "open", "pending", "onhold", "solved"

Message

The message should be a DocString, i.e. three quotes ("""...""").

The message can be a text, e.g.

"""
Hi all,
A quick message without any customization.
Cheers!
"""

The text can also contain attributes accessible from withing the batch_message method, e.g.

• recipient.address_as
• recipient.name
• any attributes in self, e.g. self.message.subject

"""
Hello {recipient.address_as},
This is an automated test message via our helpdesk!
Looks like we are getting somewhere?
Hope it's ok to call you {recipient.address_as} and not by your full {recipient.name}.
Have you read the email's subject '{self.message.subject}'?
Cheers!
"""

test_recipients = [
    Recipient(name="Peter Parker", email="spidi@web", address_as="Spiderman"),
    Recipient(name="Bruce Wayne", email="bruce@wayneindustries.com", address_as="Bruce"),
    Recipient(name="Batman", email="bat@man.com", address_as="Bruce"),
    Recipient(name="Joker", email="mad@house.com"),
]
test_message = BatchMessage(
    subject="API TEST: This is a message",
    message_text="""Hello {recipient.address_as},
        This is an automated test message via our helpdesk!
        Looks like we are getting somewhere?
        Hope it's ok to call you {recipient.address_as} and not by your full {recipient.name}.
        Have you read the email's subject '{self.message.subject}'?
        Cheers!
        """,
    team_id="void---25417e9-436f-90c3-c03b06a72472",  # see docs_cache/teams.json
    agent_id="void---25417e9-436f-90c3-c03b06a72472",  # see docs_cache/agents.json
    status="solved",
    recipients=test_recipients,

)
mailing = PyHelpDeskMailing(CONFIG.api_credentials, test_message)
mailing.batch_message()

Adding More Attributes in Message

Both BatchMessage and Recipient models support adding extra attributes.

If you want to add some extra custom text to the message you can simply:

# add girlfriend
recipients = [Recipient(name="Peter Parker", email="spidi@web", address_as="Spiderman", girlfriend="Mary Jane")]
# message with custom attribute in recipient
custom_message = BatchMessage(
    message_text="""Hello {recipient.address_as},
        Send our regards to your girlfriend {recipient.girlfriend}
        Cheers!
        """,
    recipients=recipients,
    ...
)
mailing = PyHelpDeskMailing(CONFIG.api_credentials, test_message)
mailing.batch_message()

PyHelpDeskFinAid2023

Do not use, in review / refactoring

PyHelpDeskCleaner

Archive, cleanup after a conference, for admins use only.

Helpdesk API Docs for Reference

Helpdesk API

Create Helpdesk Auth Token https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EUZ_Ynvz5Q&t=32s