Is it possible to put comments in some of the freepbx config textboxes? For example, in the follow-me list:
123456789# ;owner cell number
I’ve tried the above, but it gets removed on a submit.
I do not believe this is possible; however, you can request this/follow an existing request via the feature request site.
Findme entries are stored in both the MySQL and AstDB as line1-line2-line3 etc etc.
The dialplan and AGI scripts expect that format. Anything else will break it. So this type of request would require the proccess to be re-worked
Every couple of years a “hey, can we get a comment block added” comes up. I think I submitted one once a long time ago.
While the people that write this code might not think it’s important, those of us that field these systems and often don’t look at the “nitty-gritty” details for months at a time would REALLY like to see some way to add documentation to some of these screens. Even VOIP Innovations has a “notes” section on line provisioning so I don’t have to spend an hour trying to figure out what “Option 45=Dragonball” means…
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I never trivialized this request. I simple stated how it currently works and what would be required to make this feature request something that can happen. Because then you have to look at things such as “Will this only be an Admin feature?”, “Will this be a user level feature?”, etc, etc. This would require additional database fields to be added or the data in them handled differently and parsed out differently. So in the end my statement still stands. This feature request would require how FindMe/FollowMe works in both the GUI and the backend (dialplan, DBs, etc) work. So while you may consider it a small request, the amount of work that is needed to fulfill it has to be considered.
Not a dig at you at all.
I know that adding another field to the database and adding a comments box on some of the screens would be a challenging bit of work, but it’s not a flag-day feature either. For example, adding a “comments” section to the “Extensions” screen (or one of the tabs) would really help with the weird spots. For example: one of my customers has an alarm system phone that has to be kept “awake” by sending traffic every 30 seconds. There’s a “non-standard” setting for that which I have to remember every couple of years when I go in and work on their system. The updates happen, and life is all good. Then suddenly, the emergency phone goes off-line. I know I had to set something to fix it, but what was it?
Another example: on my lines to VI, I have several that are “not mine” but are delivered. They are there to support by nephew’s “calling needs” while he’s in prison to avoid racking up huge toll-call charges. No one remembers which is which, so I have to cull through the numbers looking for the one that’s having trouble because all his girlfriend can remember is that it’s “pookie’s” phone number.
In my feature request, it was an “admin only” feature, because the only place that these fields would appear are on places where admin’s need to keep notes.
Having a “generalized” notes object that can be added relatively simply through a feature request would be the implementation methodology, but some of the details (like whether comments are stored in a segregated table or the FreePBX tables are modified) are open to negotiation. From a middle-user perspective (like us), that detail is interesting. From a developer perspective, that detail is huge. From an end-user perspective, it would be just another example of “Dave’s a genius - I wonder how he remembers all of this stuff…”.
I still think it’s a good idea, even with a limited number of implementation locations. You’re right, probably not easy, but I think it would be worth discussing.
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