Freshchat iOS SDK Integration Steps

//You can set custom user properties for a particular user
Freshchat.sharedInstance().setUserPropertyforKey("customerType", withValue: "Premium")
//You can set user demographic information
Freshchat.sharedInstance().setUserPropertyforKey("city", withValue: "San Bruno")
//You can segment based on where the user is in their journey of using your app
Freshchat.sharedInstance().setUserPropertyforKey("loggedIn", withValue: "true")
//You can capture a state of the user that includes what the user has done in your app
Freshchat.sharedInstance().setUserPropertyforKey("transactionCount", withValue: "3")

3.3 Log User Events in Timeline

Tracking user events will give you more insight and context about the user(s) in your application. Events like user actions and failure/error cases can be tracked using this API. Tracked events are listed under Events Timeline on the agent side.

Objective C

[[Freshchat sharedInstance] 
trackEvent:"Event_Name" withProperties:PropertiesDictionary];

Swift

Freshchat.sharedInstance()?.trackEvent("Event_Name", withProperties: PropertiesDictionary)

Note: 
1. Freshchat allows only 121 unique events per account.
2. Event name accepts string value (max 32 chars).
3. Property key name should be of string type (max 32 chars).
4. Property value can be of any primitive object type (max 256 chars).
5. Freshchat allows sending a maximum of 20 properties per event.

3.4 Reset User Data

Reset user data at logout or when deemed appropriate based on user action in the app by invoking the resetUser API.

Objective C

[[Freshchat sharedInstance] resetUserWithCompletion:^
{
        //Completion block code here
}];

Freshchat.sharedInstance().resetUser(completion: 
{ 
() in
            //Completion code
})

Note: External ID cannot be changed once set for a user.

ConversationOptions *options = [ConversationOptions new];
[options filterByTags:@[ @"all", @"paiduser" ]
withTitle:@"Filter_View_Title"];
[[Freshchat sharedInstance] 
showConversations:self withOptions: options];

Swift

let options = ConversationOptions.init()
let tags: [String] = ["all","paidUser"]  
//Your filter tags
options.filter(byTags: tags, withTitle: "Filter_View_Title")
Freshchat.sharedInstance().showConversations(self, with: options)

// Register for notification
   NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector:
#selector(self.methodOfReceivedNotification(notification:)), name: 
Notification.Name(FRESHCHAT_UNREAD_MESSAGE_COUNT_CHANGED), object: nil)
//Handling method -
    func methodOfReceivedNotification(notification: Notification)
{
        Freshchat.sharedInstance().unreadCount { (count:Int) -> Void in
          print("Unread count (Async) :\(count)")
        }        
    }

let options = FAQOptions.init()
let tags: [String] = ["payment","billing"]
options.filter(byTags: tags, withTitle:"Filtered_View_title", andType :ARTICLE)
Freshchat.sharedInstance().showFAQs(self, with: options)

FAQ filtering with category

let options = FAQOptions.init()
let tags: [String] = ["payment", "billing"]
options.filter(byTags: tags, withTitle:"Filtered_View_Title", andType :CATEGORY)
Freshchat.sharedInstance().showFAQs(self, with: options)

Note: When you filter an article by tags, the category (to which the article belongs) tags are also applicable.

//@available(iOS 10.0, *)
func userNotificationCenter(_ center: UNUserNotificationCenter,
        willPresent: UNNotification,
        withCompletionHandler: @escaping (UNNotificationPresentationOptions)->()) 
{
if Freshchat.sharedInstance().isFreshchatNotification(willPresent.request.content.userInfo) 
{
   Freshchat.sharedInstance().handleRemoteNotification(willPresent.reque
st.content.userInfo, andAppstate: UIApplication.shared.applicationState)  //Handled for freshchat notifications
    withCompletionHandler([.sound])
} 
else 
{
    withCompletionHandler([.alert, .sound, .badge]) 
//For other notifications    
     }
}
//@available(iOS 10.0, *)
func userNotificationCenter(_ center: UNUserNotificationCenter,
                          didReceive: UNNotificationResponse,
                          withCompletionHandler: @escaping ()->()) 
{
if Freshchat.sharedInstance().isFreshchatNotification(didReceive.notification.request.content.userInfo) 
{
  Freshchat.sharedInstance().handleRemoteNotification(didReceive.notific
ation.request.content.userInfo, andAppstate: UIApplication.shared.applicationState) 
//Handled for freshchat notifications
       withCompletionHandler()
} else 
{
       withCompletionHandler() //For other notifications
    }
}

7. Language Localization 

7.1 Right-to-Left Language Support

Freshchat SDK supports RTL languages (Arabic). 

Set value ‘NSTextAlignmentNatural’ for UserMessageTextStyle/TeamMemberMessageTextStyle  textAlignment to support conversation messages for RTL languages.

7.2 Run-time locale change 

If your app supports runtime locale change, add local notification name FRESHCHAT_USER_LOCALE_CHANGED event into your locale change method.

Objective C

[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter]
postNotificationName:FRESHCHAT_USER_LOCALE_CHANGED 
object:self];

NotificationCenter.default.post(name: NSNotification.Name(rawValue:
FRESHCHAT_USER_LOCALE_CHANGED), 
object: self, userInfo: nil)

Changing strings  

1. In order to change a specific string used in the SDK UI, just update the appropriate key in FCLocalizable.strings. The keynames in the file are categorized by UI and the keys used are self-explanatory.

2. Do the same for all the languages you want to support
3. SDK comes with only English at the moment, but you will be able to use translations for any language you want. 

Linking to project

1. Once you have changed all the required strings in the languages that you are supporting, link it under “Build Phases”  > “Copy Bundle Resources”.

2. When you are initializing the SDK,  specify that bundle name as part of Freshchat config. 
3. Define your custom bundle resources

Objective C

config.stringsBundle = @"MyCustomBundle";

config.stringsBundle = "MyCustomBundle"

Note: 
1. Bundle name is case-sensitive
2. Extension .bundle is not required

8.  Customization

8.1 UI Customization options

Modify our default theme file FCTheme.plist to customize the interface or you could link your own custom theme

file to the SDK by using the following snippet.

Objective C

[config setThemeName:@"<Theme_Name>"];

config.themeName = "<Theme_Name>"

[Freshchat sharedInstance].customLinkHandler = ^BOOL(NSURL * url)
{
 //Your code for handling link within app, forwarding link to another
viewcontroller
        return YES;
 //Return "NO" if you want to open the link in the default browser like
Safari.

};

Freshchat.sharedInstance().customLinkHandler = 
({ (url) in
 
//Your code for handling link within app, forwarding link to another
viewcontroller

       return true

//Return "false" if you want to open the link in the default browser like
Safari.

})

9. Other Notes

9.1 Checklist for Launch

1. Ensure you have the latest SDK.

2. Ensure you are initializing the SDK at the starting of the application: didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: function.

3. Check if push notification is working properly when the app is in foreground, background, and in killed state with the production certificate.

4. See our Theming and Customization document here to make sure you are matching the experience with the rest of your app.

5. Configure your default Topic name and welcome message right even if you aren't using other Topics.

6. Capture the unique user identifier, email, phone number, or any other unique customer identifiers with the SDK to ensure smooth use of APIs, as well as for the best use of our "Smart Plugs" feature on the dashboard.

7. Ensure the push notifications are working for new installs as well as upgrades from your previous versions.  

9.2 iOS 10 Compatibility

Starting with iOS 10, Apple requires developers to declare access to privacy-sensitive controls ahead of time. 

To comply with this new privacy requirement, developers must add the required keys to the Info.plist, 

"NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription" and "NSCameraUsageDescription" 

Moreover, we will also log a warning message on the XCode console if you have missed adding the required keys. 

Warning!

Failing this iOS 10 will exit the app by crashing when a user tries to access the controls of the microphone, camera, or photo library. 

For more information, click here.  

9.3 iOS 10 Simulator issue  

Freshchat SDK depends on keychain services. Xcode 8.0 (8A218a) / iOS 10 simulators have an issue with keychain services, which does not allow the SDK to retrieve data from the store when there are no "entitlements" set up. To fix that in the project’s capabilities page, please turn on push notifications capability (and select the "fix issue" if any issue appears). This is a workaround to ensure there is a valid entitlement file for the project (which the simulator requires to work correctly), and once testing is done you can discard these changes.

We have hosted a sample project which you could use to try out our SDK APIs. 

It can be accessed at the following link : https://github.com/freshdesk/freshchat-ios/tree/master/Sample