Validating Page Level Help

The WFDSS Documentation and Development teams perform this task to ensure that the page-level Help and the ? Help are mapped correctly from the application to the online help. You can use this feature to download a spreadsheet of the current Help mappings.

The Help validation table contains the following columns:

• JSP Name: The filename for the page or popup window in the WFDSS application. To view the JSP page in the application, copy the JSP Name, then in the URL field of the browser window, paste it after http://wfdss.usgs.gov/training/faces/. In most cases, the appropriate application page appears. However, some pages require data to be available in the system before the page works (e.g., incident- or analysis-specific pages). Refer to the WFDSS_JSP_Help_Map_master spreadsheet in Google Docs for information on how to navigate to the page.
• Help HTML: The file name listed on the Web tab of the Object Properties window in AuthorIT. Also the filename of the HTML file created during the publishing process. Changing this filename breaks the existing mapping, so be sure to update the this information from the Validate Page Level Help button on the Administration > Support tab.
• HTML Title: The topic name that appears in AuthorIT Object Properties > Web tab > Heading field. This title also appears in the Help TOC.
• Help Link: The current status of the mapping.
  • Valid means that the help file listed appears when the Help link on that JSP page is clicked. (It does not mean that the content is valid, however. You need a live human to determine that.)
  • Invalid means that an error occurs when the help link on that JSP page is clicked.
  • N/A means that the No Context-Sensitive Help Available message appears when the help link is clicked for that page. This designation is particularly useful for identifying new application pages that need help.

Before verifying the help mappings, you need the following:

• Understanding of how the application pages and the help pages relate to each other
• Administrator access on WFDSS Development or WFDSS Training system
• VPN access to Avocet and AuthorIT
• Author or Designer user role in AuthorIT

To verify the help mappings:

1. In WFDSS, choose the Administration tab. The Administration page appears.
2. In the Support section, click Validate Page Level Help. The Validate Help page appears.
3. Sort the Help Link column. N/A links appear, followed by Invalid links.
4. For N/A links, do the following:
   1. In AuthorIT, search for the topic.
   2. Right-click to choose Properties from the menu. The Properties window opens.
   3. On the General tab, verify that the template is Topic Template.
   4. Choose the Web tab.
   5. Verify that the Heading field contains the topic title that you want to publish in the Help TOC and that Start Page is marked.
   6. Enter a Page Title. For example, WFDSS Help | Create Incident. (Use present-tense verb and abbreviated version of the title. This is what appears in the page tab of the browser window when the topic is published.)
   7. Enter a Filename. For example, WFDSSHelp_Create_Incident.html.
   8. Click Apply to continue working on Properties or click OK to save and exit the Object Properties window.
5. For Invalid links, do the following:
   1. Verify that the Help HTML and HTML Title match what's in the Help Validation table.
   2. In WFDSS, find the JSP and test the link.
   3. Go to avocet > authorit > publishing > XHTML pages > WFDSS help and verify that the page exists in the folder. (Sometimes, the publishing process hiccups and a page doesn't get published.)
   4. In AuthorIT, select the topic in question > right-click and choose Properties > choose Web tab.
   5. Verify that the information in the Object Properties matches the information in the WFDSS_JSP_Help_Map_master spreadsheet.
   6. Make any necessary changes.
   7. In the WFDSS_JSP_Help_Map_master spreadsheet, highlight the topic in yellow.
6. To add link a new .jsp file to an existing AuthorIT topic do the following:
   1. Click View Pages without Links. The Assign Help to Page page appears.
   2. Click to select the name/jsp combination that matches your AuthorIT help topic.
   3. Type the HTML file name for your AuthorIT help topic.
   4. Click Check Topic to verify this is the correct topic.
   5. Click Accept to assign the help topic to a .jsp file.
7. Once you have finished correcting the mappings, republish the Help.
8. Verify the updated mappings in the WFDSS application.

You should perform this task at least once per release cycle, especially if the development team is adding a bunch of new features. Even if you don't yet have enough information to document a feature, at least try to create a placeholder topic in the Help so that the context-sensitive help is ready when you are.

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Last updated on 5/31/2012 4:04:53 PM.

In This Section Administration To validate page level help mappings:

See Also Changing your Initial Page Filtering the User List Viewing User Role Requests Unlocking a User's Profile Re-enabling a Disabled Profile Granting User Role Requests Password Requirements Editing a User Profile Editing User Roles Sending a Broadcast Message Sending Group Emails Purging Broadcast Messages Validating Map Layer Help Managing Notification Lists Understanding and Modifying the National Preparedness Level (NPL) and Geographic Area Preparedness Level (GAPL) in WFDSS

Reference Field Descriptions Glossary Resources Spatial Data Reference Landscape Data Source Reference Relative Risk Reference Organization Assessment Reference Fire Behavior Reference About the WFDSS Decision Editors