Chat

Module Overview

The Chat module is an internal communication system designed for fast and efficient team communication directly within eIntranet. It enables both group discussions in group rooms and simple direct messages between individual users. This tool serves as a full replacement for email communication for internal needs and supports file and image sharing.

The module offers two basic types of communication. Group discussions take place in discussion rooms that can be created and managed by authorized users. Each room has defined members and can be assigned to thematic groups for better organization. Simple discussions allow direct one-on-one communication with any system user who has active access to the Chat module.

The main benefits of the module include centralization of communication in one environment, instant availability of message history, simple work with attachments, automatic tracking of unread messages, and the ability to organize discussions by topics and projects. All messages are archived and can be searched using full-text search.

The module is intended for all employees of the organization who need to communicate quickly without the need to use email. It is suitable for project teams, departments, and the entire organization. Access rights are fully configurable.

Access Rights and Settings

User Rights in the Module

User rights are defined within the system settings of the user account. The key property is rights_chat, which determines the level of authorization:

• Value 0 - User has no access to the Chat module
• Value 1-4 - Basic user can read and write messages in rooms where they are a member
• Value 5-10 - User can create their own discussion rooms and delete rooms they created themselves
• Value 10 - User can edit discussion rooms they created themselves
• Value 11+ - Module administrator with full access to all rooms, groups, and the ability to edit all settings

Creating a New Discussion Room

A discussion room is a space for group communication with defined members. To create a new room, proceed as follows:

1. In the Chat module, click on the + Group Discussion button in the header of the Group Discussions section
2. In the dialog window, fill in the Discussion Name (required field) - choose a descriptive name corresponding to the topic or project
3. Select an Icon from the FontAwesome icon menu for visual distinction of the room in the list
4. Choose Allowed for Users (required field) - select specific users or choose the "All" option for a public room accessible to all current and future users
5. Optionally assign the room to a Discussion Group for better organization
6. Save the room by clicking the Save button

After creating the room, you automatically become its administrator. The created room immediately appears in the list of group discussions and selected members gain access to it.

Editing an Existing Discussion Room

Your own rooms or all rooms (for administrators) can be edited. Open the desired room by clicking on its name and use the Edit this Discussion button. You can change the name, icon, members, and group assignment. Changes take effect immediately for all users.

Creating and Managing Discussion Groups

Discussion groups serve for thematic sorting of rooms. For example, you can create groups by departments, projects, or types of communication. To create a new group:

1. Click on the Discussion Group button in the module header
2. Enter the Discussion Group Name (required)
3. You can select a Parent Group to create a hierarchical structure up to two levels
4. Define Allowed for Users - who can see the group in the menu
5. Save the group

Groups are displayed in the dropdown menu as a hierarchical structure. Under each group, the rooms that belong to it are displayed. The number of unread messages is displayed for each room.

Deleting a Discussion Room

You can delete your own rooms using the Delete this Discussion button inside the room. The system requires confirmation. Deletion is final and cannot be undone. All messages and attachments in the room are marked as deleted.

Module User Interface

Main Screen

The Chat module is divided into several key areas. At the top of the screen is the Group Discussions section with a dropdown menu of all available discussion rooms organized into groups. Buttons for creating new rooms and groups are located next to this menu.

The middle and largest part of the screen displays the Detail of Selected Discussion - here you see the message history, you can write new posts and add attachments. The detail header contains the room name, list of members, and buttons for editing or deleting.

The right column contains a list of Simple Discussions with other users. Each user is represented by a label with their name. A red badge next to the name displays the number of unread messages from that user.

Discussion Room Detail

After opening a room, you see its name in the header and buttons for switching between displaying the last 5 messages and all messages. Just below the name is a list of all room members. A badge with a number shows the count of your unread messages.

The form for writing new messages is located at the top below the member list. Below it follows a chronological list of messages from oldest to newest. Each message contains the sender's photo, their name, timestamp, and message text including attachments.

Simple Discussion Detail Between Users

After clicking on a user's name in the right column, a private conversation opens. The interface is similar to a room - at the top is a form for writing messages, below is the communication history. Messages are visually distinguished based on whether you sent them or the other user.

Basic Operations in the Module

Writing and Sending Messages

Writing a message in a discussion room or simple chat is very simple:

1. Click in the text field in the form below the room name
2. Write the message text - you can use multiple lines
3. Optionally click on the I want to add an attachment button to upload files
4. Click on the Send button to send the message

The message immediately appears in the message list and all room members will see it on the next refresh. You cannot send an empty message without text or attachments - the system will not allow it.

Adding Attachments to Messages

You can attach one or more files to each message. All common file types are supported including documents, images, spreadsheets, or PDFs:

1. Click on the I want to add an attachment button - a file upload area will appear
2. Drag files with the mouse into the designated area or click to select files
3. You can upload up to 60 files at once, each up to 100 MB in size
4. Before sending, you can remove files from the queue with a cross
5. Send the message with attachments by clicking the Send button

Attachments are displayed below the message text as buttons with the file name. Clicking on the button downloads the file. All attachments are automatically indexed into the full-text search engine and their content is searchable.

Reading Messages and Marking as Read

When opening a discussion room or simple chat, all messages are automatically marked as read. The system remembers the last message ID you saw. The badge with the count of unread messages immediately resets to zero.

Messages are displayed chronologically from oldest. You can switch between displaying the last 5 messages and all messages using buttons in the header. This setting is remembered for your account.

Switching Between Discussions

To switch to another discussion room, use the Group Discussions dropdown menu at the top of the screen. Rooms are organized into groups. Clicking on a room name loads its content into the middle part of the screen.

To switch to a private conversation with another user, click on their name in the right column Simple Discussion. A red badge next to the name indicates unread messages.

The currently open room or conversation is highlighted in bold or with a green label. After switching, the previous discussion closes and the new one loads.

Updating Discussion Content

The list of available discussions, list of users for simple chats, and the content of the currently open discussion are automatically updated every minute if you have the eIntranet tab active. New messages from others will thus appear without the need for manual page refresh.

If you want to update the discussion immediately, you can use the page refresh function in the browser or switch to another discussion and back.

Advanced Module Features

Tracking Unread Messages

The system automatically counts unread messages in all discussion rooms and simple chats. The number of unread messages is displayed as a numeric badge next to the room name or user name. When opening a discussion, messages are marked as read and the counter resets to zero.

The badge uses different colors depending on the context. Blue badge is for discussion rooms, red badge for simple chats with users. Green badge indicates the currently open conversation.

Hierarchical Discussion Groups

Discussion groups can be organized into a maximum of two levels of hierarchy. This allows, for example, creating a main group "Projects" and under it subgroups for individual projects. Navigation is implemented using a multi-level dropdown menu.

Under each group, all rooms that belong to it are automatically displayed. Empty groups without rooms are displayed as inactive in the menu. Administrators can edit groups and change their hierarchy.

Displaying Discussion Members

In the header of each discussion room, a list of all members who have access is displayed. Members are shown as labels with their names sorted alphabetically according to Czech sorting. This list is informative and allows quick determination of who can see messages in the room.

If the room is set as public (available to everyone), the designation "All" is displayed in the member list instead of an enumeration of specific names. This applies to both current and future system users.

Security and Data Protection

All operations in the module are protected by CSRF tokens against attacks. Messages are stored with timestamps to protect against double submission of the same form. Access to discussion rooms is controlled at the database query level.

Attachments are encrypted when saved to the server disk. Full-text indexing of attachments allows searching in document content, but access to original files is always controlled according to user permissions.

Practical Work Procedures

Scenario 1: Project Communication in a Team

You have a project team of five people working on a new product and you need a central space for communication.

Solution procedure:

1. Create a discussion group "Projects" by clicking the Discussion Group button
2. Fill in the name "Projects" and choose who can see the group - for example all project managers
3. Save the group
4. Click on the + Group Discussion button
5. As a name, enter "New Product XY - team", select a suitable icon such as "fa-rocket"
6. In the "Allowed for Users" field, select all five team members
7. In the "In Discussion Group" field, choose the just created "Projects" group
8. Save the room

Now you have a dedicated discussion room for the project team. All members see the room in the menu under the Projects group and can start communicating. You can share updates, documents, screenshots, or ask questions. All communication is centralized and searchable.

Scenario 2: Quick Consultation with a Colleague

You need to quickly ask a colleague about a detail in a document draft and don't want to write an email for that.

Solution procedure:

1. Open the Chat module
2. In the right column "Simple Discussion", find the colleague's name
3. Click on their name - a private chat will open
4. Write your question in the text field
5. Click on I want to add an attachment
6. Drag the document you're asking about into the upload area
7. Click on Send

The colleague will receive the message and when they open the Chat module, they will see a red badge next to your name with the count of unread messages. After clicking on your name, they will see your question including the attachment. They can immediately respond in the same way. The entire conversation remains archived for future use.

Scenario 3: Organizing Communication for the Entire Organization

You are an administrator and want to create a structured discussion system for the entire company with separation of communication by topics.

Solution procedure:

1. Create main discussion groups corresponding to the company structure:
   • "General" for company-wide announcements
   • "IT Support" for technical questions
   • "HR and Personnel" for personnel topics
   • "Projects" for project communication
2. In some groups, create subgroups, for example under "Projects" subgroups for each active project
3. In each group, create relevant discussion rooms:
   • In "General": room "Announcements" available to all
   • In "IT Support": room "Helpdesk" available to all
   • In "HR and Personnel": room "Vacation and Benefits" for all
4. Set correct permissions for each room according to who should see it
5. Inform employees about the new structure and explain where to write which questions

The result is a clear system of categories in which everyone can easily navigate. Users see only groups and rooms relevant to their work position. Communication is organized and it is clear where to look for information on a specific topic.

Troubleshooting and Frequently Asked Questions

I Cannot Send a Message

If the Send button does not work, check the following. The message must contain at least some text or at least one attachment. Empty messages cannot be sent. Make sure you have active access rights to the discussion - if room permissions were changed and you are no longer a member, you cannot write messages.

If an error message about CSRF token appears, try refreshing the entire browser page and try sending again. This problem occurs during long inactivity or when the session expires.

I Don't See Some Discussion Rooms

Room visibility is controlled by access rights. Only rooms where you are explicitly listed as a member or rooms set as public for everyone are displayed. If you don't see a room, contact its administrator or module administrator with a request to be added.

Deleted rooms are not displayed at all. If a room previously existed and you now don't see it, it was probably deleted by an administrator.

Attachment Did Not Upload

The maximum size of one file is 100 MB. If the file is larger, the system will reject it. Also, more than 60 files cannot be uploaded at once. Check if the server disk is full - in that case, contact the administrator.

Some file types may be prohibited at the server level for security reasons. If an exotic file type does not upload, try packing it into a ZIP archive.

Messages Do Not Update Automatically

Automatic update works only when you have the eIntranet tab active. If the tab is in the background or minimized, the browser may pause JavaScript and updates will stop. After returning to the tab, the update should resume.

The problem may also be a slow internet connection or server-side issues. Try manually refreshing the page.

I Lost Access to a Room I Created

If you created a room and then someone changed its membership and removed you, you lose access. As the original author, however, you still have the right to edit the room if you have at least basic user rights. Contact the module administrator who can add you again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete messages I sent?

No, once sent messages cannot be deleted or edited. This is intentional behavior to preserve communication integrity. If you accidentally sent a wrong message, write a correction as a new message.

Does the administrator see my private messages in simple chats?

Yes, administrators with high permissions technically have access to all messages in the database. Use Chat for work communication. For sensitive topics, use other communication channels.

How many messages and attachments can I store?

The system has no limit on the number of messages. Attachments are limited by the total capacity of the server data storage. With normal use, capacity should not be a problem.

Can I search in discussion history?

Yes, all messages including attachment content are indexed into the eIntranet full-text search engine. Use the global search in the system and results from discussions will appear among other results.

Will I receive a notification when someone writes to me?

The notification system depends on the overall eIntranet configuration. A badge with the count of unread messages is displayed directly in the module. Some installations may have email notifications set up for new messages.

Shortcuts and Technical Terms

Group Discussion - Discussion room with multiple members for team communication.

Simple Discussion - Private chat between two users.

Discussion Room - Space for communication with defined members and settings.

Discussion Group - Thematic category for organizing discussion rooms.

Badge - Numeric indicator displaying the count of unread messages.

Attachment - File attached to a message.

Room Member - User with permission to read and write in a discussion room.

Module Administrator - User with rights at level 11+ with full access to all functions.