Log / history of calls about telephone

[arnekolja]

Think it's the one feature I'm missing so much that I don't use Telephone regularly yet. Love the app, but only having those inactive "missed call" windows is a bit frustrating. So plus one here.

[sabbatical]

Another +1 to this!

[mitar]

+1

[tehfink]

+1

[sts]

+20 callcenter agents desperately waiting for that feature.

The issue is calls are coming into queues and these are distributed amongst all agents. They don't care too much about the fact, that there was a call (which in fact was answered by somebody else a few seconds later). For the case that the agent is on a call, while another call comes in, disabling the "call waiting" is an option, as long as you PBX supports multiple "ring retries" per queue.

how should we implement the call history? Would writing the calls to a textfile be enough for the first version? Or are there any better options, like storing them in a sqlite database?

[sts]

There was already an opne issue in google code which discussed this. http://code.google.com/p/telephone/issues/detail?id=58

[sts]

Just saw the FAQ states there is an option to automatically close missed call windows.

In Terminal:

defaults write com.tlphn.Telephone AutoCloseMissedCallWindow -bool YES

+20 more satisfied users! :-)

[g67h]

If you close the missed calls windows, how will you find out who called you since there is no call log?

[pierredavidbelanger]

I agree that a call log could be a plus in this application.

I volunteer to code it and submit it to the original author @eofster
But there will be no garante my work will be merged.

That being said, coding this feature is the easy part.

The hard part is to design it to follow the simplicity philosophy of the application (to increase our chances the author will include this feature in the next release).

We must keep it as simple as possible.

So I will wait for your inputs before starting the feature: requirements, ideas, hand drawn sketches, links to other applications that implements this feature in a simple manner, whatever suit you.

Here are some thoughts to start the discussion:

• the call log will be a simple window accessible from the Telephone menu (or with CMD-L)
• the window will contains only a grid with a list of calls
• the list should be persistent so it will not clear when Telephone is restarted?
• the list should contains every calls (inbound, outbound)?
• the list will have the following columns: local date and time, account name, caller id, status (missed, finished)?
• how do we clear the list?
• how many entries do we keep?
• what happen if we double click a row, should it initiate a call?
• what about a right click, what should we see?
• how do we delete a single call from the list, if possible at all?
• should we be able to sort/filter the list (I guess this is not mandatory if we want to keep it simple)?
• what happen to the calls received/sent from/to an account if we delete the account, do they disappear?

[g67h]

Thank you! This is great.

My input:

• the call log will be a simple window accessible from the Telephone menu (or with CMD-L)
  Both from the menu and a keyboard shortcut. Also include the log in the app preferences. (CMD+,)
• the window will contains only a grid with a list of calls
  Color-coded row please or use an arrow pointing up-right for outgoing, down left for incoming and an X for missed.
• the list should be persistent so it will not clear when Telephone is restarted?
  Definitely. Log preferences should offer option to disable the log and when enabled, how many days of history to keep.
• the list should contains every calls (inbound, outbound)?
  Please include the following info for the call log. The VoIP account which missed, received (picked-up) or made the call, the number, date, time and duration. In the even any given number has more than one event associated to it, group them all under that number and indicate between parenthesis the number of events. Clicking the number will collapse the list or expand it.
• the list will have the following columns: local date and time, account name, caller id, status (missed, finished)?
  see above
• how do we clear the list?
  icon "Clear" with confirmation dialogue when clicked, located up-top the log window.
• how many entries do we keep?
  see above
• what happen if we double click a row, should it initiate a call?
  Yes and in case user has several VoIP accounts configured and in use (I have 4), dialogue should offer a list of accounts to click from to place the call.
• what about a right click, what should we see?
  unnecessary for now?
• how do we delete a single call from the list, if possible at all?
  highlight & CMD+delete (and hold down CMD or Shift to highlight several separate items or a list, cf. the way iTunes works). Confirmation dialogue would be good but not necessary.
• should we be able to sort/filter the list (I guess this is not mandatory if we want to keep it simple)?
  unnecessary
• what happen to the calls received/sent from/to an account if we delete the account, do they disappear?
  keep history. This makes me think of perhaps offering an option to back-up the history periodically and automatically if the user chooses from the preferences or manually from the menu.

Love Telephone. It is reliable and the sound quality is good for me. I use it daily and would love to see a calls log.

[sts]

I like the idea of color coding it. Number/Name in red font for missed calles, black for outgoing or calls taken.

What are you gonna use as log storage? Maybe a simple sqlite database would do?

The database could be queried by external tools or future telephone components as well, eg. for periodically syncing it with an external service.

[sts]

@g67h The thing is I don't want to know, since its a callcenter and another agent will probably have taken care of the call.

[tehfink]

@sts On the other hand, I don't work in a call center, and would find this feature useful.

[sts]

@tehfink its an option you have to set anyways. :-)

[pierredavidbelanger]

@sts I was thinking indeed of a sqlite database file to store de call log.

[g67h]

@pierredavidbelanger : Or, the simplest way of doing this is not to have a separate call log window.

Keep all the recommendations I made above but the implementation can be even easier.
Each SIP account in use has its window with a field to enter the number the dial. Simply make that field a clickable drop down menu which will show the log for that account.

Thoughts?

[g67h]

Guys? So what do you think?

[pierredavidbelanger]

I started the feature.

So far the back-end is done

• the actual call logging
• persistence into an sqlite database
• general preference for enabling/disabling call logging

I am actually coding the UI. The UI will be a mix of the thoughts in this thread:

• standalone window (accessible by a CallLog menu or CMD-L)
• simple grid (sortable, but sorted by date and time desc by default)
• icon for inbound/outbound (probably colour coded when call is missed)
• date and time
• duration of the call
• caller id and number
• status of the call
• double-clicking will initiate the call using the associated sip account (or, if the account is removed, the first enabled)

[pierredavidbelanger]

Here are the concerns we need to address before I finnish:

• what about the transfered call? For now they are treated as a normal outbound call.
• should we be able to clear the call log ? (a button in general preferences maybe ?)

[pierredavidbelanger]

@g67h

I thought about your 'call log in a drop down menu' ... I did not choose to do this because this field has already a drop down menu for auto-completion

I thought also about adding a new button in the account window (top right, next to the availability drop down), that expand/collapse the account window, displaying a call log grid bellow the text field. But I changed my mind because:

• I wanted the calllog feature to stay completely out of your way, so adding a new button to the main interface was not an option
• the call log entries will be "lost" if the account is removed

For all those reasons, I implement the calllog UI in a standalone window that can optionally be shown by the user if he choose to.

So, for a day-to-day Telephone usage, and for users that do not enabled call logging, the feature will be completely invisible until one choose to explicitly consult the log.

[g67h]

@pierredavidbelanger: that's great news. Thank you for doing this.

Transfered calls could be marked with a different icon: a phone handset with a double arrow, one incoming (arrow pointing down left) and parallel to it another point pointing up right.

Yes please, there should be an option to clear to log, in the preferences is fine and user should be able to chose to purge all or just data for one account.

OK for the drop down menu. Currently when Telephone is allowed to access contacts from the Address Book, the feature work as auto-completion and the more characters are typed, the more it narrows to the matches from contacts.
But it isn't a drop down menu per se. The field expands down and populates with matching results.
What I was thinking of was putting a clickable arrow on the far right of the field. Clicking it would then expand the field down and show the log.

Either way, I am just happy/ grateful you are doing this. I use Telephone daily and this feature will make my life easier and save me time.

[sts]

Just a quick thought on this, because I was testing Telephone with new users today.

One thing that seemed to confuse every single one of them, is constantly new windows popping up all over the screen when new calls come in. You loose overview, of which window is currently an active call, which one is an incoming call and additionally interrupts your normal workflow (eg. what if you don't want to answer the call at this moment because you are currently writing on an e-mail?).

So I thought it would be nice to push the application window look and feel more into a timeliney direction, like eg. the Twitter client -- on top of the window you could setup a new call, take an incoming call or handle an active call and right below it you always have the list of recent Telephone events. Also if a second call comes in it would be easy to display it in the right order.

But redesigning this would definitely go beyond the scope of this feature request.

[g67h]

Sounds good. Some users (like myself) have several accounts set up in Telephone.
As it is, each account has its own window.
How could we reconcile your idea with using more than one account for outgoing calls (select account to use) and when receiving calls (which account is it coming through)?

[pierredavidbelanger]

@sts I absolutely agree with you.
The application should be a single window ( @g67h per account ?), with all call stacking at the top as they arrive.

This is a non-trivial refactor as Telephone is really designed/coded to use a window per call.

I will surely not dive into this refactor right now.

This is more like a Telephone V2 dream i guess :)

[g67h]

@pierredavidbelanger: yes, that would work.

[pierredavidbelanger]

I just pushed my code on GitHub.

In this branch (base on the last Telephone version from @eofster )
https://github.com/pierredavidbelanger/Telephone/tree/calllog

And merged in this branch (that include all my Telephone mods: Rdio, DTMF inband and French)
https://github.com/pierredavidbelanger/Telephone

For those who can not compile this project, compiled version of my master branch can be found here (this is only for testing purpose, I will not provide support for those build):
https://github.com/pierredavidbelanger/Telephone/downloads

Until this feature is complete and stable enough to push into the main project, please provide any feedback of my work in this issue (on my fork):
pierredavidbelanger#1

[g67h]

@pierredavidbelanger: downloaded the compiled version.

Made a couple of calls. Seems to be working well.

Initial feedback:

• I cannot resize (horizontally) the columns in the call log window.
  But I can rearrange their order. That's a nice touch.
• I initiated a call then changed my mind and hung up before the party picked up. That resulted in the Status of the call being labeled as unknown in the Call Window.

Will test further/ all day and revert soon. Thank you.

*** side note: also been meaning to mention this: it would be nice if Telephone could dial automatically 1 800 (toll free) numbers advertised with letters. Example: 1800 VERIZON which is 1 800 837 4966.

[fortiko]

This would be a very nice addition for 1.1.1 :-D

[pierredavidbelanger]

I was not able to merge this feature in the current master branch due to the latests commits being too incompatible, too much conflicts.

But, if @eofster still want this feature, and is willing to pull it, I will give it an other try.

[poorgeek]

+1 Would love to be able to see when I talked with someone and for how long

[fulldecent]

Hello, there have been several releases of Telephone since this issue was created. Could you please download and run the latest version to confirm this issue still exists.

Sorry for the template response, just trying to clean up and close old issues here.

[ottlinger]

+1 I'd love to see at least the time of the last call. Current functionality is that a window remains showing that a number called, but it does not show the time the call happened.

[gerritgriebel]

+1 Perfect implementation for my use would be a sqlite db which contains all call detail records. That's the way Skype client does it. Use case: I wrote a tiny Go http server which runs on my notebook and queries Skype sqlite db and delivers calls as iCalendar so I can see calls in Calendar. I use it for assigning call times to Jira Worklogs. Sqlite would be the most simple way for me to achieve the same with Telephone.

[eofster]

Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. Call history is added in version 1.3.