Using Author-it Administrator

Transcription

1 Using Author-it Administrator Prepared 1 September, 2011

2 Copyright Author-it Software Corporation Ltd. All rights reserved Due to continued product development, this information may change without notice. The information and intellectual property contained herein is confidential between Author-it Software Corporation Ltd. and the client and remains the exclusive property of Author-it Software Corporation Ltd. If you find any problems in the documentation, report them to us in writing. Author-it Software Corporation Ltd does not warrant that this document is error-free. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of Author-it Software Corporation Ltd. Author-it, Author-it Localization Manager, Author-it Project Manager, Author-it Website Manager, Author-it Experience Engine, Author-it Integration Server, Author-it Live, Author-it Publishing Server, Author-it Xtend and Author-it Contact Manager are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Author-it Software Corporation Ltd. Microsoft Word, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. LEGO is a registered trademark of the LEGO Group. Adobe, Acrobat, and FrameMaker are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This document was created using Author-it Author-it Software Corporation PO Box Albany Auckland New Zealand Telephone Fax [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

3 Contents Using This Guide 3 Who This Guide Is For... 3 What This Guide Covers... 3 What You Should Already Know... 3 Typographical Conventions... 4 Your Feedback Please... 4 Contacting Us... 5 Getting Help 6 Many Ways to Get Help... 6 Help Yourself... 6 Ask Other People Who Use Author-it... 6 Ask Us For Help... 7 Using Author-it's Help System... 7 Getting Context Sensitive Help... 7 Getting Help About Microsoft Windows... 7 Using Author-it's Product Documentation... 8 Logging a Support Case... 8 Finding Which Build of the Software You Are Using... 9 Understanding Author-it 10 Understanding Author-it's Architecture Understanding Author-it Output Formats Understanding the Components of Your Document Assembling Your Document Reusing Objects Commonly Encountered Objects Understanding the Document Creation Process With Author-it Using Author-it Administrator 13 Working with Libraries Opening Author-it Administrator Upgrading Existing Libraries Creating a New Library Database Exporting a JET Library Database to SQL Server Exporting a SQL Server Database to JET Maintaining Libraries The External Files Report Working with Library Settings Working with Security Working with Users and Groups

4 Working with Folder and Release State Permissions Working with Variables Variable Types Displaying Variables Hiding Variables Variable Usage in Author-it Variable Assignments in Author-it Creating Variables Editing Variables Deleting Variables Creating Variant Criteria Index 83 2

5 Chapter 1 Using This Guide This section helps you get the most out of this Guide. In This Chapter Who This Guide Is For... 3 What This Guide Covers... 3 What You Should Already Know... 3 Typographical Conventions... 4 Your Feedback Please... 4 Who This Guide Is For This guide is for the person who administers Author-it. In this document we'll call this person the Author-it administrator. That is also the name of the separate program that you use to carry out Author-it's administrative functions - we'll call that the "Author-it Administrator". What This Guide Covers This guide tells you about: Working with Libraries, including upgrading existing libraries, creating new libraries, and performing regular maintenance tasks. Working with security permissions, including folder actions and release states. Working with variables and creating variant criteria. What You Should Already Know Before you read this guide you need to be comfortable working with: The Windows environment and its applications. SQL Server. The Author-it program. None of these topics are covered in this guide (although we have provided a brief conceptual overview of Author-it). For information about these topics, refer to their separate user documentation. 3

6 Typographical Conventions Before you start using this Guide, it is important to understand the terms and typographical conventions used in the documentation. The following kinds of formatting in the text identify special information. Formatting convention Special Bold Emphasis Monospace CAPITALS KEY+KEY Tab > Command Group > Command Type of Information Items you must select, such as menu options, command buttons, or items in a list. Use to emphasize the importance of a point, or for variable expressions such as parameters. Information that you must type, or information like folders and filenames. Names of keys on the keyboard, for example, SHIFT, CTRL, or ALT. Key combinations where you must press and hold down one key and then press another, for example, CTRL+P, or ALT+F4. Command option paths are written in the order you access a command button from the ribbon, for example, Edit > Insert > Insert File Object. Your Feedback Please To help us improve what we offer you, we would like your feedback about this Guide, and about any other aspect of Author-it. Go on, we can take it (and that includes compliments, too). Every comment counts, as far as we are concerned. You'll find we're very responsive, and we act on your suggestions as swiftly as we can. 4

7 Contacting Us Author-it Software Corporation PO Box Albany 0752, Auckland NEW ZEALAND Ph: +64 (9) Fax: +64 (9) information query from Contact us page) 5

8 Chapter 2 Getting Help This section describes how to get help when you have questions or problems using Author-it. In This Chapter Many Ways to Get Help... 6 Using Author-it's Help System... 7 Using Author-it's Product Documentation... 8 Logging a Support Case... 8 Many Ways to Get Help There are many ways to get help when you have questions or problems while working with Author-it. Help Yourself Most people like to be able to find their own answers. It's often quicker than other ways, and it's usually more satisfying. There are a few options when you want to find the answers yourself. If you can't find the answer quickly, don't hesitate to ask us for help directly. Use the standard HTML Help system (see "Using Author-it's Help System" on page 7) that ships with Author-it. Use the printed product documentation (see "Using Author-it's Product Documentation" on page 8) about Getting Started With Author-it, Using Author-it, Using Author-it Administrator, Using Author-it Project Manager and Using Author-it Localization Manager. Use our online Knowledge Center which contains the entire suite of documentation for all Author-it products, as well as answers to frequently asked questions (FAQS), troubleshooting tips, and information on how you can customize Author-it to meet your needs. To go there, press the Help button and choose Author-it Website > Knowledge Center. Ask Other People Who Use Author-it When you have a problem or question that does not require an urgent answer, you can ask the members of the free online Author-it User Group This is also a particularly good option when you have a question about different ways of implementing Author-it. 6

9 Ask Us For Help We pride ourselves on our responsive, friendly support. Author-it offers a variety of support options (see Support page - which allow you to log cases with our online Help desk (see "Logging a Support Case" on page 8) when you have questions, problems or suggestions about Author-it. Using Author-it's Help System Author-it's HTML Help system contains most of the information you'll need to successfully work with Author-it. To Use Author-it Help: 1) Press the Help button and choose Contents. The HTML Help file opens, and the most recently viewed tab is shown first. 2) Find the information you need by: Using the Contents tab. Read about finding the information you need (see "What This Guide Covers" on page 3) in this Guide. Using the Index tab to find topics containing those terms that have been indexed. Using the Search tab to find all occurrences of a word in the Help file, no matter how trivial. Getting Context Sensitive Help Use Author-it's context-sensitive help to find out about each field or screen you're working with. To Get Context Sensitive Help: 1) Choose the screen and tab you want help on. 2) Press the F1 button. The Help topic for that screen or tab pops up. 3) When you've finished reading, close the window. Getting Help About Microsoft Windows We assume you already know how to use standard Microsoft Windows applications. For more information about using Windows applications, please refer to the Windows user documentation - including the online Help which you can open by: Choose the Windows Start button, then choose Help. -or- Click on a blank part of your Windows Desktop, then press the F1 key on your keyboard. 7

10 Using Author-it's Product Documentation Author-it's product documentation set helps you use the range of Author-it programs. The documents are: The Getting Started With Author-it Guide, which explains how to install Author-it, and includes a tutorial to get you started. The Using Author-it Guide, which explains how to use the Author-it program. The Using Author-it Administrator Guide, which explains how to use the separate Author-it Administrator program used to manage user security, library administration, and other settings. The Using Author-it Project Manager Guide, which explains how to use the separate Author-it Project Manager program that manages projects and tasks. The Using Author-it Localization Manager, which explains how to use the separate Author-it Localization Manager to manage and produce documentation in multiple languages. All documentation can be downloaded from the Author-it website ( or viewed online in the Author-it Knowledge Center ( Logging a Support Case Sometimes you can't find the answer you need on your own. We're happy to lend a helping hand. To Log a Support Case: 1) Go to the Help desk page on our website: Press the Help button and choose Log Support Call. -or- In your Internet browser, go to the My Author-it Client Portal ( You'll need to type in your address, and password. If you haven't registered on the Author-it website, you'll need to do this first. Select the Register link and follow the wizard. Make sure to enter a valid address as an is sent to that address to activate your account. When logging a case, you are prompted to enter details including the build of Author-it you are using. Find out which Build (see "Finding Which Build of the Software You Are Using" on page 9) of the Author-it program you are using. 2) Write a brief Subject which says what the case is about, in as few words as possible. 3) Tell us your problem, question or suggestion. Please log only one issue in each case, so we can pass them easily between the appropriate people on our team. 8

11 If you're logging a problem, please write exactly what you were doing and where, so we can quickly find an answer for you - without a flurry of s seeking and supplying more details. Paste the text of any error messages that appear. To solve a problem we often need to reproduce it - so if you can describe exactly what steps we have to take, that helps too. Think of it as a procedure that you're writing (Step 1 - open Author-it, then open the Library called XYZ, Step 2...). The more you tell us, the easier it is for us to help you swiftly. 4) Click on the Save button. You'll get a confirmation that the case has been successfully logged (and an will also follow). Note the case number. Finding Which Build of the Software You Are Using When you log a Support Call (see "Logging a Support Case" on page 8), we need you to tell us exactly which Build of Author-it you are using. This is easy to find. To Identify the Software Build: 1) Press the Help button (near the top-right corner) and choose About Author-it. A window opens, containing details about the software including the Version you are using (for example, ). 2) The Build is displayed in brackets (for example, Build ). 9

12 Chapter 3 Understanding Author-it This section is a "crash course" in Author-it's concepts, so that you understand them when you're reading the rest of this guide. For further conceptual detail about Author-it, please read the Using Author-it guide. In This Chapter Understanding Author-it's Architecture Understanding Author-it Output Formats Understanding the Components of Your Document Understanding the Document Creation Process With Author-it Understanding Author-it's Architecture Author-it allows sharing of work across a network to multiple client computers, without a server application component. We've found it's simpler to store only the shared library and template files on a server, avoiding the local Windows registration and shared component issues that crop up when you're running an application from the server. The Author-it application is installed separately on each client workstation. Record locking in the database is done on the basis of each user's login details and the time recorded on their client computer's system clock. Author-it uses a distributed client architecture: Only Shared data files including library databases and various templates are stored on a server. Each client computer has its own copy of the program files. The separate Author-it Administrator program that you use for maintenance tasks and to manage Author-it's user security and other settings, is used on the administrator's computer. Collaborative authoring delivers results faster Collaborative authoring is one of Author-it's real strengths - our customers tell us that sharing the work across the whole development team gets their product to market quicker and cheaper, with no hold ups while they wait for the documentation to be completed. Understanding Author-it Output Formats Author-it is an authoring suite that you use to author, manage, and publish documents in a variety of output formats, all from a single-source database. This means you can change the document in one place, and your changes will be contained in each output format when you next publish them. 10

13 Author-it uses publishing profiles to determine several factors, including: Which outputs a book can be published to Which users can publish using that profile The release states content must be in for the content to be included These profiles are fully customizable, and you can create as many additional profiles as you need to suit your requirements and your deliverables. More details on publishing profiles can be found in the Using Author-it guide. The available output formats Author-it can publish to are: Print Printed Word document PDF document Web Pure cross-platform HTML pages with integrated navigation tree XHTML transitional pages with integrated navigation tree Author-it Web Help Java Help Oracle Help for Java Help HTML Help Windows Help XML DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) Author-it XML Author-it Aspect Author-it Website Manager Each output format has different constraints and considerations. 11

14 Understanding the Components of Your Document With Author-it, your document is built from components (also known as "objects"). This section helps you understand them better. Assembling Your Document Creating a document in Author-it is like building with Lego bricks - you construct your document from many smaller pieces, which are called "objects". There are different types of object which have different functions (like a Lego roofing tile or a corner brick). Reusing Objects Reusability is one of Author-it s greatest strengths. Each object can be reused as many times as required, in the same document or in multiple documents. When you change the object, the changes update instantly wherever that object is used. This saves time, guarantees consistency, and simplifies document maintenance. You can combine the same topics in different ways, by using different books. You can arrange the same topics in a different order in each book. For example, the sequence of topics in a tutorial may need differ to that in a reference manual on the same subject. Commonly Encountered Objects These are the Author-it objects you will encounter most often: Library: the single-source database that stores all the components of your document set, which you can combine into documents, and publish those documents in many output formats. You'll usually have only one library. Book: a particular document (or part of a document if you're using sub-books), which remembers how the other objects, like topics and styles, fit together. Topic: a small section of your document's contents, which usually contains a heading, several paragraphs of text, and perhaps tables and other objects like graphics. Each topic usually corresponds to one "page" in Windows Help, although there may be many topics in a single page in your printed or HTML output formats. File: a graphic or other external file which Author-it includes when you publish your document. Author-it's File object holds the settings like scale and captions, and either the name of the external file or the actual embedded graphic. Style: a formatting component that controls how text appears in your published document. 12

15 Media: a formatting component that controls section-level, page-level, and window-level formatting in your published outputs. Table of Contents: an automatically created list of your document's contents, included when it is published. Glossary: a list of definitions for specialized terms that appear throughout your document. Index: a list of terms and synonyms from your content to help users find the topic they are looking for. Understanding the Document Creation Process With Author-it Creating a document in Author-it is a bit different from creating one in other authoring tools, because Author-it lets you reuse components of your document in many places, and even in different documents. After a while, you'll get used to thinking of ways that you can construct sections of your document so they're easier to reuse. In general, when you create a document you'll work with its structure, content and format. You use different types of Author-it objects for each of these. For more detail about the document creation process, refer to the Using Author-it guide. Using Author-it Administrator This section describes how to work with Libraries (see "Working with Libraries" on page 14), Security (see "Working with Security" on page 40) and Variables (see "Working with Variables" on page 71). 13

16 Chapter 4 Working with Libraries An Author-it Library database contains all the document components you work with, as well as user account details and security settings. Unless you use different standards (for different clients, for example), you will normally only use one Library. As you might imagine, this section tells you how to work with Libraries. In This Chapter Opening Author-it Administrator Upgrading Existing Libraries Creating a New Library Database Exporting a JET Library Database to SQL Server Exporting a SQL Server Database to JET Maintaining Libraries The External Files Report Working with Library Settings Opening Author-it Administrator To open a Library with Author-it Administrator, your User login must have the "Security Administration" permission. Automatic login options used to open the Library using the Editor are not available when logging in to Author-it Administrator. Upgrading Existing Libraries If you open a JET Library database created with an earlier version of Author-it, it will be converted to the latest version, and a backup will be created in the same folder as the library with "Backup of " prepended to the original filename. The upgrade process may take a long time if your library is large; this is normal... do not succumb to the temptation to stop or reset Author-it. SQL Server: You must manually back up SQL libraries JET libraries are automatically backed up during the upgrade, but SQL libraries are not! Important: If you are using SQL Server, the library will not be backed up automatically. You are strongly advised to export the database to JET first, or follow your normal backup procedure prior to upgrading the Library. 14

17 Run Library Compact after a library upgrade We recommend that you compact your Library (see "Repairing and Compacting a JET Library" on page 18) after it is upgraded, which can free up significant space. Creating a New Library Database You won't need to create new library databases very often. Please read about when to use more than one library (on page 15). See also: JET Database limitations To Create a New Library: 1) From the main menu of the Author-it program, choose File > New Library. The File Open dialog window appears. 2) Go to the New Library tab, and select the Library template you want to base your Library on. 3) Choose the OK button, then wait while Author-it creates and opens your Library. SQL Server 4) To create a SQL Server Library database, complete these steps, and then export your JET database to SQL Server (see "Exporting a JET Library Database to SQL Server" on page 15). When To Use More Than One Library You can share any objects that are contained in the same Author-it Library between multiple documents and users. You can not share objects from one Library to another. We strongly recommend that you only create more than one Library if you have different document sets, departments or customers who do not need to share common information. Otherwise, to maximize Author-it's benefits, use only one Library to store all your document components. Exporting a JET Library Database to SQL Server Use the Author-it Administrator program to export a JET Library database to a SQL Server Library database. You must first create the SQL Server database and assign database permissions to users, then create a JET Library database (see "Creating a New Library Database" on page 15). To Export a JET Library to SQL Server 1) From the main menu of the Author-it Administrator, choose Export. The Export Database To SQL Server screen appears. 2) Enter the name of the server and the database. 3) To use a Trusted NT Connection to the database, make sure the "Use Trusted Connection" checkbox is ticked, then go to Step 5. 15

18 4) If you're not using a Trusted NT Connection to the database, make sure the "Use Trusted Connection" checkbox is blank, then enter the correct Login ID and Password. 5) Choose the Export Now! button, and then make a cup of coffee while Author-it exports the database. If it's a big database, you may even need to make several cups. Note: This function requires that you have at least db_dbadmin privileges on the SQL Server database. Exporting a SQL Server Database to JET Use the Author-it Administrator program to export a SQL Server Library database to a JET Library database. Note: JET databases are limited to 2GB. Once exported to JET, a SQL Server Library will approximately halve in size. If your library is very large, it may not be possible to export it to JET. See also: JET Database limitations. To Export a SQL Server Library to JET 1) From the main menu of the Author-it Administrator, choose Export > To JET. 2) The Save New Author-it Library As screen appears. 3) Type a file name for your JET Library, then choose Save. 4) Progress is shown as the SQL Server Export creates the Library. Maintaining Libraries Object Locking To prevent multiple authors from trying to modify the same object at the same time, objects are locked when they are opened or checked out. A local lock is placed on an object when it is opened, and removed when the object is closed. Other authors will be able to open the object during this period but will not be able to edit it. If the computer that has an object locked does not close the object correctly (crash, power off without correctly exiting, network problem etc) then the lock should clear after five minutes. Failing that, the administrator can clear the object locks. A local lock is indicated by in the object list. An offline lock is placed on an object when it is checked-out to an offline library and removed when the library is checked back in. In the offline library, all objects that were not checked-out have locks placed on them so that they may not be modified. The administrator may clear the object locks associated with an offline library, which will free up the objects but prevent the offline library being checked-in again. 16

19 An offline lock (checked-out object) is indicated by in the object list. A lock is also placed on an object in a Target library when it is exported as part of a translation job and removed once the job is imported. The administrator may clear the object locks associated with a translation job but this will prevent the translation job from being imported. To see who has an object locked, open the object and the locking information is displayed as part of the title bar. Clearing All Object Locks Object locks are automatically cleared after 5 minutes. If a user's session crashes, the objects they were working with may still be locked. Some operations, like updating object templates, require objects to be locked. In these situations, the Author-it Administrator program lets you forcibly clear all object locks. We recommend that you inform all users if possible before you take this action, to help maintain harmonious working relationships with them. To Clear Object Locks: 1) Open the library in Author-it Administrator. 2) From the main menu choose Maintenance > Clear Object Locks and Sessions... The Clear Locks window opens. The Local Users tab represents authors who are connected directly to the Main Library. If Author-it was not exited correctly, it may leave locks on objects. The Offline Users tab represents Offline Libraries and can be used to clear all the locks created when an author creates an Offline Library. This will however mean that the Offline Library can not be checked back in again. Ensure the author who owns the Offline Library is aware you are undoing their check-outs. 17

20 The Translation Jobs tab represents objects locked in a Target library when exported as part of a translation job. The lock is removed when the job referencing the object is imported. The administrator may clear the object locks associated with a translation job but this will prevent the translation job from being imported. 3) Select the individual sessions by checking the box in the leftmost column, or select the 'Clear all local user object locks' option at the bottom left corner. 4) Select OK. Repairing and Compacting a JET Library As you work with an Author-it Library it becomes fragmented, just like the hard drive on your computer. From time to time you'll need to repair and compact your Library to free up disk space and to increase performance. This function also scans your library for problems and tries to fix them. Much of the time, this works. However, you should always keep regular backups of your Library - restoring from such a backup is sometimes the only solution. To Repair and Compact a Library: 1) Close all open objects and ensure all other users are logged out of the Library. 2) From the menu choose Maintenance > Repair and Compact Library. A prompt asks you to confirm the action. Choose Yes. Author-it repairs and compacts the Library. This process may take a few minutes depending on the size of your Library and the speed of your computer. 3) Once the repair is complete, Author-it displays the message "The Library repair and compact is complete". Choose OK to continue. Removing Empty Objects The Remove Empty Objects functionality was added to correct earlier problems where as the result of a failed import or offline library check-in, "empty" objects could be incorrectly created in a library. This function cleans out those empty objects. If you find objects displaying without any description or details it indicates there are empty objects in your library. In these circumstances, you should use Author-it's Remove Empty Objects. 18

21 There can also be rare cases when an object displays as normal but with an object code of zero (0). In this case, there is a field missing in the library data. Running the Remove Empty Objects function will correct the problem by reallocating the correct ID without removing the object from the library. To Remove Empty Objects: 1) Open the Library using Author-it Administrator. 2) Choose Maintenance > Remove Empty Objects. Progress is shown as objects are cleared from the Library. Note: Users must be logged out of the Library before you can remove any empty objects. If any users are logged in to the library at the time an information message is displayed to advise you the action cannot be completed. Reindex Search Author-it maintains a single plain text index for all objects containing every publishable piece of text relating to those objects. For Topics, this includes the topic text with all paragraph and style tagging removed. It also includes variable assignments in the format <variable>=assignment. This index is used when running Find and Replace or Object Search, and greatly speeds up the search functionality within Author-it. In some very rare circumstances, the text in the plain text index may not match the actual text in the object, resulting in inaccurate search results. If you find you're not getting the correct or expected search results, you should use Author-it's Reindex Search. To Reindex Search 1) Start Author-it Administrator 2) From the Maintenance menu select Reindex Search. 3) Progress is displayed as Author-it reindexes the search. This process may take a few minutes depending on the size of your Library and the speed of your computer. Create Dictionary From Wordlist While some Dictionaries are provided with Author-it, you may be working in a language that isn't provided or have a word list more relevant to what you are documenting. In this case, you can create your own dictionary for any single byte language, provided you have a word list (see "Dictionary Word List" on page 19) and a character map (see "Dictionary Character Map" on page 20). Dictionary Word List A word list file contains all the words you want in your dictionary. This word list must be formatted as follows: 19

22 ASCII (not a MS Word document) with a.txt suffix Lower case characters only Alphabetically sorted Each line must be delimited by a carriage return and be left aligned Each line must contain only one word Example: a aardvark able aren't... Dictionary Character Map A character map file containing all the valid characters used in the dictionary. A character map file must be formatted as follows: It must be a plain text file called DICT35.MAP. It must contain all characters which are valid in a word. It should not include characters that are punctuation characters or spaces. These characters must be alphabetically sorted. Each line will contain the letter in upper case, a comma and then the equivalent letter in lower case. Where a letter is the same in either case (for example an apostrophe) list it twice with a comma separator. Example format: 20

23 A,a B,b C,c... Y.y Z,z ',' Note: The default character map file (DICT35.MAP) for English contains 27 characters ('a' to 'z' and an apostrophe character) Creating the Dictionary To Create a Dictionary: 1) Start Author-it Administrator. 2) Choose Maintenance > Create Dictionary from Wordlist... The Create Dictionary From Wordlist window opens. 3) Enter the path to a valid Word List (see "Dictionary Word List" on page 19) file. 4) Enter the path to a valid Character Map (see "Dictionary Character Map" on page 20) file. 5) Enter the language (or name) of this dictionary. 6) Choose Build. The required files are created in a sub-directory of your Dictionaries folder. You can then choose this Dictionary in your Spelling Options. 21

24 Refreshing Library Properties The main screen of the Author-it Administrator program shows several properties of the Library database you are administering. To see up-to-date details, especially numbers of active objects and users in the Library, you'll need to refresh those details. To Refresh Library Properties 1) From the main Author-it Administrator screen, choose the Refresh button. The details are updated immediately. Performing Administrative Tasks from the Command Line You can perform the common maintenance tasks of exporting a SQL library to JET and/or compacting a JET library from the command line. This enables you to automate the process in a batch or as part of a scripted or scheduled process. You may choose to do this as part of your regular backup routine. Note: To use the Author-it Administrator program from the command line, your User login must have the "Security Administration" permission. Syntax AITAdmin[.exe] libraryname [ /user /pwd ] [ /export ] [/excludelarge] [/compact] [/exit] The parts of the command line switch syntax are: Argument AITAdmin Description The path to the Author-it Administration program. libraryname The type, name and path of your Author-it Library (.adl) file. Author-it will open this library when found. For example: /jet"c:\program Files\Author-it 5\Data\Libraries\Acme.adl" -or- /sql"acme server1" user pwd User account to sign into the Author-it Library database. Password used to sign into the Author-it Library database. 22

25 Argument export Description Where the libraryname has been specified with the /sql parameter, instructs Author-it Administration to Export the SQL Server Library Database to a Jet Library Database. You must supply the name of the new Jet Library, you do not have to supply the path to this file. To ensure that your relative paths remain valid, the file will be created in the existing Library Path. Please note that if the export file already exists, it will be deleted. Example: /export"backup.adl" excludelarge compact Automatically excludes object history, Offline library and locking information when exporting library. Where the libraryname has been specified with the /jet parameter, instructs Author-it Administration to Compact the Jet Library database. Where the libraryname has been specified with the /sql parameter and with the /export parameter, the Jet Library created by the Export process will be compacted. /exit Tells Author-it to close and exit after the process is complete. Examples: To compact a Jet Library database: c:\program Files\Author-it 5\AITAdmin.exe /jet"c:\program Files\Author-it 5\Data\Libraries\Sample.adl" /user"(supervisor)" /pwd"password" /compact To Export a SQL Server Library database to Jet and compact the Jet database after exporting: c:\program Files\Author-it 5\AITAdmin.exe /sql"my database my server" /user"(supervisor)" /pwd"password" /export"new Jet Library.adl" /compact The External Files Report The External Files Report lists all files that are stored outside of the library but that are linked to by one or more Author-it objects, including linked graphics, and external files (such as Word templates or HTML templates). 23

26 Use the report to gain better management of external files and to quickly identify linked files that cannot be found. To Display the External Files Report: 1) From the main menu of the Author-it Administrator program, choose Reports > External Files Report. The External Files Report is displayed: The Report contains the following information: Description: The Description (name) of the Author-it Object. Multiple entries appear for the same object when that object links to more than one external file. Path: The path that has been defined to the file from within Author-it. Blue and black settings are used to indicate information that is inherited from a template (blue) or set directly in the object (black). Filename: The name of the external file as it has been defined in Author-it A strike through the filename indicates the file or path defined cannot be found. This can occur if the external file or folder it is stored in is moved, renamed, or deleted. Property: The field in Author-it where the file has been defined - such as the Word Template field on a Book object, or the HTML tab of a File object. Template: The Author-it template the object is based on. 24

27 Exists: This check box is used to indicate whether or not the file can be found at the location defined. The box is checked when the file can be found, and clear if it cannot be. 2) Drag the column headers to group by column if desired. You can also select a column header to re-sort the list based on the contents in that column. 3) Choose Save to save the report as HTML, or Close to close the report. Working with Library Settings There are a number of library settings that define how Author-it deals with content: The Author-it Xtend Settings (on page 26) that display indexing information for the library. The General Settings (on page 26) that configure the drop-down list when inserting File Objects from the Thumbnail view. The History Settings (see "Working with Edit History" on page 27) that create and store history records for modifications to an object. The Publishing Settings (on page 30) used for including image files with books published to XML. The Localization Manager Settings (see "Author-it Localization Manager Settings" on page 31) that control how images are included with the Translation Job XML files. The Change Timestamp Settings (see "Timestamp Settings" on page 33) that control the Modified Date when a release state is changed. The Settings (on page 33) are used to configure the mail server details used notifications in Author-it Reviewer. 25

28 The Publishing Server Settings (see "Publishing Server Settings for Author-it Live" on page 34) used to define publishing paths used by Author-it Live. The Reviewer Settings (on page 37) are used to configure the Reviewer access for the View History functionality. The Plug-in Settings (on page 38) are used to configure a plug-in used with Author-it. Author-it Xtend Settings Statistical information for Author-it Xtend indexing is accessed in the Administrator. In the main menu choose Settings > Authoring Memory Settings... The information includes: Paragraphs Indexed: displays 100% the library is fully indexed and Authoring Memory is active. If the percentage is less than 100% Authoring Memory is not currently active. Paragraph Count: displays the total number of paragraphs in the library that have been indexed. Paragraph Reuse: displays the current level of reuse in the library as a percentage. Select the Refresh button to update the paragraph details displayed in the Information area. General Settings When you are working with Topics in the Editor you can insert File objects using the Insert File Object from Thumbnail option. 26

29 Insert File Object from Thumbnail displays File objects in a folder as thumbnails, making it easier to locate the correct image. The General Settings option is used to configure the Folders drop-down list in the Insert File Object From Thumbnail dialog box. The folders drop-down list can be configured to include any commonly used folders within the library, so users can quickly locate folders containing the images they need. Working with Edit History Author-it's Edit History lets you quickly see changes different authors have made to an object, and gives you the ability to roll back (or revert) to a previous revision. Before you can use the Edit History to view and compare changes, you must first define which events should create history records. This is done by defining Save Points (see "Configuring Edit History Save Points" on page 27). Only changes that have history records can be used to compare and revert. Because each history record must be stored somewhere, this can impact on the size of your library. There are a number of settings and features to archive history (see "Archiving History Records" on page 29) from the database. Configuring Edit History Save Points Requires software release 5.5 or later. The Save Points you choose will depend largely on the level of control that you want, and on your environment. For example, in a single user situation you may choose to save only on object close, whereas in a multiuser environment, saving the history on change of author and change of release state is probably more appropriate. To Set Save Points: 1) From the main menu, choose Settings > History Settings... The Edit History Options window opens. Select the Save Points tab. 27

30 2) Select the save point action for any events where you want to save a history record. 3) Choose OK to save your changes and close the window. Save Point Actions Comment settings are made for specific types of changes to objects. Choose from: Object close (if changed): saves a revision when an object has been modified. In Author-it Editor - saves a revision when an object is closed and has been modified without saving the changes. (Note, the window is not displayed if a topic's content is modified and the changes are saved before the topic is closed.) When using this option, and an optional or mandatory comment is required, the comments window is displayed when the "Prompt for unsaved changes" option has been selected on the General tab in the Author-it User Options. In Author-it Live - if an optional or mandatory comment is required, the comments window is displayed when the topic is saved. (Note, the window is not displayed, and the modifications are not saved in Author-it Live if the topic is closed without saving.) Important: If you are working with Author-it Reviewer you must set this option to "Save with mandatory comments". Change of release state: saves a revision when an object has its Release State modified. Change of author: saves a revision when an object is modified and the author is not the last author who modified it. In Author-it Editor - saves a revision when an object is closed and has been modified without saving the changes. (Note, the window is not displayed if a topic's content is modified and the changes are saved before the topic is closed.) When using this option, and an optional or mandatory comment is required, the comments window is displayed when the "Prompt for unsaved changes" option has been selected on the General tab in the Author-it User Options. 28

31 In Author-it Live - if an optional or mandatory comment is required, the comments window is displayed when the topic is saved. (Note, the window is not displayed, and the modifications are not saved in Author-it Live if the topic is closed without saving.) Change of template: saves a revision when an object is modified and the template it is based on is changed. Publish (if changed): saves a revision when an object is published and the last modified record doesn't have an XML history attached. Save Point Comment Settings The following options are available for defining when a history record will be created: (none): does not create a history record and does not prompt for a comment Save without comments: creates a history record and does not prompt for a comment Save with optional comments: creates a history record and prompts for a comment Save with mandatory comments: creates a history record and the user must add a comment Minimum length of comments: sets the minimum number of characters that must be used when adding a comment for the save point. Archiving History Records History records can be stored internally inside the Author-it library, or archived in XML format to an external location. Archiving is optional, however it will help prevent the size of your library from quickly ballooning out of control. You can choose from auto settings (when all records are archived as they are created) or manual settings where you define when records should be archived. Auto Archive Settings Archive all objects - when checked, this option will override any manual settings and archive all history records externally. 29

32 Manual Archive Settings Archive Folder - defines the location where the XML history files are created. This path should always be relative to the location of the library so all users will be able to see it. Edit History can still be accessed for comparison and revert even when archived, provided the users can access the archive folder. If you are using auto archive, then all users will need read and write permissions. If you are using manual archive, then the user performing the archive will need read and write, while all other users will only need read permissions to the archive folder. A message will be displayed if Author-it cannot access the folder you are using for archiving. If the archive folder is moved and Author-it cannot access it, you will not be able to save topics or complete a manual archive. Note: If working with multiple libraries, we recommend you define a separate archive folder for each library. Keep a minimum history for each object of - defines how many histories are retained in the library before being archived. For example, if the minimum is set to 3, the three most recent histories for each object are still stored internally, and only the fourth and earlier records are archived. Archive before - determines a date to archive prior to. Defaults to today, so only records from yesterday and earlier would be archived. To include histories created today, set this to a later date. Archive Now - when using manual settings, history is only archived when you tell Author-it to do so. This must be selected each time you want to archive manually. Important: Once history records have been archived they are stored externally and cannot be brought back into the library. If you move your library, you will need to take care to ensure the path to the archived files remains valid. If the files cannot be found, you will be unable to compare or revert to a previous revision. Publishing Settings Publishing Settings includes the options setting the file format used when publishing to Website, and managing image files when books are published to XML. Publishing Settings are found in the Administrator under Settings > Publishing Settings. Note: If the Website variables have not yet been set in the Administrator a message box is displayed. Choose OK to continue. Website Settings: Output format: used to select the publishing format for the Website files. 30

33 XML Settings: Export embedded pictures as files: includes a copy of each embedded image file from the published book in the publishing folder with the XML file, XSD file, and the XSLT files. Export linked pictures as files: includes a copy of each linked image file from the published book in the output folder with the XML file, XSD file, and the XSLT files. Using "linked images" allows you to use different images on your output tabs. For example, you may want images with different resolutions, or images using different file formats for print and online outputs. When the book is published to XML, a copy of each linked image is added to the output folder, prefixed with the first letter from its output tab, P_123.gif or W_123.jpg. If a File object Include preview of file objects: creates a Preview folder containing inside the output folder with the XML file XSD file, and the XSLT files. A JPG preview of every image used by the book is included. Author-it Localization Manager Settings The following Translation Job Settings (including how to deal with images with the Translation Job XML files) can be set in the Administrator module, enforcing certain translation options at the Library level. The Localization Manager Settings dialog box is accessed through the main menu in Administrator, under Settings > Localization Settings. The settings defined in the Administrator are used as the default settings in the Localization Manager Translation Export Wizard. Settings used by the Source and Target libraries: The first three check boxes on the Localization Manager Settings apply to translation jobs created manually, as well as jobs created using the wizard. The settings are taken from the Target library. 31

34 The other options apply to translation jobs created using the wizard only, and are taken from the Source library. You can include copies of the images used in the book with the translation files. A sub folder containing the images is created in the job's export folder. The image options for the Translation Job XML are: Export Embedded Pictures As Files: creates a copy of each embedded image file from the book(s) included in the translation job. A set of images is included with the files for each locale. Export Linked Pictures As Files: creates a copy of each linked image file from the book(s) included in the translation job. A set of images is included with the files for each locale. When the File object links to different image files on the output tabs a copy of each image is included, prefixed with the first letter of the output tab. For example, P_123.gif or W_123.jpg. Include a Preview of File Objects: creates a JPG preview for each image included in the translation job. Using this option, all images are converted to JPG format. The remaining options relate to objects included in the job, the folders, and release states applied during the export and import: Export Folder: select the location where the exported translation job files are stored when the job is created using the Localization Manager Wizard. Import Folder: select the location where Localization Manager expects to find the imported translation job files after they are returned from the translator. Create localization sub folders: if this option is checked on the source library, then the wizard will put jobs for each locale in a subfolder. The name of the folder will be the Localization Name. 32

35 Note: This option is for use with the wizard only. If creating translation jobs manually, then the export folder will default to a sub folder of the target locale. The Release States define the state that will be applied to objects included in a translation job when they are exported, and later imported back into the target library. Note: the Release States must already exist in the library. Export Release State: select the Export Release State to apply to objects in the target library when they are sent in a translation job. Import Release State: select the Import Release State to apply to objects when the translation has been completed and the job is imported into the target library. The objects from the translation job overwrite the objects in the library, and the release state is updated to indicate that they have been translated. Timestamp Settings Timestamp settings enable you to choose whether applying a release state to an object triggers a change to the "Modified Date". Timestamp settings are found in the Administrator under Settings > Timestamp Settings. When you want the modified date to change when the release state is changed ensure the first option is selected (this is the default setting used by the timestamp). When don't want the modified date to change ensure the second option is selected. Settings To enable notifications for Reviewer, complete the following settings: Add the Settings in Administrator. Install and configure the Service Manager, including the Notification and Reviewer sub services. This includes a configurable Poll Time (in minutes), by means of which you can control the frequency of notifications. 33

36 Adding the Settings for the Notification System: 1) Open the library using Author-it Administrator. 2) Choose Settings > Settings from the main menu. 3) Add the address for the SMTP Server (for example, the IP address for the server) and the details for the initiating address in the Mail From. Add User and Password details if required. Leave the HTML Templates field blank. 4) Create a test to check the settings. Choose Test, then supply a target address in the Address window. 5) Save the changes. 6) Refer to Installing and Configuring Service Manager for Reviewer for further settings. 7) Note: To enable notifications, each user must also configure an address from the User Options. Publishing Server Settings for Author-it Live The Publishing Server Settings window enables the library administrator to define the library-level settings when Author-it Live and Publishing Server are used. (Previously, values for these settings were defined using library variables.) To display the publishing server settings, open Author-it Administrator and from the menu choose Settings > Publishing Server Settings. 34

37 Live Library Alias - this setting is automatically populated from the Author-it Live Configuration Tool (the alias is the "user-friendly" name given to the library; it is used when logging in). Live Base URL - the base URL for accessing the library using Author-it Live. For example, domain]/aitlive Publishing Server Path - the path to the publishing directory on the server. For example, C:\authorit\publishing\. This folder contains publishing jobs from Author-it, and the virtual directory on the web server links to this folder, making the jobs available to users logged in to Author-it Live. In a multi-server environment this could be a network location. Publishing Server URL - the path to the virtual directory in the Author-it Live installation. For example, Or if you are adding sub folders (through the Publishing Sub Folders field) then finish the path with a forward slash, for example, domain]/aitlive/publishing/. Publishing Sub Folder path - defines how the publishing files will be stored in the Author-it publishing folder and the Live virtual directory, and defines the naming conventions that will be used. The publishing sub folders are created as a job is published. If the "Publishing Sub Folder" field is left empty, the publishing job will add all files created by the publishing job directly to your publishing folder, instead of adding them to a sub folder. 35

38 Variables should be used to add the sub folders for the published output. For example, SYS_PUBLISH_TYPE will resolve to the sub folder name from the publishing profile (such as HTML Pages), and then SYS_DESCRIPTION will resolve to the next level of sub folder with the name based on the book object's description field. For example, when you publish the "Acme Staff handbook", the following sub folders could be created in the publishing folder HTML Pages\Acme Staff Handbook Each variable used in this field must be separated with a back slash, but ensure that you do not add a back slash at the start of this value. Part of the publishing server URL and publishing sub folder path are combined and transformed to provide the full path to the published content. For example, this would create the following path in IIS Manger as the "Local path" for the directory: [Default Web Site]\AITLive\Publishing\HTML Pages\Acme Staff Handbook Other variables that can be used in the "Publishing Sub Folder" field are: <SYS_USER> <SYS_AD_USER> <SYS_PUBLISH_TYPE> <SYS_DESCRIPTION> <SYS_GUID> <SYS_PUBLISH_BOOK_ID> Creates a sub folder for the logged in user. Creates a sub folder for the logged in Active Directory user (use this variable when your library is using Active Directory). Creates a sub folder named after the publishing profile description. Creates a sub folder named using the Book object's description field. Creates a sub folder named using a globally unique identifier such as "bb4b0b17-74c5-41b0-8f92-434ca46352b9". Creates a sub folder named using the book's object code. 36

39 Reviewer Settings This setting is only applied if you have Author-it Reviewer. The Reviewer setting in Author-it Administrator is an additional setting which enables a user to open a topic in the Reviewer from the Show History window in Author-it. Note: To open the topic in Reviewer, the topic must be in a review state, and must be included in a book associated with a review where the user has been added as a participant. To Apply the Reviewer Settings: 1) Open the library in Author-it Administrator. 2) From the main menu choose Settings > Reviewer Settings. 3) Add the URL for your Reviewer installation using the following format, and finish with "reviewer.aspx": server name/your reviewer application name/reviewer.aspx 4) Save the changes. To Use this Setting: 1) Open the library in Author-it Editor. 2) Right-click the topic and choose History. 37

40 3) Select the latest revision of the topic (has the highest number shown in the Revision column) and choose Show Review. Author-it Reviewer is opened in a browser (if you are already logged in a new tab is opened, if you are not currently logged in the login screen is displayed). Plug-in Settings When you use your custom plug-ins with Author-it you have the following options: Allow plug-ins that are applied at library level (to all users) - store the plug-ins in a central location that all users have access to. Allow individual users to use their own plug-ins - store the plug-ins on the local machine. Allow both options - you can use both options, however you'll need to ensure their is no functionality conflict between your "library" level and "individual" user level plug-ins. Note: The plug-ins settings are optional. For information on plug-ins and Author-it refer to the Author-it DevHub Library ( In Author-it Administrator From software release 5.5, the Administrator plug-in settings are found under Settings > Plug-in Settings Library Level - Plug-in folder path: Use this option when you have plug-ins that are applied at library level, that is, the plug-in is applied to all users. Add the path to the folder on the server containing the plug-ins. Note: UNC paths can be used for this option. 38

41 User Level - Enable user plug-ins check box: Select the check box to enable individual users to make use of their own plug-ins. When this option is selected the user must also update the plug-in path under the User Options in Author-it Editor. In Author-it Editor The Editor plug-in settings are found under Author-it Button > User Options > File Locations Plug-ins: Set the path to the folder on the local machine used to store the plug-ins. This option is used in conjunction with the "Enable user plug-ins" option in Author-it Administrator (not the "Library plug-ins" option). For example, C:\Program Files\Author-it 5\My_Plug-ins Note: UNC paths cannot be used in this setting. 39

42 Chapter 5 Working with Security In This Chapter Working with Users and Groups Working with Folder and Release State Permissions Working with Users and Groups The following topics describe working with user and group profiles (including adding, updating, and deleting profiles). This section also describes using Active Directory security with your users and groups. Note: When in Cloud (SaaS) mode, Author-it Core will not permit users in Author-it Administrator to modify user roles - these are then only editable in Cloud. Understanding Users and Groups Author-it's security permissions are set for individual users and for groups of users. A user inherits the security permissions that apply to any groups they belong to, which makes it easy to change permissions for many people at once. Resolving Conflicts Between Permissions From Different Groups If a user belongs to more than one group (see "Specifying the Groups a User Belongs To" on page 44), sometimes the permissions inherited from those groups may conflict. For example, one group's members may have permission to modify topics whose release state is "Final" or "First Draft", and another group's members may have permission to modify only "First Draft" topics but not "Final" ones. When there is such a conflict of inherited permissions, the least restrictive permission is used (in this case, the ability to modify both "Final" and "First Draft" topics). Creating a New Group User Groups allow you to set permissions for a group of Users who share a similar function in Author-it - for example, writers, reviewers, or Administrators. After you have created the Group you can specify who its members are. Users who are members of a Group inherit its permissions, and can have their own individual permissions as well. 40

43 To Add a Group: 1) From the main menu, choose Security > User and Group Accounts... The User and Group Accounts window opens. Select the Groups tab. 2) Choose New. In the Group Name window enter the name of the new Group, then choose OK. The window closes and the new Group is added. 41

44 3) This step is optional and is used when setting Active Directory Groups. Select the Group in the Author-it Group drop-down list, then select the Active Directory Group the Author-it group will be mapped to. Choose Match to complete the mapping. Choose Yes in the confirmation message box. 4) Choose Apply to save the new Group. 5) Repeat Steps 2 to 4 for each new Group, then choose the OK button to close the window. Creating a New User Every User of a Library should have their own user account: For security and auditing reasons, and Because many of a User's settings and preferences are stored against a user account, so if Users share an account their preferences may change unexpectedly. Important: If you are updating an existing library to use Active Directory Groups, you will need to map the existing users to the correct Active Directory Users. Ensure you map the user before you map the group. 42

45 To Add a User: 1) From the main menu, choose Security > User and Group Accounts... The User and Group Accounts window opens, select the Users tab. 2) Choose New. In the User Name window enter the name of the new User, and choose OK. The window closes and your new User is added to the User drop-down list. 3) Specify a user role from the drop down list. Active Directory User field: If you are updating a library to use Active Directory Groups you need to map the existing user to the Active Directory User. If you are adding a new user leave the field blank. 4) Specify which Group/s (see "Specifying the Groups a User Belongs To" on page 44) the new User belongs to. 5) Choose Apply to save the new User's account. 6) Repeat Steps 2 to 4 for each new User, then choose the OK button to close the window. 43

46 Specifying the Groups a User Belongs To A user's security permissions are often determined by the groups the user belongs to - it's quicker that way, and easier to make changes. Groups usually define the security settings for users who perform particular roles - for example, Authors, Editors, or Developers. If there is a conflict between permissions inherited from two different Groups, the least restrictive permission is used (see "Resolving Conflicts Between Permissions From Different Groups" on page 40). To Set the Groups a User Belongs To: 1) From the main menu, choose Security > User and Group Accounts... The User and Group Accounts window opens. 2) Go to the Users tab, then select the User whose Group details you want to set. 3) In the Group membership panel, specify which Group/s the User belongs to. To add the User to a Group, select that Group from the "Available Groups" list, then choose the Add button. To remove the user from a Group, select that Group from the "Member of" list, then choose the Remove button. 4) Choose Apply to save your changes. 44

47 Clearing a User's Password If a User has forgotten their password, you can reset that password to be empty. To Clear a User's Password: 1) From the main menu, choose Security > User and Group Accounts... The User and Group Accounts window appears. 2) Go to the Users tab, then choose the User from the drop-down list. 3) Choose Clear Password. 4) Choose Apply to clear the password. 5) You can now change the password (see "Changing a User's Password" on page 45) if required, or you can leave it blank and let the User change it. Changing a User's Password When a new user account is created, it is always created with no password. From time to time you may need to change a user's password, usually when they have forgotten it. In that case, you'll first need to clear their password (see "Clearing a User's Password" on page 45). You may also want to levy a bribe of some sort, but that's up to you. To Change a User's Password: 1) From the main menu, choose Security > User and Group Accounts... The User and Group Accounts window opens. 2) Go to the Users tab, then select the User whose password you want to change. 3) Go to the Change User Password tab. 45

48 4) Enter the existing password, enter the new password, and then enter the new password again in the Verify field. 5) Choose Apply to change the password. Deleting a Group You may have added a User Group incorrectly or by mistake, or you simply want to permanently delete a Group from an Author-it Library. Warning: When you delete a Group from a Library, that Group's permissions are permanently removed from the Library, and they cannot be recovered. Please be careful. To Delete a Group: 1) From the main menu, choose Security > User and Group Accounts... The User and Group Accounts window opens. 2) Go to the Groups tab. 3) Select the Group you want to delete. Note: You can only delete a Group when all of the members have been removed. 4) Choose the Delete button. You are prompted to confirm the deletion, choose Yes to continue. The Group and all associated permissions are permanently deleted from the Library. 5) Choose OK to close the window. 46

49 Deleting a User You may have added a User account incorrectly or by mistake, or you simply want to permanently remove a User from an Author-it Library. Warning: When you delete a User account from a Library, that user's preferences, settings and even their customized Styles toolbar are permanently removed from the Library, and cannot be recovered. Please be careful. To Delete a User: 1) From the main menu, choose Security > User and Group Accounts... The User and Group Accounts window opens. 2) Go to the Users tab. 3) Select the User you want to delete. 4) Choose Delete. You are prompted to confirm the deletion, choose Yes to continue. The User account and all associated settings and preferences are permanently deleted from the Library. 5) Choose OK to close the window. Working with Active Directory Groups Author-it groups can be assigned to Active Directory Groups to provide easy and secure user authentication. Benefits of this strategy: The key benefit is that group changes do not need to be made by both the network administrator and the Author-it administrator. By mapping the user groups you can hand over groups maintenance to the network administrator; which makes sense in a large installation with many networked resources. Streamlines the task of setting up and maintaining security. Makes the login process more secure: Active Directory Groups are used by the network to provide central authentication and authorization services, assigning access and rights to users and groups. 47

50 Users who have been mapped to a network directory group can log in to Author-it as a trusted user, bypassing the login window so they do not have to type a user name and password. How updates are mapped: When changes are made to the network groups (for example, new users are added) the Author-it groups are also updated. Later if changes are made to groups, for example, a user is moved from one Active Directory Group to another group, Author-it updates the user's account. The process is: 1) The user logs in and Author-it looks for the user in the last Active Directory group they were mapped to. 2) When Author-it can't find the user in that group it takes them out of the Active Directory group profile. 3) When it finds the user in another group it creates a new account, and assigns new permissions. The mapping is enabled in Author-it Administrator The Author-it users and groups are mapped to the network directory groups in the Author-it Administrator. Setting Up Libraries to Use Active Directory When you are working in a library there are two steps to follow when setting up Active Directory in Author-it Administrator. They are: Step 1: Map the library user groups to the Active directory groups (see "Mapping Author-it Groups to Active Directory Groups" on page 49). Ensure this step is completed first. Step 2: Map existing library users to their Active Directory user (see "Mapping Existing Users for Active Directory" on page 50). This step enables existing users to log in to the library using Active Directory. New users can be created by the library administrator (and mapped to their Active Directory user), or they can be automatically added by Author-it at their first login (see note). The maximum length for the user names is 20 characters. 48

51 Once the user groups have been mapped, the network administrator can take over administration for user access. Note: When the user logs in to an Author-it library for the first time (see "New Users Logging In to the Library" on page 51), Author-it looks for that user in an Active Directory Group. When the user is found, an account is created for the user in Author-it, and the Author-it group permissions (based on the Active Directory Group/Author-it group mapping) are assigned. See also some Integrated Active Directory Login Examples (on page 51). Mapping Author-it Groups to Active Directory Groups The first step for enabling users to log in using Active Directory is to map the Author-it library groups to their corresponding Active Directory group. When setting Active Directory: The Active Directory Group list is populated from the DOMAIN\Users organizational unit list. When required, Active Directory names from other organization units can be typed into the drop-down list and saved when Match is selected. When logging in to a library, if a user belongs to more than one Active Directory group the folder permissions from the group that are the "least restrictive" are used. Mapping Author-it Groups to Active Directory Groups in a New Library: 1) Open the library using Author-it Administrator, then choose Security > User and Group Accounts... 2) Select the Groups tab. 3) Select an existing group or create a new group. Important: If you create a new group ensure you assign the appropriate Author-it Folder and Release State permissions. 4) Select the Active Directory Group then choose Match and complete the mapping. 49

52 5) Apply your changes. 6) Repeat the steps until all of the Author-it groups have been mapped to their Active Directory Groups. 7) Save your changes. Mapping Existing Users for Active Directory When you are converting an existing library to use Active Directory Group security you need to map the existing users to their Active Directory User names. Mapping Existing Users: 1) Open the library using Author-it Administrator, then choose Security > User and Group Accounts... 2) Select the Users tab. 3) Select the user from the Author-it User drop down list. 4) Type the user's Active Directory details in the Active Directory User text box. 5) Ensure the user is mapped to the correct group membership role. 6) Save your changes. 50

53 New Users Logging In to the Library When a new user user logs in to an Author-it library for the first time, Author-it looks for the user's Active Directory name in the Author-it Library User list. If an entry for the user does not exist (based on the name assigned in the Active Directory attribute values) a new account is created: The account uses the Active Directory name as the Author-it User name. Author-it group permissions are assigned to the user based on the Active Directory Group/Author-it Group mappings you have assigned to the library. Important: The Author-it Group must be mapped to an Active Directory Group. If the Author-it Group has not been mapped, the account will not be created when the new user logs in. Integrated Active Directory Login Examples The following examples show what happens when users log in to the library using Active Directory. When Author-it library user names and Active Directory user names are the same In these examples both names are the same, so Tex Ryta is known as Tex in the Author-it library and as Tex when logging in over the network. Users: Tex Ryta (is an existing user - library user name is not mapped) Library User Name: Tex Active Directory Name: Acme\Tex Dee Zynah (is an existing user - library user name is mapped) Library User Name: Dee Active Directory Name: Acme\Dee Anne Ortha (is a new user) Library User Name: (not added) Active Directory Name: Acme\Anne 51

54 User Tex Ryta Dee Zynah Library User Settings in Administrator Library User Name: Tex Active Directory Mapping: Not mapped to his Active Directory Name Library User Name: Dee Active Directory Mapping: Has been mapped to her Active Directory Name (Acme\Dee) Login Results Tex cannot log in to the library using Active Directory. Author-it cannot match the existing library user name to an Active Directory user. (See the note at the end of this topic.) Solution: Author-it administrator maps Tex's library user name to his Active Directory name. Dee successfully logs in to the library using Active Directory. Anne Ortha Library User Name: - Active Directory Mapping: - Anne logs in to the library for the first time. Author-it doesn't find an existing account when it looks for her name (Anne) so it creates a new account. The Author-it groups that have been mapped to Anne's Active Directory group are added to her account. When Author-it library user names and Active Directory user names are different If the user's name in the Author-it library is different from the Active Directory name and there is no mapping the following situation can occur. This example uses "Mark Ateer" as the library user name and "Mark" as the Active Directory name. User: Mark Ateer (is an existing user - library user name is not mapped) Library User Name: Mark Ateer Active Directory Name: Acme\Mark A user called "Mark Ateer" exists in the library. When Mark tries to log in to the library using Active Directory, Author-it looks for the name "Mark" but can't find this account. Mark is treated as a first time user and a new account is created in Author-it Administrator. 52

55 Active Directory in Author-it Live Setting Active Directory for Author-it Author-it is ready for using with Active Directory once the Author-it groups have been mapped to the Active Directory groups in Author-it Administrator. Setting Active Directory for Author-it Live Author-it Live has additional requirements. The Author-it group and Active Directory groups must be mapped in Author-it Administrator. The Active Directory option in the Author-it Live Configuration Tool must be selected, and the web site must be configured in IIS Manager to use the appropriate the authentication options. Configuring Active Directory Users for the Library: 1) Open the library in Author-it Administrator. 2) Choose Security > User and Group Accounts > Groups. Map the Author-it Groups to the Active Directory Groups by selecting the Author-it Group from the first drop-down list, then select the Active Directory Group from the second list and choose Match (a confirmation message is displayed). 3) Choose the Users tab. For any existing users select the user's name from the Author-it User drop-down list; add the user's Active Directory Name; update the groups the user is a member of if required; save the changes to this tab. Logging in to the library as a new user If a user has not been added to the library user list, when they log in to the library for the first time through Author-it or Author-it Live an account is created. The account includes their library user name, their Active Directory user name, and the Author-it groups they been added to. Working with Folder and Release State Permissions The following section looks at the folder action and release state permissions. These permissions are assigned to objects and users to control how they work with content in the library. Understanding the Different Types of Permission Author-it allows you to apply security permissions to users or (more commonly) to groups of users. These security permissions come in two flavors: Folder Actions that apply to all the objects or object templates in a folder, of the specified type (for example, creating Style objects or editing Topic template objects). Release States that apply to particular objects (for example, First Draft, Final Draft, Released, Archived - your organization gets to define those terms). 53

56 Resolving Conflicts Between Folder Actions and Release States If there is a conflict of permissions between the folder action and the release state applied to a particular object in a particular folder, then the most restrictive permission wins. For example, you may have permission to Edit topics in a particular folder, but one of the topics in that folder has a release state of "Final", which you have permission to view, but not to edit. In this case, the release state permission applied to the topic is the most restrictive, so you can view that topic but not edit it. Adding or Removing a Permission Adding and removing permissions for a user or group is similar for both Folder Actions and Release States. You may need to add a Release State (see "Adding a Release State" on page 63) before you can add permissions for objects which use that State. To Add or Remove Permissions: 1) Open the library in Author-it Administrator then: To assign or revoke a Folder Action, choose Security > Folder Action Permissions from the main menu. The Folder Action Permissions window appears. (Note, this topic shows the Folder Action Permissions window in the examples.) To assign or revoke a Release State, choose Security > Release States from the main menu. The Release State Permissions window appears. 2) Select the user or group whose permissions you want to change. 54

57 Existing permissions for that user or group are shown as ticks. For users, any blue ticks are inherited from a group to which the user belongs - so you'll have to either change the group's permissions, or remove the user from that group (see "Specifying the Groups a User Belongs To" on page 44). When you point to any check box and pause for a moment, its folder and permission combination is shown as a tooltip. 3) Add or remove permissions for each folder. You can always come back and add them later if you miss any (and you know the users will remind you if that happens). To add permissions, make sure the check box is ticked. To remove permissions, make sure the check box is blank. Note:When you add or remove permissions, others may automatically be added or removed at the same time. 55

58 To add or remove selections to multiple folders or actions select the folder or action then right-click, and choose check row or column, uncheck row or column, or apply to subfolders. 4) Choose Apply or OK to save your changes. Refreshing Permissions When you change the permissions assigned to a user, the permissions are refreshed when the user: Logs in Creates or moves a folder Refreshes the Library Folder Explorer. Understanding Folder Action Permissions Folder action permissions determine which actions a user can perform with the objects in a particular folder. For example, all users may only be able to create or edit books in a particular folder, or certain users may be able to edit a particular type of object, but not delete it. Usually implemented for groups rather than individuals Folder actions are usually implemented for groups of users, rather than individual users. Think particularly about which roles in your team involve setting and managing standards, and which roles you wouldn't want involved in that. Restricted access You are likely to implement restricted access (see "Restricting Access to Object Templates" on page 57) to certain types of objects (like styles or topic templates), to ensure consistency of standards across your team. 56

59 Inheriting folder action permissions When you create a new folder, it will inherit the folder action permissions that apply to its parent folder. You can change these (see "Working with Folder and Release State Permissions" on page 53) later. Restricting Access to Object Templates You are likely to implement restricted access to certain types of objects (like styles or topic templates), to ensure consistency of standards across your team. You will probably grant folder action permissions, to work with restricted objects, only to senior staff who are responsible for setting and managing standards. To do this, you'll need to keep the restricted access objects in a separate folder or folders apart from the open-access objects. When you create a new library the default folder structure includes folders for the commonly restricted objects. The Folder Action Permissions Security Administration Permission When this option is selected in the Folder Action Permissions window, the User can maintain security permissions (see "Working with Security" on page 40), including the User and Group Accounts. By default, this option is inherited by users who belong to the "(admin)" group. Roles in this screen: Security Administration 57

60 Can use Windows Author-it Administrator Can use My Cloud Administrator (as an administrator, not as My Cloud user) Can see all Reviews Author Can use Windows Author-it Editor Can use Author-it Live Can use Author-it Reviewer as an Editor, accepting suggestions and comments from Reviewers Can use My Cloud Client Reviewer Can use Author-it Reviewer as a Reviewer, making suggestions and comments in read-only Reviewed content Localizer Can use Web Localization Manager Can use Windows Localization Manager Create Object The user can create objects of the specified type in this folder. There can be more than one type allowed in each folder, and each is specified separately. This permission is primarily designed so you can control which types of object may be created in a particular folder. You can combine objects and object templates in the same folder. However, this is not recommended, because you are most likely to want to restrict what people can do with object templates (see "Restricting Access to Object Templates" on page 57). Create Object Template The user can create object templates of the specified type in this folder. There can be more than one type allowed in each folder, and each is specified separately. This permission is primarily designed so you can control which types of object template may be created in a particular folder. You can combine objects and object templates in the same folder. However, this is not recommended, because you are most likely to want to restrict what people can do with object templates (see "Restricting Access to Object Templates" on page 57). List Objects The user can see a list of the objects of any type contained in this folder. Permission to Read (see "Read Objects" on page 59) any of the objects is specified separately. If the user does not have permission to list objects in a particular folder, then: 58

61 Those objects do not appear in the folder list, search results, task objects list, object relationships window or any other area where objects are listed. Objects already used in relationships which the user does have permissions to List are displayed for integrity reasons, but their name is shown as "(no List permission)". Any Styles from that folder are not shown in the Styles drop-down list in the Editor window. Any Templates from that folder are not shown in the Based on drop-down list in a Topic object's General tab. If you remove this permission from a user, then these permissions are also removed: Read, Modify, Publish, Delete, Version, Release. Read Objects The user can open and read the contents of objects of any type in this folder. If you add this permission to a user, then permission to List (see "List Objects" on page 58) objects is also added automatically. If you remove this permission from a user, then these permissions are also removed: Modify, Publish, Delete, Version, Release. Publish Objects The user can publish Books from this folder, in any output format. If the user does not have permission to publish books from a particular folder, then those books do not appear in the list in the Publishing console. If you add this permission to a user, then permission to List objects (on page 58) and Read objects (on page 59) is also added automatically. Modify Objects The user can modify objects of any type in this folder. If the user does not have permission to modify objects in a particular folder, then objects can be opened but are in a "Read-Only" state. If you add this permission to a user, then permission to List objects (on page 58) and Read objects (on page 59) is also added automatically. Delete Objects The user can delete objects of any type from this folder. If you add this permission to a user, then permission to List objects (on page 58) and Read objects (on page 59) is also added automatically. 59

62 Note: This permission is required before the user can move objects from this folder into another one. The user would also need permission to create objects of that type in the destination folder. Change Out Of State The user can change the release state of objects of any type in this folder. If you add this permission to a user, then permission to List objects (on page 58) and Read objects (on page 59) is also added automatically. Change Version The user can change the version of objects of any type in this folder. If you add this permission to a user, then permission to List objects (on page 58) and Read objects (on page 59) is also added automatically. Change Permissions The user can change the folder action permissions which apply to objects of any type in this folder. This permission is defined separately from the "Security Administration" permission so that you can have users who have permission to modify folder actions but not to modify details of users and groups. Modify Folder The user can change the folder's name, and create subfolders. Understanding Release States Author-it lets you define your own customized release states to show where a particular document component is in its life cycle. You can use these release states to determine which actions can be performed on objects. For example, a topic with release state of "In Review" may not be able to be edited by some users, and only a senior editor may be able to delete a "Published" style. The release states you define should suit your organization's document control process, and will probably be slightly different from those used by other organizations (even if only in name). The actions you can control for release states are the same as those for folder actions, with the exception of the change into state permission. By having the Change out of state and the Change into state permissions for release states you have a greater level of controlling which users can move objects into and out of specific states. List objects Read objects Publish objects 60

63 Modify objects Delete objects Change out of state Change into state Change version Change permissions The Release States Window Release states are used in Author-it to assign permissions to objects based on their location in the content creation and review cycle. User and Group selectors (see "Adding or Removing a Permission" on page 54) [user and group based settings] Release state (see "Adding a Release State" on page 63) list Review type - defined for use in Author-it Reviewer [library based settings] Default release state (see "Setting a Default Release State" on page 65) column [library based settings] Object release state color and review color (see "Using Release State Colors" on page 67) (for reviewing in Word) [library based settings] 61

64 Release state permissions (see "Adding or Removing a Permission" on page 54) [user and group based settings] The Release State Permissions The actions you can control for release states are the same as those for folder actions (see "The Folder Action Permissions" on page 57), with the exception of the change into state permission. List objects Read objects Publish objects Modify objects Delete objects Change out of state Change into state Change version Change permissions Change out of state and change into state In Author-it 5.5, the Change Release State permission has been renamed and updated to enable a higher level of control for release states and permissions. The old permission controlled a user's ability to move an object out of a particular state. The new functionality uses the two release state permissions - Change Out Of State and Change Into State. The permissions control the release state usage rather than assigning permissions to folders or objects. That is, the permissions control when the release state can be assigned or changed. By having the Change out of state and the Change into state permissions for release states you have a greater level of controlling which users can move objects into and out of specific states. 62

65 The permissions control the release state usage rather than assigning permissions to folders or objects. That is, the permissions control when the release state can be assigned or changed. As an example, by setting the permissions for groups (or users) against the release states, you can allow certain users to assign a release state to objects and then allow a different group of users to move the objects out of that release state and into another state. Change into state When a release state has the change into state permission checked - the user can see and assign the release state. When the change into state permission is not checked - the user does not have permissions to see or assign the release state. Change out of state When a release state has the change out of state permission checked - the user can move an object out of the release state. When the change out of state permission is not checked - the user does not have permissions to change the current release state. Adding a Release State Author-it allows you to add your own customized Release States for objects, to reflect the document release cycle you use. Once you have added a Release State, you can add permissions (see "Adding or Removing a Permission" on page 54) for that State to Users and/or Groups. To Add a Release State: 1) Open the library in Author-it Administrator, then choose Security > Release States from the main menu. The Release State Permissions window opens. 2) Point to the name of any existing Release State, then right-click and choose Add State from the pop-up menu. The New State window opens. 63

66 3) Type the name of your new Release State, then choose OK. The window closes and the new State appears in the list. The State's color defaults to black, which you can change (see "Adding or Changing a Release State's Color" on page 68) if you like. 4) Save your changes. Assign the Release State Permissions The actions you can control for release states are the same as those for folder actions. The exception is the change state permissions, these are separate release state permissions to enable a greater level of controlling which users can move objects into and out of specific states. Release State permissions are usually assigned at group level, however they can also be assigned at user level. List objects (if you remove this permission from a user, then the Read, Publish, Modify, Delete, Change out of State, Change into Sate, and Version permissions are also removed. Read objects (when selected also selects the List object permission) Publish objects (when selected also selects the List and Read object permissions) Modify objects (when selected also selects the List and Read object permissions) Delete objects (when selected also selects the List and Read object permissions) Change out of state (when selected also selects the List and Read object permissions) Change into state (when selected also selects the List and Read object permissions) Change version (when selected also selects the List and Read object permissions) Change permissions 64

67 Setting a Default Release State The default release state icon (a blue flag) is displayed to the left of the object and review color columns in the Release States window. The default setting is applied at library-level and against all users and all groups. When you apply the setting you apply the setting to any user or group. Author-it uses the setting and applies it across the entire library and all users. If no default release state is set in the library then Author-it does not apply any release state to new objects when they are created. To select a state as the default, all users must have the Change Into State permission selected. Warning: All users and groups should have List Permissions for the default release state. If they don't, the following situation can occur: - A new object is created by a user and the "default" release state is applied. While the user has the folder open they can see the new objects. If they try to open the object a message is displayed advising that they do not have List Permissions for the object, and as a result cannot view any content. - If they close and en reopen the folder containing the object they will not be able to see the object. Solution: If this behavior occurs, ensure the user is given List permissions for the release state. The following behavior occurs when: Working in the Editor: When a default release state has been set, all new objects created in the library automatically have the default release state applied. This includes creating duplicates, variants, and versions of objects. 65

68 Importing: New objects created during importing use the release state set in the Publishing Profile, this includes the "(no state)" option. The default release state is only applied if it is selected as the state in the transformation profile. If you don't have permissions to the release state you can complete the import, however, you will not be able to view the contents if you open the book or an object after the import has completed. Working in Live: When a default release state has been set, all new objects created in the library automatically have the default release state applied. This includes creating duplicates, variants, and versions of objects. To Set a Default Release State: 1) Open Author-it Administrator and login to the library. 2) From the main menu choose Security > Release States. 3) Display the permissions for any user or group, then right-click the release state and choose Set as Default. A blue flag is displayed in the Default Release State column. Note: You can change the default state by right-clicking another state and then setting that state as the default. To Remove a Default Release State: 1) Open Author-it Administrator and login to the library. 2) From the main menu choose Security > Release States. 3) Display the permissions for any user or group, then right-click the release state and choose Remove as Default. Deleting a Release State You can delete customized Release States for objects when you no longer need them. To Delete a Release State: 1) Start the Author-it Administrator program, then choose Security > Release State... from the main menu. The Release State Permissions window opens. 2) Select the user or group from whom you want to delete a Release State. 3) Point to the name of the Release State you want to delete, then right-click and choose Delete State from the pop-up menu. If the release state is not in use then the Release State is deleted, otherwise a message is displayed telling you how many objects are in that state. 4) Save your changes by choosing Apply or OK. Renaming a Release State You can rename a customized Release State. 66

69 To Rename a Release State: 1) Start the Author-it Administrator program, then choose Security > Release States... from the main menu. The Release State Permissions window opens. 2) Select the user or group for whom you want to rename a Release State. 3) Point to the name of the Release State you want to rename, then right-click and choose Rename State from the pop-up menu. The Rename State window opens. 4) Type the new name of the Release State, then choose OK. The window closes and the renamed State appears in the list. 5) Save your changes by choosing Apply or OK. Using Release State Colors With Author-it you can assign colors to your release states (see "Adding or Changing a Release State's Color" on page 68). Viewing objects in the library You can add an object color used to represent the Release State of an object when it's displayed in the main Library window or Book editor. Reviewing content in Word You can also assign a review color to states applied to content in the review cycle. When the book is published to Word the review colors indicate the content hat has changed and needs reviewing. Important: Be sure review colors are not added to any states that you apply to your released content. 67

70 Adding or Changing a Release State's Color With Author-it, you can customize the colors assigned to a Release State. The Object Color is used internally by Author-it, displaying in the Library Explorer and Editor, while the Review Color is used indicate content that needs reviewing when your document is published to Word. Important: Be sure review colors are not added to any states that you apply to your released content. To Add or Change Release State Colors: 1) Start the Author-it Administrator program, then choose Security > Release States... from the main menu. The Release State Permissions window opens. 2) Select the user or group whose Release State Colors you want to change. 3) Select the Release State you want to change: To change the Object Color, right-click and choose Set Object Color from the pop-up menu, or click the Object Color box on the right of the screen. To change the Review Color, click the Review Color box on the right of the screen. The standard Windows color-picker window appears. Select colors that are easy to read against a white background. 4) Choose the new text color, then choose OK. The Color-Picker window closes and the color is applied to the Release State's color box. 5) Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for each Release State whose color you want to change. 6) Save your changes by choosing Apply or OK. 68

71 Setting a Review Type for Release States Note: The Review Type setting is used if you have Author-it Reviewer. If you are not working with Author-it Reviewer, the type setting can be left blank or set to (none). Release states include a "review type" which is used to categorize a topic's current location in the review cycle in Author-it Reviewer. The "type" applied to each state is used to categorize the states when populating the Review, Editorial, and Next state drop-down lists in the Review form. The Review and Editorial types should only be used with Author-it Reviewer. The "type" options used by Reviewer are: (none): Indicates that content has not been categorized. This is the default value when a new release state is created. Draft: Indicates that content is being drafted. Review: Indicates that content is currently being reviewed. In this state, the ability to modify or delete objects is removed in Author-it Editor and Author-it Live. Editorial: Indicates that content is awaiting editorial approval. In this state, the ability to modify or delete objects is removed in Author-it Editor and Author-it Live. The exception is that an authorized editor in a review can update the topic in Author-it Live. Translation: Indicates that content is currently out for translation. Release: Indicates that content has been completed. Note: In Author-it Reviewer, users will only see release states (or content where a release state has been assigned) if they have sufficient permissions. 69

72 To Assign Review Types to Release States: 1) Open the library in Author-it Administrator. 2) Click in the Review type column to display the selector, and then choose the "type" from the drop-down list. 70

73 Chapter 6 Working with Variables Variables in your topics act as "placeholders" that can be filled with changeable data. Say for example, you need to produce a document for your many different clients. You can save time by producing one document, and then changing variables for the company name, logo, and so on, to make personalized versions of the document. When variables are used in topics, their names appear between <angle brackets>. The value of a variable is only displayed when the final output is published. Variables are also used to assign metadata to objects, and substitute text or graphics used by external files when publishing to web-based outputs. You can view a full list of the variables available in the library from the Author-it Button menu, or view variables that are used by objects from options in the Library Explorer or the Editor. The following topics provide an overview of variables and ideas for using them, as well as using them in topics, assigning them to objects, and assigning values. Note: Text enclosed in angle brackets is not treated as a variable unless Author-it finds a corresponding entry in the Administrator variables window. In This Chapter Variable Types Displaying Variables Hiding Variables Variable Usage in Author-it Variable Assignments in Author-it Creating Variables Editing Variables Deleting Variables Creating Variant Criteria

74 Variable Types Author-it provides four types of variables for you to use in your topics. The Text, List of Values, and File Object variables are created and defined by your library administrator. Text Ideal for storing text that appears regularly in your documents. Text variables may be a string of any characters up to 2000 characters long. List Of Values Similar to Text variables, except that you are able to choose from a list of preset character strings, each up to 255 characters long. File Object Used for Author-it File objects. Commonly used for adding logos and graphics. System Produces standard system information such as: the time, the date, or the name of the user currently logged on. Note: Variables are used in Author-it, but are created in the Author-it Administrator. Displaying Variables You can display a list of available Variables and view their properties. To Display Variables: 1) Open the Library using Author-it Administrator. 2) Choose Variables > Maintain Variables from the main menu. The variables window opens. 3) Select a variable and: Choose Properties. -or- 72

75 Right-click and choose Properties. -or- Double-click the variable. The variable default settings window opens. 4) When you have finished, choose OK to close the window. Note: The information that appears in the Variable default settings window can be edited. Hiding Variables Variables can be "hidden" from users working in the library. The variable remains visible in the Author-it Administrator Manage Variables window. 73

76 Selecting the Hidden check box allows you to "hide" a variable from various options in the Author-it Editor and in Author-it Live. These include the Manage Variables list, the Assign and Insert lists, and the Variable Assignments window. When this option is selected, the Prompt Before Publish and Variant Criteria options are disabled. Note: This option should not be applied to any system variables (which are identified with the prefix "SYS_"). Usage example This option can be used in conjunction with variables that are created to assign metadata required by plug-ins and the SDK. Hiding the variables from the library user ensures they cannot be used in topic content or assigned to objects accidentally. When this option is selected, the Prompt Before Publish and Variant Criteria options are disabled. Variable Usage in Author-it You can display where Variables are used in your library. Displaying Variable Usage: 1) Select a Variable, then right-click and choose Usage. The Variable Usage window opens. You are able to view which objects in your Library use the Variable. 2) When you have finished, close the window. Variable Assignments in Author-it Variables act as placeholders for changeable data. The default value of a variable can be replaced in an object. It is useful to see which objects have been assigned new variable values. Displaying Variable Assignments: 1) Select a variable, then: Choose Assignments -or- Right-click and choose Assignments. 74

77 The Variable Assignments window opens. You are able to view in which objects the variable has been assigned a new value. 2) When you have finished, choose OK to close the window. Creating Variables You can create a new Variable that can then be used within the Topic and Book objects in your Library. To Create a New Variable: 1) Open the library using Author-it Administrator. 2) Choose Variables > Maintain Variables from the main menu. The Variables window is opened. 3) Choose Add. The Variable default settings window opens. 4) Enter a Name for the variable. Choose a name that is unique and will not be used to describe any other variables. Note: The variable name may only contain the characters 0-9,a-z,A-Z and _ (underscore). 75

78 5) Choose the Type of variable that you wish to use in your topic. 6) Enter a Description to identify the intended use of the variable. 7) Enter a Value for the variable. This is the default value that will be placed into the variable placeholder. 8) Choose OK to save the new variable. 9) Repeat these steps for each new variable. Prompt before publish Choose this option to assign a variable value at publishing rather than applying a value to the object (at topic, book, or library level). As an example, this option can be used with an employment contract where variable values are unique for each publishing. Creating new variables to use as variant criteria When you are creating variant criteria (on page 79) you should consider creating new variables rather than using your existing variables. Once variables have been converted into variant criteria they cannot be used as variables in topics, or used to assign variable metadata to topic or book objects. The check box for changing variables to variant criteria cannot be cleared when criteria are associated with variant objects. This option is only available when the List of Values is selected from the Type drop-down list. Hidden variables Selecting the Hidden check box allows you to "hide" a variable from various options in Author-it Editor and Author-it Live. These include the Manage Variables list, the Assign and Insert lists, and the Variable Assignments window. The variable remains visible in the Author-it Administrator Manage Variables window. As an example, you can use this option with variables created for assigning metadata to objects for use with plug-ins or the SDK. The variables are not used in the topic text so do not need to be seen by authors. This option should not be applied to any system variables (which are identified with the prefix "SYS_"). When this option is selected, the Prompt Before Publish and Variant Criteria options are disabled. Editing Variables You can edit the information that appears in a Variable at any time. To Edit a Variable: 1) Open the Library using Author-it Administrator. 2) Choose Variables > Maintain Variables from the main menu. The variables window appears. 76

79 3) Select a variable and: Choose the Properties button to display its properties. -or- Right-click and choose Properties. -or- Double-click the Variable. The Variable default settings window opens. 4) Make your changes. 5) Choose OK to save the changes to the Variable. 77

80 Deleting Variables You can delete a Variable from the variables window. To Delete a Variable: 1) Open the Library using Author-it Administrator 2) Choose Variables > Maintain Variables from the main menu. The Variables window opens. 3) Select a variable and: Choose the Delete button. -or- Right-click and choose Delete. A confirmation window is displayed. Choose Yes to continue. 4) If you are absolutely sure you wish to delete the Variable, choose Yes. Warning: Deleting a Variable will affect all occurrences of the Variable in the Topic and Book objects in your library. Before you delete a Variable you should be aware of the effect this may have on your objects. 78

81 Creating Variant Criteria Variant criteria are created in Author-it Administrator, in the same configuration window that you use to create a variable. However, you need to select (tick) the field This is a Variant Criteria to convert the variables into variant criteria, and add them to the book filter and publishing filter. When you select this option, a Priority field displays, by means of which you can assign priorities to variants to resolve conflicts. (Recommended) Create new variables for your variant criteria, rather than use existing variables The check box for changing variables to variant criteria cannot be cleared once criteria are associated with variant objects, so when you are setting up your variant criteria you should consider creating new variables rather than using your existing variables (once variables have been converted into variant criteria, they cannot be used as variables in topics, or used to assign variable metadata to topic or book objects). List of Values Use List of Value type variables when creating your variant criteria. Use the Name or Description to define the variant's column name The column heading shown for variants in the Library Explorer and Book is user definable: 79

82 Option 1: If no colon (:) is added to the description field then the variant name is used. For example, if the description for the variant is <Release_Version>, then "Release Version" is used as the column label. Any underscores used in the variant Name field are replaced with spaces in the column label. Option 2: If a colon is used in the variant's Description field, then the characters leading up to the colon will be displayed as the column label. For example, if the description for the variant <RELEASE_VERSION> was "Version: The release version of the software", then "Version" would be used as the column label. Assigning the priority rating A priority rating, which is used to resolve conflicts, must be set for each variant. This setting applies a weighting to the variant and enables Author-it to select which object to use in situations where multiple objects meet selected criteria in the filter. If this happens, Author-it uses the variant with the highest priority rating. Priority ratings range from "0" (the highest priority) to "99" (the lowest priority). Each variant should be set with a unique rating. Important: When you create the variant criteria it has a default priority of "0", which is the highest rating value. By setting a unique priority rating for each variant, you are providing Author-it with your preference for resolving conflicts. Variants with the highest ratings are always given preference when publishing. (If multiple variants have the same priority rating then Author-it will resolve the conflicts based on the order the variants were created in the database.) To Create the Variant Criteria: 1) Open your library using Author-it Administrator. 2) Choose Variables > Maintain Variables from the main menu. The Variables window opens. 80

83 3) Choose Add. The Variable default settings window opens. 4) Enter a Name for the variable. Choose a name that is unique and will not be used to describe any other criteria. Note: The name may only contain the characters 0-9, a-z, A-Z and _ (underscore). The name cannot include a pipe " " or semi colon ";" (these characters are reserved for use in the command line syntax). 5) Choose List of Values as the variable type. 6) Select the [...] button next to Value. The List of Values window opens. Choose Add then type a variant value in a new line. Choose OK when all of the values have been added. Note: The name cannot include a pipe " " or semi colon ";". 7) Select the This is a Variant Criteria check box. 8) Assign the variant Priority. 9) Choose OK to save the variable. 81

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85 Index A Active Directory in Author-it Live 53 Adding a Release State 54, 61, 63 Adding or Changing a Release State's Color 64, 67, 68 Adding or Removing a Permission 54, 61, 62, 63 Archiving History Records 27, 29 Ask Other People Who Use Author-it 6 Ask Us For Help 7 Assembling Your Document 12 Assign the Release State Permissions 64 Author-it Localization Manager Settings 25, 31 Author-it Xtend Settings 25, 26 C Change Out Of State 60 Change Permissions 60 Change Version 60 Changing a User's Password 45 Clearing a User's Password 45 Clearing All Object Locks 16, 17 Commonly Encountered Objects 12 Configuring Edit History Save Points 27 Contacting Us 5 Create Dictionary From Wordlist 19 Create Object 58 Create Object Template 58 Creating a New Group 40 Creating a New Library Database 15 Creating a New User 42 Creating the Dictionary 21 Creating Variables 75, 79 Creating Variant Criteria 76, 79 D Delete Objects 59 Deleting a Group 46 Deleting a Release State 66 Deleting a User 47 Deleting Variables 78 Dictionary Character Map 19, 20, 21 Dictionary Word List 19, 21 Displaying Variables 72 E Editing Variables 73, 76 Settings 25, 33 Exporting a JET Library Database to SQL Server 15 Exporting a SQL Server Database to JET 16 F Finding Which Build of the Software You Are Using 8, 9 G General Settings 25, 26 Getting Context Sensitive Help 7 Getting Help 6 Getting Help About Microsoft Windows 7 H Help Yourself 6 Hiding Variables 73 I Integrated Active Directory Login Examples 49, 51 L List Objects 58, 59, 60 Logging a Support Case 7, 8, 9 M Maintaining Libraries 16 Many Ways to Get Help 6 Mapping Author-it Groups to Active Directory Groups 48, 49 Mapping Existing Users for Active Directory 48, 50 Modify Folder 60 Modify Objects 59 N New Users Logging In to the Library 49, 51 O Object Locking 16 83

86 Opening Author-it Administrator 14 P Performing Administrative Tasks from the Command Line 22 Plug-in Settings 26, 38 Publish Objects 59 Publishing Server Settings for Author-it Live 26, 34 Publishing Settings 25, 30 R Read Objects 58, 59, 60 Refreshing Library Properties 22 Refreshing Permissions 56 Reindex Search 19 Removing Empty Objects 18 Renaming a Release State 66 Repairing and Compacting a JET Library 15, 18 Resolving Conflicts Between Folder Actions and Release States 54 Resolving Conflicts Between Permissions From Different Groups 40, 44 Restricting Access to Object Templates 56, 57, 58 Reusing Objects 12 Reviewer Settings 26, 37 S Security Administration Permission 14, 22, 57 Setting a Default Release State 61, 65 Setting a Review Type for Release States 69 Setting Up Libraries to Use Active Directory 48 Specifying the Groups a User Belongs To 40, 43, 44, 55 T The External Files Report 23 The Folder Action Permissions 57, 62 The Release State Permissions 62 The Release States Window 61 Timestamp Settings 25, 33 Typographical Conventions 4 U Understanding Author-it 10 Understanding Author-it Output Formats 10 Understanding Author-it's Architecture 10 Understanding Folder Action Permissions 56 Understanding Release States 60 Understanding the Components of Your Document 12 Understanding the Different Types of Permission 53 Understanding the Document Creation Process With Author-it 13 Understanding Users and Groups 40 Upgrading Existing Libraries 14 Using Author-it Administrator 13 Using Author-it's Help System 6, 7 Using Author-it's Product Documentation 6, 8 Using Release State Colors 61, 67 Using This Guide 3 V Variable Assignments in Author-it 74 Variable Types 72 Variable Usage in Author-it 74 W What This Guide Covers 3, 7 What You Should Already Know 3 When To Use More Than One Library 15 Who This Guide Is For 3 Working with Active Directory Groups 47 Working with Edit History 25, 27 Working with Folder and Release State Permissions 53, 57 Working with Libraries 13, 14 Working with Library Settings 25 Working with Security 13, 40, 57 Working with Users and Groups 40 Working with Variables 13, 71 Y Your Feedback Please 4 84