The settings for the request template functionality can be found in the Global Settings → Requests → Request Catalog section. Within these settings, you have the option to:
- Enable request catalog functionality – Enabling this gives you access to creating requests using the templates you define.
- Activate functionality for trimming the request catalog tree according to assigned templates – This functionality allows you to hide tiles with request categories that are not accessible to the user. If this functionality is disabled, inaccessible templates are displayed and rendered in a faint gray color.
- Activate the option to approve requests from the catalog – When this functionality is enabled, the option to select an approval rule in the request template becomes available.
If you do not see the Request Templates item in the main menu under Requests, check whether the Enable Request Catalog switch is turned on in Global Settings → Requests → Request Catalog. If this switch is off, turn it on by clicking it, save the settings, and refresh the open browser window.
Creating a tile tree for the request catalog
As part of configuring the request catalog functionality, you need to create the so-called Request Catalog Tree, which is composed of tiles to which you will later map individual request templates. If you don’t yet have a clear idea of how the tree will be hierarchically organized, or which specific tiles you need, you can skip this step and build the request catalog tree later while creating individual request templates.
The Request Catalog Tree is available in Global Settings → Requests → Request Catalog in the Request Catalog Tree – tiles section. The tree is composed of individual tiles that you can nest and branch hierarchically to create multiple levels. You can later link a specific request template to a defined tile.
By default, the list contains the Request Catalog Tiles item. This tile serves as the root of the tree, under which you can freely add further levels. A request template can be assigned to an end-leaf tile within the created hierarchy of levels.
Adding a new request catalog tile
You add a new item to the list by clicking the context menu and selecting Add another object. After clicking, a new row with the following fields will be created in the list:
- Name – the name under which the tile will be displayed when creating a request from the catalog
- Short description – this description is shown directly on the tile
- Long description – this description appears as a popup when you hover the cursor over the tile
- Slug – alias – represents an alias for the item in a human-readable form, used in API calls instead of the ID. The expression used cannot contain diacritics or spaces and is case sensitive (distinguishes upper and lower case).
At the start of the row there is an icon that allows you to assign an icon and color to the category tile. After clicking, a new window opens where you can choose from the offered icons and colors. Save the setting by clicking Save in the lower right corner of the window. Selecting Cancel closes the window without saving the settings.
At the end of the row there are buttons for saving () or, conversely, discarding the tile being created ().
You add subcategories to an existing category in the same way as the categories themselves. If a category contains subcategories, a + symbol appears next to the category name that lets you display the list of all subcategories belonging to that category. Use the – button to close the list.
Editing request catalog tiles
You can edit a saved tile by clicking the context menu and selecting Edit. A row will open just like when entering a new tile. You can edit all items including the color and icon of the tile. Save the changes by clicking the icon . Use the icon to cancel the changes being made.
The Add separator button in the context menu makes a tile of the given category no longer appear in the same row as the others. It is placed in a new row. Thanks to this feature, you can organize the tiles clearly.
For foreign-language CDESK users, you can attach translations into the active languages. The Translations button in the context menu serves this purpose. After clicking, a window opens where you can enter translations into the languages that you activated in global settings. Save the translations by clicking Save. Selecting Cancel closes the window without saving the translations.
You can delete a category using the Delete button in the context menu. Click the Really delete? warning again to remove the item.
Tiles for creating requests are also accessible in the Home Overview as a widget.
