When you access a tab in GraceBlocks, the layout of the information presented is based on the view. If the messaging thread field has been added to a view by a builder, text messaging has been enabled for the tab. When text messaging is enabled, users have the option to use the messaging view, which allows you to focus on text messaging, including sending texts to multiple records at once (learn more about that here), while working inside GraceBlocks.  

This article covers:

• Using messaging view
• Working with records in messaging view

Using messaging view

By default, when you click to access a tab for the first time inside GraceBlocks, the page body displays in the spreadsheet view layout. Provided that the tab supports text messaging, you can toggle to messaging view.  Future visits to the tab are sticky; if you left the tab while using messaging view, when you return to the tab, it displays in messaging view. Follow the steps below to access messaging view.

Step	Action	Visual
1	Click on any tab inside the block (other than the Home tab) to access that tab. 🔔The Home tab is always reserved to share information that the builder prescribed when designing the block.
2	Click the messaging view icon to toggle to messaging view.    If you do not see the messaging view icon, messaging is not available for the tab.
3	The tab displays in messaging view.

Working in messaging view

Working in messaging view lets you focus on one record at a time and on the messages, you are exchanging.  This view also gives you access to critical information about each record.  Finally, from messaging view, you can send messages in bulk to up to 50 selected individuals.  When you do, each message is individually delivered to each recipient. (The message is not sent as a group message). 

Several additional actions are also available in this view. Review the table below to understand the actions available from this page. The numbers in the illustration shows where to find each action on the layout.

1. Total records: The Total records number is the total number of records saved in the tab, regardless of any filters that may be applied.  

    

2. Refresh: Click the Refresh icon to refresh the records on the page. This option is useful when other individuals use the data simultaneously because clicking Refresh applies their latest updates to the page.

    

3. Print: Click the Print icon to print records. You can specify the information to print in an aggregate PDF file, with one or more pages representing each record. To learn more, see printing records.

    

4. View: Click one of the View options (if more than one is available) to select the view in which you work. This area is where you select the messaging view to get to this page. 

    

5. Bookmarks: Click the Bookmarks icon to access and create bookmarks.  A bookmark in messaging view is essentially a saved version of the page, including any filters you applied. When a user accesses a tab for the first time, the "public default" bookmark displays. To return to the original starting point, click the Bookmarks icon and select the bookmark set as the "public default." To learn more, see managing bookmarks. 

    

6. Filter: Click the Filter icon to filter records. You can choose filter fields from the search filters modal, enter criteria, and then apply the filter criteria. To learn more, see filtering records.

    

7. Filter criteria: If any filter criteria or field-specific ascending/descending sorts have been applied to the view, these attributes display in text bubbles in the Filter criteria field to show the attributes that define the content displayed on the page. Most criteria syntax is self-explanatory, but an explanation may be helpful for the following: 

* Only applies for messaging fields

To learn more about filters, see filtering records.

8. Add new records: Click + Add new record to add new records. Here's a preview of this button when you hover the cursor over it:

By default, there is a basic form behind the Add new record button (A above). However, if a builder has created web forms and made them public, these additional forms can also appear as dropdown options in addition to the main button (B & C above). The main Add new record button (A) can power the basic form offered by GraceBlocks, or — if the builder has set a "public default" — this button launches that form instead.  If multiple options exist (the button plus named forms below the button), follow the instructions of your builders regarding which option is best for you to use to create new records.

9. Oldest first | Newest first: Sometimes it's easiest for the newest records to be at the top; other times, a chronological sort by date added works best.  Click Oldest first to toggle the display of spreadsheet view to show the oldest records first; click Newest first to toggle the display to show the newest records first. By default, records are sorted from oldest to newest unless you have clicked this toggle (to flip to newest first).

    

10. New Message: Use this option if you'd like to send a message to more than one record in the list.  With filter criteria already applied, you can bring up this window and then choose from among the filtered records to send your message. To learn more, see sending text messages in bulk.
    

     

11. Record: Each record in the list is represented here by a record box.  Inside this box, you can see the following: a) First letter of the record name, b) Full record identifier name, c) text of the last message (either sent or received), d) how long ago the last message was sent or received (in s=seconds, m=minutes or d=days depending on how long ago the message was sent), and e) what number in the list of shown records is the one we are looking at. 

    

12. Details: Click this icon to show the details for the record, which takes up most of the page in messaging view and works according to the same behavior as the information section of the details page. It contains the information related to most fields for the tab, as organized and grouped into sections by builders.

     

13. Related records: Click this icon to show the information for relational fields that are multi-select for the tab. It works according to the same behavior as the related records on the details page.

     

14. Messages: This is the default selected section for the auxiliary information area in the messaging view. It works according to the same behavior as the messages section of the details page.

     

15. Collaboration: This section allows you to track comments related to the record. Any time another user references you using the @ symbol in this panel, an alert will be sent to you and appear under Notifications(). These notifications are sent immediately.  Learn more about collaboration.

     

16. History: This section displays the history of changes that have occurred to the fielded data associated with the record. Each change is date stamped, illustrates what fields changed, and denotes the user who made the change. The period tracked for history is controlled by the pricing plan of the Zone where the Block is located. (Free: Two weeks, Basic: 3 months, Pro: 3 years). Learn more about history. Learn more about history.

     

17. Viewing x of y records: In the Viewing x of y records field at the bottom of the view, the first number (x) is the number of records currently loaded in your browser session.  If there are a lot of records, it may be that only the first 500 of 25,000 records are loaded in your browser. In this case, x would be 500. The second number (y) is the number of available possible records according to any filter criteria that have been applied. If no filters are applied, y equals the number displayed for Total records in #1.
    

     

18. Vertical scroll bar 1 (to the right of records): A vertical scroll bar appears if more records exist than can be viewed on the screen simultaneously.  Use the scroll option provided to navigate up and down the record list.

     

19. Vertical scroll bar 2 (to the right of the body section - currently showing messages): A vertical scroll bar appears to the right of the auxiliary information section if the content shown in the auxiliary information area exceeds the page length. Navigate up and down using this scrollbar to see all content for the section.

     

20. 🔔 The attachments section is not currently available from the messaging view. You must work in spreadsheet view to view attachments until this feature is added.