Conditional logic in notification template?

[jame558]

I need a way to change a repeating notification email (subject OR body) based on whether it's the initial message or any subsequent message. Something similar to the following, which (is not documented and) does not work:

$IF ( $REPEATCOUNTER() == 0 )
$BEGINSUBJECT()INITIAL TASK NOTIFICATION ------ Issue Number $INCIDENTNUMBER()$ENDSUBJECT()
$ELSE()
$BEGINSUBJECT()DUE TASK REMINDER $REPEATCOUNTER() ------ Issue Number $INCIDENTNUMBER()$ENDSUBJECT()
$ENDIF()

Thanks in advance...

P.S. I've also tried:

$IF ( $REPEATCOUNTER() = 0 ) and
$IF ( $REPEATCOUNTER() )

[jmalin]

Interested in any answers here as well.

Have you tried in the style of the supported "ITEMTYPE" if condition?

$IF(REPEATCOUNTER, 0)

[PM Thompson]

Just an idea to try
Add your Repeat Counter field and default to 0
Add a Quick "no-button-on-form" transition that increments the Repeat Counter
When you want to start the Notification process set the Repeat Counter to 1.

Create a pair of Notifications using a Rule that detects "When Repeat Counter changes to 1". This Rule will need to be something like "When Repeat Counter Changes *AND* When Repeat Counter=1".
First Notification sends the email using a "First Notification" template.
Second Notification runs the "Increment Counter" transition to change the counter to 2. This prevents the "Repeat Counter changes to 1" Rule from firing again.

Another Notification has a Rule "When Repeat Counter changes to 2". This notification repeats and uses a different template to send the subsequent notifications. Termination Rule is "When Repeat Counter changes to 0"

When you want the Notifications to stop, set the Repeat Counter field to 0.

[jame558 · Accepted solution]

OK, with some guidance from Steven Healy in Serena support, this has been solved using an escalation. In a nutshell, I wanted to send an initial notification with using one email header/body, and then 30/60/90/... days from the initial notification, I wanted to start sending reminder notifications using a different email header/body. I convinced myself that I needed a conditional template, as the OP reflected. Instead, the solution was simple, and I should have thought of it:

1. Create initial notification rule, notification, and template. This notification does not repeat.
2. Create a termination rule for the next step.
3. Escalate the notification from step 1 after 30/60/90/... days. This escalation spawns a different notification, with a DIFFERENT template.
4. Make this notification repeat every 30/60/90/... days until the termination rule is satisfied.

[jame558]

Thanks, Paul. It sounds like something that would work. I'm just not sure I want to invest in such a heavy solution for something IMO should be out of the box.