U.S. patent application number 16/241466 was filed with the patent office on 2019-05-09 for active lab.
The applicant listed for this patent is Verint Americas Inc.. Invention is credited to Fred Brown, Molly Q. Brown, Tanya M. Miller, Mark Zartler.
Application Number | 20190139564 16/241466 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40851527 |
Filed Date | 2019-05-09 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190139564 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Miller; Tanya M. ; et
al. |
May 9, 2019 |
ACTIVE LAB
Abstract
Various embodiments provide a tool, referred to herein as
"Active Lab" that can be used to develop, debug, and maintain
knowledge bases. These knowledge bases (KBs) can then engage
various applications, technology, and communications protocols for
the purpose of task automation, real time alerting, system
integration, knowledge acquisition, and various forms of peer
influence. In at least some embodiments, a KB is used as a virtual
assistant that any real person can interact with using their own
natural language. The KB can then respond and react however the
user wants: answering questions, activating applications, or
responding to actions on a web page.
Inventors: |
Miller; Tanya M.; (Colbert,
WA) ; Brown; Fred; (Colbert, WA) ; Zartler;
Mark; (Garland, TX) ; Brown; Molly Q.;
(Colbert, WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Verint Americas Inc. |
Alpharetta |
GA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
40851527 |
Appl. No.: |
16/241466 |
Filed: |
January 7, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12014229 |
Jan 15, 2008 |
10176827 |
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16241466 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 40/40 20200101;
G10L 15/18 20130101; G06F 16/63 20190101; G10L 25/48 20130101; G06F
16/3329 20190101; G06N 5/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G10L 25/48 20060101
G10L025/48; G06F 16/332 20060101 G06F016/332; G06N 5/02 20060101
G06N005/02; G06F 16/63 20060101 G06F016/63; G06F 17/28 20060101
G06F017/28; G10L 15/18 20060101 G10L015/18 |
Claims
1. A system comprising: one or more computer-readable storage
media; computer-readable instructions stored on the one or more
computer-readable storage media which, when executed, provide a
tool to enable a user to create and maintain a knowledge base,
wherein the tool is configured to: enable a user to create one or
more units, wherein a unit comprises a response paired with one or
more patterns that will trigger the response; wherein a pattern for
a unit includes at least one concept and wherein a concept is
composed of: vocab terms comprising a grouping of unambiguous
synonyms and misspellings, helper terms comprising words that have
no unambiguous synonyms, and/or building blocks comprising one or
more of a list of vocab/helper terms or a list of concepts; and
wherein the tool further enables a user to test patterns to
ascertain that a particular pattern will result in an associated
response.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tool enables units to be
grouped together in situation groups.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein a concept comprises a breakdown
of ideas in a test question.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein a unit may have multiple patterns
featuring different combinations of concepts.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein concepts can have an order and/or
a proximity, wherein: if a concept has an order, a pattern will
trigger if an input is received in that order; and if a concept has
a proximity, a pattern will trigger if an input has a defined
proximity.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the tool utilizes cascades,
wherein cascades can be selected from a group of cascades
comprising: a pre-vocab cascade that takes in contractions and
outputs separate words, a vocab cascade that takes in synonyms and
outputs a vocab, a post-vocab cascade that takes in separate
compound words and outputs single vocab words, a concept cascade
that takes in vocab and helper terms and outputs concepts, or a
unit cascade that takes in concepts and outputs a response.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein a cascade provides a FPML runtime
contained within a larger runtime.
8. The system of claim 6, wherein at least some cascades take, as
input, output from other cascades.
9. The system of claim 6, wherein a cascade can be set to one or
more of: "Match All" or "Best Match".
10. The system of claim 6, wherein the tool provides a dockable
window for cascades that enable cascades to be created and for the
type of output for a cascade to be determined.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein cascades are organized by type,
and where the user may edit by name, match type, response,
behavior, pre-process action and level settings.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the tool is configured to
provide a main application window, wherein the main application
window includes a drop down menu bar, multiple tabs, a main display
that displays currently selected/active tabs, a dockable window
display, and a status bar.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the multiple tabs comprise: a
tests tab, chat review tab, debugger tab, concept editor tab, unit
editor tab, and an editor tab.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the menu bar is configured to
enable a user to access and deploy FPML files.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the tool enables FPML files to
be deployed to a server.
16. The system of claim 12, wherein the dockable window display is
configured to enable a user to view one or more of: building
blocks, cascades, change requests, components, concepts,
directives, dynamic functions, helper terms, input files, knowledge
trees, lex types, resource files, response blocks, search control,
static files, test conditions, unit search, units, unprintable
items, unused items, URLs, vocab wild cards, or web links.
17. The system of claim 1, wherein the knowledge base comprises a
FPML knowledge base.
18. The system of claim 1, wherein the tool is configured to enable
a user to produce documents comprising one or more of: (a) an FPML
statistics document displaying percentage statistics of unit test
questions or (b) a print units document displaying all units along
with their respective test questions.
19. The system of claim 1, wherein the tool comprises a
text-to-speech component which provides an ability to translate
on-screen text into audio speech.
20. The system of claim 1, wherein the tool provides a vocab
dockable window that includes a vocab display tree that displays an
organization of a vocabulary and a search tree that enables
searches of cascades.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Creating and maintaining knowledge bases that are used for
various projects can be a time consuming task. In the past, a great
deal of human effort has been required to create and maintain
knowledge bases in terms of developing, debugging and maintaining
such knowledge bases. Errors that present themselves in a knowledge
base can often cascade or grow when such knowledge bases are
deployed and used by various applications. Thus, an important
consideration in knowledge base development concerns accurately
developing and deploying the knowledge base.
SUMMARY
[0002] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify
key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
[0003] Various embodiments provide a tool, referred to herein as
"Active Lab" that can be used to develop, debug, and maintain
knowledge bases. These knowledge bases (KBs) can then engage
various applications, technology, and communications protocols for
the purpose of task automation, real time alerting, system
integration, knowledge acquisition, and various forms of peer
influence.
[0004] In at least some embodiments, a KB is used as a virtual
assistant that any real person can interact with using their own
natural language. The KB can then respond and react however the
user wants: answering questions, activating applications, or
responding to actions on a web page.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to
reference like features.
[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates a situation group in accordance with one
or more embodiments.
[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates a concept group in accordance with one or
more embodiments.
[0008] FIG. 3 illustrates a vocab group in accordance with one or
more embodiments.
[0009] FIGS. 4-135 illustrate user interfaces in accordance with
one or more embodiments.
[0010] FIG. 136 illustrates an example system in accordance with
one or more embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Overview
[0012] Various embodiments provide a tool, referred to herein as
"Active Lab" that can be used to develop, debug, and maintain
knowledge bases. These knowledge bases (KBs) can then engage
various applications, technology, and communications protocols for
the purpose of task automation, real time alerting, system
integration, knowledge acquisition, and various forms of peer
influence.
[0013] In at least some embodiments, a KB is used as a virtual
assistant that any real person can interact with using their own
natural language. The KB can then respond and react however the
user wants: answering questions, activating applications, or
responding to actions on a web page.
[0014] In the discussion that follows, various terminology will be
used. The following glossary is provided to assist the reader in
the discussion that follows:
[0015] Agent: Agents are entities programmed to respond to inputs
in a pre-determined fashion. They are often used to mimic a human
consciousness.
[0016] AppCalls: AppCalls are Unit responses that perform
application operations instead of simply generating a text
response.
[0017] Building Blocks: Building Blocks are sets of vocabulary or
Concepts, often used to group together terms and Concepts that can
be associated with one another, but are not always synonymous.
[0018] Cascade: Cascades are graphical representations of the load
order and match type of vocabulary, Concepts, and Units within the
database.
[0019] Concepts: Concepts serve as the bricks of Units. As such,
they are composed of Vocab Terms, Helper Terms, and Wild Cards
arranged in specific input patterns that trigger the Concept's
activation.
[0020] Context IQ Engine, the: The Context IQ Engine is essentially
the algorithm that tracks and processes user inputs.
[0021] Data Mining: Data-mining is the targeted recursion of a set
of FPML. After the results for a particular input have been
achieved, the remainder of the input is run through a specific
cascade, which is a self-sufficient FPML set in its own right.
[0022] Dependencies: Dependencies for a Concept or Vocab Term are
all those objects which depend upon the aforementioned term or
Concept for operation.
[0023] Dockable Window: Dockable windows are objects made visible
by means of the View menu. These windows can be dragged and dropped
at any location on the screen, and may be docked either on the
right-hand side of the screen, or the top. When docked, multiple
windows can be accessed via tabs.
[0024] FPML: A programming language, FPML, short for Functional
Presence Mark-up Language is used to govern the behavior of Active
Lab projects.
[0025] Helper Terms: Helper Terms are words or phrases that are
commonly used, but have only one meaning. As such, they are not of
sufficient importance to devote separate Vocab Terms and Concepts
to them. Helper Terms may be used in both Concepts and Units.
[0026] Input Files: Input Files are *.txt files that contain words
and/or phrases. They are used in Record Lists and Concepts.
[0027] Input Patterns: Input patterns determine the triggering of
Concepts and Units. In Concepts, input patterns are composed of
Vocab Terms, Wild Cards, and Helper Terms. In Units, input patterns
are in turn composed of Concepts and Helper Terms. In both Concepts
and Units, input patterns may be configured to trigger only if the
input is in a specific order, or by proximity. All Concepts and
Units must have at least one input pattern, and many have more than
one.
[0028] Projects: Projects are the knowledge base storage
configuration within the lab.
[0029] Situations: Situations are groups of related Units. For
instance, a group of Units that all deal with the personality of a
project may be grouped together under a personality situation.
[0030] Synonyms: Synonyms are words that share the same definition
with one another and may be used interchangeably. Linguist's note:
This is not entirely true. Many words may have the same definition,
but carry different connotations. While they could technically be
substituted, doing so would alter the reader's understanding of the
sentence.
[0031] Test Questions: Test questions are sample inputs that are
intended to trigger Units and Concepts. They are generally
archetypal in nature, and are used as a guide for input
patterns.
[0032] Units: Units are composed of Concepts and Helper Terms
arranged in input patterns. When those input patterns are
triggered, the Unit activates a response, in the form of text or an
AppCall.
[0033] Units, Nested: Like Units, except that their response is
contingent upon another Unit. A nested Unit may only be triggered
immediately after its parent Unit has been triggered. This allows
for continuity in conversation with the project.
[0034] User: The user is the individual human being who operates
the software.
[0035] Vocab: Short for "Vocabulary," Vocab Terms form the basis of
Concepts, and consist themselves of synonyms.
[0036] Wild Cards: Wild Cards function as placeholders within
Concepts for any random word or words.
[0037] In the discussion that follows, a section entitled
Principles of Active Lab
[0038] Knowledge bases (KB) cover the entire scope of a project,
including all the information that ActiveAgent uses, along with all
of its capabilities. The files themselves are written in a
programming language known as FPML (Functional Presence Markup
Language), a language similar to XML. This includes master FPML
files, optional FPML files, and lex files. For additional
information on FPML, the reader is referred to the following U.S.
patent applications, the disclosures of which are incorporated by
reference herein: Ser. Nos. 10/839,425 and 11/169,142.
[0039] Active Lab is a visual tool (GUI) that allows the user to
easily create and maintain a knowledge base without the necessity
of knowing the actual FPML code.
[0040] The discussion that follows provides some of the principles
behind what ActiveAgent can do, and how it works. Instructions for
physically putting these Concepts into the lab will come later,
along with more advanced uses of each of these principles.
Principles of a Knowledge Base
[0041] To begin understanding how to create a knowledge base, we
will start with the idea of an input and a response by ActiveAgent.
Consider the following input and response: [0042] Input: How much
does it cost to have a savings account? [0043] Response: Our
savings accounts are free to have, but do require that you maintain
a balance of $300.
Units
[0044] First, let's examine the response. The response is a known
answer in the knowledge base. When a response is paired together
with patterns that will trigger it, it is called a Unit. A group of
Units can be categorized into Situation Groups which are similar to
folders in Windows.RTM., and are used mainly for organizational
purposes due to the large number of responses a KB may have.
[0045] Next, we must determine what questions should solicit that
response. It turns out there are many different ways to phrase
questions, all of which should be taken into account: [0046] Input:
[0047] How much does it cost to have a savings account? [0048]
What's the price of a savings account? [0049] $$ of a savings
account? [0050] Saving's accounts: cost? [0051] Do I have to pay
for savings accounts? [0052] What are the restrictions of a savings
account? [0053] Is there a minimum balance I have to maintain to
have a savings account? [0054] How much is a savings account?
[0055] These questions are then listed with the Unit for the
purposes of testing to make sure that when they are asked, this
particular response is given.
Concepts
[0056] A Concept is a breakdown of the critical ideas in a test
question. In the above list of possible questions there seems to be
three main themes: Cost, Savings Account, and Minimum Balance.
Notice that not all of these Concepts exist in every possible
question. Some questions have the idea of Cost, some Minimum
Balance, and all have the Concept of Savings Account. To make a
successful Unit, these Concepts are listed within the Unit and
paired in such a way that this combination of Concepts is unique
within the KB. This is called a Pattern. A Unit may have multiple
patterns featuring different combinations of Concepts. For example:
[0057] Cost AND Savings Account=Unit Response [0058] Minimum
Balance AND Savings Account=Unit Response
[0059] Note that a pattern for a Unit includes at least one
Concept, however it is not recommended to have more than four
Concepts in a pattern. A Concept is made up mostly of Vocab, Helper
Terms, and Building Blocks, which are described individually
below.
Vocab
[0060] A Vocab is a grouping of unambiguous synonyms and
misspellings. The name of a particular grouping of synonyms is
known as a Vocab Term. Vocab Terms are usually end with the suffix
"vocab." [0061] AccountVocab [0062] Account [0063] Accounts [0064]
Accounts [0065] Account's [0066] PriceVocab [0067] Price [0068]
Prices [0069] Prise [0070] Prises [0071] Cost [0072] Costs [0073]
Cost's
[0074] In the example of PriceVocab, the word cost is included
because for this KB the user wants the words price and cost to be
synonymous.
Helper Terms
[0075] A Helper Term is a word that has no unambiguous synonyms,
however functions almost the same way as a Vocab, and mostly
consists of conjunctions. Here are some examples of common Helper
Terms: [0076] and [0077] is [0078] for [0079] the
Building Blocks
[0080] A Building Block is a list of either Vocab/Helper Terms or a
list of Concepts that may be useful categorized together. As an
example, consider the following:
[0081] Anatomy (Vocab Building Block): [0082] armvocab [0083]
legvocab [0084] headvocab [0085] shouldervocab [0086] feetvocab
[0087] Now that these Vocab Terms are bundled together, they can be
used in a Concept pattern. Here is an example use of a Vocab
Building Block: [0088] surgeryvocab AND Anatomy (Building Block)
[0089] brokenvocab AND myvocab AND Anatomy (Building Block)
[0090] In this example, because the Anatomy Building Block
contained five Vocab Terms, it turned what would have been ten
patterns into two. Also notice that Vocab Terms, which include all
the synonyms and misspellings, are also included in this example.
As another example, consider the following:
[0091] Types of Accounts (Concept Building Block) [0092] Savings
Accounts [0093] Checking Accounts [0094] Money Market Accounts
[0095] Investment Accounts
[0096] This Building Block would then be used to reduce the number
of patterns necessary.
Creating Concepts
[0097] A Concept is made of patterns of Vocab, Helper Terms, and
Building Blocks listed within the Concept. Here are the patterns
that would make up the Savings Account Concept: [0098] savingsvocab
AND accountvocab [0099] accountvocab AND for AND savingsvocab
[0100] interestvocab AND bearingvocab AND accountvocab
[0101] Notice that the word "for" is a Helper Term and does not end
with the suffix "vocab." In Concepts, two things that are important
are Order and Proximity, both of which are optional when creating
any given pattern.
[0102] If Order is selected, a pattern will only trigger if it is
received in that order. For example, a person would have to type in
"savings account" to trigger the above example. If a person typed
in "account savings" this pattern would not trigger because it is
not in the correct order.
[0103] If Proximity is selected, a pattern will only trigger if the
inputs are received next to each other. For example, a person would
have to type in "savings account" to trigger the above example. If
a person typed in "savings in my account" the pattern would not
trigger because "savings" and "account" were not typed in next to
each other.
[0104] Note that for most input patterns, it is important to have
both Order and Proximity selected. In the above example, "Savings
Account" has a very different meaning than "Account Savings" and
"Savings in my Account." Concepts also have their own associated
test questions similar to Units for the purposes of testing.
[0105] Examples of Savings Account test questions can include:
[0106] Do you have savings accounts at your bank? [0107] What's a
savings account? [0108] Do you have any interest bearing
accounts?
The Unit, Concept, and Vocab Relationship
[0109] The relationship between these principles can be stated
simply: [0110] Units are made of patterns of Concepts. [0111]
Concepts are made of patterns of Vocab and Helper Terms. [0112]
Vocabs are made of lists of synonyms.
[0113] The biggest benefit of this system is its flexibility. Once
a Vocab has been created, it can be used in any number of Concepts,
and once a Concept is created, it can be used in any number of
Units. Conversely, any Unit or Concept can have any number of
patterns, and the same Vocab or Concept can be used multiple times
within each Unit or Concept.
[0114] FIGS. 1-3 show a visual representation of the relationship
between all of these principles, as well as the ways Helper Terms
and Building Blocks can also apply.
[0115] In FIG. 1, input patterns for Units can contain any number
of combinations of Concepts, Building Blocks, and Helper Terms. The
most common input patterns contain combinations of Concepts, with
Building Blocks and Helper Terms used less often.
[0116] In FIG. 2, input patterns for Concepts can contain any
number of combinations of Vocab, Building Blocks, and Helper Terms.
The most common input patterns contain combinations of Vocab, with
Building Blocks and Helper Terms used less often.
Context IQ Engine
[0117] The Context IQ Engine (CIE) is a term used to describe the
part of ActiveAgent that actually does the processing of the FPML
code written using Active Lab. The CIE has different functions
relative to FPML code, and part of Active Lab is determining which
functions to use, and in what order.
Cascades
[0118] Completing a single process through use of the CIE is known
as a cascade. Any numbers of cascades can, and usually do, run
every time the FPML is activated.
[0119] Here is an example of the simplest set of cascades necessary
for a virtual agent: [0120] Pre-Vocab--a cascade that takes in
contractions and outputs separate words. [0121] Vocab--a cascade
that takes in all synonyms and outputs Vocab. [0122] Post-Vocab--a
cascade that takes in separate compound words and outputs single
Vocab words. [0123] Concept--a cascade that takes in Vocab, and
Helper Terms and outputs Concepts. [0124] Unit--a cascade that
takes in Concepts and outputs the response.
[0125] In this example, each cascade is necessary for a single
person's input to output a response, and can do very different
things. The Vocab cascade only does substitution; it inputs words
and outputs Vocab. The Concept cascade inputs Vocab and Helper
Terms, and then outputs all Concepts that have patterns that
include those terms. This is known as Match All because it outputs
all matches, not just the most accurate one. The Unit cascade
inputs Concepts, but only outputs one response. This is known as a
Best Match and is a mathematical calculation done by the Context IQ
Engine, with the Unit with the highest scoring pattern giving the
response.
Static Files
[0126] Static Files are individual FPML files that are written by
hand without the help of Active Lab's user interface. The most
common files include setups and teardowns, as well as a lex file
that handles special cases that Active Lab is currently not set up
to handle. These are most commonly established during the initial
creation of the project, and usually don't need to be modified
during general use.
Common Terms
[0127] Within this document, the following terms are important to
the proper understanding of Active Lab:
[0128] Cascades--A cascade is a layer of FPML processing and is
essentially a "mini" fpml runtime contained within a larger
runtime. It contains most, if not all, the processing features
available to a global runtime, including preprocessing, a
specialized lexer, setups and teardowns, chunkers, unit nodes,
functions, etc.
[0129] Static Files--Static files are .fpml files that remain
unchanged, such as lex files.
[0130] Input Files--Input files are text files that list various
user inputs that can be easily categorized, such as a list of
names.
[0131] Group--A group is a term that refers to separating similar
items into smaller lists for organizational purposes. For example:
a Concept Group is a group of similar Concepts.
[0132] The following describes some aspects of an Active Lab Family
and Concepts:
TABLE-US-00001 Component Description Active Lab Develops, edits,
and manipulates knowledge bases. Chat Review An application used to
review chat logs and make change requests to Active Lab. Approval
Manager A web application used to approve changes and change
requests for knowledge bases. FPML Database An archive of all the
FPML used by the lab and its sundry applications for a given
project. This database may be a SQL Server or PostgreSQL . . . Chat
Review Database An archive of all chats involving knowledge bases
created via Active Lab. Agent Agent is a program that enables the
user to place a KB on a website, simulating a human being.
Basics of Active Lab
[0133] The following describes the basic components of Active Lab
in accordance with one or more embodiments. It also provides
directions for getting started with Active Lab.
Components of Active Lab
[0134] The main application window has several components that
allow access to Active Lab features. The following table describes
the main features of the illustrated main application window.
TABLE-US-00002 Component Description Dropdown Menu Bar Contains the
following dropdown menus: File View Admin Help Tabs The following
tabs are found in Active Lab: Tests Chat Review Debugger Concept
Editor Unit Editor Editor Main Display Displays currently
selected/active tab. Dockable Window display Dockable windows
selected from View are displayed here. Status Bar Status of the
program is displayed here.
Menu Bar
[0135] The menu bar contains four dropdown menus: File, View,
Admin, and Help, which include the sub-menus illustrated in FIG. 5
and described in the following table:
TABLE-US-00003 Menu Selections File .fwdarw.New project opens a
Create New Project window .fwdarw.Open project opens a Browse
window to select an existing project (*.proj) file. .fwdarw.Close
project closes currently open project .fwdarw.Force Generate All
Fpml Loads all the FPML from the database associated with the open
project. .fwdarw.Generate Fpml (Changes Only) Loads only those
portions of the FPML database associated with the open project that
have been changed. View Each of the selections in the View menu
opens the dockable window of the same name. Admin
.fwdarw.Application Data opens the Application Editor window. Note:
you must have a project loaded in order to use this selection.
.fwdarw.Deployment .fwdarw.Deploy Fpml opens the Deploy Fpml
window. .fwdarw.Configure Deployment opens the Deployment
Configuration window. .fwdarw.Deploy to Content Management opens
the Deploy to Content Management window. .fwdarw.Generate
Deployment Files creates Agent configuration files independent of
deployment. Not needed when deploying. .fwdarw.Fpml Reports
.fwdarw.Fpml Statistics creates an Excel spreadsheet that includes
percentage passed of all Situation Groups, along with other
statistics. .fwdarw.Print Unit Prints all Units and their test
questions. .fwdarw.Manage Users opens the Manage Users window.
Note: You must have a project loaded in order to use this
selection. .fwdarw.Print Status .fwdarw.Set Print Status
.fwdarw.Test Sets the users print status to test.
.fwdarw.Production Sets the users print status to production.
.fwdarw.View Promotion Suggestions opens the Print Status window.
.fwdarw.Project Files opens the Project Files window.
.fwdarw.Remove Cached Files From Database removes all FPML files
that are cached for local use. .fwdarw.Text To Speech opens the
Text-To- Speech File Management window. .fwdarw.View/Edit Load
Order opens the Load Order window. .fwdarw.View Variable
Initialization And Setup opens the Variables window. Help
.fwdarw.About displays version information for the software.
[0136] All activity begins with the File menu.
Dockable Windows
[0137] The dockable windows are the set of windows normally
positioned on the right hand side of Active Lab, with each window
differentiated by its own tab at the bottom. All dockable windows
are opened and closed via the View menu. They may be docked on
either the right side of the screen or the top, or allowed to float
freely. When docked, multiple windows can be accessed through their
corresponding tabs. The following table describes the components
available through the dockable windows feature.
TABLE-US-00004 Component Description Building Blocks View
.fwdarw.Building Blocks opens or closes the Building Blocks
dockable window. This window displays all of the available Building
Blocks. Cascades View .fwdarw.Cascades opens or closes Cascades.
This window displays all the Vocab files, Concepts, and Units in
relationship to one another. Change Requests View .fwdarw.Change
Requests opens or closes Change Requests. This window allows the
user to view the change requests made over the duration of the
project's existence. Components View .fwdarw.Components opens or
closes Components. This window allows the user to view and change
all the Variables, Functions, AppCalls, and Record Lists that are
available for the project. Concepts View .fwdarw.Concepts opens or
closes Concepts. This window displays all of the Concepts within
their respective groups, and allows the user to edit existing
Concepts and create new Concepts and Concept Groups. Directives
View .fwdarw.Directives opens or closes Directives. This window
displays all of the available Units that are the top most Unit in a
directive. Dynamic Functions View .fwdarw.Dynamic Functions opens
or closes Dynamic Functions. This window displays all the Dynamic
Functions associated with the project, and allows the user to
create and edit them. Helper Terms View .fwdarw.Helper Terms opens
or closes Helper Terms. This window displays all of the available
Helper Terms, and allows the user to create and edit Helper Terms.
Input Files View .fwdarw.Input Files opens or closes Input Files.
This window displays all the input files associated with a given
project, and allows the user to create and edit them. Knowledge
Tree View .fwdarw.Knowledge Tree opens or closes Knowledge Tree.
This window allows the user to create a Knowledge Tree hierarchy to
organize Concepts and potential Concepts for personal organization
purposes. Lex Types View .fwdarw.Lex Types opens or closes Lex
Types. This window allows the user to view the lex types associated
with a given project. Resource Files View .fwdarw.Resource Files
opens or closes Recourse Files. This window allows the user to view
and edit all the resource files, or non FPML files, in the project.
Response Blocks View .fwdarw.Response Blocks opens or closes
Response Blocks. This window allows the user to view and manipulate
Response Blocks. Search Control View .fwdarw.Search Control opens
or closes Search Control. This window allows the user to search for
Units, Concepts, and Vocab by phrase, dependency, and name. Open by
Default Static Files View .fwdarw.Static Files opens or closes
Static Files. This window allows the user to view and manipulate
static files. Test Conditions View .fwdarw.Test Conditions opens or
closes Test Conditions. This window allows the user to manipulate
the value of Variables for the purposes of testing. Unit Search
View .fwdarw.Unit Search opens Unit Search. This window displays a
search view of all Units, and allows the user to search for Unit
responses by Concepts. Units View .fwdarw.Units opens or closes
Units. This window displays all of the available Units, and allows
the user to edit existing Units and create new Units. Unprintable
Items View .fwdarw.Unprintable Items opens or closes Unprintable
Items. This window displays those Vocab Terms, Concepts, and Units
that are unprintable, either by virtue of being blank, or because
of some error. Unused Items View .fwdarw.Unused Items opens or
closes Unused Items. This window displays items that are in the
database but not associated with the open project. Urls View
.fwdarw.Urls opens or closes Urls. This window displays all of the
available URLs, and allows the user to edit, create, and delete
URLs. Vocab View .fwdarw.Vocab opens or closes Vocab. This window
displays all of the Vocab Terms available in addition to all of
their constituent synonyms, and allows the user to edit existing
Vocab Terms and create new Vocab Terms. Wild Cards View
.fwdarw.Wild Cards opens or closes Wild Cards. This window provides
the user with access to Wild Cards. Web Links View .fwdarw.Web
Links opens or closes Web Links. This window displays all Web Links
associated with the project, and allows the user to create and edit
them.
Searches
[0138] Searches enable users to find Concepts and Units by words
occurring within their input patterns and/or responses (as
appropriate). This sub-section discusses the components of Search
and Unit Search. With respect to FIG. 6, the following describes
how search functionality works in accordance with one or more
embodiments. [0139] 1. Type in a word or phrase in the Search field
of the Search dockable window. [0140] 2. Press <Enter> or
click <Update>, which will add the phrase the "Phrases" tree
in the main window. [0141] 3. Repeat steps 1-2 as often as desired.
[0142] 4. Click <Search Now>. [0143] 5. The results will
appear in the top pane, organized by Unit, Concept, and Vocab.
[0144] Search contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00005 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <Back and Forward Navigation>:
Navigates between searches. <Edit>: Opens selected item for
editing. <Remove from Search>: Deletes selected phrase from
search criteria. <Search Now>: Executes search. <Clear
All>: Clears all phrases from search. Search Display Displays
search phrases, Vocab inside and outside of blocks, Building
Blocks, Helper Terms inside and outside of blocks, Concepts inside
and outside of blocks. Search Field Type search phrase here.
<Update> Adds search phrase to search.
[0145] With respect to performing a search, consider the following.
Searches in dockable windows only find text that appears in the
display names of individual items. Performing a search in a normal
dockable window uses the following procedure: [0146] 1. In the
dockable window's Search field, type in the desired text. [0147] 2.
Click <Search>. [0148] 3. The results will appear in the
display list highlighted in red.
[0149] Searching for text that occurs within the makeup of a
Concept or Unit requires the use of Search and Unit Search,
respectively.
[0150] To run a search for a Concept, use the following procedure:
[0151] 1. In Search, type a phrase in the Search field. [0152] 2.
Click <Update> to add the phrase to the search. [0153] 3.
Repeat steps 1 & 2 as often as desired. [0154] 4. Ensure that
the FPML for the project is up-to-date by clicking <Generate
FPML>. [0155] 5. Click <Search Now> to run the search for
all the phrases added to the search. Search results will appear in
the display.
[0156] To run a search for a Unit in the Unit Search dockable
window, use the following procedure: [0157] 1. In Unit Search
dockable window, type a Concept name into the Search field. This
will add the Concept to the Concepts display. [0158] 2. Select
either <Filter On Patterns> or <Filter On Units>.
[0159] 3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 as often as needed. [0160] 4.
Click <Search Units Containing Concepts>. [0161] 5. Results
appear in the Search Results display.
[0162] To run a search for a Unit in the Unit Search window, use
the following procedure: [0163] 1. In Unit Search, type a Concept
name or phrase into the Input field. [0164] 2. Select either
<Match All> or <Match Any>. [0165] 3. Repeat steps 1
& 2 as often as needed. [0166] 4. Click <Search>. [0167]
5. Results appear in the Units Containing Input Concepts and
Response Concepts displays.
Tabs
[0168] Active Lab's main window contains five main tabs, in
addition to the dockable windows described above. A brief
description of each can be found in the following table.
TABLE-US-00006 Tab Description Tests Allows the user to view the
status of all the tests in a given project, specifically those for
Units and Concepts. From this tab, the user may run all of the
tests at once. Debugger Allows the user to interact with the FPML,
and to view the causes of errors in Units, Concepts, and Vocab. The
debugger also displays match data for Vocab, Concepts, and Units.
Concept Editor Provides an interface for building and maintaining
Concepts, including test questions, input patterns, and components.
Units Editor Provides an interface for building and maintaining
Units, including test questions, input patterns, components and
responses. Editor Allows the user to create and edit lex files and
raw FPML.
Status Bar
[0169] The status bar, located at the bottom of the main window,
shows the operations currently being undertaken by the program, and
the current progress. An example of this is shown in FIG. 7.
[0170] The full utility of Active Lab comes when handling knowledge
bases (KBs). There are many things to take into consideration when
creating a KB, including defining the scope, domain, and
terminology surrounding the KB. Conversation directions should also
be laid out before creating the KB in Active Lab. Other
preparations vary depending on the specific KB. The section below
entitled "Project Management" provides additional information in
this regard. For information on modifying KBs directly, reference
should be made to the sections below entitled "Vocabulary",
"Concepts" and "Units".
Project Management
[0171] Each project represents an FPML knowledge base (KB) storage
configuration, which tells lab what databases to use for the KB
components, which comprise Units, Concepts, and Vocabulary. Active
Lab features many means by which the user can create, edit, view,
and manipulate aspects of a project. This section details the
configuration of KBs through the file menu options, the file menu,
searches, administrating a project, and cascades.
Projects
[0172] Projects serve as a collection of configuration information
for a KB, enabling the user to manipulate the KB through Active
Lab. Each project is connected to a database, where all of its
constituent components are stored. Multiple projects can work from
the same database.
[0173] Create New Project is accessed through the File menu by
selecting New Project. This window allows the user to specify the
foundational specifications of the project. Create New Project
contains two tabs: Project Info, and Chat Review. As an example,
consider FIG. 8 which shows an example "Create New Project"
Window". Create New Project contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00007 Component Description Tabs The following tabs are
provided to allow you to configure the project: Project Info Chat
Review <Create Project> Creates a project file with the
specified configurations. <Cancel> Closes the window without
creating a project.
[0174] Project Info allows you to set the basic parameters of the
project, including the name of the project, its local file
directory, the project's database connection settings, user
settings, and web server and subversion servers. Project Info
contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00008 Component Description Application Name This text
field contains the name of the project. Local File Directory This
field contains a text field displaying the location on your local
machine where the project`s FPML files will be stored.
<Browse> opens a Browse for Folder window, where you can
select the desired Local File Directory. Lex File Source This field
contains a text field displaying the location on your local machine
where the project`s lex file will be stored. <Browse> opens a
Browse for Folder window, where you can select the desired Local
File Directory. Database Connection Displays the following fields:
Database Type: This drop-down list indicates the type of database
the project will use: MsSqlServer PostgreSQL Server Name: This text
field contains the IP or DNS name of the server housing the
database. Database Name: This text field contains the name of the
database. User Name: This text field contains the user ID used to
connect to the database. Password: This text field contains the
password used with the User Name to connect to the database. Web
Server Path Will append all Url relative paths with Web Server
Path. This means that all Urls without a full path will have the
Web Server Path appended to the front of it. Text to Speech File
Share Location of Text-To-Speech files. <Create Project>
Creates the project <Cancel> Closes the Create New Project
window without creating the project.
[0175] The Chat Review tab of Create New Project stores the
location of Agent Chat Log databases. Chat Review contains the
following components:
TABLE-US-00009 Component Description Chat Servers This field
contains the following: Chat Servers display: List of chat servers
connected to Chat Review. <Delete>: Removes Chat Server from
list. Add Server This field contains the following: Display Name:
This text field contains the name of the chat server. <Add>:
Add new Chat Server Connection String: This text field contains the
connection string for the new server. Connection Provider: This
drop- down list provides selections for the connection provider of
the new server. Dialect: This drop-down list provides selections
for the dialect of the new server. Driver Class: This drop-down
list provides selections for the driver class of the new
server.
Project Files
[0176] The database that the Knowledge Base is created from can
have multiple projects associated with it. A project file is a file
that can point to either part of or all of the database. When
multiple users use identical project files, all those users will be
working on the same part of the database (also known as the same
project) at the same time.
[0177] The Project Files window, accessed from the
dropdown.fwdarw.Admin.fwdarw.Project Files, can be used to access
all the different projects that have been saved in the database.
When a user has already has a project open, this window will be
filled out when opened. Clicking <Connect> will display all
project files associated with the database. These project files can
then be downloaded by highlighting them and clicking
<Download>.
[0178] Currently, most projects are stored on the same server with
identical passwords. This means that if a user has a project open,
they can view the project files of a different database simply by
changing Database Name field and clicking <Connect>. With
respect to the Project Files window, consider the following in
connection with FIG. 10.
TABLE-US-00010 Component Description Database to Search This field
has the following components: Server field: Contains the IP address
where the database is stored. Defaults to address of the current
project. Database Name field: Contains the name of the project.
Default to current project. Database User Name field: Contains the
name of the user name needed to access the database. Default to
current project. Database Password field: Contains the password
needed to access the database. Default to current project. Database
Type dropdown: Chooses from the available database types:
MsSQLServer PostgreSQL <Connect>: Connects to the server and
brings up all available projects. Application Field displays the
name of the application associated with project selected in Project
Files display. Project Files Display Shows all project files saved
on the database. There are two icons that will appear: Project File
No Project Files Found In Database Download Downloads selected
project to a local site.
Application Data
[0179] Application data can be viewed by selecting Application Data
from the Admin menu. This selection opens up Application Editor,
which displays the project name, the version of the project, and
the lex file associated with it. Once a project has been opened,
you can view and change parts of the configuration through
Application Editor, as well as copy projects to and from the
database. AS an example, consider the following in connection with
FIG. 11. Application Editor has the following components:
TABLE-US-00011 Component Description Name Name of the project
Version Version of the project. Approval Mode This dropdown sets
the approval mode for the project. On Off File Name Name of the
associated lex file. This field also contains the following button:
<Load File>: This button opens a Browse window to select a
lex file for the project. Project File Sets project file to be
saved in the database: <Project File is Saved in Database>:
check box that shows whether the project file is currently saved in
the database. <Upload File>: This button opens a Browse
window to select a project file. Chosen project file will be saved
to the database as a Project File associated with that database.
<Download>: This button opens a Browse window to save the
project file to a local location. <Save> Saves changes.
<Cancel> Cancels changes.
Manage Users
[0180] Selecting Manage Users from the Admin menu opens the Manage
Users window, which allows a user to view and edit user
information, specifically display name, login name, password, and
user type. With respect to Manage Users, consider the following in
connection with FIG. 12. Manage Users contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00012 Components Description Edit User This field contains
the following: User Login: Login name of selected user. Display
Name: Display name of selected user. Password: Selected user`s
password. <Change>: Changes selected user`s password. User
Type: Drop-down list selects user`s type. <Save>: Saves
changes to selected user`s properties. <Cancel>: Cancels
changes made to selected user`s properties. Operations This field
contains the following: <Add User>: Adds new user to Users.
<Edit User>: Edits selected user. <Delete User>:
Deletes selected user. <Reset Password>: Resets selected
user`s password. Users Display lists all users, with display name,
login name, and user type.
Deployment
[0181] Deployment is the process of moving all the FPML files
associated with the project from a user's local copy to another
location, usually to a test or production server. To configure the
deployment, select Deployment.fwdarw.Configure Deployment from the
Admin menu. This will open the Deployment Configuration window. The
user can select a means by which the test environment manager can
be notified of changes to the FPML. The files may be transferred
either by direct e-mail to the test environment manager, or by
copying the files to a shared directory. With respect to a Deploy
FPML Window, consider the following in connection with FIG. 13.
Deploy Fpml contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00013 Component Desscription Change Version Changes the
version number of the project Deployment Settings Display of Email
server, Email list, Notification list, and copy directory.
Regenerate All Files If selected, all files are regenerated with
each update. <Edit Configuration> Edits deployment
configuration. Deployment Status Display of deployment. Can be
edited by clicking in the window. <Deploy> Deploys the FPML
to directory selected in the Deployment Configuration window.
<Close> Closes Window
[0182] A Deployment Configuration Window allows the user to set up
the deployment configuration. This includes the destination folder,
email settings, and whether to include copies or Text-to-Speech.
With respect to this window, consider the following in connection
with FIG. 14. Deployment Configuration contains four tabs across
the top of the window (described in the table just below): Copy
Files, Email, Run External Program, and Commit To Subversion.
TABLE-US-00014 Component Description Copy Files This tab contains
the following items: Enable Copy Files: If checked, will activate
file copy for deployment. If unchecked, this tab will be grayed
out. Deployment Destination Folder: Folder where FPML files will be
copied into when deployed. <Browse> Opens Browse window to
find a shared directory. Choose FPML Files To Copy: <Create and
Copy Zip File> radio button: if selected, files will be copied
in compressed (*.zip) format. Zip File Name: Type name of (*.zip)
file here. <Copy Project Folder> radio button: If selected,
files copied uncompressed. Text-To-Speech: If check box Copy
Text-To-Speech File Share With Deployment: If selected, all
Text-to-Speech files will be included in the deployment. Create
Deployment Log File: If check box Create Deployment Log File is
selected, a log file will be generated in the deployment. Email
This tab contains the following items: Server Name: Name of the
email server from which the deployment will be sent. Contact your
system administrator for more details. Email From: E-mail address
deployment notifications will come from. Email Address List: Input
field for all the e-mail addresses that will be notified when the
project is deployed, one address per line. Attach Deployment Files
With Email: If selected, this option sends the updated files to the
users in the Address List as an attached .zip file. Default: Not
selected. Run External Program This tab contains the following
items: Choose Program To Run: Type name of program that will run
when FPML deployment is complete. <Browse> Opens Browse
window to find file. Commit To Subversion This tab contains the
following items: Commit Deployed Files to SVN: Check box that
indicates whether the deployed files will be committed to
Subversion, a file management program. Fpml Service Url: Location
of Web Service that manages the FPML and SVN integration.
<Save> Saves deployment configuration. <Cancel> Closes
window without saving deployment configuration.
FPML Reports
[0183] Active Lab has functionality that creates documents that may
be useful to the user. In one or more embodiments, there are two
documents that Active Lab can create: FPML Statistics which is an
Excel.RTM. spreadsheet displaying the percentage statistics of Unit
test questions and Print Units which is an Excel.RTM. spreadsheet
displaying all the Units along with their respective test
questions.
[0184] To create the FPML Statistics spreadsheet, follow these
procedures in connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 15:
[0185] 1. Open FPML Statistics window by following
Admin.fwdarw.FPML Reports.fwdarw.Fpml Statistics. [0186] 2. Type in
destination folder and name of file to be created. [0187] 3. Select
destination folder and document name by typing in Report File
field, or by clicking <Browse> to open a browse window to
find a destination folder. [0188] 4. Select Print Status of Test,
Production, or InActive. [0189] 5. Click <Generate> to create
file.
[0190] FPML Statistics contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00015 Component Description Report File Type destination
folder and document name here. <Browse> Opens Browse window
to find a directory. Print Status Contains three options:
Production Test InActive <Print All Test> Check to have all
Unit tests from project printed in the document. <Generate>
Click to create the document <Close> Closes window without
creating the document.
[0191] To create the FPML Units spreadsheet, follow these
procedures in connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 16:
[0192] 1. Open Print Units window by following Admin.fwdarw.FPML
Reports.fwdarw.Print Units. [0193] 2. Select Print Status of Test,
Production, or InActive. [0194] 3. Select destination folder and
document name by typing in Output File field, or by clicking
<Browse> to open a browse window to find a destination
folder. [0195] 4. Click <Generate>
[0196] Print Units contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00016 Component Description Print Status Contains three
options: Production Test InActive Output File Type destination
folder and document name here. <Browse> Opens Browse window
to find a directory. <Generate> Click to create the document
<Close> Closes window without creating the document.
Text to Speech Management
[0197] Text-To-Speech (TTS) refers to the ability to translate
on-screen text into audio speech. TTS files can be generated
automatically, or can be pre-recorded voice files. The
Text-To-Speech File Management window allows the user to easily
manage importing large sets of TTS files.
[0198] Text-To-Speech File Management is accessed by selecting
Text-To-Speech from Admin as indicated in the user interface of
FIG. 17. Text-To-Speech File Management includes an overview
section and five tabs as described below:
TABLE-US-00017 Component Description TTS Overview This section
displays statistics regarding the status of Text-to-Speech files
for Units within the project Change Requests: Number of changed
responses needing new TTS files. Delete Requests: Number of TTS
files no longer used. TTS File Needed: Number of responses still
needing TTS files. Missing TTS File: Number of items that have an
assigned TTS file, but the file cannot be located. <Refresh>:
Refreshes TTS Overview display. Import Files This tab allows the
user to import and attach pre-recorded voice files to the project.
Excel Import File: The file path to the spreadsheet that identifies
Units with corresponding audio files. The spreadsheet must be saved
as an XML file. Location of New Audio Files: Directory where the
audio files are saved. <Browse>: Allows user to navigate to
the particular file or directory location. <Start Import>:
Executes the import of the audio files. Status: Shows the results
of the import. Delete File Requests This tab allows the user to
delete audio files that are no longer used. <Show Delete File
Requests>: Executes a search for all audio files that are no
longer assigned to a Unit. <Clear List in Database>: Clears
the references to deleted files from the database. <Delete Files
From Share>: Deletes the actual audio files from the shared
directories. Display: Shows the unused audio files to be deleted.
Change File Requests This tab allows the users to create an XML
file showing the Units with responses that have changed since the
last audio recording. <Dump Change Requests to Xml File>:
Creates an XML file that can be opened in Excel listing the Units
with changed responses. Status: Shows progress and results of the
file export. New File Requests This tab allows the user to send the
new requests to an Excel spreadsheet <Dump New Requests to
Excel>: Creates an XML file that can be opened in Excel that
lists all of the new Units added since the last time TTS files were
imported. Once updated with the audio file names, this file can
become the import file. Status: Shows the progress and results of
the file export. Missing TTS Files This tab allows the users to
view items that have an assigned audio file, but the file cannot be
found for some reason. <View Missing Files>: Executes the
search for missing files. Display: Shows the results of the missing
file search.
Cascades
[0199] A cascade represents a single function of the Context IQ
Engine (CIE). Each cascade takes an input, processes that input
through the CIE, and then gives an output.
[0200] The order that the cascades are listed is very important
because many cascades only take the output of previous cascades.
When an input is received, it is processed through all cascades in
the order listed on the View/Edit Load Order window. There are many
different types of cascades, some of which are unique to a
project.
[0201] When it comes to Concepts and Units in particular, there are
two types of outputs that are very important: One is called "Match
All" and the other is called "Best Match." A cascade that is set to
"Match All" will output all matches to the input pattern that is
received. A cascade that is set to "Best Match" will only have one
output, which is calculated by the CIE based on the highest scoring
pattern. If there is a tie in a "Best Match" cascade, then the
output will be the last item that was calculated.
[0202] Concepts Groups can be set to either "Match All" or "Best
Match" depending on the user. The majority of Concepts are usually
set into "Match All" cascades, because Units take the input of
multiple Concepts. Concepts are usually set into "Best Match"
cascades when their patterns are so similar that they almost always
triggered at the same time.
[0203] As an example, consider the following two Concepts--Home
Equity and Home Equity Loan. The first Concept will always trigger
because it will contain patterns that are also in the second
Concept, therefore they should be put in their own "Best Match"
cascade so only one can be outputted.
[0204] Units must always be assigned to "Best Match" cascades. The
reason for this is because the output of a Unit is a response. This
way, when an input is received, only one response is outputted.
[0205] Vocab is processed through the Context IQ Engine using
cascades that only do substitution: it takes in a synonym replaces
it with the name of its corresponding Vocab Term. This usually
needs to be done three times for full effectiveness: the first time
called the Pre-Vocab cascade where contractions are separated into
separate words; the second time called the Vocab cascade where
Vocab Terms are substituted for words; and a third time called the
Post-Vocab cascade where multiple Vocab Term phrases are combined
into single Vocab Terms, mainly for use in compound words.
[0206] The Cascades dockable window, shown in FIG. 18, is where
cascades are created and the type of output for cascades are
determined. A user can also move items between cascades in this
window. Cascades contain the following components:
TABLE-US-00018 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Adds new cascade.
<Edit>: Edits selected cascade. <Delete>: Deletes
selected cascade from the project. <View/Modify Order>: Opens
View/Edit Load Order window. <Refresh>: Refreshes Cascades
display. <New Window>: Opens copy of current window.
<Collapse All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All>
Expands entire tree. <Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates
between searches. Cascades Display list of all available cascades
and their constituents. Cascades are represented thusly: Cascade
type Cascade Group Search Tree This field contains the following:
Input Text Field: Searches cascades for specific text.
<Search>: Executes search. <Search Options>: Opens
Search Options window. Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits search to
complete word matches.
[0207] Cascades are organized by type. In Cascade Group Type, shown
in FIG. 19, the user may edit the name, match type, response,
behavior, pre-process action, and level settings. Cascade Group
Type contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00019 Component Description Name Text input field for the
name of the group type. Match Type Drop-down list allows for
selection of match type. Choose from the following: Best: only
output highest scoring match. All: output all pattern matches.
Response Drop-down list allows for selection of response from the
following: Standard (Default) Concept Final Can_final Behavior
Drop-down list allows for selection of behavior from the following:
Normal (Default) Recursive Search_replace Stacked_cascades
Ignore_cascades Pre-Process Action Drop-down list allows for
selection of the pre- process action from the following: Return
(Default) Internal Can_final Pre_pass_through Domain Object Type
Drop-down list allows selection of what type of object can inserted
into the cascade group: All Units Concepts Vocab DynamicFunctions
DynamicFunctionsBestMatch DynamicFunctionsMatchAll
DynamicFunctionsSearchAndReplace Level This field contains the
following: Enable Levels checkbox: this should only be used for
cascades housing dynamic functions. Levels: this drop-down list
allows for the selection of levels. <Save> Saves settings and
closes window. <Cancel> Closes window without saving
settings.
[0208] Cascade Groups represent the primary grouping of all
components of a KB. Cascade Group, as shown in the user interface
of FIG. 20, allows the user to give the cascade group a name, the
type of cascade it will be, as well as its print order. Cascade
Group contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00020 Component Description Name Text input field for the
name of the cascade Type Drop-down list for selection of cascade
type. Choose from any cascade group created for the project. Print
Status Set Print Status of the cascade to one of three options:
Production Test InActive Print Order Print order of the cascade.
This affects when its components will trigger in relation to the
other cascades. <Save> Saves settings and closes window.
<Cancel> Closes window without saving settings.
Load Order
[0209] Selecting View/Edit Load Order from the Admin menu opens the
Application Load Order window as shown in FIG. 21. Load Order
determines what order static files and cascades are processed when
an input is received. This window allows the user to drag and drop
Vocab, Unit, and Concept Groups into different cascades. This
ordering is very important because some cascades take the input of
what other cascades output. Application Load Order has the
following components:
TABLE-US-00021 Component Description <Remove Selected Item
Removes the highlighted from the project. From application>
<Save> Saves any changes to load order and closes the window.
<Refresh> Refreshes window. <New Window> Opens new
Application Load Order window. <Collapse All> Collapses tree
to smallest size. <Expand All> Expands tree to maximum size.
Main Window Tree view of all items in the project in their load
order.
Unused Items
[0210] An Unused Item is an item contained in the database, but not
used in the current project. This can occur in many ways: newly
created projects that point to an existing database will show all
the items in that database as unused; and groups of Vocab, Units,
and Concepts can be removed from a project, but not from the
database, so they can be available for other projects.
[0211] In the Unused Items dockable window, as shown in FIG. 22,
the user can view all items in the database that are not included
in the existing project. This window also allows these items to be
added to the current project by selecting.fwdarw.Add To Application
from the right-click menu. The Unused Items dockable window
contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00022 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Edit>: Edits selected item.
<Delete>: Deletes selected item. <Show Dependencies>:
Note: Currently not supported. <Refresh>: Refreshes Unused
Items display. <New Window>: Opens copy of current window.
<Collapse All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All>
Expands entire tree. <Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates
between searches. Unused Items Displays all items in the database
not used by the current project. The following is a list of all the
different possible Unused Item types. Vocab Groups Vocab Terms
Concept Groups Concepts Situation Group Units Static Files Input
Files Cascades Resource Files Search Tree This field contains the
following: Input Text Field: Searches cascades for specific text.
<Search>: Executes search. <Search Options>: Opens
Search Options window. Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits search to
complete word matches. Right-Click Menu Unused Items contains the
following right-click menu: .fwdarw.Edit: Open edit window
corresponding selected item. .fwdarw.Delete: Delete selected item
from the database. .fwdarw.Add To Application: Adds selected item
to the current project. Item will appear in its corresponding
dockable window.
Resource Files
[0212] The Resource Files dockable window, as shown in FIG. 23,
allows the user to view and edit all the Resource Files, or
non-FPML files, in the project. The Resource Files dockable window
contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00023 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Opens Resource File Editor.
<Edit>: Opens selected Resource file in Editor tab.
<Delete>: Deletes selected Resource File. <Browse For
Folder>: Opens a Browse window to search for Resource Files.
<Refresh>: Refreshes Resource Files display. <New
Window>: Opens copy of current window. <Collapse All>
Collapses entire tree. <Expand All> Expands entire tree.
<Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates between searches.
Resource Files Displays all Resource Files in the project. Resource
Files Search Tree This field contains the following: Input Text
Field: Searches cascades for specific text. <Search>:
Executes search. <Search Options>: Opens Search Options
window. Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits search to complete word
matches. Right-Click Menu Resource Files contains the following
right-click menu: .fwdarw.Add .fwdarw.Resource File: Opens Resource
File Editor. .fwdarw.Directory: Opens Browse window to search for
new Resource File .fwdarw.Edit Properties: Opens Resource File
Editor. File Contents: Opens selected Resource File in Editor tab.
.fwdarw.Delete: Delete selected file. .fwdarw.Remove From
Application: Removes selected file from current project, but does
not delete it from the database. .fwdarw.Show Applications:
Displays all application that use selected file. .fwdarw.Replace
Text .fwdarw.Replace In All Files: Opens Replace Text window.
Managing Projects
[0213] This section provides detailed instructions for creating
projects and interacting with the project management tools. To
create a new project, use the following procedure in connection
with the user interfaces shown in FIGS. 24 and 25: [0214] 1. Select
File.fwdarw.New Project to open a Create New Project window. [0215]
2. Type the Application Name. [0216] 3. Click <Browse> under
Local File Directory to select a local directory where the FPML
files will be generated, or type the path in the Local File
Directory text field. [0217] 4. Click <Browse> under Lex
Field Source to select a local directory where the lex file will be
found, or type the path in the Local File Directory text field.
[0218] 5. Configure the Database Connection as follows: [0219] a.
Select the Database Type from the drop-down menu [0220] b. Type in
the Server Name in the appropriate field. [0221] c. Type in the
Database Name in the appropriate field. [0222] d. Type in the User
Name of your choice in the appropriate field. [0223] e. Type in the
Password. [0224] 6. Type in the Web Server Path or skip to step 6.
[0225] 7. Type in the Subversion Service or skip to step 7. [0226]
8. Click on Chat Review or skip to step 9. [0227] 9. Configure the
Chat Review as follows: [0228] a. Type in the Display Name of the
chat server. [0229] b. Type in the Connection String of the chat
server. [0230] c. Select the Connection Provider for the chat
server. [0231] d. Select the Dialect for the chat server. [0232] e.
Select the Driver for the chat server. [0233] f. Click <Add>.
[0234] g. Repeat steps a-g for each chat server to be added. [0235]
10. Click <Create Project> to open the new project, or click
<Cancel> to exit the Create New Project window without
creating a new project.
[0236] To opening an existing project, using the user interface of
FIG. 24, complete the following actions: [0237] 1. Select
File.fwdarw.Open Project [0238] 2. Browse for the project (*.proj)
you want to open. [0239] 3. Click <Open> to open the selected
project, or click <Cancel> to continue without opening a
project.
[0240] Within Active Lab, configuration settings that may be
changed are found in Application Editor. To change these
configurations, use the following procedure: [0241] 1. Select
Application Data from the Admin menu to open Application Editor.
[0242] 2. Make any changes desired to the Name or skip to step 3.
[0243] 3. Make any changes desired to the Version or skip to step
4. [0244] 4. Make any changes desired to the Approval Mode or skip
to step 5. [0245] 5. Change the lex file using the following
procedure or skip to step 6. [0246] a. Click <Load File> to
open a Browse window. [0247] b. Browse to the desired location and
select the lex file. [0248] c. Click <Open>. [0249] 6. Click
<Upload File> to open a Browse window that will select an
existing project or skip to step 7. [0250] 7. Click <Download
File> to open a Browse window to save the project as a (*.proj)
file in selected directory or skip to step 8. [0251] 8. Click
<Save> to close the window and save changes OR click
<Cancel> to close the window without saving changes.
[0252] Project deployment involves sending the project files from
one location to another, usually from the user's local hard drive
to a test or production environment. There are two methods of
deployment: by email or by copying the project files to a shared
directory. You may select one or both of these methods as the
situation warrants.
[0253] Before deploying a project, the following steps can be used
to ensure a stable set. [0254] 1. Click <Generate All FPML>
or select.fwdarw.File.fwdarw.Force Generate All FPML. [0255] 2.
Wait for FPML generation to complete. [0256] 3. Close Active Lab.
[0257] 4. Reopen Active Lab. [0258] 5. Open the project by
selecting File.fwdarw.Open Project and browsing to project
file.
[0259] Once the above steps have been completed, it is very
important not to do any other activity in Active Lab before you
deploy, or it may interfere with the deployment. This means that
after opening the project, you continue directly to the following
steps, without doing any other activity. [0260] 1. Select
Admin.fwdarw.Deployment.fwdarw.Deploy FPML open Deploy FPML window
as shown in FIG. 26. [0261] 2. Click <Change Version> to open
Application Editor (FIG. 27). [0262] 3. Edit Version field to
desired number.
[0263] Click <Save>. Window will close. [0264] 4. Return to
Deploy FPML window. [0265] 5. Click <Edit Configuration> to
open Deployment Configuration window (FIG. 28) or skip to step 24.
[0266] 6. Click <Enable Copy Files> to deploy to a shared
directory, or skip to step 12. [0267] 7. Type or browse to the
Deployment Destination Folder of your choice. This is where the
deployed files will be copied. [0268] 8. Select Create and Copy Zip
File or Copy Project Folder. [0269] a. If Create and Copy Zip File
is selected, enter Zip File Name in appropriate field. [0270] 9.
Select Copy Text-To-Speech File Share With Deployment (Optional).
[0271] 10. Select Create Deployment Log File (Optional). [0272] 11.
Click Email tab (FIG. 29) or skip to step 18. [0273] 12. Type the
Server Name in the first field. This should be your local network
email server. [0274] 13. Type the e-mail address the e-mail will
originate from in the second field. [0275] 14. Type in the email
address to which the pertinent files will be sent in the Email
Address List. [0276] 15. Repeat step 10 as often as desired, one
address per line. [0277] 16. Select Attach Deployment Files With
Email to ensure that the files will be sent. If this is not
selected, the addresses listed will only receive a notification.
[0278] 17. Click Run External Program tab (FIG. 30) or skip to step
20. [0279] 18. Type in or browse to appropriate file. [0280] 19.
Click Commit To Subversion tab or skip to step 22. [0281] 20. Click
<Commit Deployed Files to SVN>. (Optional) [0282] 21. Click
<Save> to close the window and save the deployment settings.
The window will close [0283] 22. Return to Deploy FPML window.
[0284] 23. Examine the Deployment Settings to ensure that all is in
order. [0285] 24. Examine Deployment Status. If it reads "Ready To
Deploy," click <Deploy>.
Creating a List of Units Requiring Audio Files
[0286] When the Unit responses have been finalized, one can
generate a spreadsheet of the ones requiring new audio files. If
you have previously imported voice files, this will be a two step
process. First, generate a list of new requests; and secondly,
generate a list of responses changed since the last recording.
[0287] New Requests: [0288] 1. Admin.fwdarw.Text-To-Speech to open
Text-To-Speech File Management. [0289] 2. Click on New File
Requests tab [0290] 3. Click <Dump New Requests to Excel>.
[0291] 4. Click <OK> in response to the "Please Choose an xml
file" window. [0292] 5. In the Save As window, choose a name and
location for the file. Click <Save>. [0293] 6. The file will
be created and the results displayed in the Status field.
[0294] Changed Responses: [0295] 1. Admin.fwdarw.Text-To-Speech to
open Text-To-Speech File Management. [0296] 2. Click on Change File
Requests tab [0297] 3. Click <Dump Change Requests to Xml
File>. [0298] 4. Click <OK> in response to the "Please
Choose an xml file" window. [0299] 5. In the Save As window, choose
a name and location for the file. Click <Save>. [0300] 6. The
file will be created and the results displayed in the Status
field.
[0301] When updated with the names of the audio files, these
spreadsheets can be used as TTS import files.
Vocabulary
[0302] Active Lab uses vocabulary to allow the user a way to define
important terms in a project as well as group synonyms together in
order to streamline the Concept, Unit building, and maintenance
process. This section contains a description of the details and
principles surrounding vocabulary as well as instructions on
creating and maintaining vocabulary within Active Lab.
[0303] Vocabulary is at the core of defining a Knowledge Base.
Concepts and Units build on the foundation of vocabulary. The
purpose of vocabulary is to group synonymous words together to be
used in formulating input patterns for Concepts and Units.
Vocabulary also vastly streamlines the maintenance involved in
managing a KB.
[0304] The way that vocabulary is streamlined in the KB is by
grouping synonyms together under a single label, called a Vocab
Term. Synonyms can include any unambiguous synonyms, misspellings,
tenses, pluralities, and/or possessive forms. Together, a list of
Synonyms and its corresponding Vocab Term are known as a Vocab.
[0305] Vocab functions as a substitution algorithm: when a word is
entered, it is substituted for its corresponding Vocab Term. This
way, only the Vocab Term needs to be used when creating patterns
later on. Vocab Terms are organized into Vocab Groups, mainly for
organizational purposes. Vocab Groups can then be assigned to
different cascades. Vocab is primarily viewed in the Vocab dockable
window (See FIG. 31), which allows the user to view all the Vocab
Terms associated with the currently open project.
[0306] The Vocab dockable window contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00024 Component Description Button Bar The button row
contains the following buttons: <Add>: Adds new Vocab Term.
<Edit>: Opens Vocab Editor with selected term loaded.
<Delete>: Deletes the selected Vocab Term, and all of its
synonyms from the project. <Show Dependencies>: Shows the
Concepts and Building Blocks that use the selected Vocab Term.
<Refresh>: Refreshes Vocab display and collapses open groups.
<New Window>: Opens copy of current window. <Collapse
All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All> Expands entire
tree. <Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates between
searches. Vocab display tree This tree shows vocabulary organized
as follows: Vocab Group Vocab Term Synonym Expand and Collapse:
these expand and collapse Vocab Groups to show Vocab Terms, and
Vocab Terms to show synonyms. Search Tree This field contains the
following: Input Text Field: Searches cascades for specific text.
<Search>: Executes search. <Search Options>: Opens
Search Options window. Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits search to
complete word matches.
[0307] The Vocab dockable window has three different right-click
menus (shown in FIG. 32) that appear, based on whether one
right-clicks on the Vocab Group, Vocab Term, or Synonym. The
following selections are available:
TABLE-US-00025 Selection Description Add .fwdarw.Vocab Group: opens
Add New Vocab Group. .fwdarw.Vocab Term: opens Vocab Editor.
.fwdarw.Synonym: Opens Vocab Editor with highlighted Vocab loaded.
Edit Opens selected item for editing in its respective window.
Delete Deletes selected item from the project. Show Applications
Shows all applications that use selected (Vocab Group only) Vocab
Group. Remove From Application Removes selected Vocab Group from
(Vocab Group only) current project. Vocab Group can now be found in
Unused Items. Show Dependencies Shows all Concepts and Building
Blocks (Vocab Term only) using the term. Create Concept Creates a
Concept in the Concept tab using current Vocab Term. View File
Views FPML file containing current Vocab Term in the Edit tab.
[0308] Vocab Groups are sets of Vocab Terms that are categorically
similar. For instance, the Vocab Terms "dog," "cat," and "parrot"
might be placed in a Vocab Group called "animals." Vocab Groups are
used to simplify Vocab management within cascades and projects.
Individual groups can be added and removed from projects, and can
be moved around, in, and between cascades. Each Vocab Term can only
belong to one Vocab Group.
[0309] The Add New Vocab Group window (FIG. 33) consists of the
following components:
TABLE-US-00026 Component Description Group The desired group name.
Required Check to assign Vocab Group to a cascade. Cascade Group
The desired cascade group. <OK> Confirms Vocab Group
creation. <Cancel> Closes window without creating new
group.
[0310] Vocab Terms are used to simplify maintenance of Concepts and
Units by converting all synonymous words into a single term. Thus,
Vocab Terms act as a form of substitution. In cases of ambiguous
synonyms, create two separate Vocab Terms to be placed in a
Building Block together later on. Vocab Terms are created via the
Vocab Editor (See FIG. 34), which is accessed by either
right-clicking in Vocab or by clicking <Add> in Vocab. The
following are components found in the Vocab Editor window:
TABLE-US-00027 Component Function Group Drop-down list for the
group to which the term will belong. Vocab Term This field contains
the following components: Button Row: Contains <Add>: adds
term to Vocab Group. <Edit>: edits natural language or term.
<Show Dependencies>: Shows all Concepts and Building Blocks
in which the term appears. Natural Language: Text field for the
word as it would appear in natural language. Term: Text field for
the term as it is listed in Vocab. Typically, this ends in "-vocab"
("help" would be "helpvocab"). Add Plural Forms: Selection, if
checked, adds all terms synonyms with an "s" on the end. Default:
not selected. Add Possessive Forms: Selection, if checked, adds a
version of each synonym ending in "`s." Synonyms tab This field
contains the following: Display: list of all manually typed
synonyms in the term. Input Field for the entry of synonyms.
<Add>: Adds synonym to term. <Update>: Makes changes to
selected synonym. <Delete>: Deletes selected synonym.
<Cancel>: Cancels changes made to synonym. Comments tab This
field contains the following: Display: The current comment for the
Vocab. The comments display will be marked with one of the
following icons: Currently no comments. Comments exist for this
vocab. The following buttons are used: <Save Comments>: Save
current comments. <Clear Comments>: clears all comments.
<Close> Closes the Vocab Editor window.
[0311] Helper Terms are commonly used words and phrases that are
used to build sentences, and have no synonyms or common
misspellings, such as "is," "or," or "but." Helper Terms are also
used for words that should not be made into Vocab, especially those
that are only necessary for a single Concept or Unit. Some
names/proper nouns that you want to reuse in response may be used
as Helper Terms. Helper Terms can be used anywhere Vocab is used,
and also directly in Units. The Helper Terms dockable window is
shown in FIG. 35 and includes the following components:
TABLE-US-00028 Component Description Button Row Row of buttons
contains: <Add>: Add new Helper Term. <Edit>: Opens
Edit Helper Term with selected Helper Term loaded. <Delete>:
Deletes selected Helper Term from the project. <Show
Dependencies>: Shows all Concepts and Units that use selected
Helper Term. <Refresh>: Reloads Helper Terms display. <New
Window>: Opens copy of current window. <Collapse All>
Collapses entire tree. <Expand All> Expands entire tree.
<Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates between searches.
Display List of all Helper Terms defined in the project. Search
Tree This field contains the following: Input Text Field: Searches
cascades for specific text. <Search>: Executes search.
<Search Options>: Opens Search Options window. Whole Word
Only Checkbox: Limits search to complete word matches.
[0312] The Add New Helper Term and Edit Helper Term windows (see
FIG. 36) both contain the following components:
TABLE-US-00029 Component Description Term field Helper Term name
<OK> Confirms creation or change of Helper Term
<Cancel> Closes window without creating or editing Helper
Term.
[0313] Building Blocks serve as a means to group related Vocab and
Helper Terms and Concepts together. There are two types of Building
Blocks: Standard and Phrase.
[0314] Standard Building Blocks provide a useful means for
associating terms or Concepts that are commonly though not always
related to one another, specifically ambiguous Vocab, or words with
multiple meanings based on context, such as "arm," which can mean a
part of the body or to ready a weapon.
[0315] Phrase Building Blocks are used to group short patterns of
Vocab and/or Helper Terms together in a particular order. When a
phrase Building Block is used in an input pattern, that pattern
will only trigger when an input is received that exactly matches
the order, from top to bottom, that is listed in the Building
Block.
[0316] Building Blocks composed of Concepts are represented by a
first type of icon, while those composed of Vocab Terms are
represented by a second type of icon. Vocab and Helper Term
Building Blocks can be used in Concept input patterns, while
Concept Building Blocks can be used in Unit input patterns.
[0317] Building Blocks can be nested. This means that Building
Blocks can be used to make other Building Blocks. Building Blocks
has a dockable window shown in FIG. 37 and contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00030 Component Description Button Row Contains the
following buttons: <Add>: Opens Building Block Editor.
<Edit>: Opens Building Block Editor with selected Building
Block loaded. <Delete>: Deletes selected Building Block.
<Show Dependencies>: Shows all Concepts or Units in which the
selected Building Block appears. <Refresh>: Reloads Building
Blocks display. <New Window>: Opens copy of current window.
<Collapse All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All>
Expands entire tree. <Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates
between searches. Display Lists Building Blocks and their
constituent parts. Search Tree This field contains the following:
Input Text Field: Searches cascades for specific text.
<Search>: Executes search. <Search Options>: Opens
Search Options window. Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits search to
complete word matches.
[0318] Building Block Editor (FIG. 38) allows the user to create
new standard and phrase Building Blocks, populate it with
pre-existing Vocab, Helper Terms, and Concepts, and edit its
contents. The Building Block Editor contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00031 Component Description Building Block This field
contains the following: Name: Text field for Building Block name.
Type: Choose type of building block: Standard Phrase Button Row:
Contains the following buttons: <Add>: Adds the Building
Block to the project. <Edit Name>: Updates changes to the
name. <Show Dependencies>: Shows all Concepts and Units that
use the Building Block. Terms Contains the following: Display: List
of Vocab Terms, Helper Terms, and/or Concepts in the Building
Block. This field contains the following: Name: Text field for
Building Block name. <Remove Component>: Deletes selected
term from the current Building Block. <Edit Term>: Edit
selected item in its own pop up window. <Show Term
Dependencies>: Shows dependencies of selected term in pop up
window. <Show Term In Main Window>: Display selected term in
its corresponding dockable window. <Move Up/Down>: Move term
up or down relative to the other terms in the Building Block. Only
available for Building Block phrases. Search Same as Search
dockable window. <Close> Closes window.
Managing Vocabulary
[0319] This section describes how to create, edit, and delete Vocab
Groups, Vocab Terms, Helper Terms, and Building Blocks. Creating a
Vocab Group can be performed in the following way. [0320] 1. In the
Vocab dockable window, right click anywhere and select
Add.fwdarw.New Vocab Group to open the Add New Vocab Group window
(FIG. 39). [0321] 2. In the Add New Vocab Group window, enter a
name for the group in the Group field. [0322] 3. Select the
appropriate cascade group from the Cascades Group drop-down menu.
Note: for Vocab Groups, the selection should end in "vocab". Most
words will be found in the General_Vocabulary cascade. [0323] 4.
Click the <OK> button to add the Vocab Group to the database
OR click <Cancel> to continue without adding the Vocab Group
to the database.
[0324] Because Vocab Groups are shared across projects that share
the same database, deleting a Vocab Group from the database affects
the functionality of all projects attached to it. For this reason,
it is best to remove the group from the project rather than
deleting it from the database. Note: Vocab Groups may only be
removed if they have no dependencies. To remove a Vocab Group from
a project, use the following procedure: [0325] 1. In Vocab,
right-click on the desired Vocab Group and select Remove From
Application. [0326] 2. The group will disappear from the list.
[0327] As noted above, it is generally not recommended to delete
Vocab Groups. However, should it be necessary to delete a Vocab
Group from the database altogether, use the following procedure:
[0328] 1. Select the desired Vocab Group and click <Delete>
OR right-click on the desired Vocab Group and select Delete. [0329]
2. In the Confirm Delete dialogue, click <Yes> to delete the
group OR click <No> to close the dialogue without
deleting.
[0330] To create Vocab terms, consider the following in connection
with FIG. 40: [0331] 1. Right click on an empty portion of the
Vocab dockable window and select Add.fwdarw.New Vocab Term OR click
the <Add> button at the top of the window. [0332] 2. Select
the Group to which the Vocab Term will belong from the drop-down
menu. [0333] 3. Type the Natural Language form of the term. [0334]
4. Select Add Plural Forms and/or Add Possessive Forms if desired.
[0335] 5. Click <Add> or press the <enter> key, which
will generate the name for the term. [0336] 6. Click in the Synonym
text field [0337] 7. Type the desired synonym and press
<Enter> or click <Add> to add the synonym to the list.
[0338] 8. Repeat steps 6-7 for each additional synonym. [0339] 9.
Click the <Close> button when finished.
[0340] Adding new synonyms can be accomplished as follows: [0341]
1. Right click on an existing Vocab Term and select
Add.fwdarw.Synonym, OR double-click on said existing Vocab Term OR
highlight the desired Vocab Term and click <Edit> to open the
Vocab Editor window. [0342] 2. Click on the Synonyms text field.
[0343] 3. Type the desired synonym and press <Enter> or click
<Add>. [0344] 4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for each additional
synonym you wish to add. [0345] 5. Click the <Close> button
when finished.
[0346] Editing a Vocab Term can take the form of adding or deleting
synonyms, changing the title of the term, or changing the Vocab
Group to which it belongs. To edit an existing Vocab Term use the
following procedure: [0347] 1. Open the Vocab Editor window either
by right clicking the desired Vocab Term and selecting Edit OR
double-clicking on said Vocab Term OR highlighting the Vocab Term
and clicking the <Add> button. [0348] 2. Make any desired
changes to the Natural Language field, Term field, or Group
drop-down menu, and click the <Edit Names or Vocab Group>
button. [0349] 3. Select a synonym from the Synonyms display. Make
any changes as needed in the Synonyms field, and click
<Update>.
[0350] Editing a synonym in Vocab Editor uses the following
procedure: [0351] 1. Double click on the synonym you wish to edit.
[0352] 2. Modify the text in the Synonym text field as desired.
[0353] 3. Click <Update> to add the changes to the term OR
click <Cancel> to cancel the changes. [0354] 4. Repeat steps
1-3 for each synonym to be edited. [0355] 5. Click <Close> to
close the window.
[0356] To delete synonyms, use the following procedure: [0357] 1.
Double-click on the desired synonym in the Synonyms display list.
[0358] 2. Click <Delete>. [0359] 3. In the Confirm Delete
dialogue, click <Yes> to delete the synonym OR click
<No> to close the dialogue without deleting. [0360] 4. Repeat
steps 1-3 for each synonym to be deleted. [0361] 5. Click
<Close> to close the window.
[0362] To remove a Vocab Term from a project: [0363] 1. Right click
on the Vocab Term in question and select Delete OR select the term
and click <Delete>. [0364] 2. In the Confirm Delete dialogue,
click <Yes> to delete the term OR click <No> to close
the dialogue without deleting.
[0365] To create a Helper Term, consider the following in
connection with FIG. 41. [0366] 1. In the Helper Terms dockable
window, click the <Add> button, or right click in the window
and select Add, either of which will open the Add New Helper Term
window. [0367] 2. Type the desired term in the Term field [0368] 3.
Click <OK> to save the term, or click <Cancel> to close
the window and continue without adding the term.
[0369] With respect to editing Helper Terms, consider the following
in connection with FIG. 42. [0370] 1. In Helper Terms, select the
desired Helper Term and click <Edit> OR right-click on the
desired Helper Term and select Edit, OR double-click on the desired
Helper Term to open Edit Helper Term. [0371] 2. Make any changes
desired to the text in the Term field. [0372] 3. Click <OK>
to close the window and save the changes OR click <Cancel> to
close the window without saving the changes.
[0373] With respect to deleting Helper Terms, use the following
procedure: [0374] 1. In Helper Terms, select the desired Helper
Term. [0375] 2. Click <Delete> OR right click on the term and
select Delete. [0376] 3. In the Confirm Delete box that appears,
click <OK> to delete the file OR click <Cancel> to
close the box without deleting the term.
[0377] With respect to creating, editing and deleting Building
Blocks, consider the following in connection with FIG. 43.
[0378] To create a Building Block, use the following procedure:
[0379] 1. In the Building Blocks dockable window, click the
<Add> button OR right click anywhere in the window and select
Add from the right click menu, either of which will open up the
Building Block Editor window. [0380] 2. Type name for the Building
Block in the Name field and click <Add> or press
<Enter>. [0381] 3. Select a Standard or Phrase from the Type
dropdown. [0382] 4. Drag and drop Vocab Terms, Helper Terms, or
Building Blocks from the Vocab, Helper Terms, or Building Block
dockable windows OR drag and drop Concepts from the Concepts
dockable window OR manually type the a term into the text field at
in the Search section of the Building Block Editor, press
<Search>, and drag and drop the results into the Terms
display. A Building Block may contain either vocabulary (Vocab and
Helper Terms) or Concepts. [0383] 5. Click <Close> when
done.
[0384] To edit a Building Block, use the following procedure:
[0385] 1. Select the desired Building Block and click <Edit>
OR double-click on the desired Building Block OR right-click on the
desired Building Block and select Edit to open Building Block
Editor. [0386] 2. Add new components to the Building Block by using
the steps described above or skip to step 3. [0387] 3. Remove the
desired terms/Concepts or skip to step 4. [0388] a. Double-click on
the desired term or Concept. [0389] b. Click <Remove>. [0390]
4. Click <Close>.
[0391] To delete a Building Block, use the following procedure:
[0392] 1. Select the desired Building Block in Building Blocks.
[0393] 2. Click <Delete> OR right-click to open the
right-click menu and select Delete. [0394] 3. In the Confirm Delete
box, click <OK> to delete the Building Block OR click
<Cancel> to close the box without deleting the Building
Block.
Concepts
[0395] Concepts can serve as the middle step in the Vocab, Concept,
and Unit process. It is an important step in the process that
defines the meanings behind groups of words and phrases. This
section details what a Concept is, as well as the processes
involved in creating and editing Concepts.
[0396] In the English language, groups of words and phrases can
imply a particular meaning. This meaning could be a goal, as in the
phrase, "tell me about", or it can be an idea, such as "a
refreshing drink". A group of all the possible phrasings that can
define a meaning is known as a Concept. These Concepts are then
used to create input patterns for any number of Units later on.
The Basics of Concepts
[0397] Concepts are composed of input patterns of Vocab Terms,
Building Blocks, Wild Cards, and Helper Terms. A Concept is
considered triggered (or "hit") when it receives an input pattern
that completely matches at least one of its patterns.
Concept Groups
[0398] Concepts are organized into groups by subject matter. The
placement of Concept Groups in a cascade determines load order, and
whether they are "Best Match," or "Match All." If a Concept Group
is in a cascade labeled "Best Match," only the constituent Concept
with the best matching input pattern is triggered. If, on the other
hand, the Concept Group is in a cascade labeled "Match All," any
Concept in this cascade having an input pattern matching the user's
input will trigger.
Material Concepts
[0399] Knowledge Bases created by Active Lab can be used for many
different things, even the use of functions not currently supported
by the Lab. One of these uses is to help create Information
Retrieval (IR) databases, which are used for other advance types of
searching.
[0400] For use with these IR searches, Active Lab has the
functionality to mark a Concept as a Material Concept, which will
have a specific functionality within the IR search.
Generic Concept
[0401] For every Concept Group, one Concept can be marked as the
Generic Concept. The Generic Concept will trigger any time any
Concept triggers from that Concept Group.
Concepts Dockable Window
[0402] The Concepts dockable window, as shown in FIG. 44, allows
the user to view, create, and manage Concepts and Concept Groups
using a simple drag-and-drop interface. Concepts contain the
following components:
TABLE-US-00032 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following (along with their corresponding right-click
menu selections): <Add>: Creates new Concept. <Edit>:
Opens Concepts with selected Concept loaded for editing.
<Delete>: Deletes selected Concept from project. <Show
Dependencies>: Shows all Units and Building Blocks in which the
selected Concept appears. <Refresh>: Refreshes display list
<New Window>: Opens copy of current window. <Collapse
All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All> Expands entire
tree. <Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates between
searches. Concepts Display lists all available Concepts in their
respective groups thusly: (red icon) Match All Concept Group (blue
icon) Best Match Concept Group Concept Material Concept Search Tree
This field contains the following: Input Text Field: Searches
cascades for specific text. <Search>: Executes search.
<Search Options>: Opens Search Options window. Whole Word
Only Checkbox: Limits search to complete word matches.
[0403] Concepts also has two right-click menu options, as shown in
FIG. 45: the first option comes from right-clicking a Concept
Group, the second from right-clicking a Concept. The right-click
menu options have the following components:
TABLE-US-00033 Component Description Add .fwdarw.Concept Group:
opens Add New Concept Group. .fwdarw.Concept: opens Concept Editor
tab, with Concept Group field set to current Concept Group. Cascade
Print Status To Concepts (from Changes the print status of all
Concepts in Concept Group) selected Concept Group to the print
status of the Concept Group. Delete Deletes selected Concept or
Concept Group. Edit (from Concept Group) Opens Edit Concept Group
window. Edit (from Concept) .fwdarw.In Main Editor: opens Concept
in Concept Editor in main window. .fwdarw.In Pop-Up: opens Concept
Editor in its own pop-up window. Generate Concept Group FPML (from
Generate FPML file for selected Concept Concept Group) Group.
Remove From Application (from Concept Group) Removes selected
Concept Group from the current project. Set All Child Concepts
Immaterial (from Changes the status of all Concepts in Concept
Group) selected Concept Group to Not Material Set All Child
Concepts Material (from Changes the status of all Concepts in
Concept Group) selected Concept Group to Material Set/Clear Generic
Concept Set or clear Concept as the Generic Concept for its Concept
Group. Set Material/Not Material (from Concept) Toggle the status
of Concept between Material and Not Material. Set Print Status Sets
Print Status of selected item to: Test Production InActive Show
Applications (from Concept Group) Shows all applications selected
Concept Group is used in. Show Dependencies (from Concept) Opens
Dependencies window and shows all dependencies of selected Concept.
View File Opens FPML file of selected Concept Group in Editor tab
of the main window.
Concepts Editor Tab
[0404] Concepts are comprised of two principle components: tests
and patterns. Patterns are made up of Vocab Terms, Helper Terms,
Building Blocks, and Wild Cards and determine what phrases trigger
the Concept. Tests are ways to make sure that the Concept is
working as intended. FIG. 46 and the following table lists the
components available at the top of the Concept Editor tab. (This
does not include tabs within the Concept Editor, which are
described later on.)
TABLE-US-00034 Component Description Group This field contains the
following: Drop-down list: The name of the group to which the
Concept will belong. <Add>: Adds a new Unit to a given group.
<Show Dependencies>: Opens the Show Dependencies window,
which displays all of the components affected by the Concept.
<Show in Main Tree>: Opens Concept in Concept dockable
window. <Find in FPML File>: Opens Concept file in Editor.
<Forward> and <Back>: Navigates between previously
opened Concepts. Hide Name Checkbox Check to not allow the Concept
to be passed out of its cascade. Default not checked. Material
Concept Checkbox Check to change status of the Concept to Material.
Default not checked. Name Text field: Shows the name of the
Concept. <Create> Creates the new Concept. <Update>
Updates any changes to the name of the Unit. Print Status This
dropdown contains the following options: Test Production InActive
<Advanced View> selection Makes the Components, Match
Condition, Comments, and Response blocks tabs visible. Tabs The
default tabs of Concepts are Tests and Patterns
Tests Tab
[0405] Tests allows the user to create and edit test questions.
Test questions represent user inputs that should cause the Concept
to trigger. When looking at the set of test questions, it is best
to consider the ideas involved. Ideal test questions should
represent complete user inputs. In this manner, each Concept can be
tested to see how it interacts with other Concepts. Test questions
serve as a useful guide for the creation of input patterns. The
Tests tab, as shown in FIG. 47, found under Concepts functions in
much the same way as the main Tests tab, though it focuses solely
on the tests for the open Concept. Tests contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00035 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <Run Tests>: Runs tests to ensure
that Concept is triggered when expected. <Refresh>: Clears
information from tests so that they may be run from the beginning.
<Collapse All> Collapses test tree. <Expand All>
Expands test tree. <Edit Test Question>: Allows user to edit
a selected test question from the Test Questions box. Note: a test
question must be selected in order for this button to function.
<Delete Test Question>: Allows user to delete a selected test
question from the Test Questions display. Note: a test question
must be selected in order for this button to function. <Set
Question Active/Inactive>: Toggles a questions status as either
active or inactive. Inactive questions are not tested, and do not
affect the status of the Concept. <Debug Question>: Opens
Debug tab and displays the processes that led to the test's result.
<Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens Tests tab with all Concepts
whose input patterns include any item in the selected Concept's
input pattern, as well as all Units using that Concept. Test
Questions This field contains the following: Display: Displays all
test question inputs by the user, as well as their test status. A
green circle indicates that the test succeeded; a yellow circle
indicates that the test has yet to be run or is InActive; and a red
circle indicates that the test failed. Text input field: Input test
questions here. <Add>: Adds test question from Test Questions
field to the Test Questions box. <Update>: Updates changes
made to selected test question in Test Questions field.
<Delete>: Deletes selected test question from Test Questions
box.
[0406] Tests also includes a right-click menu, as shown in FIG. 48,
when you click on a test question and contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00036 Component Description Edit Copies test question into
Test Questions field below. Delete Deletes selected test question.
Debug Question Opens Debugger in main window with selected test
question loaded. Copy Text Copies selected test into Windows
clipboard Set Question Active/Inactive Toggles selected test
question between Active and InActive status.
[0407] Patterns, as shown in FIG. 49, allows the user to create and
edit input patterns for the Concept and contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00037 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Adds a blank pattern.
<Refresh>: Refreshes display and collapse all pattern trees.
<Collapse All> Collapses tree. <Expand All> Expands
tree. <Edit>: Allows user to edit pattern name, position, and
proximity/order selections. <Delete>: Deletes selected
pattern. <Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens Tests tab with all
Concepts whose input patterns include any item in the selected
Concept's input pattern, as well as all Units using that Concept.
Patterns Displays all the patterns created for the Concept. Input
patterns are represented thusly: Active input pattern Inactive
input pattern Edit Pattern This field contains the following:
Position: Allows user to select where the pattern must be located
in the input in order to trigger the Concept. There are four
options: Any Where Beginning End Entire Substitute Order Matters
checkbox: When selected, Vocab Terms in input must be in the same
order as displayed in the pattern to trigger. Default: selected.
Proximity Matters checkbox: When selected, the Vocab Terms in the
pattern must be adjacent in the input in order to trigger. Default:
selected. <Save>: Saves changes made to Position, and
Order/Proximity selections.
[0408] The tabs shown in FIG. 50 are only available when
<Advanced View> is selected. Advanced Tabs has the following
components:
TABLE-US-00038 Tab Description Components This tab allows the user
to add Variables, Function Calls, AppCalls, and Record Lists to the
Concept. Match Condition This tab allows the user to create and
edit pre- and post-conditions. Comments This tab allows the user to
leave comments associated with the Concept. Note: Comments do not
in any way affect the functioning of the software, as they are
intended to allow the user to comment on the thought processes and
reasoning that went into the designing of the Concept. Response
Blocks In this tab, the user may input response blocks in
conjunction with the Response Blocks dockable window. For more
information,.
[0409] As discussed earlier, the Concepts Builder function is
accessed either by means of the Concepts Editor tab, or by right
clicking in the Concepts dockable window.
Creating a New Concepts Group
[0410] New Concept Groups are created using the following procedure
in connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 51: [0411] 1.
Right click on a blank space in the Concepts dockable window and
select Add.fwdarw.Concept Group to open the Add New Concept Group
window. [0412] 2. Enter the name of the new Concept Group in the
Group field. [0413] 3. Choose a Print Status from the Print Status
drop. [0414] 4. Select a Cascade Group from the Cascade Group
drop-down menu. [0415] 5. Click <OK> to create the new
Concept group OR click <Cancel> to close the window without
creating a new Concept Group.
Adding New Concepts
[0416] New Concepts can be added using the following procedure in
connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 52: [0417] 1.
Click <Add> in the Concepts dockable window OR right click on
blank space in the Concepts dockable window and select
Add.fwdarw.Concept, which opens the Concept Editor tab, or Click
<Add> in the Concept Editor tab of the main display. [0418]
2. Choose Concept Group from drop-down menu. [0419] 3. Enter the
name of the Concept in the Name field [0420] 4. Click
<Create>.
Adding Questions
[0421] Once a Concept has been created, the user can add test
questions on the Tests tab using the following procedure in
connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 53: [0422] 1. Type
the question in the Test Question field. Note: For Concepts, test
questions are often single words or short phrases; however there is
no limit to the size of test question. [0423] 2. Click <Add>
or press <Enter> [0424] 3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 as often as
desired.
Creating Patterns
[0425] To add Vocab Terms to a Concept pattern, use the following
procedure in connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 54:
[0426] 1. In the Patterns tab, click the <Add> button to
generate a blank pattern. [0427] 2. Open the Vocab dockable window
and select a Vocab Term. [0428] 3. Drag and drop the selected Vocab
Term into the blank pattern. [0429] 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as
often as desired. [0430] 5. If needed, select Helper Terms and
Building Blocks from the Helper Terms or Building Blocks dockable
windows and drag and drop them into the pattern. [0431] 6. Drag and
drop to edit the order of the input pattern. [0432] 7. Select
<Order Matters> and/or <Proximity Matters> if desired.
[0433] 8. Select Position from drop-down if desired. [0434] 9.
Click <Save> if steps 7 or 8 have been followed. [0435] 10.
Repeat steps 1-9 to create as many input patterns as desired.
Generating Files
[0436] Once patterns for either Concepts or Units have been
changed, it is necessary for the FPML files themselves to be
generated. There are currently two options: [0437] <Generate All
FPML>: This will generate all FPML files for the project. [0438]
<Generate FPML (Change Only)>: This will generate only the
FPML files that have recently changed in the database.
Testing Patterns
[0439] Once test questions and patterns have been added to the
Concept, it is necessary to run a test to ensure correct patterns
have been used. [0440] 1. Click <Run Tests> in the Tests tab.
The dialogue box in FIG. 55 will only appear if changes have been
made to the database (i.e.: a pattern has been changed): [0441] 2.
Click <Yes> to generate FPML (Changes Only) and run test or
Click <No> to not generate FPML. The dialogue box in FIG. 56
will only appear if <No> was selected from the Generate Files
dialogue box. [0442] 3. Click <Yes> to run tests, or click
<No> to not run tests.
[0443] When the test is completed, the results will show in the
Test Questions display next to each question. As discussed above, a
green circle indicates success, a yellow circle indicates the
Concept was untested or has been marked as InActive, and a red
circle indicates failure.
Editing Concepts
[0444] Editing a Concept works as follows: [0445] 1. Find the
Concept in the Concepts dockable window. [0446] 2. Double click on
the Concept, which will open it in the Concept Editor tab OR right
click on the Concept and select Edit.fwdarw. In Main Editor or
Edit.fwdarw. In Pop-Up. [0447] 3. Make any changes desired.
Deleting Concepts
[0448] To delete a Concept, use the following procedure: [0449] 1.
In the Concepts dockable window, Select the Concept to be deleted
and click <Delete> OR right click on a Concept and select
Delete. [0450] 2. In the Confirm Delete dialogue, click <Yes>
to delete the Concept and close the dialogue OR click <No> to
close the dialogue without deleting.
Removing Concept Groups
[0451] Because Concept Groups are shared by every project that
accesses a given database, they may only be removed from the given
project using the following procedure: [0452] 1. Right-click on the
Concept Group to be removed and select Remove from the right-click
menu.
Units
[0453] Units are the primary form of response to user input. A
response is what results from user input. Units ensure that the
appropriate responses appear for the each user input. The response
may be as simple as a plain text output, or as complex as a series
of Application Calls (AppCalls) that trigger specific actions, or
any combination thereof. When preparing a Unit, it is important to
consider the kinds of questions to which it will respond. What are
the key phrases or words that are likely to show up in questions
that should trigger the Unit? What question is the Unit supposed to
answer? The answers to these questions will influence the user's
choice of Concepts and the structure of the patterns.
[0454] In order to trigger the Unit, an input must match all the
Concepts and Helper Terms in at least one of the input patterns of
the Unit. It is often helpful to determine the Unit's response
first, as that will in turn define which questions it will
answer.
[0455] Units are organized into sets called Situation Groups
according to their subject matter. Like Concept Groups, Situation
Groups are placed under cascades, except they are set to "Best
Match." The placement of these cascades in the load order is
usually last, because the Unit cascade outputs the response.
[0456] The Units Dockable Window
[0457] The Units dockable window, shown in FIG. 57, allows the user
to view, create, and manage Units and Situation Groups through
simple drag and drop functionality. You can also search for Units
by name using the Search field. Units contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00039 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>, Add .fwdarw. Unit: Adds new
Unit. <Edit>, Edit: Edits selected Situation or Unit.
<Delete>, Delete: Deletes selected Situation or Unit.
<Show Dependencies>: shows dependencies and Web Links for
selected Unit. <Refresh>: Refreshes Units display. <New
Window>: Opens copy of current window. <Collapse All>
Collapses entire tree. <Expand All> Expands entire tree.
<Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates between searches.
Approval Search Searches Content Management System for Units
matching the Approval Status. <Search>: Executes search.
Content Management System drop- down: Choose content management
system assigned to current project. Approval Status drop-down:
Chooses type of search. Approved Disapproved Pending Units Display
lists responses and Units in their respective Situation Groups as
follows: Situation Group Unit Unit Response Search Tree This field
contains the following: Input Text Field: Searches cascades for
specific text. <Search>: Executes search. <Search
Options>: Opens Search Options window. Whole Word Only Checkbox:
Limits search to complete word matches.
[0458] Unit contains two right-click menus as shown in FIG. 58. One
is accessed from the Situation Group, the other from the Unit. The
right-click menus have the following components:
TABLE-US-00040 Component Description Add .fwdarw.Situation Group:
opens Add New Situation. .fwdarw.Unit: opens Unit Editor tab, with
Situation field set to current Situation. Cascade Print Status To
All Units (from Changes the print status of all Units in Situation)
selected Situation to the print status of the Situation. Delete
Deletes selected Concept or Concept Group. Edit (from Situation)
Opens Edit Situation window. Edit (from Unit) .fwdarw.In Main
Editor: opens Unit in Unit Editor in main window. .fwdarw.In Pop-Up
Editor: opens Unit Builder in its own pop-up window. Generate
Situation FPML (from Generate FPML file for selected Situation.
Situation) Remove From Application (from Remove selected Situation
Group from Situation) current project. Does not delete from
database. The Situation Group can now be found in Unused Items.
Request Approval (from Unit) Submits selected Unit to Web Approval
Tool. Set Print Status Sets Print Status of selected item to: Test
Production InActive Show Applications (from Situation) Shows all
applications in which selected Situation Group is used. Show Change
Requests Opens Unit Requests window and shows all change requests
for selected Unit. Show Dependencies (from Unit) Opens Dependencies
window and shows all dependencies of selected Unit. Submit Child
Units For Approval (from Submits all Units in Selected situation to
Situation) the Web Approval Tool. View File Opens FPML file of
selected Situation or Unit in Editor tab of the main window.
[0459] The Unit Editor Tab
[0460] The Unit builder function can be accessed through Unit
Editor as shown in FIG. 59, or by right clicking on blank space in
Units dockable window and selecting Add.fwdarw.Unit, or by double
clicking on any Unit in Units dockable window. The Unit builder
function has three main tabs: Tests, Patterns, and Response, as
well as a set of advanced tabs. Unit Editor contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00041 Component Description Button Bar This field contains
the following: <Add>: Adds a new Unit to a given group.
<Show Dependencies>: Opens the Show Dependencies window,
which displays all of the components affected by the Unit. <Show
In Main Tree>: Highlights Unit in Units dockable window.
<Find In FPML File> Opens FPML file of current Unit in Editor
tab. <Forward> & <Back>: Navigates between
previously opened Units. <View Directives>: Opens Directives
dockable window. <Open Directive Editor>: Opens Directive
Builder with current Unit loaded. Situation Drop-down list: Select
the name of the Situation Group to which the Unit will belong. Name
This field contains the name of the Unit. <Create> Creates
new Unit. <Update> Saves any changes to Situation, Name, and
Print Status fields. Print Status Change Print Status of Unit to
the following options: Production Test InActive <Advanced
View> Makes the Components, Match selection Condition, Comments,
Response blocks, Nested Units, and Text-To-Speech tabs visible.
Default: Not selected. Tabs The following default tabs are
available normally: Tests: Allows user to manage test questions for
Unit. Patterns: Allows user to manage input patterns for Unit.
Response: Allows user to manage response for Unit.
[0461] Tests, as shown in FIG. 60, allows the user to create and
edit test questions. Test questions represent user inputs that
should cause the Unit to trigger. When looking at the set of test
questions, it is best to consider the ideas involved. Ideal test
questions should represent complete user inputs. In this manner,
each Unit can be tested to see how it interacts with other Units.
Test questions serve as a useful guide for the creation of input
patterns. Tests contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00042 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Run Tests>: Runs tests on the
questions input by the user for the Unit. <Reload Tests>:
Reloads tests. <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree.
<Expand All> Expands entire tree. <Edit Test Question>:
Allows the user to edit the selected test question. <Delete>:
Allows the user to delete the selected test question. <Set
Question Active/Inactive>: Toggles active/inactive for a
question. Default for all questions is Active. When inactive, tests
are not performed on the question. <Debug Question>: Opens
Debug tab, allowing the user to view the response generated in
response to the question, and the processes leading up to said
response. <Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens Tests tab with
all Concepts used in the Unit input patterns, as well as all Units
using those Concepts. Test Questions This field contains the
following: Display: Displays all Test Questions input by the user,
as well as their test status. A green circle indicates that the
tests succeeded; a yellow circle indicates that the test has yet to
be run or is InActive; and a red circle indicates that the test
failed. Text Field: Type test questions here. <Add>: Adds
test questions to the display. <Update>: Updates changes made
to a test question. <Delete>: Deletes a selected test
question.
[0462] The Tests tab also contains the right-click menu shown in
FIG. 61 and includes the following components:
TABLE-US-00043 Component Description Delete Deletes selected test
question. Debug Question Opens Debugger tab with selected test
question loaded. Set Question Active/InActive Toggles selected test
question between Active and InActive status Copy Text Copies
selected test question into Windows clipboard. View Unit Hit Opens
Unit Builder window with the Unit the test question responded with.
Only available when test question does not hit current Unit.
[0463] The Patterns tab, as shown in FIG. 62, in the Unit builder
looks and functions similarly to the patterns tab found in the
Concept builder. Input patterns may consist of Concepts, Building
Blocks, Helper Terms, lex types, input files, and Variables.
Patterns contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00044 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Refresh>: Refreshes changes to
patterns. <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand
All> Expands entire tree. <Add>: Adds a blank pattern to
the display. <Edit>: Allows user to edit the name, Position,
and Order/Proximity settings of a selected pattern. <Delete>:
Deletes selected pattern. <Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens
Tests tab with all Concepts used in the Unit input patterns, as
well as all Units using those Concepts. Show Ignore Items checkbox:
When selected, Ignore Concepts folders are visible. Any
Concepts/file dropped in these folders will not be considered when
that specific input pattern is evaluated. Default: not selected.
Patterns Displays all the patterns created for the Unit. Input
patterns are represented thusly: Active input pattern Inactive
input pattern Edit Pattern Edit Pattern Position: Drop-down list
determines where the pattern must be located in input in order to
trigger the Unit. Choose between "Anywhere," "Beginning," "End,"
"Entire," or "Substitute." Order Matters checkbox: When selected,
the pattern will only trigger if the order of the input matches the
order of the pattern. Default is selected. Proximity Matters
checkbox: When selected, the pattern will only trigger if the
inputs are adjacent to one another. Default is selected.
<Save>: Saves changes to pattern name, location, and
order/proximity selections. Note: Order Matters and Proximity
Matters have no affect on Unit input patterns, except for use with
AppEvents.
[0464] The Patterns tab also has the following right-click menu
shown in FIG. 63 along with the following components:
TABLE-US-00045 Component Description Edit Opens pattern in the Edit
Pattern display below. Delete Deletes selected pattern. Copy and
Create New Pattern Creates an exact copy of selected pattern and
places it as the last pattern in the display. Set Active/InActive
Toggles selected pattern between Active and InActive status. Show
Item in Tree Highlights selected Concept in Concepts dockable
window.
[0465] Response Tab
[0466] The response tab, as shown in FIG. 64, allows the user to
determine the response the Unit gives when triggered. Responses may
contain plain text, or FPML tags. This response may also include
internet URLs and Web Links. Response contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00046 Component Description Url This field contains the
following: <Edit Url>: Opens Url Editor with current Url
loaded. <Remove All Url Items>: Removes Url from response.
<Show In Tree>: Shows current Url in Url dockable window.
<Add>: Opens two new fields for the purpose of creating a new
Url: Uri: New Url name field. Label: New Url Label field.
<Save>: Saves new Url. Only available through <Add>
button. Uri: displays path for response. Label: displays label of
Url for response. Auto Navigate To URL checkbox: When selected, the
Unit's triggered response automatically redirects to the selected
URL. When not selected, the URL will be displayed as a message link
below the response. Drop-down list: list of all available URLs for
the response. Web Links This field contains the following: <Edit
Web Link>: Opens Web Link window with selected web link.
<Remove Call To Web Link> removes selected Web Link from
response. <Show Web Link In Main Window>: Highlights selected
Web Link in Web Links dockable window. <Move Call Order Up>:
Moves selected Web Link up in relation to other Web Links. <Move
Call Order Down>: Moves selected Web Link down in relation to
other Web Links. Response This field is where the response is
entered. <Save> Saves the settings for the response.
<Cancel> Cancels all changes made to the response.
[0467] The right click menu shown in FIG. 65 is available from the
Web Links display of the Response tab and has the following
components:
TABLE-US-00047 Component Description Edit Web Link Opens selected
Web Link in Web Link window. Edit Unit/Url Opens selected Unit/Url
in respective Units/Urls editors. Remove Web Link Call Removes
selected Web Link call from response. Show Web Link In Main Shows
selected Web Link in Web Links Tree dockable window. Move Call
Order Up Moves selected Web Link up in relation to other Web Links.
Move Call Order Down Moves selected Web Link down in relation to
other Web Links. Set Print Status Change print status of selected
item to the following options: Test Production InActive
[0468] Urls
[0469] One of the most powerful tools of ActiveAgent is the ability
to direct a response to a particular web page. This is done by
creating a Url in the Urls dockable window, shown in FIG. 66, then
dragging it into the Response tab of the Unit Builder. The Urls
dockable window contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00048 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Adds new Url. <Edit>:
Edits selected Url. <Delete>: Deletes selected Url. <Show
Dependencies>: shows dependencies for selected Url. <Validate
All Urls>: Checks the validity of all Urls. Invalid Urls are
displayed with an icon. <View Url>: Open selected Url in a
new web browser. <Set Web Server>: Opens Set Web Server Path.
<Refresh>: Refreshes Urls display. <New Window>: Opens
copy of current window. <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree.
<Expand All> Expands entire tree. <Back and Forward
Navigation>: Navigates between searches. Urls Display lists of
all Urls in the project: Url Wrong Url Unit that uses above Url.
Search Tree This field contains the following: Input Text Field:
Searches cascades for specific text. <Search>: Executes
search. <Search Options>: Opens Search Options window. Whole
Word Only Checkbox: Limits search to complete word matches.
[0470] Clicking the <Add> button or right-clicking.fwdarw.Add
will open the Edit Url window shown in FIG. 67, which is used to
both create and edit Urls. This window has the following
components:
TABLE-US-00049 Component Description Label Text field containing
the Active Lab display name for the Url. Link Name Text field
containing the name displayed by the Agent. URI Text field
containing the path for the Url <View Url> Opens Url in new
web browser. <Save> Save any changes to the Url, OR creates
new Url. <Cancel> Closes window without saving.
[0471] Web Links
[0472] Web Links allow the user to include links directly to other
Units and/or Urls along with a response. Web Links are created and
edited from the Web Links dockable window shown in FIG. 68. They
can be added to any number of responses by dragging the Web Link
from the Web Links dockable window to the Web Links field in the
Response tab of the Unit Builder.
[0473] The Web Links dockable window is separated into two folders:
Links Containing Urls, and Links Containing Units. This is done for
mainly organizational purposes. The Web Links dockable window
contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00050 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Adds new Web Link.
<Edit>: Edits selected Web Link. <Delete>: Deletes
selected Web Link. <Refresh>: Refreshes Urls display. <New
Window>: Opens copy of current window. <Collapse All>
Collapses entire tree. <Expand All> Expands entire tree.
<Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates between searches.
Urls Display lists of all Urls in the project: Folder Web Link Url
Unit Search Tree This field contains the following: Input Text
Field: Searches cascades for specific text. <Search>:
Executes search. <Search Options>: Opens Search Options
window. Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits search to complete word
matches.
[0474] Web Links are created and edited by selecting <Add> or
by selecting right-click.fwdarw.Add to open the Web Links window,
which is shown in FIG. 69. Web Links Editor has the following
components:
TABLE-US-00051 Component Description Agent Link Name Text field
containing the name displayed by the Agent. Lab Display Name Text
field containing the name displayed by the Active Lab. Link Style
Dropdown Choose between Standard and Default Navigation Type
Dropdown Dropdown chooses what type of link the Web Link will use.
There are three options: Main Window: Url will appear in the main
web browser. PopUp: Url will appear in its own web browser window.
Go To Unit: Units response will be displayed. Linked Object Field
has two components: An icon showing whether the Web Link is one of
the following: Url Unit The name of the Url or Unit used by the Web
Link. <Save> Save any changes to the Url, OR creates new Url.
<Cancel> Closes window without saving.
[0475] Advanced Tabs
[0476] These tabs may only be viewed when <Advanced View> is
selected.
TABLE-US-00052 Tab Description Components This tab displays the
Variables, function calls, AppCalls, and Record Lists associated
with the Unit. Match Condition This tab allows the user to create
and edit pre- and post-conditions. Comments This tab allows the
user to leave comments on the Unit. Note: Comments do not in any
way affect the functioning of the software, as they are intended to
allow the user to comment on the thought processes and reasoning
that went into the designing of the Unit. Response Blocks This tab
allows the user to create response blocks in conjunction with the
Response Blocks dockable window. Text-To-Speech This tab allows the
user to attach an individual Text-To-Speech file to the Unit.
[0477] Response Blocks are responses shared by multiple Units in
addition to the unique Unit-specific responses. Response Blocks can
be manipulated via the Response Blocks dockable window, and the
Response Blocks advanced tab found under the Units tab.
[0478] The Text-To-Speech tab allows the user to manually attach a
voice file to a Unit and has the following features:
TABLE-US-00053 Tab Description Current Status This display has the
following components Text Field: Displays the name of the
Text-To-Speech file. <Browse>: Opens a Browse window to
search for a Text-To- Speech File. <Remove>: Removes Text-To-
Speech file listed in the Text Field. Status Shows the progress and
results of the file import.
[0479] The following discussion describes various ways to create,
test, and edit Units.
[0480] Creating a New Situation
[0481] To create a new situation, use the following procedure:
[0482] 1. In the Units dockable window, right click on a Unit or
Situation and select Add.fwdarw.Situation, which will open the Add
New Situation window shown in FIG. 70. [0483] 2. In the Situation
field, type the desired name of the Situation Group and hit
<Tab> or <Enter>. The Counter Variable field will auto
populate. [0484] 3. Edit the Counter Variable if desired. Note:
Counter Variables can only be a single word. [0485] 4. Select a
Print Status from the drop-down. [0486] 5. Select <Required>
check box if desired, or skip to step 7. [0487] 6. Choose a Cascade
Group from the drop-down menu. [0488] 7. Click <OK> to
continue and save the changes OR click <Cancel> to close Add
New Situation without creating a new situation.
[0489] Adding New Units [0490] 1. In Units, select a Situation
Group and click <Add> OR right-click on a Situation Group and
select Add.fwdarw.Unit from the menu to open the Units tab. [0491]
2. Select the Situation which the Unit will belong to from the
drop-down menu. [0492] 3. Type in the Unit Name. [0493] 4. Click
<Create>.
[0494] Adding Questions
[0495] Once the Unit has been created, test questions may be added
under the Tests tab of the Unit Editor. [0496] 1. Type the question
in the Test Questions field. [0497] 2. Press <Enter> or click
<Add> to add the test question to the Test Questions
display.
[0498] Adding Responses
[0499] Each Unit has a response that occurs as a result of an input
that matches any of its input patterns. As discussed above, this
may be as simple as a single line of text or as complicated as an
application action.
[0500] Though responses do not require URLs to function, they can
benefit from the versatility associated with web pages. To add a
URL to a response: [0501] 1. Open Urls dockable window. [0502] 2.
Click and Drag selected Url from the Urls dockable window into the
Url display in the Response tab. [0503] 3. Select Auto-Navigate to
URL if desired.
[0504] To create the response itself: [0505] 1. Type in the desired
response in the Response field. [0506] 2. Click the <Save>
button to save the response OR click the <Cancel> button to
erase any changes made to the response.
[0507] Web Links allows the user to add links to additional web
pages and/or Units in the response. To add a Web Link to a
response: [0508] 1. Open Urls, Web Links, or Units dockable window.
[0509] 2. Click and Drag selected Url, Web Link, or Unit from the
dockable window into the Web Links display in the Response tab.
Note: you may be prompted to create a Web Link at this point.
[0510] 3. Use <Move Call Order Up> and <Move Call Order
Down> as desired.
[0511] Generating the Patterns
[0512] In order to generate a pattern for a Unit, use the following
procedure: [0513] 1. In Patterns of Units, click <Add> to
create a blank input pattern. [0514] 2. Drag and drop any desired
Concepts from the Concepts dockable window into the blank pattern.
[0515] 3. Drag and drop any desired Helper Terms from the Helper
Terms dockable window into the pattern. [0516] 4. Arrange the
Concepts and Helper Terms as desired. [0517] 5. Select <Order
Matters> and/or <Proximity Matters> as desired. Note: no
affect will be produced by this step unless AppEvents are used.
[0518] 6. Choose a pattern position from the Edit Pattern Position
drop-down menu. [0519] 7. Click <Save> to save any changes.
[0520] 8. Click <Generate FPML (Changes Only) or <Generate
All Fpml> or to enter the pattern into the database if
desired.
[0521] Use steps 1-7 to create as many patterns as desired. Note:
You must double click on the pattern in order to later make any
changes to the Position or <Order Matters> and <Proximity
Matters> check boxes. Click <Save> to save these
changes.
[0522] Testing the Patterns
[0523] In order to test the input patterns, use the following
procedure similar to testing Concepts: [0524] 1. Click <Run
Tests> in the Tests tab. [0525] 2. The dialogue box in FIG. 71
will only appear if changes have been made to the database (i.e.: a
pattern has been changed): [0526] 3. Click <Yes> to generate
FPML (Changes Only) and run test or Click <No> to not
generate FPML. Note, select <Yes> if a pattern was changed.
[0527] 4. The dialogue box in FIG. 72 will only appear if
<No> was selected from the Generate Files dialogue box.
[0528] 5. Click <Yes> to run tests, or click <No> to
not run tests. [0529] 6. The status of each test question is
displayed as a colored ball next to the question. A green circle
indicates success, a yellow ball indicates the question was not
tested, and a red ball indicates failure. Questions that fail
feature a brief summary of the error(s) encountered.
[0530] To debug a failed question: [0531] 1. Right click on the
test question. [0532] 2. Select Debug Question. This loads the
selected question into the debugger, and allows the user to see the
processes that led to the question's failure.
[0533] Editing a Unit
[0534] To edit a unit, perform the following procedure: [0535] 1.
Double click on the Unit in the Units OR right click on the Unit
and select Edit.fwdarw. In Main Editor or Edit.fwdarw. In Pop-Up
Editor. Both methods have the same functionality. [0536] 2. Make
any changes desired to Name, Situation, or Print Status then click
the <Update>. [0537] 3. Make any changes to individual input
patterns. [0538] a. Select an input pattern. [0539] b. If desired,
drag and drop a new Concept into the input pattern. [0540] c. If
desired, select or de-select Order Matters. [0541] d. If desired,
select or de-select Proximity Matters. [0542] e. If desired, select
a Position. [0543] f. Click <Save> to finalize the changes to
the input pattern. [0544] 4. Make any changes to test questions.
[0545] 5. Make any changes desired to the response.
[0546] To delete a pattern, perform the following procedure: [0547]
1. Select the desired input pattern and click <Delete> OR
right-click on the selected input pattern and select Delete. [0548]
2. In Confirm Delete, click <Yes> to delete the pattern or
<No> to close the window without deleting.
[0549] To deactivate a pattern, perform the following procedure:
[0550] 1. Right-click on the desired pattern. [0551] 2. Select Set
Active/Inactive from the right-click menu.
[0552] In the same way that patterns may be deactivated, the same
may be done to entire Units. [0553] 1. In the main tab Tests,
right-click the tests associated with the desired Unit. [0554] 2.
Select Set Active/Inactive from the right-click menu.
[0555] Test questions may be edited using the following procedure:
[0556] 1. Double-click on the desired test question to open it in
the text field. [0557] 2. Make any desired changes to the text. 3.
Click <Update>
[0558] Responses may be edited using the following procedure:
[0559] 1. If desired, select a new URL by dragging it from the Urls
dockable window. [0560] 2. Make any changes desired to the text.
[0561] 3. Click <Save>
[0562] Deleting a Unit
[0563] To delete a unit, use the following procedure: [0564] 1.
Select the desired Unit in Units. [0565] 2. Right click on the Unit
and select Delete. [0566] 3. In the Confirm Delete window that
appears, click <Yes> to continue and delete the Unit OR
select <No> to continue without deleting the Unit.
Directives
[0567] Directives are the way conversation scenarios are created
for ActiveAgent. They can take the form of a directed conversation,
or a series of steps the user needs a person to follow. This
section discusses in detail what directives are, along with the
different windows that are associated with it, as well as how to
implement them.
[0568] Definition of a Directive
[0569] A Directive can be thought of as a series of Units that are
linked together by specific responses, forming conversations. These
conversations can be triggered by events on a web page, or by a
person's input to ActiveAgent.
[0570] Take this simple example: [0571] Person: How are you? [0572]
ActiveAgent: I'm fine, thanks! How are you? [0573] Person: Good.
[0574] ActiveAgent: I'm glad to hear that.
[0575] In this example, there are actually two Units being
triggered. The first is the response of "I'm fine, thanks! How are
you?" and the second Unit has the response "I'm glad to hear that."
The work of the Directive is to make the second Unit only
accessible directly after the first Unit has triggered. The reason
for this is to prevent ActiveAgent from responding with "I'm glad
to hear that" anytime a person types is "Good."
[0576] A single Directive is not limited to one conversation
stream; it can have many branches, based on the variety of things a
person could say to the question of "How are you?" [0577] Person:
How are you? [0578] ActiveAgent: I'm fine, thanks! How are you?
[0579] Person: Not so good. [0580] ActiveAgent: I'm sorry to hear
that.
[0581] In this example, the same Unit response was hit, of "I'm
fine, thanks! How are you?" but a different response is given.
[0582] Directive Trees
[0583] Directives are displayed in a Directive Tree, which is a
series of responses that can branch out as many times and with as
much complexity as the user wants.
[0584] In the following example, a single Unit, called the Parent
Unit, is triggered. The conversation then flows into Child Units,
or Units that can be accessed through Directives.
[0585] Initial input: "I want to buy a watch" [0586] Unit 1 (Parent
Unit)--"Great! Would you like a gold, silver, or diamond watch?"
[0587] 1. Response--"a diamond" [0588] a. Unit 2--"would you like a
small, medium, or large diamond watch?" [0589] i. Response--"small"
1. Unit 5--"To purchase a small diamond watch, please . . . "
[0590] ii. Response--"medium" 1. Unit 6--"To purchase a medium
diamond watch, please . . . ." [0591] iii. Response--"large" 1.
Unit 7--"To purchase a large diamond watch, please . . . " [0592]
2. Response--"a gold watch" [0593] b. Unit 3 "would you like a
small, medium, or large gold watch?" [0594] i. Response--"small" 1.
Unit 8--"To purchase a small gold watch, please . . . " [0595] ii.
Response--"medium" 1. Unit 9--"To purchase a medium gold watch,
please . . . ." [0596] iii. Response--"large" 1. Unit 10--"To
purchase a large gold watch, please . . . " [0597] 3. Response--"a
silver watch" [0598] c. Unit 4--"would you like a small, medium, or
large silver watch?" [0599] i. Response--"small" 1. Unit 11--"To
purchase a small silver watch, please . . . " [0600] ii.
Response--"medium" 1. Unit 12--"To purchase a medium silver watch,
please . . . ." [0601] iii. Response--"large" 1. Unit 13--"To
purchase a large silver watch, please . . . "
[0602] As seen in this example, specific responses to a Unit that
is set up as a Directive will produce other Units. If a person
typed "small" and wasn't in a Directive, no Unit would be
triggered. However, if "small" is typed in response to a particular
Unit, a specific Unit is triggered. In this manner, conversations
can be directed.
[0603] Another feature of Directives is that a Child Unit still has
all the qualities of a regular Unit. This means that a Child Unit
can also be accessed from outside the Directive. For example, Unit
3 from the above example can be set to always respond directly to
the question, "Can I buy a gold watch?" even if its Parent Unit has
never been triggered.
[0604] Directive Dockable Window
[0605] Since Directives are simply Units that have Child Units, the
Directives dockable window, as shown in FIG. 73, looks very similar
to the Units dockable window. The major difference is that the
Directives dockable window will only show Parent Units (Units that
have Child Units and that have no Parental Unit above them). The
Directives Dockable window has the following components:
TABLE-US-00054 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Opens Directive Builder with
empty directive. <Edit>: Opens Directive Builder for selected
Directive. <Delete>: Deletes selected Directive. <Show
Dependencies>: shows dependencies of selected Directive. Note:
Currently Directives have no dependencies. <Refresh>:
Refreshes Directives display. <New Window>: Opens copy of
current window. <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree.
<Expand All> Expands entire tree. <Back and Forward
Navigation>: Navigates between searches. Directives Display
lists responses and Units in their respective Situation Groups as
follows: Situation Group Unit Unprintable Unit Empty Directive
Search Tree This field contains the following: Input Text Field:
Searches for specific text. <Search>: Executes search.
<Search Options>: Opens Search Options window. Whole Word
Only Checkbox: Limits search to complete word matches.
[0606] Directive Builder
[0607] Directives are created and edited in the Directive Builder
window. This window consists of two main Tabs: [0608] Builder Tab:
a quick easy way to create directive trees, and responses, and
links. [0609] Advanced Tab: a tree view of the entire directive, as
well as testing and pattern building for Child Units.
[0610] Builder Tab
[0611] The Builder tab of the Directive Builder window, as shown in
FIG. 74, is the easy place to create responses, add Urls and Web
Links, and edit tests questions and has the following
components:
TABLE-US-00055 Component Description Slide Show Display This
display has the following components: Main Slide: displays expected
User Input and response of Parent Unit. Child Unit Slides: displays
response input for Child Units. Click individual Child Unit Slide
to view Child Unit response and view any additional Child Units of
selected Unit. Right-Click menu: .fwdarw.Add Child: adds empty
Child Unit to Directive at current place in Slide Show Display.
.fwdarw.Delete: deletes current Child Unit. Chat Window Display
This display gives an editable view of the selected Unit: User
Input: displays expected User Input. Click in this field to edit.
Response: displays Agent Response. Click in this field to edit. Web
Links: displays Web Links for current Unit. Drag Web Links here to
add to Unit Response. Unused Answer Links: displays Child Units
that are not listed as Web Links for that Unit. Drag to Web Links
above to add to Unit Response. This window also contains the
following buttons. <Edit Web Link>: Opens Web Link window
with selected web link. <Remove Call To Web Link> removes
selected Web Link from response. <Show Web Link In Main
Window>: Highlights selected Web Link in Web Links dockable
window. <Move Call Order Up>: Moves selected Web Link up in
relation to other Web Links. <Move Call Order Down>: Moves
selected Web Link down in relation to other Web Links. Browser
Displays the website for the Url associated with current Unit. Url
Field This field is used to edit the Url for current Unit. This
field contains the following components: <Edit Url>: Opens
Url Editor with current Url loaded. <Remove All Url Items>:
Removes Url from response. <Show In Tree>: Highlights current
Url in Url dockable window. <Add>: Opens two new fields for
the purpose of creating a new Url: Uri: New Url name field. Label:
New Url Label field. <Save>: Saves new Url. Only available
through <Add> button. Uri: displays Url for response. Label:
displays label of Url for response. Auto Navigate To URL checkbox:
When selected, the Unit's triggered response. When not selected,
the URL will display as a message link.
[0612] Advanced Tab
[0613] The Advanced tab of the Directive Builder window, as shown
in FIG. 75, is where the directive tree can be directly accessed,
where patterns and test questions can be added, and where test can
be run.
[0614] The Advanced tab contains three main sections: [0615]
Directive field: the location of the Directive Tree [0616] Edit
Info tab: use this tab to add or modify patterns, responses, test
questions, Variables, and Urls. [0617] Test tab: where all test
questions can be run.
[0618] The Directive Tree is a tree view of the entire Directive.
Each indent on the tree implies one level further into the tree.
Branches on the same level of the tree are linked together with
vertical lines.
[0619] To access many of the features of the Directives field,
access the right click menu. The Directives field has the following
components:
TABLE-US-00056 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Adds empty User Input or
Response, based on which item is currently selected in the
Directive Tree. <Edit>: Opens Unit Builder for selected Unit
or response. <Remove>: Removes selected item from Directive
Tree <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All>
Expands entire tree. <Refresh>: Refreshes Directives display.
Show Urls checkbox: Toggles display of Urls with responses in
Directive Tree. Show Variables checkbox: Toggles display of
Variables with responses in Directive Tree. Directive Tree The
Directive Tree uses the following icons: Complete Directive Branch:
Indicates a branch of the Directive Tree that has at least a name,
a response, and a user input. Incomplete Directive Branch:
Indicates a branch of the directive tree that has yet to be
completed. Directive Response: Displays response for its
corresponding branch of the Directive Tree Incomplete Directive
Response: Displays when no response exists for the corresponding
branch of the Directive Tree. Unprintable Unit: Displays when a
directive is incomplete due to missing user inputs, responses, or
patterns Unit: Displays when Directive has all pieces considered to
make it complete. Right-Click Menu The Directive Tree uses the
following right-click menu options: Add Prompt/Agent Response: Add
response to a branch if none exists. Add User Input: Add a branch
to the Directive Tree under selected response. Edit: Opens Unit
Builder with selected Unit loaded. Rename: Rename selected item
Remove: Removes selected branch and all child branches underneath.
Edit Unit: Opens Unit Builder with selected Unit loaded. Create
Unit: Opens Unit Builder and creates new Unit from the selected
branch. Show Unit In Tree: Highlights selected Unit in Units
dockable window. Copy Input/Response: Make a copy of selected
branch. Paste Input/Response: Pastes copied Input/Response into
selected branch. Set Print Status: Sets Print Status of selected
Unit to the following options: Test Production InActive Cascade
Print Status To Children: Copies Print Status of selected branch to
all child branches.
[0620] The Edit Info tab, as shown in FIG. 76, allows changes to be
made to individual branches of the Directive Tree. The use of this
window is similar to the Unit Editor tab for adding test questions,
editing responses, and adding patterns.
[0621] Test questions and patterns listed under the Edits Tab are
Directive specific. This means that they only apply within the
Directive, and cannot be accessed unless the previous point in the
Directive has been hit. The Edit Info tab has the following
components:
TABLE-US-00057 Component Description User Input Display The name of
the branches displayed in the Directive Builder. Response Display
The Response for the Unit is written here. Show As Link checkbox
Check to show Directive Child as a Web Link. Link Name Displays the
name of the Web Link shown for the Unit. User Input This tab
contains the following: <Add New Match Condition>: Add test
question to the Directive. <Edit Match Condition>: Edit
selected test question. <Delete Match Condition>: Removes
selected test question. <Refresh>: Refreshes Directives
display. Show child user inputs checkbox: Toggles display of all
questions that are associated with selected Unit from outside the
Directive. Main window: displays all directive specific test
questions for selected Unit. Text field: Field for typing new test
questions. Default User Input checkbox: set selected test question
as Default (the name in User Input Display field). Add: Add test
question. Update: Saves changes to test question. Delete: Deletes
selected test question. Additional Patterns This tab contains the
following: <Refresh>: Refreshes changes to patterns.
<Collapse All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All>
Expands entire tree. <Add>: Adds a blank pattern to the
display. <Edit>: Allows user to edit the name, position, and
order/proximity settings of a selected pattern. <Delete>:
Deletes selected pattern. <Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens
Tests tab with all Concepts used in the Unit input patterns, as
well as all Units using those Concepts. Show Ignore Items checkbox:
When selected, Ignore Concepts folders are visible. Any
Concepts/file dropped in these folders will not be considered when
that specific input pattern is evaluated. Default: not selected.
Show Child Patterns Checkbox: Toggles display of all patterns that
are associated with selected Unit from outside the Directive.
Patterns Main Window: all the patterns created for the Unit. Input
patterns are represented thusly: Active input pattern Inactive
input pattern Position: Drop-down list determines where the pattern
must be located in input in order to trigger the Unit. Choose
between "Anywhere," "Beginning," "End," "Entire," or "Substitute."
Order Matters checkbox: When selected, Unit only triggers on same
order as input pattern. Selected by default. Proximity Matters
checkbox: When selected, inputs must be next to one another in
order to trigger Unit. Selected by default. <Save>: Saves
changes to pattern name, location, and order/proximity selections.
Note: Order Matters and Proximity Matters have no affect on Unit
input patterns, except for use with AppEvents Additional Variables
Variables listed in this tab will only trigger within the
Directive. This tab also contains the following: <Edit>: Edit
selected Variable <Delete>: Removes selected Variable.
<Refresh>: Refreshes Additional Variables tab. Url This field
contains the following: <Edit Url>: Opens Url Editor with
current Url loaded. <Remove All Url Items>: Removes Url from
response. <Show In Tree>: Shows current Url in Url dockable
window. <Add>: Opens two new fields for the purpose of
creating a new Url: Uri: New Url name field. Label: New Url Label
field. <Save>: Saves new Url. Only available through
<Add> button. Uri: displays Url for response. Label: displays
label of Url for response. Auto Navigate To URL checkbox: When
selected, the URL will display when the Unit is triggered. When not
selected, URL will display as a message link below the
response.
[0622] In the Tests tab, shown in FIG. 77, it is possible to test
all the test questions for the Directive at the same time. For ease
of use, the test questions are set up in a tree format that is
identical to that found in the Directive Tree. When the tests are
run, the results will show not just which test questions failed,
but also in which branches of the Directive the test questions are
failing.
[0623] Except for the fact that the tests are in the form of a
tree, the functionality of Tests is very similar to the Tests tab
from the Unit Editor. The Tests Tab has the following
components:
TABLE-US-00058 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Run Tests>: Runs tests on the
questions input by the user for the Unit. <Reload Tests>:
Reloads tests. <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree.
<Expand All> Expands entire tree. <Edit Test Question>:
Allows the user to edit the selected test question. <Delete Test
Question>: Allows the user to delete the selected test question.
<Set Question Active/Inactive>: Toggles active/inactive for a
question. Default for all questions is Active. When inactive, tests
are not performed on the question. <Debug Question>: Opens
Debug tab, allowing the user to view the output generated in
response to the question, and the processes leading up to said
output. <Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens Tests tab with all
Concepts used in the Unit input patterns, as well as all Units
using those Concepts. Test Questions This field contains the
following: Display: Displays all Test Questions input by the user,
as well as their test status. A green circle indicates that the
tests succeeded; a yellow circle indicates that the test has yet to
be run; and a red circle indicates that the test failed. Text
Field: Type test questions here. <Add>: Adds test questions
to the display. <Update>: Updates changes made to a test
question. <Delete>: Deletes a selected test question.
Variables
[0624] This section describes the creation and editing of
Directives using the Directive Builder, and Directives dockable
window.
[0625] The Builder Tab
[0626] When the Directive Builder opens, it will default to the
Builder tab. The Parent Unit will be displayed in the upper left
corner. From this window, both the Parent Unit and the Child Unit
can be edited, and an entire Directive Tree can be easily built.
The Builder tab creates an easy way to build a Directive Tree,
however patterns and test questions are added using the Advanced
tab discussed below.
[0627] The left hand side of the Builder tab is a slide show view
of the entire Directive. The uppermost slide will always be the
Parent Unit of the entire Directive. Below it on smaller slides are
all of the Child Units that are directly below it in the Directive
Tree.
[0628] If a Child Unit is selected, it will increase in size and
any of its Child Units will appear in as small slides below it.
This can be repeated as long as there are more Child Units below
each subsequent Child Unit.
[0629] Clicking on any Parent Unit will change the slide show view
to show all Child Units of that Unit.
[0630] A Directive can be created in a variety of ways from a
variety of places. The reason for this is because a Directive is
simply multiple Units linked together in a series. This makes
creating Directives very flexible.
[0631] There are three different ways to begin the process of
creating a Directive: [0632] From an existing Unit (either from the
Unit Editor tab or Unit Builder window), click <Open Directive
Editor> to open the Directive Builder. If the Unit is not
already used in a Directive elsewhere, it will appear as the main
Parent Unit in the Directive Builder. [0633] From the Directives
dockable window, click <Add> to open the Directive Builder.
[0634] From the Directives dockable window, right-click
Add.fwdarw.Directive to open the Directive Builder.
[0635] When the Directive Builder opens, it will default to the
Builder tab. The Parent Unit will be displayed in the upper left
corner. All Child Units will be displayed below.
[0636] To add a Child Unit: [0637] Right-click on the enlarged
Child Unit and select.fwdarw.Add Child.
[0638] To add a Child Unit to an existing Child Unit: [0639] 1.
Left click on desired Child Unit to bring it to the full size of a
Parent Unit [0640] 2. Right-click on the desired Parent Unit and
select.fwdarw.Add Child.
[0641] To delete a Child Unit: [0642] Right-click on the desired
Child Unit and select.fwdarw.Delete.
[0643] Once a Parent Unit or Child Unit has been created its User
Input display can be added or changed: [0644] 1. Left Click on
desired Parent Unit or Child Unit in the Slide Show Display. [0645]
2. Click in the field labeled User Input in the Chat Window
display. [0646] 3. Type desired User Input.
[0647] Once a Parent Unit or Child Unit has been created its
Response can be added or changed: [0648] 1. Left Click on desired
Parent Unit or Child Unit in the Slide Show Display. [0649] 2.
Click in the field labeled Response in the Chat Window display.
[0650] 3. Type desired Response.
[0651] Once a Parent Unit or Child Unit has been selected, its Web
Links can be added and removed, and the order of the Web Links
modified. [0652] 1. Open Urls, Web Links, or Units dockable window.
[0653] 2. Click and Drag selected Url, Web Link, or Unit from the
dockable window into the Web Links display in the Response tab.
Note: you may be prompted to create a Web Link at this point.
[0654] 3. Use <Move Call Order Up> and <Move Call Order
Down> as desired.
[0655] Unused Answer Links, listed below Web Links, are the Child
Units of the selected Unit. They can be added as Web Links to the
Unit by clicking and dragging them from Unused Answer Links to the
Web Links field.
[0656] Web Links can be removed from the Unit by clicking the
<Remove> button.
[0657] Urls can be added and removed from the Unit response in a
Directive using the same steps as a regular Unit. [0658] 1. Open
Urls dockable window. [0659] 2. Click and Drag selected Url from
the Urls dockable window into the Url display in the Response tab.
[0660] 3. Select Auto-Navigate to URL if desired.
[0661] The Advanced Tab
[0662] When the Directive Builder window opens, it will default to
the Builder tab, as shown in FIG. 78. Click Advanced to view the
Advanced tab.
[0663] The Advanced tab allows an entire directive to be built and
maintained. It includes all the functionality of the Builder tab,
just in a different form. It also has the ability to add test
questions, add patterns, and actually test the Directive. This
section describes the process.
[0664] There are two ways to create a Parent Unit. Using Existing
Units: [0665] 1. Drag any existing Unit from the Units dockable
window onto "Missing User Input" in the main Directive Tree window
of the Directive Builder. [0666] 2. Click <Yes> when prompted
to replace the node.
[0667] To create a new Parent Unit from the Directive Builder:
[0668] 1. Right-click on the Missing User Input and
select.fwdarw.Add Prompt/Agent Response. An unfinished response
will appear below the Unit. [0669] 2. Type a name for the response
in the Agent Response field and press <Enter>. [0670] 3. Type
a user input that will display as the name of the Unit in the User
Input Display on the Edit Info tab to the right.
[0671] Once a Parent Unit is set in the Directive Tree, you can now
add possible user responses. Each response will be considered a
Child Unit, therefore only add one response per Child Unit desired.
There are two ways to add a Child Unit:
[0672] Note: These processes can be used on any branch of the
Directive Tree to create Child Units for any branch.
[0673] Using Existing Units: [0674] 1. Drag any existing Unit from
the Units dockable window onto the response of the Parent Unit.
This becomes the new Child Unit. [0675] 2. Enter response in User
Input Display in the Edit Info tab to the right. [0676] 3. Change
the Response Display in Edit Info tab to the right if desired. This
will also change the Unit's name in the Unit Editor as well.
[0677] Creating a new Child Unit: [0678] 1. Right-click on the
response of the desired Parent Unit and select.fwdarw.Add User
Input. [0679] 2. Type the response name in the Input Display in the
Edit Info tab to the right and press <Enter>. [0680] 3. Type
a name for the Unit Response in the Response Display in the Edit
Info tab to the right and press <Enter>.
[0681] Units that are created in the Directive Builder do not
technically exist until they are officially created. This is done
by right-clicking on the selected Directive and
selecting.fwdarw.Create Unit. The Unit Builder window will open.
You may edit the Unit as necessary, or close the window.
[0682] Once the Unit is created, it can be found in its
corresponding Situation Group in the Units window, or by
selecting.fwdarw.Edit Unit from the right-click menu. Patterns and
test questions created from the Unit Editor can be accessed from
outside the Directive, while patterns and test question created
inside the Directive Builder will only operate when in the
Directive.
[0683] There are three ways to edit both the User Input Display and
Response Display: [0684] Left click twice slowly on any input or
response in the Directive Tree to open a text field to edit the
item. [0685] Right-click on any input or response in the Directive
Tree and select.fwdarw.Rename to open a text field to edit the
item. [0686] With the Edit Info tab open, left-click on any input
or response to make that Unit display on the Edit Info tab. The
User Input Display and Response Display can now be directly
edited.
[0687] To delete any branch of the Directive Tree, including any
Child Units of that branch: [0688] 1. Select Unit to be deleted by
left clicking on either the response or User Input. [0689] 2. Click
<Remove> or right-click and select.fwdarw.Remove. [0690]
Note: Removing a Unit from the Directive Builder does not delete
the Unit from the project if it has already been created.
[0691] Adding Test Questions within a Directive
[0692] To add test questions that will only apply within the
Directive, follow these steps: [0693] 1. Select chosen Child Unit
by left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree. [0694] 2. Select the
User Input tab under the Edit Info tab.
[0695] Type test question into the text field and press
<Enter> or <Add>. Repeat this step as many times as
desired.
[0696] To add test questions that will only apply within the
Directive, follow these steps: [0697] 1. Select chosen Child Unit
by left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree. [0698] 2. Select the
User Input tab under the Edit Info tab. [0699] 3. Select Test
question and click <Delete> OR double click on selected test
question so it appears in the text field and click <Delete>.
Repeat this step as desired.
[0700] To edit test questions within a Directive, follow these
steps: [0701] 1. Select chosen Child Unit by left-clicking on it in
the Directive Tree. [0702] 2. Select the User Input tab under the
Edit Info tab. [0703] 3. Select Test question and click either
<Edit> or double click on the test question. It will appear
in the text field below. [0704] 4. Edit the test question in the
text field. [0705] 5. Press <Enter> or click <Update>.
Repeat steps 3-5 as many times as desired.
[0706] Adding Patterns to Child Units
[0707] Adding a pattern to a Child Unit within the Directive will
limit that pattern to work only in the Directive. Adding these
patterns is done in the exact same way as it is done in the
Patterns tab of the Unit Editor. [0708] 1. In Additional Patterns
of Edit Info, click <Add> to create a blank input pattern.
[0709] 2. Drag and drop any desired Concepts from the Concepts
dockable window into the blank pattern. [0710] 3. Drag and drop any
desired Helper Terms from the Helper Terms dockable window into the
pattern. [0711] 4. Arrange the Concepts and Helper Terms as
desired. [0712] 5. Select <Order Matters> and/or
<Proximity Matters> as desired. Note: Currently, these
options only affect AppEvents. [0713] 6. Choose a pattern position
from the Edit Pattern Position drop-down menu. [0714] 7. Click
<Save> to save any changes. [0715] 8. Use steps 1-7 to create
as many patterns as desired. Note: You must double click on the
pattern in order to later make any changes to the Position or
<Order Matters> and <Proximity Matters> check boxes.
Click <Save> to save these changes. [0716] 9. Click
<Generate FPML (Changes Only) or <Generate All Fpml> or to
enter the pattern into the database if desired.
[0717] To edit patterns within a directive, perform the following
procedure: [0718] 1. Select chosen Child Unit by left-clicking on
it in the Directive Tree. [0719] 2. Select the Additional Patterns
tab under the Edit Info tab. [0720] 3. Select pattern and click
either <Edit> or double click on the pattern. It will appear
in the Edit Pattern field below. [0721] 4. Edit the pattern by
either dragging and dropping new Concepts into the input pattern or
deleting Concepts. [0722] 5. If desired, select or de-select Order
Matters. [0723] 6. If desired, select or de-select Proximity
Matters. [0724] 7. If desired, select a Position. [0725] 8. Click
<Save> to finalize the changes to the input pattern if steps
5, 6 or 7 were followed.
[0726] To delete patterns within a directive perform the following
procedure: [0727] 1. Select chosen Child Unit by left-clicking on
it in the Directive Tree. [0728] 2. Select the Additional Patterns
tab under the Edit Info tab. [0729] 3. Select the desired input
pattern and click <Delete> OR right-click on the selected
input pattern and select Delete. [0730] 4. In Confirm Delete, click
<Yes> to delete the pattern or <No> to close the window
without deleting.
[0731] To deactivate patterns within a directive, perform the
following procedure. When set inactive, a pattern will not trigger
the Unit when matched. [0732] 1. Select chosen Child Unit by
left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree. [0733] 2. Select the
Additional Patterns tab under the Edit Info tab. [0734] 3.
Right-click on the desired pattern. [0735] 4. Select Set
Active/Inactive from the right-click menu.
[0736] Additional Variables within a Directive
[0737] To add a Variable to a Directive, drag and drop any chosen
Variable from the Components dockable window into the Additional
Variables tab under Edit Info.
[0738] Adding a Url within a Directive
[0739] Though responses do not require URLs to function, they can
benefit from the versatility associated with web pages. To add a
URL to a response: [0740] 1. Select chosen Child Unit by
left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree. [0741] 2. Select the Url
tab under the Edit Info tab. [0742] 3. Open Urls dockable window.
[0743] 4. Click and Drag selected Url from the Urls dockable window
into the Url display in the Url tab. [0744] 5. Select Auto-Navigate
to URL if desired.
[0745] To remove a URL from a response: [0746] 1. Select chosen
Child Unit by left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree. [0747] 2.
Select the Url tab under the Edit Info tab. [0748] 3. Select
<Remove All Url Items>.
[0749] Testing Directives
[0750] To test only the test questions associated with the
Directive, follow these steps: [0751] 1. Select the Tests tab from
the Advanced tab within the Directive Builder. [0752] 2. Click
<Run Tests>. The dialogue box shown in FIG. 79 will only
appear if changes have been made to the database (i.e.: a pattern
has been changed). [0753] 3. Click <Yes> to generate FPML
(Changes Only) and run test or Click <No> to not generate
FPML. The following dialogue box will only appear if <No> was
selected from the Generate Files dialogue box. [0754] 4. Click
<Yes> to run tests, or click <No> to not run tests in
the box shown in FIG. 80.
[0755] The status of each test question is displayed as a colored
ball next to the question. A green circle indicates success, a
yellow ball indicates the question was not tested, and a red ball
indicates failure. Questions that fail feature a brief summary of
the error(s) encountered.
[0756] To debug a failed question: [0757] 1. Right click on the
test question. [0758] 2. Select Debug Question. This loads the
selected question into the debugger, and allows the user to see the
processes that led to the question's failure.
Variables
[0759] Variables are means by which the KB may store information
captured in a conversation for later use. This section discusses
Variables and Record Lists as they fit into Units and Concepts.
[0760] Components Dockable Window
[0761] Variables and Record Lists are accessed via Components,
along with AppCalls. The Components dockable window is shown in
FIG. 81 and includes the following components:
TABLE-US-00059 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Opens Variable, Record List,
Function, and AppCall Editors, depending on which is currently
highlighted. <Edit>: Opens Variable, Record List, Function,
and AppCall Editors, depending on which is currently highlighted.
<Delete>: Deletes selected item. <Show Dependencies>:
shows dependencies and web links for selected Unit.
<Refresh>: Refreshes Components display. <New Window>:
Opens a copy of the current window. <Collapse All>: Collapses
entire tree. <Expand All>: Expands entire tree. <Back and
Forward Navigation>: Navigate between searches. Components
display Shows all available Variable Types, Variables, and Record
Lists thusly: Variable type Variable Variable that is saved in Chat
Logs Record List Search Tree This field contains the following:
Input Text Field: Searches cascades for specific text.
<Search>: Executes search. <Search Options>: Opens
Search Options window. Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits search to
complete word matches.
[0762] The above components only apply to Variables and Record
Lists.
[0763] Variables
[0764] Variables are components used for profiling and
contextualization. When used for profiling, they log a site user's
activities on the user's site, and any information they might
divulge, such as name, IP address, e-mail address, or credit card
number.
[0765] Variables are means by which a user may allow certain Units
to trigger only in specific situations. Much like Directives, they
allow for greater specificity in a Unit's functioning. The user may
specify the type of Variable, the Variable's name, and the
Variable's initialization value (be it true/false, empty string, or
other value). Furthermore, the user may specify whether Variable
information is saved in the chat logs. Note: If the Save In Chat
Logs selection is not checked, all information gained from the
Variable will be lost when the site-user leaves the chat. Save In
Chat must be selected to view the information at a later time.
[0766] Variables are grouped together by type. This is done mostly
for organizational purposes. There are three categories of
Variables: [0767] System Variables: System Variables are set by the
Context IQ Engine. [0768] Application Variables: Application
Variables are set by the parent application. [0769] User-defined
Variables: These variables can represent a single value, an array,
or a Record List.
[0770] By clicking on Variables, and selecting <Add> or
selecting a Variable Type and selecting <Edit>, the Variable
Type window shown in FIG. 82 will appear. Variable Type includes
the following components:
TABLE-US-00060 Component Description Name Name of the Variable
Type. Make Public checkbox Makes Variable publicly available if
selected. <Save> Saves changes made. <Cancel> Closes
window without saving changes made.
[0771] Variable Editor, shown in FIG. 83, allows the user to create
and edit specific Variables and includes the following
components:
TABLE-US-00061 Component Description Variable Type drop-down/field
Select type from list. Name Name of the Variable. Initialization
Value The value of the Variable at the start of every session.
There are three options: Do Not Initialize: If selected, Variable
will not initialize. Clear When Initializing: If selected, value =
"." Set Initialize Value: Variable is set to the entered
initialization Variable. Setup Action The action selected in this
field will be performed prior to the processing of each input.
There are four options: None: Nothing is done. Clear: Value of
Variable is cleared. Set Initialize Value: Variable is set to the
entered initialization Variable. Increment by one: value of
Variable will increase by one. Save In Chat Logs checkbox If
selected, chat logs record usage of Variable in question.
<Save> Saves changes made to Variable. <Cancel> Closes
window without saving changes.
[0772] View Variable Initialization and Setup
[0773] Selecting.fwdarw.Admin.fwdarw.View Variable Initialization
And Setup will open the Variables window. The Variables window is a
list of all Variables associated with the project, as well as what
value the Variables are set to at either initialization or setup
(before each User Input).
[0774] The Variables window, shown in FIG. 84, is broken up into
four distinct columns: [0775] Variable: This column displays the
name of the Variable. [0776] Initialization Action: This column
displays what is done to the Variable at the beginning of each
session. A Variable can be set to a value, cleared, or not
initialized at all. [0777] Initialization Value: This column
displays the value the Variable is set to at either initialization
or setup. [0778] Setup Action: This column displays what action is
taken before every user input.
[0779] The Variables window also contains the following right-click
menu:
TABLE-US-00062 Component Description Edit Name Opens field to edit
the name of the Variable. Edit Initialization Opens drop-down to
change Initialization Action. Edit Value Opens field to edit
Initialization Value Edit Setup Action Opens drop-down to change
Setup Action field. Open In Editor Opens selected item in Variable
Editor.
[0780] Record Lists
[0781] Record Lists are lists of Variables that work in conjunction
with one another. They are used when information should be grouped
together and when an unspecified number of values is possible.
[0782] The Record List Editor, shown in FIG. 85, allows the user to
specify the name of the Record List, the index Variable name, and
the required parameters and includes the following components:
TABLE-US-00063 Component Description Main This field contains the
following: Name: Input field for the name of the Record List.
<Save>: Saves Record List to the project. This button must be
clicked in order to add parameters. Index Variable Name: Text input
field for name of index Variable. Clear on Initialization checkbox:
When selected, clears Record List once initialized. Required
Parameters This field contains the following: <Edit Required
Parameter>: Allows user to edit selected required parameter in
Required Parameters field. <Delete Required Parameter>:
Deletes selected required parameter. Display: Lists all required
parameters. Text input field: Required parameters typed here.
<Add>: Adds field input to display list, saves parameter.
<Update>: Updates changes made to selected desired parameter.
<Delete>: Deletes selected required parameter. <Close>
Closes window.
[0783] Record List configuration appears whenever a Record List is
added to a Concept, Unit; or Response Block. The Configure Record
List window, shown in FIG. 86, will open automatically and includes
the following components:
TABLE-US-00064 Component Description Parameter display list List of
available parameters Parameter display Selected parameter.
<Select Parameter Value Type> Choose between the following:
radio selection <Select from a Variable>: Assigns parameter
value from a Variable already assigned. <Select from a Record
List>: Pulls value from another Record List. <Type in a
value>: Specific typed input. <Set from pattern>: Select
one of the following values to assign to the parameter: Wild Card
Input File Lex Type Value field/drop-down Value to assign to
current parameter. <Back> Navigates to previous parameter.
<Next> Navigates to next parameter. <Finish> Closes
window with changes saved. <Cancel> Closes window without
saving changes. Select A Value Appears when no value is
selected.
[0784] The following section discusses the procedures involved in
creating, maintaining, and using Variables and Record Lists.
[0785] Managing Variables and Record Lists
[0786] This sub-section deals with creating, editing and deleting
Variables and Record Lists. These operations are performed via
Components. To create variable types, perform the following
procedure in connection with FIG. 87: [0787] 1. Select "Variables"
and click <Add> OR right-click on "Variables" and select Add.
[0788] 2. In Variable Type, type in a Name for the Variable Type.
[0789] 3. If desired select the Make Public check box. [0790] 4.
Click <Save> to save the Variable Type OR click
<Cancel> to close the window without saving.
[0791] To edit an existing variable type: [0792] 1. Select the
desired Variable Type in Components and click <Edit> OR
double-click on the desired Variable Type OR right-click on the
desired Variable Type and select Edit from the right-click menu.
[0793] 2. In Variable Type, make any changes to Name or Make
Public. [0794] 3. When finished, click <Save> to close the
window and save changes, OR click <Cancel> to close the
window without saving changes.
[0795] To create variables perform the following procedure in
connection with FIG. 88: [0796] 1. In Components, select a Variable
Type and click <Add> OR right-click on a Variable Type and
select Add from the right-click menu. [0797] 2. In Variable Editor,
select Variable Type from the drop-down-list. Defaults to the
Variable Type you were on when you clicked <Add>. [0798] 3.
Select a Variable Type from the dropdown [0799] 4. Type in a Name
for the Variable. [0800] 5. Select an Initialization Value from one
of the radio buttons. [0801] a. If <Set Initialize Value> is
selected, enter a value in the appropriate field. [0802] 6. Select
a Setup Action from one of the radio buttons. [0803] 7. If desired,
select Save in Chat Logs. Default is unchecked. [0804] 8. Click
<Save> to save the Variable and close the window OR click
<Cancel> to close the window without saving the Variable
[0805] To edit variables, perform the following procedure in
connection with FIG. 89: [0806] 1. In Components, select the
desired Variable and click <Edit> OR double-click on the
desired Variable OR right-click on the desired Variable and select
Edit from the right-click menu. [0807] 2. In Variable Editor, make
any changes to Variable Type, Name, Initialization Value, Setup
Action, or Save in Chat Logs as needed. [0808] 3. Click
<Save> to close the window and save all changes made OR click
<Cancel> to close the window without saving changes.
[0809] To delete variables: [0810] 1. In Components, select the
desired Variable and click <Delete> OR right-click on the
desired Variable and select Delete from the right-click menu.
[0811] 2. In Confirm Delete, click <Yes> to delete the
Variable OR click <No> to close the window without deleting
the Variable.
[0812] To creating record lists, perform the following procedure in
connection with FIG. 90: [0813] 1. In Components, select "Record
Lists" and click <Add> OR right-click on "Record Lists" and
select Add. [0814] 2. In Record List Editor, type in a Name. [0815]
3. Type in an Index Variable Name. Note: This must be different
from the name of the Record List. A common means of doing this
while making the association between the index Variable and Record
List clear is to simply type the name of the Record List, followed
immediately by "index." Thus, the index Variable for Record List
"state" would be "stateindex." [0816] 4. Click <Save>. [0817]
5. If desired, select Clear on Initialization. If selected, this
will set Record List name to "." and set index to [0818] 6. Type a
desired required parameter in Required Parameters input field.
[0819] 7. Click <Add>. [0820] 8. Repeat steps 6 & 7 as
often as desired. [0821] 9. When finished, click <Close>.
[0822] To edit record lists, perform the following procedure in
connection with FIG. 91 [0823] 1. In Components, select the desired
Record List and click <Edit> OR double-click on the desired
Record List OR right-click on the desired Record List and select
Edit. [0824] 2. In Record List Editor, make any changes to Name or
Index Variable Name desired. [0825] 3. Click <Save>. [0826]
4. To edit a required parameter: [0827] a. Select the desired
required parameter. [0828] b. Make any changes in the Required
Parameters field. [0829] c. Click <Update> to make the
changes, or click <Delete> to remove the required parameter.
[0830] 5. When finished, click <Close>.
[0831] To deleting record lists, perform the following procedure:
[0832] 1. In Components, select the desired Record List and click
<Delete> OR right-click on the Record List and select Delete
from the right-click menu. [0833] 2. In Confirm Delete, click
<Yes> to delete the Record List from the project OR click
<No> to close the window without deleting.
[0834] Using Variables and Record Lists
[0835] When Variables and Record Lists are placed in a Concept or
Unit, they are assigned a value. This sub-section concerns the
assigning of value for Variables and Record Lists.
[0836] To set variables in concepts and units, perform the
following procedure: [0837] 1. Open the desired Unit or Concept in
the appropriate tab. [0838] 2. Select Advanced View. [0839] 3. Open
Components as shown in FIG. 92. [0840] 4. Drag the desired Variable
from Components to the tab. [0841] 5. In Variable Value Editor, as
shown in FIG. 93, type in the desired value in the Set Value To
field. This value will henceforth be available for all other
Variables in the drop-down list. [0842] 6. When finished, click
<Save> to close the window and save the Variable OR click
<Cancel> to close the window without saving the Variable.
[0843] 7.
[0844] To remove variables from concepts and units, perform the
following procedure: [0845] 1. Open the Concept or Unit in question
in the appropriate tab. [0846] 2. Select Advanced Tabs [0847] 3.
Open Components. [0848] 4. Select the Variable in question and
click <Delete> OR right-click on the Variable in question and
select Delete from the right-click menu. [0849] 5. In Confirm
Remove Variable, click <Yes> to remove the Variable from the
Concept or Unit OR click <No> to close the window without
removing the Variable.
[0850] To set record lists in concepts and units, perform the
following procedure in connection with FIG. 94: [0851] 1. Open the
Concept or Unit in the appropriate tab. [0852] 2. Select Advanced
View. [0853] 3. Open Components. [0854] 4. Drag and drop the
desired Record List from Components into Components. [0855] 5. In
Configure Record List, select the Parameter Value Type from the
radio buttons for each parameter. [0856] 6. Select a Value from the
drop-down list. [0857] 7. Click <Next>. [0858] 8. Repeat
steps 5--7 for each parameter. [0859] 9. When finished, click
<Finish> to close the window and add the Record List to the
Concept or Unit OR click <Cancel> to close the window without
setting values for the Record List.
[0860] To removing a record list from a concept or unit, perform
the following procedure: [0861] 1. Open the Concept or Unit in the
appropriate tab. [0862] 2. Select Advanced View. [0863] 3. Open
Components. [0864] 4. Select the Record List in question and click
<Delete> OR right-click on the Record List and select Delete
from the right-click menu. [0865] 5. In Confirm Remove Record List,
click <Yes> to remove the Record List from the Concept or
Unit OR click <No> to close the window without removing the
Record List.
Advanced Vocabulary
[0866] Advanced vocabulary refers to items that may be used to add
greater flexibility to Concepts and Units, as well as discern the
differences between various types of inputs. This section describes
Variables, lex types, Wild Cards, and input files.
[0867] Lex Types
[0868] Lex types classify user inputs to further specify what is to
be matched. Lex types function as placeholders that determine the
type of input that is recognized. For instance, lex types are used
to differentiate between numerical inputs and word inputs, or
between units of weight and units of distance.
[0869] Lex Types includes a dockable window, shown in FIG. 95,
which provides the user with a means by which lex types may be
created, edited, and deleted. Lex Types contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00065 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Adds a new lex type.
<Edit>: Opens Lex Builder with selected lex type loaded.
<Delete>: Deletes selected lex type. <Show
Dependencies>: Shows all Concepts in which the selected lex type
appears. <Refresh>: Reloads the Lex Types display list.
<New Window>: Opens a copy of the current window.
<Collapse All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All>
Expands entire tree. <Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates
between searches. Lex Types Displays available lex types,
represented thusly: Lex type Search Tree This field contains the
following: Input Text Field: Searches cascades for specific text.
<Search>: Executes search. <Search Options>: Opens
Search Options window. Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits search to
complete word matches.
[0870] Lex files are static files that are edited manually using a
text editor or the Editor tab. They may be added to a project
through the lab by means of a Lex Builder component. A Lex Builder
window is shown in FIG. 96 and includes the following
components.
TABLE-US-00066 Component Description Name Input field for lex type
name Display Name Input field for display name of lex type.
<Save> Saves lex type to project. <Cancel> Closes
window without saving lex type to project.
[0871] Wild Cards are place-holders that allow the user to create
more flexible input patterns for Concepts. A Wild Card is placed
between two Vocab Terms to indicate that there may be any words in
between the Vocab Terms. There are three Wild Cards, and they are
applicable to all projects: [0872] Match Any: this Wild Card can
hold the place of zero or more words. [0873] Match One: This
wildcard holds the place of one and only one unspecified word in a
pattern. [0874] Match One or More: This Wild Card holds the place
of one or more words.
[0875] Wild cards includes a dockable window shown in FIG. 97 and
includes the following components.
TABLE-US-00067 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Adds new Wild Card. Note:
While it is theoretically possible to add a new Wild Card, the
existing ones are all that are needed. <Edit>: Edits selected
Wild Card. Note: Do not do this without consultation of development
team. <Delete>: Deletes selected Wild Card. Note: Do not do
this without consultation of development team. <Show
Dependencies>: Dependencies are not supported for Wild Cards.
<Reload>: Refreshes Wild Cards display. <New Window>:
Opens copy of current window. <Collapse All> Collapses entire
tree. <Expand All> Expands entire tree. <Back and Forward
Navigation>: Navigates between searches. Wild Cards Displays all
available Wild Cards, which are indicated thusly: Wild Card Search
Tree This field contains the following: Input Text Field: Searches
cascades for specific text. <Search>: Executes search.
<Search Options>: Opens Search Options window. Whole Word
Only Checkbox: Limits search to complete word matches.
[0876] The Wild Card Builder, shown in FIG. 98, allows the user to
create and edit a Wild Card's settings and has the following
components.
TABLE-US-00068 Component Description Name Wild Card name Output The
symbol used to indicate Wild Cards presence in match data. Match
All: [*] Match One or More: [+] Match One: [.] <Save> Saves
Wild Card. <Cancel> Closes window without saving Wild
Card.
[0877] Input Files are lists of words in a text file (*.txt). They
are used as substitutes for large groups of words, such as names
and locations. An Input File can be placed in the pattern for a
Concept just like a single Vocab Term. The pattern for the Concept
will then trigger if any word in the Input File is hit, much like a
Building Block.
[0878] Once an Input File has been created, it can be compared
against all Vocab in the KB. Any overlapping words are converted to
Vocab in the Input File. In this way, common misspellings can be
included if a word has already been assigned to a Vocab Term. Input
files are accessed via a dockable window of the same name,
illustrated in FIG. 99 and having the following components.
TABLE-US-00069 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Adds new input file.
<Edit>: Opens Input File Builder with selected input file
open. <Delete>: Deletes selected input file. <Show
Dependencies>: Shows all Concepts in which the selected input
file appears. <Refresh>: Refreshes Input Files display
<New Window>: Opens copy of current window. <Collapse
All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All> Expands entire
tree. <Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates between
searches. Input Files Displays all available input files for the
project thusly: Input File Search Tree This field contains the
following: Input Text Field: Searches cascades for specific text.
<Search>: Executes search. <Search Options>: Opens
Search Options window. Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits search to
complete word matches.
[0879] Input File Builder, shown in FIG. 100, is used to create and
edit input files. Each word or phrase should be on its own line of
the text file. Input File Builder has the following components.
TABLE-US-00070 Component Description File Name Text input field for
the file name. <Browse>: Allows user to browse for existing
text file. Display Name Name as it appears in the Active Lab. Print
As Vocab checkbox Check to enable contents of the Input File to be
generated as Vocab. Input File tab Enter words and phrases here.
One per line. Vocab Output tab Input File is converted to existing
Vocab here. This tab contains the following: <Create Vocab
Output>: replaces entries with Vocab Terms if they exist and
displays the results in the Vocab Output field. <Save
Output>: Opens Browse window to save the Vocab output. Vocab
Results display: shows the Input File contents after <Create
Vocab Output> has been pressed. Search Tree This field is used
to: Allows user to search for specific text in the input file tree.
<Search>: Executes search. Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits
search to complete word matches. <Save> Saves input file.
<Cancel> Closes Input File Builder without saving
additions.
[0880] The next section deals with the procedures involved in
managing lex types and input files. As mentioned above, lex types
are created as part of the overall lex file, which is created
manually by the administrator.
[0881] To add a lex type to a project, use the following procedure.
Note that corresponding FPML must be manually entered into the
static file *.lex before this will have any affect.
In Lex Types, click <Add> OR right click anywhere in the
window to open a right-click menu and select Add. In the Name field
(FIG. 101), input the name of the desired lex type. Type the
desired Display Name in the appropriate field. While this name may
be any name, it would be best to stick to a name that accurately
represents the lex type's function. Click <Save> to close Lex
Builder and add the lex type to the project OR click <Cancel>
to close the window without adding the lex type to the project.
[0882] To edit lex types, use the following procedure in connection
with FIG. 102: [0883] 1. In Lex Types, double-click on the desired
lex type OR select the desired lex type and click <Edit> OR
right-click on the desired item to open a right-click menu and
select Edit. [0884] 2. Make any changes desired to the Name and/or
Display Name fields. [0885] 3. Click <Save> to close the
window and save changes OR click <Cancel> to close the window
without saving.
[0886] Lex types may be added to the input patterns of Concepts
just like any other form of vocabulary. To do so, use the following
procedure: [0887] 1. Open the desired Concept in Concept Editor.
[0888] 2. Select Patterns. [0889] 3. Create an input pattern OR
open a previously existing input pattern. [0890] 4. In Lex Types,
drag the desired lex type into the desired pattern. [0891] 5. Make
any desired changes to Position, Order and Proximity. [0892] 6.
Click <Save>.
[0893] To delete a lex type from a project, use the following
procedure: [0894] 1. In Lex Types, select the desired file and
click <Delete> OR right-click on the desired file to open a
right-click menu and select Delete. [0895] 2. In the Confirm Delete
dialogue, click <OK> to delete the file OR click
<Cancel> to close the dialogue without deleting the lex
type.
[0896] Managing Wild Cards
[0897] This sub-section deals with creating, editing, and adding
Wild Cards to Concepts.
[0898] In one or more embodiments, Wild Cards are created by the
administrator only. To add a Wild Card to a Concept input pattern,
use the following procedure: [0899] 1. In the Wild Cards dockable
window, click and drag the desired Wild Card into an input pattern
in the Concepts Patterns tab. [0900] 2. Change the order of the
input pattern as desired. [0901] 3. Make any changes to Position,
Order, and Proximity selections as desired. [0902] 4. Click
<Save>
[0903] Input files are manipulated primarily through Input Files.
This sub-section outlines the procedures involved in creating,
editing, and deleting input files.
[0904] Creating Input Files [0905] 1. In Input Files, click
<Add> OR right-click in the window and select Add from the
right-click menu. [0906] 2. In Input File Builder (FIG. 103), type
a file name into the File Name field OR browse for an existing file
using <Browse>. Note: the File Name must end with the file
extension *.txt. [0907] 3. Enter desired word or phrase on one line
in File Contents. Repeat as often as desired. [0908] 4. Select
Vocab Output tab, or skip to step 8. [0909] 5. Select <Create
Vocab Output>. [0910] 6. Review Vocab Results to ensure proper
results. [0911] 7. Click <Save Output>. This will open a
Browse window to select a name and location of the output file.
[0912] 8. Click <Save>.
[0913] Editing Input Files [0914] 1. Double-click on the desired
input file in Input Files OR right-click on the desired input file
and select Edit from the right-click menu. [0915] 2. Make any
changes desired in Input File Builder and click <Save> OR
click <Cancel> to close the window without saving changes.
[0916] 3. Select Vocab Output tab, or skip to step 6. [0917] 4.
Select <Create Vocab Output>. [0918] 5. Review Vocab Results
to ensure proper results. [0919] 6. Click <Save Output>. This
will open a Browse window to select a name and location of the
output file.
[0920] Adding Input Files to Concepts [0921] 1. Open the desired
Concept in Concept Editor. [0922] 2. Open Patterns. [0923] 3.
Create a blank input pattern by clicking <Add>. [0924] 4. In
Input Files, select the desired input file. [0925] 5. Drag the
desired input file from Input Files to the blank input pattern.
[0926] 6. Add any desired Vocab Terms, Helper Terms, or Building
Blocks. [0927] 7. Make any changes to Position, Order, and
Proximity. [0928] 8. Click <Save>
[0929] Deleting Input Files [0930] 1. In Input Files, select the
desired Input File and click <Delete> OR right-click on the
input file and select Delete in the right-click menu. [0931] 2. In
the Confirm Delete box, select <OK> to delete the input file
from the project OR click <Cancel> to close the box without
deleting.
Advanced Response Items
[0932] This section deals with advanced response items,
specifically Dynamic Functions, AppCalls, Conditional Statements
and Response Blocks. All of these items are used primarily, though
not exclusively, in response-related capacities.
[0933] This section examines the principles behind Conditional
Statements, AppCalls, Response Blocks, and Dynamic Functions.
[0934] Conditional Statements
[0935] Conditional statements represent the necessary prerequisites
for a specific action being taken. They are used in Response Blocks
and often for data-mining operations. In such situations, the
conditional statement is a pre-established Variable value. The
value of this Variable will then determine the way in which a Unit
that contains the given Response Block functions. For instance, a
Unit might respond differently based upon whether the user
registers as male or female. The user's gender thus functions as
the pre-condition of the Response Block.
[0936] Components Window
[0937] AppCalls are accessed via Components (FIG. 104), along with
the previously mentioned Variables and Record Lists. Components
contains the following AppCall-related components.
TABLE-US-00071 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>, Add: Creates new AppCall.
<Edit>, Edit: Opens AppCall Editor with selected AppCall
open. <Delete>, Delete: Deletes selected AppCall from
project. <Show Dependencies>, Show Dependencies: Shows all
Units and Concepts in which the selected AppCall appears.
<Refresh>: Refreshes Components display. <New Window>:
Opens copy of current window. <Collapse All> Collapses entire
tree. <Expand All> Expands entire tree. <Back and Forward
Navigation>: Navigates between searches. Components display
Display list of all available components. AppCalls are listed
thusly: AppCalls Search Tree This field contains the following:
Input Text Field: Searches cascades for specific text.
<Search>: Executes search. <Search Options>: Opens
Search Options window. Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits search to
complete word matches. Right-click menu This right-click menu
contains the following: .fwdarw.Add: Creates new AppCall.
.fwdarw.Edit: Opens AppCall Editor for the selected AppCall.
.fwdarw.Delete: Deletes selected AppCall from project. .fwdarw.Show
Dependencies: Opens Show Dependencies window for selected AppCall.
Search Usage: Opens Search Usage window.
[0938] AppCalls
[0939] AppCalls, short for "Application Calls," are a form of
response wherein an external application is used. For example, a
Unit might have an AppCall that opens a new program or fills out a
form when triggered.
[0940] The AppCall consists of two parts. The first is the call to
the outside application.
[0941] The second part of an AppCall is to define what parameters
(ex: the value of a Variable) needs to be passed along with the
AppCall.
[0942] AppCall Editor (FIG. 105) contains the following
components:
TABLE-US-00072 Components Description Name Text field that contains
the name of the AppCall Type Drop-down that gives options for the
type of AppCall. Select Php if generating FPML for ActiveAgent, the
remaining if used for that corresponding product. Output Type
Drop-down that gives options for the type of output for the
AppCall. Standard: For products other than ActiveAgent or older
versions of ActiveAgent. Xml: For all current ActiveAgent products.
Required Parameters Parameters are placeholders for data that will
be passed to an external application. This field contains the
following: <Edit>: Edits selected required parameter.
<Delete>: Deletes selected required parameter. Display: List
of all required parameters in AppCall. Text input field: Input
required parameters here. <Add>: Adds input to Required
Parameters display. <Update>: Updates input. <Delete>:
Deletes selected required parameter. <Save> Adds AppCall to
Components. <Close> Closes window.
[0943] Configure AppCall Window
[0944] The Configure AppCall window (FIG. 106) will appear when a
particular AppCall is brought into a Unit and contains the
following components.
TABLE-US-00073 Component Description Parameters List of all
available parameters. <Set Parameter Value Type> Specifies
what information is sent with the radio selection AppCall. Choose
from the following: <Select From a Variable>: Sets parameter
as a pre-assigned Variable <Select From a Record List>: Sets
the parameter to a previously assigned Record List. <Type In a
Value>: Sets the parameter to a manually-typed value <Set
From Pattern>: In general, this option is not used. Sets the
parameter to one of the following from an input pattern: wild-card
lex type Input File Value Value for parameter. <Back>
Previous parameter. <Next> Next parameter. <Finish>
Closes window with changes saved. <Cancel> Closes window
without saving changes.
[0945] Search AppCall Usage
[0946] The Search AppCall Usage window (FIG. 107) is accessible
exclusively through the right-click menu on the Components dockable
window. This window allows the user to search for all uses of an
AppCall and a particular associated parameter. This window has the
following components.
TABLE-US-00074 Component Description Parameters List of all
available parameters. <Set Parameter Value Type> Choose from
the following: radio selection <Select From a Variable>: Sets
parameter as a pre-assigned Variable <Select From a Record
List>: Sets the parameter to a previously assigned Record List.
<Type In a Value>: Sets the parameter to a manually-typed
value <Set From Pattern>: Sets the parameter to one of the
following from an input pattern: wild-card lex type Input File
Value Value for parameter. <Search> Searches for all Concepts
and Units that use the AppCall with selected parameters.
<Cancel> Closes window.
[0947] Response Blocks
[0948] Response Blocks are responses that are shared by multiple
Units, which may or may not have other additional response
features, such as AppCalls, Dynamic Functions, or Record Lists,
which coincide. Response Blocks are also used when more control
over the print order of the Unit is desired. They also provide a
means of data-mining when combined with dynamic functions. Response
Blocks may be added to both Concepts and Units by means of dragging
and dropping them into the Response Blocks tab.
[0949] Response Blocks Dockable Window, shown in FIG. 108, has the
following components.
TABLE-US-00075 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Adds new Response Block.
<Edit>: Opens selected Response Block for editing.
<Delete>: Deletes selected Response Block. <Show
Dependencies>: Shows all Concepts and Units in which selected
Response Block appears. <Refresh>: Refreshes Response Blocks
display <New Window>: Opens copy of current window.
<Collapse All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All>
Expands entire tree. <Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates
between searches. Response Blocks Display of all available Response
Blocks and their dynamic functions, listed thusly: Response Block
Call item: Dynamic Function Call item: Variable Call item: Url Call
item: Clear Call item: Copy Incomplete Response Block Search Tree
This field contains the following: Input Text Field: Searches
cascades for specific text. <Search>: Executes search.
<Search Options>: Opens Search Options window. Whole Word
Only Checkbox: Limits search to complete word matches. Right-click
menu This right-click menu contains the following: .fwdarw.Add:
Creates new Response Block. .fwdarw.Edit: Opens selected Response
Block for editing.. .fwdarw.Delete: Deletes selected Response Block
from project. .fwdarw.Show Dependencies: Opens Show Dependencies
window with selected Response Block.
[0950] The Response Block Editor window, shown in FIG. 109,
includes the following components.
TABLE-US-00076 Component Description Name Name of Response Block.
<Save>: Saves Response Block to project. Tabs The following
tabs are found in Response Block Editor: Call Items: Tab that
provides access to call items, such as Record Lists and dynamic
functions. Response: plain text response or tagged statement.
Conditional Statement: Conditional statements. Text To Speech: add
a particular Text-To-Speech file.
[0951] The following discussion describes aspects of the tabs of
the Response Block Editor window.
[0952] Call Items are Record Lists, AppCalls, Variables, and
dynamic functions that are used when the Response Block is called.
Variables, AppCalls, and Record lists are set to the value listed
here, similar to the Components tab in the Unit Editor. Call Items
contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00077 Component Description Button Row The button row
contains the following: <Add>: Adds new call item.
.fwdarw.Copy Record List Request. <Edit>: Edits selected call
item. <Delete>: Deletes selected call item. Call Items
Display Display of all call items in Response Blocks.
[0953] Response allows the user to set a plain text and/or tagged
response associated with the Response Block and includes the
following components.
TABLE-US-00078 Component Description <Save> Saves response
input. Response Either plain text or FPML response.
[0954] Conditional Statement allows the user to associate specific
conditional statements with the Response Block and includes the
following components.
TABLE-US-00079 Component Description <Add> Adds a new
statement. <Save> Saves configuration. <Delete> Deletes
statement. <Choose Type> radio selection Select one of the
following: Build Dynamic Statement Type Static Statement Dynamic
Statement This tab allows the user to construct a dynamic
statement. It is only available if <Build Dynamic Statement>
is selected. It contains the following: <Add New Match
Condition>: Adds new match condition <Edit Match
Condition>: Edits selected match condition <Delete Match
Condition>: Deletes selected match condition. Match Condition:
Display of all match condition statements. Static Statement This
tab allows the user to type a static statement, and is only
available if the user selects <Type Static Statement>.
[0955] Text-To-Speech allows the user to select a specific
Text-To-Speech File for the Response Block. Text-To-Speech includes
the following components.
TABLE-US-00080 Component Description Current File Name of
Text-To-Speech file <Browse> Opens Browse window to select a
particular Text-To-Speech file. <Remove> Remove selected
Text-To-Speech file. Status Displays load information about an
added Text-To-Speech file.
Dynamic Functions
[0956] Dynamic functions serve as a means for profiling site users
and running searches based upon ranges (such as "cameras between
$100 and $200"). They are used in Call Items for Response Blocks.
Each dynamic function must reside in its own cascade, which must
bear the same name. This cascade must have leveling enabled.
Dynamic functions has a dockable window as shown in FIG. 110 and
includes the following components.
TABLE-US-00081 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Adds new dynamic function.
<Edit>: Opens Dynamic Function Editor with selected dynamic
function loaded. <Delete>: Deletes selected dynamic function.
<Show Dependencies>: Shows all Concepts in which the selected
dynamic function appears. <New Window>: Opens copy of current
window. <Refresh>: Reloads Dynamic Functions display list.
<Collapse All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All>
Expands entire tree. <Back and Forward Navigation>: Navigates
between searches. Dynamic Functions display Displays a list of all
dynamic functions available, as well as the Concepts in which they
appear, and the Record Lists of which they are components. Search
Tree This field contains the following: Input Text Field: Searches
cascades for specific text. <Search>: Executes search.
<Search Options>: Opens Search Options window. Whole Word
Only Checkbox: Limits search to complete word matches. Right-click
menu This right-click menu contains the following: .fwdarw.Add:
Creates new Dynamic Function. .fwdarw.Edit: Opens selected Dynamic
Function for editing.. .fwdarw.Delete: Deletes selected Dynamic
Function. .fwdarw.View File: Opens Dynamic Function in Editor.
.fwdarw.Show Dependencies: Opens Show Dependencies window with
selected Dynamic Function. .fwdarw.Suggest Concepts: Searches for
Concepts containing the Record List used by the Dynamic Function.
If the Concept is not used by the Dynamic Function, it is
suggested. .fwdarw.Show Applications: Shows all applications that
use selected Dynamic Function. .fwdarw.Generate Fpml For Function:
Generates the FPML associated with the selected dynamic
function.
[0957] A Dynamic Function Editor, shown in FIG. 111 is provided and
includes the following components.
TABLE-US-00082 Component Description Name Text input field for the
name of the Dynamic Function. Type Dropdown to assign a Cascade
Group Type to the Dynamic Function will belong. There are four
options: Dynamic Functions Best Match Dynamic Functions Match All
Dynamic Functions Search and Replace Dynamic Functions Cascade
Group The name of the Cascade Group that the Dynamic Function will
belong. This is required to be identical to the Name. Lex File This
field contains the following: <Load New Lex> Loads new Lex
file. Lex file: Drop-down list to select lex file. Default is lex
file associated with the open project. Pattern Override Selecting a
Pattern Override will change the Position of the patterns in the
Concepts only while the Dynamic Function is processed. The
following Positions are available: None Beginning End Entire Print
Order Where the Dynamic Function appears in load order.
<Save> Saves dynamic function. <Cancel> Closes window
without saving.
Managing Advanced Response Items
[0958] This section deals with managing the AppCalls, Response
Blocks, and dynamic functions. AppCalls are found in Components.
This sub-section deals with the procedures involved in creating,
editing, and using AppCalls. Creating new app calls can be
performed using the AppCall Editor shown in FIG. 112 using the
following procedure: [0959] 1. In the Components dockable window,
select the AppCalls object. [0960] 2. Open the AppCall Editor
window. [0961] 3. Enter a name for the AppCall in the Name field.
[0962] 4. Select a Type from the drop-down list. [0963] 5. Select
an Output Type from the drop-down list. [0964] 6. Enter a string of
FPML in the Required Parameters field. [0965] 7. Click <Add>.
[0966] 8. Repeat steps 6 & 7 as often as desired. [0967] 9.
Click <Save>.
[0968] To edit AppCalls, perform the following procedure using the
AppCall editor of FIG. 112: [0969] 1. Double-click on the desired
AppCall in Components OR select the desired AppCall and right-click
on the desired AppCall and select Edit from the right-click menu.
[0970] 2. In AppCall Editor, double click on the desired required
parameter OR select the desired required parameter and click
<Edit> OR right-click the desired required parameter and
select Edit from the right-click menu. [0971] 3. Make any changes
in the Required Parameters field and click <Update> to
replace the old required parameter OR click <Add> to add the
new form as an additional required parameter. [0972] 4. Repeat
steps 2 & 3 as often as needed. [0973] 5. When finished, click
<Close>.
[0974] To delete AppCalls, perform the following procedure using
the editor of FIG. 112: [0975] 1. Select the desired AppCall in
Components and click <Delete> OR right-click on the desired
AppCall and select Delete from the right-click menu. [0976] 2. In
the Confirm Delete dialogue, click <Yes> to delete the
AppCall OR click <Cancel> to close the dialogue without
deleting.
[0977] To create new response blocks, perform the following
procedure: [0978] 1. In Response Blocks, right-click in the window
and select Add from the right-click menu. [0979] 2. In Response
Block Editor, enter a Name and click <Save>. [0980] 3. In
Call Items, add any desired Dynamic Functions, Record Lists,
AppCalls, or Variables by dragging them from their respective
dockable window. You may be prompted to set the value the item will
have when the Response Block is triggered. [0981] 4. In Response,
type in the desired response and click <Save>. [0982] 5. In
Conditional Statement, click <Add> [0983] 6. Select <Build
Dynamic Statement> or <Type Static Statement>. [0984] a.
If <Build Dynamic Statement> is selected, use the following
procedure: [0985] i. Choose Concatenator from the drop-down list.
[0986] ii. Click <Add>. [0987] iii. Set Variables for each
operand in Match Condition. [0988] b. If <Type Static
Statement> is selected, use the following procedure: [0989] i.
Type the desired static statement into the Static Statement tab.
[0990] 7. In Text-To-Speech, select a particular Text-To-Speech by
clicking <Browse> if desired.
[0991] To edit response blocks, perform the following procedure:
[0992] 1. In Response Blocks, select the desired Response Block and
click <Edit> OR right-click on the desired Response Block and
select Edit from the right-click menu. Either of these will open
Response Block Editor. [0993] 2. Make any changes desired in Call
Items, Response, Conditional Statement, and Text-To-Speech
desired.
[0994] To deleting response blocks, perform the following
procedure: [0995] 1. In Response Blocks, select the desired
Response Block and click <Delete>. [0996] 2. In Confirm
Delete, click <Yes> to delete the Response Block OR click
<No> to close the window without deleting the Response
Block.
[0997] To create new dynamic functions, perform the following
procedure: [0998] 1. In Dynamic Functions, click <Add>,
opening Dynamic Function Editor. [0999] 2. Enter a Name for the new
dynamic function. The name entered will be copied into Cascade
Group automatically. [1000] 3. Select a Type from the drop-down
menu. [1001] 4. Insure that the proper lex file is loaded. [1002]
5. Select a Pattern Override from the drop-down menu. [1003] 6.
Select a Print Order. [1004] 7. Click <Save> to close Dynamic
Function Editor and save the dynamic function OR click
<Cancel> to close the window without saving.
[1005] To edit dynamic functions, perform the following procedure:
[1006] 1. In Dynamic Functions, select the desired dynamic function
and click <Edit> OR double click on the desired dynamic
function OR right-click on the desired dynamic function and select
Edit from the right-click menu. [1007] 2. Make any changes desired
in Dynamic Function Editor to the Name, Type, Lex File, Pattern
Override, and Print Order. [1008] 3. Click <Save> when
finished to close the window OR click <cancel> to close the
window without saving changes.
[1009] To delete dynamic functions, perform the following
procedure: [1010] 1. In Dynamic Functions select the desired item
and click <Delete> OR right-click on the desired dynamic
function and select Delete from the right-click menu. [1011] 2. In
the Confirm Delete dialogue, click <Yes> to delete the
dynamic function or <No> to close the dialogue without
deleting.
Using Advanced Response Items
[1012] Until they are placed in a Concept or Unit, advanced
response items are just empty templates that do not actually
contain any information, just the form. Like Variables, they must
be assigned values in order to function properly.
[1013] To call AppCalls from a Concept or Unit, perform the
following procedure: [1014] 1. Double-click on the desired Concept
or Unit in the Concepts or Units dockable window, respectively, to
open it in the appropriate tab. [1015] 2. In the Concept Editor or
Unit Editor, select <Advanced View>. [1016] 3. Open the
Components advanced tab. [1017] 4. Drag the desired AppCall from
the Components dockable window to the Components tab. [1018] 5. In
Configure AppCall, select a Parameter Value Type the first
parameter. [1019] 6. Select a Value. [1020] 7. Click <Next>.
[1021] 8. Repeat steps 5-7 for each parameter. [1022] 9. When
finished, click <Finnish> to close the window.
[1023] AppCalls may also be manually input into the response of a
Unit in the Response tab.
[1024] To use response blocks in a concept or unit, perform the
following procedure: [1025] 1. Open the desired Concept or Unit in
its respective tab. [1026] 2. Select Advanced View. [1027] 3. Open
Response Blocks. [1028] 4. Drag the desired Response Block from the
dockable window to the Concept or Unit.
[1029] Response Blocks can also be incorporated into the Concept or
Unit by adding it to Wild Cards within any input patterns.
[1030] Dynamic Functions are added to Concepts and Units as part of
Response Blocks, which are in turn added to Concepts and Units as
described above. To add dynamic functions to a concept or unit,
perform the following procedure: [1031] 1. Open the desired
Response Block from Response Blocks. [1032] 2. Drag the desired
Dynamic Function from its dockable window into the Call Items tab
of Response Block Editor. [1033] 3. Add the Response Block to the
Concept or Unit using the procedures described above.
[1034] Testing and Debugging
[1035] Testing and its sister function, debugging, are important
elements of creating a successful project. To this end, this
section will examine both the testing and debugging features of
Active Lab.
[1036] Details of Tests
[1037] While tests for each Unit and Concept may be found in the
respective tabs, it is also possible to view the tests for the
entire project in a Tests Tab shown in FIG. 113. This tab displays
the results for every single test in the project.
[1038] Unit tests are organized by Situation Group, while Concept
tests are organized by Concept Group. Each Concept Group and
Situation Group may be expanded to view its constituent parts, and
each of these in turn may be expanded to view the individual test
questions.
[1039] As with the tests in individual Units and Concepts, green
circles represent success, yellow circles represent a test that did
not run, and red circles indicate a failed test. If one test for
one Unit or Concept shows up red, the status of the Unit or
situation itself will show red, and will in turn lead to a red
status for the Situation Group or Concept Group in which it
appears. This status is also reflected on the project as a whole.
Thus, if so much as one test question in one Concept in the entire
project shows red, the entire project will be red. Put simply, the
status of any group is only as good as that of its worst
constituent.
[1040] The Tests Tab contains the following components.
TABLE-US-00083 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Run Tests>: Runs all tests. Note: In
order to ensure that the tests are up-to-date, always force
generate all FPML first. <Reload Tests>: Reloads all tests.
<Collapse All> Collapses entire tree. <Expand All>
Expands entire tree. <Add>: Adds new test to selected Concept
or Unit in Test Editor. <Edit>: Edits selected test question
in Test Editor. <Delete>: Deletes selected test question.
<Debug Question>: Sends selected question to Debugger, where
match data may be viewed. <Set Question Active/Inactive>:
Toggles question to active or inactive. Default is active. Inactive
questions will not be tested, and therefore will not affect the
over-all status of the Concept, Unit, or group. Icon shows when
tests may not be up to date. Test Statistics This display shows the
percentage passed, along with a ratio of Passed/Non Passed of all
Units, Unit Tests, Concepts, and Concept Tests, respectively. Test
Selection Selection of tests. Allows user to narrow drop-down list
down the tests to be displayed or run. Search Tree This field
contains the following: Input Text Field: Searches cascades for
specific text. <Search>: Executes search. <Back and
Forward Navigation>: Navigates between searches. Right-Click
Menu The right-click menu will change based on whether a Unit,
Concept, or test question is selected. In general, it contains the
following options: Edit: Opens Test Editor. Delete Question:
Deletes selected question. Debug Question: Opens Debugger tab and
loads selected question into the debugger. Set Active/Inactive:
Toggles status of selected test question between Active and
InActive. Find Duplicates: Searches all tests for duplicate of
selected question. Copy: Copies selected test question into Windows
clipboard.
[1041] Test Editor, shown in FIG. 114, allows the user to add and
edit test questions for a Unit or Concept without opening the
respective tab associated with such. Test Editor contains the
following components.
TABLE-US-00084 Component Description Questions This field contains
the following: Display: List of test questions within the Concept
or Unit. Text Input Field: Edit and add questions here.
<Add>: Adds Questions input. <Update>: Saves Questions
input changes. <Remove>: Removes selected question.
[1042] Details of Debugger
[1043] The Debugger enables you to validate the FPML to make sure
it is syntactically correct. Syntax is only one part of creating
FPML. The other is ensuring the right response and action is taken
for the right input. The Debugger also allows you to see what
response will be given for a given input. To further aid in testing
and validating FPML, the Debugger allows entire input scripts to be
run in order to verify comprehensive response results.
[1044] FIG. 115 illustrates the debugger tab which has the
following components.
TABLE-US-00085 Component Description Chat Control This window
allows the user to interact dockable window with the project. Its
components are as follows: <Reload Debugger's FPML>. Reloads
the FPML into the debugger, either the entire project, or just
those files that have been altered. <Set/Clear Show Lex Types as
Type>. When toggled, shows lex types in match data. Default is
not toggled. Chat History display. Displays the interaction between
user and Agent. Chat Here field. Allows the user to input questions
to the Agent as if it were a live person. <Send to Chat>
button. Sends input from Chat Here field. Match Data This tab
displays the Vocab Terms, Concepts, and Units hit by the user's
input in the Chat Here field. This following icons are also used:
User Input: displays next to the original user input (also known as
the Pre-processed string). Pre-Processed String: displays next to a
processed string that will be sent to the next series of Cascades
(also known as a Processed string). Hit Concept: Concept that has
been triggered by the input. Lower Scoring Concept: Concept that
was triggered, but has been eliminated from the Cascade because it
did not score as high as another Concept that it was Best Matched
with. Lower Scoring Unit: Unit that was triggered, but did not
score high enough to give its response. Highest Scoring Unit: Unit
that scored the highest, and whose response is therefore used.
Score: Displays the score of the Concept or Unit that it is above
it. Pattern: Displays the pattern that triggered the Concept or
Unit above it. Static File Hit: Displays what line in a Static File
that is triggered. This tab also has the following buttons:
<Collapse All>: Collapses entire tree. <Expand All>:
Expands entire tree. <Find Tied Scores>: Displays in red all
scores that tied. <Copy Debug Data To Another PopUp>: Opens
copy of Match Data tab in new window. App Calls This tab displays
all the App Calls that were triggered from the user's input in the
Chat Here field, along with their corresponding values. Brain
Variables This tab shows the brain Variables triggered by the
user's input in the Chat Here field, along with their corresponding
value. Web Page This tab displays the web page that was triggered
from the user's input in the Chat Here field. It also has the
following displays: Web Sever Base Url field: domain name or Url
used to append Urls that written with only the relative path (or
path not including a domain). <Save>: saves Web Server Base
Url FPML Page Variable: displays label of displayed web page. Click
link to open Url Editor. Current Web Page: displays path for
displayed web page. Click link to open web page in new window. FPML
Error Message This tab displays all FPML errors that have recently
occurred. It also has one button: <Clear Error Message>:
Clears the FPML Error Message tab. Load Data This tab displays the
load status of all the FPML files in the database to ensure that
they are available. Errors appear in red. Raw Match Data This tab
displays the raw FPML code that is used to generate the Unit's
response. Watch Variables This dockable window, normally hidden,
displays a list of chosen Variables, as well as their current
value. This window also has the following right-click menu:
.fwdarw.Add: Opens a text field to type the name of desired
Variable. .fwdarw.Edit: Edit the name of selected Variable
.fwdarw.Delete: Removes selected Variable from Watch Variables
window. .fwdarw.Clear All: Removes all Variables from the Watch
Variables window. .fwdarw.Copy Record Set Xml to Clipboard: Copies
an Xml version of selected Record List to Window clipboard.
[1045] The Debugger is designed to allow users great flexibility in
their testing and debugging processes. After a KB has been
thoroughly debugged in Active Lab, it is recommended to also test
it in the Active Agent application before using it live. The
Debugger environment does not replicate the AppCalls, as they are
defined in the application using the FPML.
[1046] Chat Control
[1047] The Chat Control dockable window, usually residing on the
left hand side of the Debugger tab, is used to directly ask
questions to the Agent.
[1048] Anything entered into the Chat Here window will be processed
by Active Lab. The response will be displayed in the Chat History
window directly above it. The processes that occur to receive that
response are displayed in the variety of tabs that appear in the
Debugger.
[1049] Note: Any time that "Send To Debugger" is selected elsewhere
in Active Lab, the Debugger tab is opened and the selected test
question in entered into the Chat Here field and processed.
[1050] The Match Data Tab
[1051] Match Data, as described above, displays the procedure used
by the project to trigger the Unit. More specifically, it shows how
the pre-processed string is converted into Vocab and Helper Terms,
which Concepts are triggered by the Vocab and Helper Terms, then
which Units are then triggered by those Concepts.
[1052] Here is a breakdown of the pieces of the Match Data: [1053]
The User Input entry displays the natural language form of the
user's input, also known as the Pre-processed string. [1054] The
first Pre-Processed String entry shows the string after it has been
processed through the Vocab cascades, but before it is sent to the
Concept cascades. [1055] All Concepts that are triggered by the
first Modified String will be displayed as a Concept Hit or as a
Lower Scoring Concept. The Score of the Concept listed, as well as
what pattern triggered it. [1056] Multiple Pre-Processed String
entries will show the string as it is processed through all the
Concept cascades, but before it is sent to the Unit cascades. Vocab
and Helper Terms are still displayed, and now Concepts are
displayed as {cp Concept Name cp}. [1057] The Highest Scoring Unit,
along with any other Lower Scoring Units, are the last items
displayed at the bottom of the Match Data tab. The score for each
Unit that was triggered is displayed, along with which pattern
triggered the Unit. [1058] When no Unit is triggered, the processed
string is handled by FPML that is hand written in Static Files. The
Static File Hit will list which line within the listed static file
was hit.
[1059] Note: In case of a tie, the Unit that was triggered last
will be listed as the Highest Scoring Unit. In case of a tie
between Concepts that are in a Best Match cascade, the Concept that
was triggered last will be listed as a Concept Hit.
[1060] FIG. 116 shows an example of Match Data. Here you can see
how the User Input string "what is your favorite food" is converted
into the Vocab and Helper Terms "askwhat your favoritevocab
foodvocab". The Concepts that are triggered are Define, Dining,
Favorite, and Favorite Food. Two Units were triggered, Inflight
Meals, and Favorite Food. The response that is delivered comes from
the Unit that scored the highest, which in this case is Favorite
Food.
[1061] The App Calls Tab
[1062] The App Calls tab, shown in FIG. 117, displays the
information on any AppCalls triggered by the Unit or Concept. It is
important to note that while the information may be displayed, the
Debugger does not actually perform the AppCall operation in
question.
[1063] The Brain Variables Tab
[1064] The Brain Variables tab, shown in FIG. 118, displays
information on the processes occurring within the program's Context
IQ Engine, or "brain", as well as the current value of all
Variables after a question has been asked in the Debugger.
[1065] Right-click on any Variable and select Add Watch to add
selected Variable to the Watch Variables window.
[1066] The Web Page Tab
[1067] The Web Page tab, shown in FIG. 119, displays which web page
was triggered by the Unit Response, along with the Url label and a
link to that page.
[1068] The Fpml Error Messages Tab
[1069] The Fpml Error Messages tab, shown in FIG. 120, shows errors
that have occurred in the FPML, along with when they occurred. This
screen can be cleared by clicking on the <Clear Error
Message> Button.
[1070] The Load Data Tab
[1071] The Load Data tab, shown in FIG. 121, displays the loading
process of all the FPML involved in the Unit. Files that did not
load properly are displayed in a prominent color, such as red.
[1072] Each entry in the Load Data tab displays consists of an
action and a file path. Common actions include: Loading, Learning,
and IRDLL. Each *.FPML file that is loaded correctly will be listed
in black, and errors will be listed in red.
[1073] The Raw Match Data Tab
[1074] The Raw Match Data tab, shown in FIG. 122, shows exactly how
the Pre-processed string is handled all the way to the output that
is displayed back to the user. This tab shows the actual FPML code
as it processes the input string through each cascade and static
file.
[1075] Watch Variables Dockable Window
[1076] The Watch Variables window, shown in FIG. 123, is used,
literally, to watch the value of any number of selected Variables.
Any time the value of a Variable changes, that change will
immediately be seen in this window.
[1077] Variables can be easily added or removed from Watch
Variables, using the available right-click menu.
[1078] Viewing Dependencies
[1079] One of the most powerful tools to track down problems is the
Dependencies window shown in FIG. 124. A Dependency is a list of
all items in the project that use the selected item. For example,
if <Show Dependencies> was selected from a Concept, all Units
and Building Blocks that used that Concept would be displayed in
the Dependencies window. If <Show Dependencies> was selected
from a Vocab, all Concepts and Building Blocks that used that Vocab
would be displayed.
[1080] The Dependency window can be opened by selecting a
particular item and choosing <Show Dependencies> from many of
the Button Bars. It is also available on many different right-click
menus.
[1081] Displayed in FIG. 124 is the Dependencies window. In this
image, the dependencies for the Concept "Benefits" has been found.
The Units that use the Concept "Benefits" are listed here, as well
as the patterns within those Units that use the Concept.
[1082] The Dependencies window has the following components:
TABLE-US-00086 Component Description Replace Usage checkbox Check
to view Drag/Drop Replacement field and view a check box next to
each item in Dependencies. Drag/Drop Replacement field Drag and
Drop one item that will replace all checked items in the
Dependencies Display Button bar The button bar contains the
following: <Edit>: Opens selected items Editor window.
<Delete Item And Ignore All Dependencies>: Deletes selected
regardless if it has dependencies. <Refresh>: Refreshes
display and collapses entire tree. <Show Dependencies>: Show
dependencies of selected item. <Collapse All> Collapses
entire tree. <Expand All> Expands entire tree. <Create
Tests From Units/Concepts>: Opens Tests tab with only tests that
are used for the Units and Concepts currently in the Dependencies
window. <Show In Main Tree>: Highlights selected item in its
corresponding dockable window. <Replace>: Replaces the
searched item with the item in the Drag/Drop Replacement field if
selected line is checked. Dependencies Display Displays all
dependencies for searched item in a tree format, including all
patterns that use the searched item. Check boxes will only appear
if Replace Usage checkbox is selected.
[1083] Testing Conditions
[1084] The Test Conditions dockable window, shown in FIG. 125, is
used to artificially assign the value of Variables of Record Lists
for the purposes of testing.
[1085] There are two Test Conditions that can be set to Variables
and Record Lists: Pre-Conditions and Post-Conditions. These
conditions are then assigned to any number of test questions.
[1086] When a Pre-Condition and inserted into a test question, the
value of the condition is set just prior to the test question being
run. When a Post-Condition is set into a test question, the value
of the condition is set just after the test question is run.
[1087] Test Conditions contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00087 Component Description Button bar The button bar
contains the following: <Add>: Opens Create new Pre/Post
Condition window. <Edit>: Open Edit window to edit test
conditions. <Delete>: Deletes selected test condition.
<Show Dependencies>: Currently has no effect. <New
Window>: Opens copy of current window. <Refresh>: Reloads
Test Conditions Display. <Collapse All> Collapses entire
tree. <Expand All> Expands entire tree. <Back and Forward
Navigation>: Navigates between searches. Test Conditions Display
The Display shows the different test condition in tree format:
Pre-Condition Post Condition
[1088] Create/Edit New Pre/Post-Condition
[1089] Creating and editing pre and post conditions is completed
using three different windows, an example of which is shown in FIG.
126, all with identical functionality: [1090] Create New
Pre-Condition [1091] Create New Post-Condition [1092] Edit
[1093] Edit contains the following components:
TABLE-US-00088 Component Description Name This field has two
components: Text Field: Location of the name of the condition
<Save>: Saves the name of the condition. Values Values has
two components: <Delete>: Deletes selected Variable or Record
List from condition. Values Display: Shows values set for all
Variables and Record Lists for the condition. Set Value To Display
This Display will show differently if a Variable or Record List has
been selected in Values. If a Variable has been selected, the
display has the following components: Text Field: Value of the
Variable or Record list is set here. <Save>: Save value of
Variable or Record List <Cancel>: Do not save value of
Variable or Record List. <Close>: Closes the window. If a
Record list has been selected, the display has the following
components: Index Value: Determines Load Order of the Test
Condition. Parameter: Lists name of the parameter being edited.
Radio Buttons Set Text Value: Sets the value of the Variable to the
value listed in the Text Field below. Set Variable: Sets the value
of the Variable to one selected from the dropdown below.
<Save>: Saves the value of the Record List parameter.
<Cancel>: Does not save the value of the Record List
parameter. <Close>: Closes the window.
[1094] Managing Tests and Debugger
[1095] This section deals with the procedures involved in testing
and debugging.
[1096] Managing Tests
[1097] This sub-section deals with adding new test questions,
editing existing test questions, and running tests.
[1098] Adding New Test Questions
[1099] In addition, new test questions may be added in Tests. To
add a new test question, use the following procedure in connection
with the window shown in FIG. 127: [1100] 1. In Tests, select the
desired Unit or Concept to which the new question will be added.
[1101] 2. Click <Add> to open Test Editor. [1102] 3. In Test
Editor, type the desired test question in Question. [1103] 4. Click
<Add> [1104] 5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 as often as desired.
[1105] 6. When finished, click <Close>.
[1106] Editing Test Questions
[1107] Test questions may be edited in Test Editor or in Concept
Editor or Unit Editor, respectively. The following is the procedure
for editing a test found in Tests in its appropriate tab: [1108] 1.
Double click on the desired test question. The appropriate Unit
Editor or Concept Editor tab will open. [1109] 2. Follow the
procedures for editing a test questions as described in
Concepts--Adding Questions or Units-- [1110] 3. Adding
Questions.
[1111] To edit test questions in Test Editor, use the following
procedure: [1112] 1. In Tests, select the desired test question and
click <Edit> OR double-click on the desired test question.
This will open Test Editor with the test questions for the selected
Unit or Concept loaded. [1113] 2. Make any changes desired to the
selected test question and click <Update>. [1114] 3. When
finished, click <Close>.
[1115] Deleting Test Questions
[1116] To delete a test question in Tests, use the following
procedure: [1117] 1. Select the desired test question and click
<Delete> OR right-click on the desired test question and
select Delete from the right-click menu. [1118] 2. In Confirm
Delete, click <Yes> to delete the test question OR click
<No> to close the window without deleting.
[1119] To delete a test question in Test Editor, use the following
procedure: [1120] 1. Select the desired test question in Tests and
click <Edit> OR double-click on the desired test question;
either of these methods will open the test question in Test Editor.
[1121] 2. Ensure that the test question is selected and click
<Remove>. [1122] 3. In Confirm Delete, click <Yes> to
delete the test question OR click <No> to close the window
without deleting the test question.
[1123] Running Tests
[1124] To run tests in Tests, use the following procedure: [1125]
1. Ensure that all FPML is up-to-date by selecting <Generate
FPML (Changes Only)> OR <Generate All FPML>. Select the
tests to be run from Test Selection. [1126] 2. Click <Run
Tests>. This may take a while [1127] 3. Examine the results.
[1128] Debugging Questions
[1129] After examining the test results, it is important to examine
the causes of any failures that might have cropped up. To debug a
question (particularly a failed question), use the following
procedure: [1130] 1. In Tests, select the desired test question and
click <Debug Test Question> OR right-click on the desired
test question and select Debug Question from the right-click menu.
[1131] 2. In Debugger, examine results.
[1132] Debugging
[1133] This sub-section deals specifically with the procedures
involved in debugging Units and Concepts.
[1134] Manual Debugging Procedures
[1135] Manual debugging is useful for running scripts through the
FPML. To manually debug a project, use the following procedure:
[1136] 1. In Debugger, type an input into Chat Here. [1137] 2. View
the response in Chat History. [1138] 3. Examine results in Match
Data, App Calls, Brain Variables, Web Page, FPML Error Messages,
LoadData, and Raw Match Data.
[1139] Debugging from Outside the Debugger
[1140] To debug any question automatically from outside the
Debugger, simply right-click on the test question and
select.fwdarw.Debug Question. This will have the same effect as
typing the question into the Debugger directly.
[1141] Dependencies
[1142] This sub-section shows the different uses of the
Dependencies window.
[1143] Find Dependency
[1144] There are two ways to find the dependencies on an item:
[1145] Right-click on selected item and choose.fwdarw.Show
Dependencies. [1146] Highlight the selected item and choose
<Show Dependencies>
[1147] Replace Usage
[1148] To replace either one item or a large group of a selected
item with another, follow this procedure. [1149] 1. Select item to
be replaced by right clicking and choosing.fwdarw.Show Dependencies
OR by choosing <Show Dependencies> from the Button Bar. This
will open the Dependencies window. [1150] 2. Check Replace Usage
checkbox in Dependencies. [1151] 3. Drag replacement item into
Drag/Drop Replacement field. [1152] 4. Check all boxes in
Dependencies Display that have the searched for item that will be
replaced. Note: Checking an item higher in the tree will check all
items that are included in that branch. [1153] 5. Click
<Replace>. The searched item will be replaced with the
replacement item.
[1154] Test Conditions
[1155] This sub-section will describe the creation, editing, and
use of Test Conditions.
[1156] Creating Test Conditions
[1157] The steps for creating both Pre and Post Condition are the
same: [1158] 1. Open the Test Conditions dockable window. [1159] 2.
Highlight either Pre-Conditions or Post-Conditions, depending on
which will be created. [1160] 3. Select <Add> OR
right-click.fwdarw.Add. Create New Pre/Post Condition will open.
[1161] 4. Type desired Name and press <Enter> or
<Save>. The name of the window will change to Edit followed
by the name of the Test Condition. [1162] 5. Drag desired Variable
or Record List into Values Display from Components dockable window.
The Set Value To Display will activate. Repeat for all Variables
and Record Lists desired for selected [1163] 6. Click
<Expand> to view Variables and/or Record Lists. [1164] 7.
Highlight the first Variable or Record List item. [1165] 8. Click
<Save>. [1166] 9. Change Set Value Display to the desired
value of the Variable or Record List. Repeat steps 5-8 for each
Variable and Record List. [1167] 10. Click <Close>.
[1168] Editing Test Conditions
[1169] The steps for creating both Pre and Post Condition are the
same: [1170] 1. Open the Test Conditions dockable window. [1171] 2.
Double click on chosen Pre/Post Condition OR highlight chosen
Pre/Post Condition and click <Edit>. [1172] 3. Edit Name
field and press <Enter> or click <Save>. [1173] 4.
Click <Expand> to view Variables or Record Lists used by the
test condition. [1174] 5. Left-click once to bring up a Variable or
Record List parameter in the Set Value To display. [1175] 6. Edit
Set Value To display as desired. Repeat steps 5 and 6 as many times
as needed. [1176] 7. Click <Save>. [1177] 8. Click
<Close>.
[1178] Deleting Test Conditions
[1179] The steps for deleting both Pre and Post Condition are the
same: [1180] 1. Open the Test Conditions dockable window. [1181] 2.
Click on chosen Pre/Post Condition and click <Delete OR
highlight chosen Pre/Post Condition and
right-click.fwdarw.Delete.
[1182] Adding a Test Condition to a Test Question
[1183] Once a Test Condition has been created, it can be linked
with any number of test questions: [1184] 1. Open the Tests tab in
either the Concept Editor or the Unit Editor. [1185] 2. Open the
Test Conditions dockable window. [1186] 3. Drag selected Test
Condition from the Test Conditions dockable window to the desired
test question in the Tests tab. A window will pop up prompting
whether to add the Test Condition to all tests for the
Unit/Concept. [1187] 4. Select <Yes> or <No> in the
pop-up.
[1188] Removing a Test Condition from a Test Question
[1189] To remove a Test Condition from a test question, follow this
procedure: [1190] 1. Open the Tests tab in either the Concept
Editor or the Unit Editor [1191] 2. Highlight the name of the test
condition and click <Delete> or right-click on the name of
the test condition and select.fwdarw.Delete.
Static Files and Editor
[1192] The Editor tab allows the user to view and interact with the
raw FPML code of static files and lex files that forms the basis of
all of Active Lab's operations.
[1193] The Editor tab, shown in FIG. 128, has the following
components:
TABLE-US-00089 Component Description Button Bar The button bar
contains the following: <New>: Starts a new *.fpml file.
<Open>: Opens an existing <Save>: Saves the currently
open *.fpml file. <Cut>: Removes selected text from the
currently open *.fpml file. <Copy>: Copies selected text from
the currently open *.fpml file to the clipboard. <Paste>:
Inserts copied text from the clipboard into the currently open
*.fpml file at a selected location. <Search>: Allows the user
to search the currently open *.fpml file for text. Editor Text
field displays the text of an *.fpml file, and allows the user to
edit it as desired.
Using Editor
[1194] The Editor can be used in the same manner as other text
editors. There are also customizable shortcuts which can be
configured in the shortcuts.xml file located in the directory with
Active Lab.
Static Files
[1195] Static Files are FPML files created manually using either a
standard text editor or Active Lab's Editor tab. They allow the
user to create custom FPML functions beyond Active Lab's
capabilities should such a need arise. Static files must be created
manually outside of the lab and then imported into the database
using the Static Files dockable window.
Lex Files
[1196] Lex Files are instrumental to the proper function of a
project, and as such should generally be left alone by the user.
The user may view and edit Lex files through the Editor tab, though
this is not generally recommended for most users.
Chance Request
[1197] While change requests do not directly affect the functioning
of a project, they represent a way for the user to view feedback
from other users regarding the construction of the project. In this
regard, they can be quite useful in the process of fine-tuning the
components of a project.
[1198] Because all of these change requests pertain to Units, they
may be accessed through their respective Units or through Change
Requests. This dockable window contains the components illustrated
in FIG. 129 and described in the table below.
[1199] Change request management occurs primarily within the
dockable window of the same name. The right-click menu allows the
user to go directly to the Unit in question and make any changes.
Change requests may not be deleted, as they serve as a record of
the changes made to the project.
[1200] There are six types of change requests: [1201] Create New
Unit Requests [1202] Change Response Request [1203] Url Change
Request [1204] Add Test Question Request [1205] Wrong Response
[1206] Wrong UL
TABLE-US-00090 [1206] Component Description Button bar The button
bar contains the following: <Add>: Add new Request Group.
<Edit>: Edit Request Group. <Delete>: Deletes selected
Request Group. <Show Dependencies>: Currently has no effect.
<New Window>: Opens copy of current window. <Refresh>:
Reloads Change Request display list. <Collapse All> Collapses
entire tree. <Expand All> Expands entire tree. <Back and
Forward Navigation>: Navigates between searches. Filters Select
the filters used to find current change requests. This field
contains the following dropdowns: Content Management System: Select
appropriate Content Management System Change Request Groups: Select
from available groups. Status: Select status of change requests to
view: All Pending Assigned Group By: Select how the display will
organize the change requests: (none): No organization. Group By
User Group By Unit Group By Situation Change Requests display
Displays change requests in tree view, organized by type: Create
New Unit Requests Change Response Request Url Change Request Add
Test Question Request Wrong Response Wrong URL Search Tree This
field contains the following: Input Text Field: Searches cascades
for specific text. <Search>: Executes search. <Search
Options>: Opens Search Options window. Whole Word Only Checkbox:
Limits search to complete word matches. Right-Click Menu The
following right-click menu only applies to the change request item:
.fwdarw.View Details: Opens corresponding request window.
.fwdarw.Accept Change: Accept change request. Item will now appear
as regular item in Active Lab
[1207] Create New Unit Request
[1208] New Unit request can be edited, changed, and implemented in
the Create New Unit Requests window. This window is broken up into
two tabs: the Create Unit Request tab, which shows all the
parameters for the Unit; and the Request Information tab, which
shows history, comments, and the option to ignore the request.
[1209] FIG. 130 illustrates the Change Unit Request tab which
includes the following components:
TABLE-US-00091 Component Description Situation Dropdown that
chooses the Situation Group for the new Unit. Label Text Field that
displays the name of the Unit. Response Text field where the Unit's
response is written. Url This field contains the following:
<Edit Url>: Opens Url Editor with current Url loaded.
<Remove All Url Items>: Removes Url from response. <Show
In Tree>: Shows current Url in Url dockable window. <Add>:
Opens two new fields for the purpose of creating a new Url: Uri:
New Url name field. Label: New Url Label field. <Save>: Saves
new Url. Only available through <Add> button. Uri: displays
path for response. Label: displays label of Url for response. Auto
Navigate To URL checkbox: When selected, the Unit's triggered
response automatically redirects to the selected URL. Drop-down
list: list of all available URLs for the response. Questions Text
field where test questions are listed. Note: Only use one test
question per line. <Create Unit> Creates the Unit in
appropriate Situation Group.
[1210] The Request Information tab is shown in FIG. 131 and
includes the following components:
TABLE-US-00092 Component Description Request Group dropdown Choose
from available pre-set group that created the request. Request
Information Field displays all information relating to the Unit,
including: Request Information Display, which includes: Response
URI Questions Requesting User Request Date Brain UID User Input
Current Status Recommend Status Unit ID Comments <Show Unit>:
Highlights Unit in Units dockable window. <Show History>:
Shows Request History for the change request. Comments This field
has two components: Text Field: New comments are typed here.
<Save Comments>: Saves new comments. <Mark As Complete>
Marks the change request as completed outside of the change
request. <Recommend Ignore> Marks the change request as
ignored. <Notify Unit Deleted> Notifies Content Management
System that the Unit is deleted. <Cancel> Closes the window
making no changes.
[1211] The Response Change Request window, illustrated in FIG. 132,
is used to edit, implement, or ignore requests to change the
response of a Unit and includes the following components.
TABLE-US-00093 Component Description Requested Response This field
contains two components: Text Field: New response is listed here.
<Change Unit Response>: Changes the response of the Unit to
the one listed in the above text field. Request Group dropdown
Choose from available pre-set group that created the request.
Request Information Field displays all information relating to the
Unit, including: Request Information Display, which includes: Unit
Label Requested Response Old Response Old URI Old Unit Label Is
Approval Required Requesting User Request Date Brain UID User Input
Current Status Recommend Status Unit ID Comments <Show Unit>:
Highlights Unit in Units dockable window. <Show History>:
Shows Request History for the change request. Comments This field
has two components: Text Field: New comments are typed here.
<Save Comments>: Saves new comments. <Mark As Complete>
Marks the change request as completed outside of the change
request. <Recommend Ignore> Marks the change request as
ignored. <Notify Unit Deleted> Notifies Content Management
System that the Unit is deleted. <Cancel> Closes the window
making no changes.
[1212] Url Change Request
[1213] The Url Change Request window, illustrated in FIG. 133, is
used to edit and accept Url change requests and includes the
following components.
TABLE-US-00094 Component Description Requested Url This field
contains the following: <Edit Url>: Opens Url Editor with
current Url loaded. <Remove All Url Items>: Removes Url from
response. <Show In Tree>: Shows current Url in Url dockable
window. <Add>: Opens two new fields for the purpose of
creating a new Url: Uri: New Url name field. Label: New Url Label
field. <Save>: Saves new Url. Only available through
<Add> button. Uri: displays path for response. Label:
displays label of Url for response. Auto Navigate To URL checkbox:
When selected, the Unit's triggered response automatically
redirects to the selected URL. Drop-down list: list of all
available URLs for the response. <Accept Requested Url Changes
the Url to the one listed in the Request Url field. Current Url/No
Current Field visible only if Url exists for the Unit. URL Exists
Contains identical options as Requested Url field. Request Group
dropdown Choose from available pre-set group that created the
request. Request Information Field displays all information
relating to the Unit, including: Request Information Display, which
includes: Unit Label Requested Uri Old Response Old URI Old Unit
Label Is Approval Required Requesting User Request Date Brain UID
User Input Current Status Recommend Status Unit ID Comments
<Show Unit>: Highlights Unit in Units dockable window.
<Show History>: Shows Request History for the change request.
Comments This field has two components: Text Field: New comments
are typed here. <Save Comments>: Saves new comments.
[1214] Add Question to Unit Request
[1215] The Add Question To Unit Request window, illustrated in FIG.
134, is used to edit and accept test questions that will be added
to the corresponding Unit and includes the following
components.
TABLE-US-00095 Component Description Add Question This field
contains the following: Text Field: Test question is listed here.
<Add Question>: Adds question in Add Question field to the
Unit listed in the Request Information field. Request Information
Field displays all information relating to the Unit, including:
Request Information Display, which includes: Response URI Questions
Requesting User Request Date Brain UID User Input Current Status
Recommend Status Unit ID Comments <Show Unit>: Highlights
Unit in Units dockable window. <Show History>: Shows Request
History for the change request. Comments This field has two
components: Text Field: New comments are typed here. <Save
Comments>: Saves new comments. <Mark As Complete> Marks
the change request as completed outside of the change request.
<Recommend Ignore> Marks the change request as ignored.
<Notify Unit Deleted> Notifies Content Management System that
the Unit is deleted. <Cancel> Closes the window making no
changes.
[1216] Wrong Response/Wrong Url
[1217] The Request Details window, illustrated in FIG. 135, is used
to view Wrong Responses and Wrong Url change requests and includes
the following components. This window does not have the
functionality to change Units, however it can mark whether a
response has been changed.
TABLE-US-00096 Component Description Request Information Field
displays all information relating to the Unit, including: Request
Information Display, which includes: Response URI Questions
Requesting User Request Date Brain UID User Input Current Status
Recommend Status Unit ID Comments <Show Unit>: Highlights
Unit in Units dockable window. <Show History>: Shows Request
History for the change request. Comments This field has two
components: Text Field: New comments are typed here. <Save
Comments>: Saves new comments. <Mark As Complete> Marks
the change request as completed outside of the change request.
<Recommend Ignore> Marks the change request as ignored.
<Notify Unit Deleted> Notifies Content Management System that
the Unit is deleted. <Cancel> Closes the window making no
changes.
[1218] Example System
[1219] FIG. 136 illustrates an example system in accordance with
one or more embodiments. Here, the system includes a computing
device 1360 that can be any suitable computing device such as a
desktop device, laptop, handheld computing device and the like. In
this example, computing device 1360 includes one or more processors
1362 and one or more computer-readable storage media 1364. Media
1364 can comprise any suitable storage media such as ROM, RAM, a
hard disk, flash memory, optical media, magnetic media and the
like.
[1220] In one or more embodiments, computer-readable instructions
reside on the computer-readable media and implement the
functionality described above. Such functionality can reside in the
form of an application referred to as Active Lab 1366. Active Lab
1366 can present the various user interfaces described above and
can implement the described functionality.
CONCLUSION
[1221] Various embodiments provide a tool, referred to herein as
"Active Lab" that can be used to develop, debug, and maintain
knowledge bases. These knowledge bases (KBs) can then engage
various applications, technology, and communications protocols for
the purpose of task automation, real time alerting, system
integration, knowledge acquisition, and various forms of peer
influence.
[1222] In at least some embodiments, a KB is used as a virtual
assistant that any real person can interact with using their own
natural language. The KB can then respond and react however the
user wants: answering questions, activating applications, or
responding to actions on a web page.
[1223] Although the subject matter has been described in language
specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is
to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended
claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts
described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described
above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the
claims.
* * * * *