Authoring Tool Documentation

What is the Authoring Tool

please refer to Authoring_Tool

What tools does the Authoring Tool application provide

• test box
• intervention
• image
• button
• logic
• explore

What functions are avalibale

• properties
• backward and forward

Interface (what they are and what they do?)

• top section menu bars:
  • text menu: There are three text menus: File, Edit, and Help (No. 1).
    • Each of them contains a submenu that will be displayed when is clicked. The provided functions are self explained by their lables.
  • icon menu: There are ten icons that located on the top menu bar. They all have text explain when "mouse over" them.
    • New Project (No. 2): for starting a new project.
    • New Page (No. 3): for creating a new page within a specified project.
    • Save (No.4): for saving any changes to the current page.
    • Copy (No.5): for copying a selected object.
    • Paste (No.6): for pasting an copied object into the current page, the copied object can be from any page with in the Authoring Tool system.
    • Cut (No.7): for cutting an object out.
    • Redo and Undo (No.8): for redo or undo the last actions in the timeing order.
    • Export to Server (No.9): for upload the specified intervention online.
    • Preview intervention (No.10): for preview the intervention in your local server.
• mid section:
  • mid-left: projects and their files
  • mid-top: page tags
  • mid-certer: the editing area
  • mid-button: editing tools
  • mid-right: properties
• botton menu bar:
  • tags:
    • page...
    • error messages
  • problems:

How to get started

To make use of this Authoring Tool, you need to install the program to your PC first

Install the system

• download the application to your computer
• unzip it if it is a zip file
• run the file called "runme.bat". You don't need to choose any options, it will pop up and go away before you can do anything.

Run the application for the first time

• run the executable file called "LifeGuide Author.exe".
• a dialog box will pop up to ask you where you would like to save your work. The default folder is called "workspace", it will be placeed under the same folder as the executable file. alternatively, you can choose another location by click the "browse" button.
• once you have chosen the location for saving your work, a dialog box will pop up to ask you to name the new project - just give it a name and click "OK"
• you will now be entered to the working area of the Authoring Tool system.

Using the tool

Create a new project

• click on the “New project” button (or alternatively select the same option from the File menu)
• a pop up box will ask you to name the project, you neeed to give it an unique name from all the existing projects, and click "finish"
• to make use of the tool, you need to have a page open for editing

Create a new page

• if start with a new project, you need to create a project as mentioned above first
• if start with an existing project, you need to select the required project by click on the project name that is displayed on the left hand session, then
• click on the “New Web Page” button (or alternatively select the same option from the File menu)
• a pop up box will ask you to name the page, you neeed to give it an unique name from all the existing pages within the project, and click "finish". you should now have a bland new page open in the mid section of the Authoring Tool.

Open an existing page

• click on the page name that is displayed under the project, you should now have the selected page open in the mid section of the Authoring Tool.

Create a text box, a intervention, a button, or insert an image

• common features of these four tool buttons
  • click on the required button at the bottom of the page author, a newly created object will be displayed on the top left hand side of the mid section (the editing area).
  • you can move it to the area where it is required by clicking and draging.
  • You can resize it by dragging the resize handles on its corners and sides.

• individual features
  • to edit the text of a text box: - there are two ways
    • a) typing the text with HTML format in the .......box
    • b) alternatively, click on the "....." button to edit the text without HTML format in a pop up box that is similar to MS word.
  • to edit the questions of an intervention
  • to edit an button

• change the style of a page, a text box, or an intervention:
  • select the target that you want to change the style for, e.g. click on a text area to select the text box, or click on the page background to select the page,
  • in its right hand side property section, uncheck the checkbox saying ‘Use global style’ underneath the heading ‘Style Properties’.
  • you will be presented with many options,
    • Bold, italic, underlined: check the corresponding checkboxes
    • font: click on the ....., select a required one from the list
    • text size: click on the ....., select a required one from the list

Copy a page

• Open the page that you want to copy
• Click on “Save as” in the “File” menu
• Enter or select the project name for the file that you want to put into
• Name it unquitly within the project folder
• Click “OK”

Copy a project

• Click on “Import Project” in the “File” menu
• Use the “browse” button to select your project
• Check the “copy projects into workspace” box
• Click “Finish”

Delete a page

• Select the page by click on the file name in the “Project Explorer” area
• Click “Delete” key
• click “Yes” to confirm

Delete a project

• Select the project by click on the name in the “Project Explorer”
• Click “Delete” key
• Select a delete option from the pop up box, then click “Yes”

Define logics

The system has a file called “intervention.lgil” for writing the interverntion logic. With a project opened in the Authoring Tool, you should see this file that’s different from the others in the left hand window. This file will let you edit the logic that works behind the scenes on the intervention.

• Use the 4 page workshop demo as an example:
  • The intervention is about trying to stop people from going to A&E thinking they are having a heart attack when they are fine. To make it simple, it only has 4 pages: a welcome page, a page with 1 question and 2 end pages. A participant would be redirected to a different end page depending on which answer to the question they chose. – if the participant selects that they have severe pain in the chest, upper arm or jaw on the second page, they will be presented with the third page, which advice them to see the doctor immediately; otherwise they will be presented with the fourth page, which infor them that they are not having a heat attack.
  • In order for the intervention to do this properly we’ll have to write some logic to tell it what we want it to do. When they put into the logic language of this Authoring Tool, it will become something like this:

        show nameOfPage1
        show nameOfPage2
        show nameOfPage3 if (nameOfPage2.NameOfInteraction = "IDofYesResponse")
        show nameOfPage4 if (nameOfPage2.NameOfInteraction = "IDofNoResponse")

• • The first and second lines should be self explanatory – “show nameOfPage” will tell the intervention player to show the pages in the order that they are typed into that file. When a participant clicks the “Continue” button on a page they will be moved on to the next page that is mentioned in this file.
  • The third line needs a little more explanation. It starts in the same way as the first 2 lines, but has an “IF” after it. “nameOfPage2. NameOfInteraction” refers to the question that is on page2, which have been given a unique name “NameOfInteraction”.
  • In the case of our demo, this will become:

        show page1
        show page2
        show page3 if (page2. severepain = "yes")
        show page4 if (page2. severepain = "no")

• The Authoring Tool accept different ways of writing the logic. Below are three examples of writing a logic for either A and B, or C and D.
  • OR(AND(A, B), AND (C, D))
  • (A AND B) OR (C AND D)
  • || (&&(A, B), &&(C, D))

Explort and upload your newly created intervention online

In order to see your intervention in function, you’ll have to upload it to the LifeGuide website, but first you’ll have to export it from the Intervention Authoring Tool.

• Export
  • Click the “Export” button on the top toolbar, or select the “Export” option from the “File” menu.
  • There will be a pop up window that allow you to choose where you want to save the file. Choose a location by clicking the browse button and selecting a directory for your file. Give it a name and click the save button.

• upload
  • Open a web browser window and go to http://beta.lifeguideonline.org
  • You’ll need to create an account to be able to upload your intervention to the LifeGuide website (by clicking the register button and filling out the form). Once you’ve successfully register, you will be automatically logged into the site.
  • Click on “My Interventions” on the left hand side, followed by “New Intervention” near the top. Follow the instructions on the screen, making sure that the file you upload is the one you have just exported. Finally, click the create button at the bottom

• View your intervention online
  • Having successfully uploaded your intervention to the LifeGuide site you will be presented with a screen dedicated to this intervention. Towards the bottom there is a “Play” button.
  • Click the “Play the intervention” button. If you’ve followed these instructions, it should work.

FAQ

Do all the assessment questions have to be coded using the interface tools?

The short answer is yes, all the assessment questions need to be coded using the interface tools.

It is possible to read questions from a database, but this is beyond the scope of the current project. This is one of the features we will need for the next proposal but not this one.

Creating questions through the Lifeguide interface has its advantage, it helps people produce questions to the correct standard.

The interface of the workshop demo has very few options. What else can the tool offer?

The workshop handout was just to introduce people in a 45 minute workshop to how to create questions, pages and logic - this is why there is such a simple example! It is only there to give you a basic idea of what is like to create an intervention using the Authoring Tool.

The tool has lots more to offer and more functions are developing. I think one of the ways to explain this is our online demos that we presented during the workshop. Please follow the links below, and play around with the selecting options, hopefully it will give you a better idea of what the tool can offer at the current stage.

Alcohol Calculator: http://beta.lifeguideonline.org/player/play/acohol

LifeGuide Internet Doctor: http://beta.lifeguideonline.org/player/play/doctor

There is an error message poped up, suggest to check the .log file. Where is this .log file? What can I do with it?

The location of the .log file may varied depends on the error. Usually, it will be shown on the error message. If there is not, try to look for it in the folder where the “LifeGuide Authoe.exe” file is, or try under the configuration folder. The file name will looks something like this: 1231330817922.log The .log file would help to identify the problem. If you don't understand it, or can't fix it, you can send it to the Authoring Tool suport team.