Conversation

The conversation panel of the chat history interface, available as client.workflows.conversation. Shows one thread at a time, where the user can read the messages and ask follow-up questions, or start a new thread.

Works with the history workflow (client.workflows.history): selecting a thread in the list loads it here, and a new thread started here shows up in the list. Each message is backed by a MessageItem workflow, which shares the options of this workflow.

Instance properties

workflow.destroyed

Whether the workflow is destroyed.

Type: boolean

workflow.exhausted

Whether no more older messages will be loaded, as the displayed messages reach the start of the thread, or a page failed to load.

Type: boolean

workflow.messages

The messages on display, oldest first.

Type: Object[]

workflow.states

The current states of the workflow, by field name, such as data. For debugging.

Type: Object

workflow.status

The status of the data: initial, loading, ready, or erroneous.

Type: string or undefined

workflow.thread

The thread record on display.

Type: Object or undefined

workflow.threadId

The ID of the thread on display, or being loaded. Absent for a new thread not yet created.

Type: string or undefined

workflow.trackers

The trackers of the workflow, which track impressions, viewables, and clicks of the rendered items.

Type: Object

workflow.views

The views of the workflow: the elements bound to it, by role.

Type: Object

Instance methods

workflow.clearApi()

Remove the API options set by useApi().

Returns this.

workflow.clearDataProcessor()

Remove the functions added by useDataProcessor().

Returns this.

workflow.clearInteractions()

Remove the interaction options set by useInteractions().

Returns this.

workflow.clearLayouts()

Remove the layout options set by useLayouts().

Returns this.

workflow.clearPagination()

Remove the pagination options set by usePagination().

Returns this.

workflow.clearTrackers()

Remove the tracker options set by useTrackers().

Returns this.

workflow.delete()

Delete the thread on display. The panel then starts a new thread.

Throws Error: If no thread is loaded.

workflow.favorite([value])

Add the thread on display to, or remove it from, the favorites.

Parameter Type Description
value boolean true to favorite, false to unfavorite. Default true. Optional.

Throws Error: If no thread is loaded.

workflow.load(threadId, [options])

Load a thread into the conversation panel, and mark it as read.

Parameter Type Description
threadId string The thread ID.
options Object Optional.
options.force boolean Reload even if the thread is already on display. Default false. Optional.

Returns this.

workflow.new([options])

Start a new thread, with no messages, ready to take the first question. Does nothing if the panel is already on a new thread with nothing asked.

Parameter Type Description
options Object Optional.
options.force boolean Reset even if the panel is already on a new thread. Default false. Optional.

Returns this.

workflow.notifyViewUpdate(role, [state])

Tell the workflow that a view of a role is rendered, when the view is rendered by your own code. Lifecycle events are emitted off the view of the main role.

Parameter Type Description
role string The role.
state Object The view state. Status defaults to ready. Optional.

Returns this.

workflow.on(name, callback)

Listen to an event.

Parameter Type Description
name string The event name, or '*' for all events.
callback function Called with (data, meta) on every event, where meta carries the event name and the timestamp ts.

Returns function: A function to remove the listener.

workflow.once(name)

Wait for the next occurrence of an event.

Parameter Type Description
name string The event name.

Returns Promise<{data: *, meta: Object}>: The event, with its data and meta.

workflow.rename(title)

Rename the thread on display.

Parameter Type Description
title string The new title.

Throws Error: If no thread is loaded.

workflow.restart()

Start a new session, discarding the data of the current one, along with any API call in progress.

Returns this.

workflow.send(question)

Ask a question in the thread on display, or, if no thread is loaded, start a new thread with it. The question shows right away, and the answer shows as it is generated.

Parameter Type Description
question string The question.

Returns this.

workflow.subscribe()

Subscribe to answer updates of the thread on display.

Throws Error: If no thread is loaded.

workflow.unsubscribe()

Unsubscribe from answer updates of the thread on display.

Throws Error: If no thread is loaded.

workflow.updateData(data)

Update the workflow with data from your own source, instead of calling the API. The data must carry the current session, or it is ignored.

Parameter Type Description
data Object
data.session Object The current session, workflow.session.
data.value * The data value, in the shape of the API response. Optional.
data.error Object The error, if the data failed to load. Optional.

Returns this.

Throws Error: If data or its session is missing.

workflow.updateData({ session: workflow.session, value: response });

workflow.useApi([name], [payload])

Set the API to call, and extra payload to send with each request.

Parameter Type Description
name string or Object or false The API name, such as 'questions', or with its group, such as 'ask/questions'. Pass the payload object alone to keep the API, or false to stop calling the API, so you can provide data by updateData() instead. Optional.
payload Object Extra payload, merged into the request payload. Optional.

Returns this.

workflow.useApi("ask/questions", { source_fl: ["title", "url"] });

workflow.useDataProcessor(fns)

Add functions to process the data before it is rendered. They run in the order they are added.

Parameter Type Description
fns function or function()[] Functions taking (data, oldData) and returning the processed data.

Returns this.

workflow.useInteractions(options)

Set how interactions are sent.

Parameter Type Description
options Object or false Pass false to stop sending interactions.
options.preprocess function or function()[] Functions taking the interaction payload and returning the modified one, run before it is sent. Optional.
options.handle function A function taking the interaction payload, to send it yourself instead. Optional.

Returns this.

workflow.useLayouts(options)

Set the layouts, by role.

Parameter Type Description
options Object or false The layout of each role, as a layout name, layout options, or [name, options]. Pass false to stop rendering.

Returns this.

workflow.useLayouts({
  query: { placeholder: "Ask a question" },
  products: "list",
});

workflow.usePagination(options)

Set the pagination options.

Parameter Type Description
options Object or boolean true or false to turn pagination on or off, or the options, such as active and mode.

Returns this.

workflow.useTrackers(options)

Set the trackers, by role.

Parameter Type Description
options Object or boolean true or false to turn all trackers on or off, or the options of each role: active, and the options of each event type, impression, viewable (area and duration), and click (lenient).

Returns this.

workflow.useTrackers({ products: { viewable: { duration: 2000 } } });