Using Author-it Administrator

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Using Author-it

Administrator

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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-ithttp://www.author-it.com.

Author-it Software Corporation PO Box 300-273 Albany Auckland New Zealand Telephone +64-9-915 5070 Fax +64-9-915 5071

[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

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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.

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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

Type of Information

Special Bold Items you must select, such as menu

options, command buttons, or items in a list.

Emphasis Use to emphasize the importance of a point, or for variable expressions such as parameters.

Monospace _{Information that you must type, or}

information like folders and filenames. CAPITALS Names of keys on the keyboard, for

example, SHIFT, CTRL, or ALT.

KEY+KEY Key combinations where you must press and hold down one key and then press another, for example, CTRL+P, or ALT+F4. Tab > Command Group >

Command

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.

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Contacting Us

Author-it Software Corporation PO Box 300-273

Albany 0752, Auckland NEW ZEALAND

Ph: +64 (9) 9155070 Fax: +64 (9) 9155071

Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=General information query from Contact us page)

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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 Centerhttp://kc.author-it.com/#b45748t24310n24316, 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 Grouphttp://www.author-it.com/?page=usergroup. This is also a particularly good option when you have a question about different ways of implementing Author-it.

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Ask Us For Help

We pride ourselves on our responsive, friendly support. Author-it offers a variety of support options

(see Support page - http://www.author-it.com/?page=support) 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-

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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

(http://www.author-it.com/index.php?page=documentation), or viewed online in the Author-it

Knowledge Center (http://kc.author-it.com/#b12828).

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 (http://my.author-it.com/) You'll need to type in your email 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 email address as an email 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.

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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 emails 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 email 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,

5.3.427.7073).

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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 ... 10

Understanding Author-it Output Formats ... 10

Understanding the Components of Your Document ... 12

Understanding the Document Creation Process With Author-it ... 13

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

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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

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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.

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

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

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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 ... 14

Upgrading Existing Libraries ... 14

Creating a New Library Database ... 15

Exporting a JET Library Database to SQL Server ... 15

Exporting a SQL Server Database to JET ... 16

Maintaining Libraries ... 16

The External Files Report... 23

Working with Library Settings ... 25

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.

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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).



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.

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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

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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.

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 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.

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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:

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

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.

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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.

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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 Description

AITAdmin 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 User account to sign into the Author-it Library database. pwd Password used to sign into the Author-it Library database.

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Argument Description

export 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 Automatically excludes object history, Offline library and locking information when exporting library.

compact 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).

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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.

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 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 Email Settings (on page 33) are used to configure the mail server details used email notifications in Author-it Reviewer.

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

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.

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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.

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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.

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 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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Email Settings

To enable email notifications for Reviewer, complete the following settings:



Add the Email 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 email notifications.

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

Adding the Settings for the Notification System:

1) Open the library using Author-it Administrator.

2) Choose Settings > Email 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 email address in the Mail From.

 Add User and Password details if required.

 Leave the HTML Email Templates field blank.

4) Create a test email to check the settings. Choose Test, then supply a target email address in the Email Address window.

5) Save the changes.

6) Refer to Installing and Configuring Service Manager for Reviewer for further settings.

7) Note: To enable Email notifications, each user must also configure an email 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.)

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

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,

http://[your 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, http://domain/aitlive/publishing

Or if you are adding sub folders (through the Publishing Sub Folders field) then finish the path with a forward slash, for example, http://[your 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.

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 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> Creates a sub folder for the logged in user.

<SYS_AD_USER> Creates a sub folder for the logged in Active Directory user (use this variable when your library is using Active Directory).

<SYS_PUBLISH_TYPE> Creates a sub folder named after the publishing profile description. <SYS_DESCRIPTION> Creates a sub folder named using the Book object's description field. <SYS_GUID> Creates a sub folder named using a globally unique identifier such as

"bb4b0b17-74c5-41b0-8f92-434ca46352b9". <SYS_PUBLISH_BOOK_ID> Creates a sub folder named using the book's object code.

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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":

http://your server name/your reviewer application name/reviewer.aspx

4) Save the changes.



To Use this Setting:

1) Open the library in Author-it Editor.

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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 (http://devhub.author-it.com/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.

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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

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Working with Security

In This Chapter

Working with Users and Groups ... 40 Working with Folder and Release State Permissions ... 53

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.

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

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.

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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.

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

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.

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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.