Entity Service

Use the entity service to allow your app to render a Structured Object created by the REST API within a message:

var entityService = SYMPHONY.services.subscribe("entity");

The following methods are available on the entity service:

• registerRenderer

• render

• update

• pause and resume

registerRenderer()

Register a renderer for a type of entity:

function registerRenderer(type, options, serviceName)

Parameter	Type	Description
type	String	The type of entity that will be rendered by your application. Entities are namespaced using reverse domain name notation, e.g. com.symphony.address.
options	Array	Reserved for future use.
serviceName	String	The name of the application service that will be used to render this entity.

You must implement the render() method on the specified application service. This method will be invoked when the associated entity is rendered in the Symphony client.

render()

Renders an entity given its type and data values:

render: function(type, data) {}

Parameter	Type	Description
type	String	The type of entity to be rendered.
data	Object	The data for the specific entity being rendered. This data is specified when the message is created.

The render method returns an object with the following fields:

Parameter	Type	Description
template	String	An ExtensionML string that specifies the object's presentation. In addition to ExtensionML tags, iframe tags are also supported.
data	Object	An object containing the data referenced by the template. Described in entity advanced templating.
entityInstanceId	String	A unique identifier used to reference a specific entity.

update()

Effectively re-renders an entity with new template and data objects given its entityInstanceId:

update: function(entityInstanceId, template, data) {}

Parameter	Type	Description
entityInstanceId	String	The instance id of the entity to be updated
template	String	The updated ExtensionML string that specifies the object presentation.
data	Object	The data for the entity being updated

Sample Renderer Application

// The application service that will be used to handle entity renderering
const helloControllerService = SYMPHONY.services.register("hello:controller");

const entityService = SYMPHONY.services.subscribe("entity");
entityService.registerRenderer(
  "com.symphony.address",
  {},
  "hello:controller"
);

// Implement the trigger method on your application service
helloControllerService.implement({
  render: (type, data) => {
    const template = "<entity><span>Street Address: <text id='address'/></span><br/><span>City: Palo Alto</span><br/><span>State: California</span><br/><span>Zip Code: 94304</span></entity>"
    entityInstanceId = "0";

    if (type == "com.symphony.address") {
      const newTemplate = "<entity><span>The message is updated</span></entity>";
      // Update the entity after 5 seconds with a new template
      setTimeout(() => {
        entityService.update(entityInstanceId, newTemplate, {});
      }, 5000);

      return {
        template,
        data,
        entityInstanceId
      };
    }
  }
});

pause() and resume()

The 'pause' and 'resume' methods are optional. If you choose to use the methods, implement them on the renderer service. These methods will be invoked when the associated entity is rendered in the Symphony client.

Entities are checked periodically (every two seconds) if they are visible on the screen. If an entity is completely visible, a resume event is triggered to the renderer service of this entity. If an entity is partially visible or completely hidden, a pause event is triggered instead.

Example: • Pause event: responsible for stopping/pausing a video transmission (video iframe). • Resume event: responsible for playing the video.

Note: An entity is considered not visible when scrolling the screen down/up or when changing the module (conversation) to a new chat room or screen.

If the entity has an iframeId, it will be passed in the invocation of the methods, otherwise the entityInstanceId will be used instead.

iFrame Tag Support

In addition to ExtensionML tags, iframe tags are also supported in the template parameter:

helloControllerService.implement({
  render: function(type, data) {
    if (type == "com.symphony.address") {
      return {
        template: '<entity><iframe src="http://your-site.com/iframe-url.html" /></entity>',
        data: {}
      };
    }
  }
});