# Patent

## Title
Regression testing

## Abstract

Various embodiments provide a tool, referred to herein as “Active Lab” that can be used to develop, debug, and maintain knowledge bases. These knowledge bases (KBs) can then engage various applications, technology, and communications protocols for the purpose of task automation, real time alerting, system integration, knowledge acquisition, and various forms of peer influence. In at least some embodiments, a KB is used as a virtual assistant that any real person can interact with using their own natural language. The KB can then respond and react however the user wants: answering questions, activating applications, or responding to actions on a web page.

## Background
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This Application claims priority to and is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/014,229, filed Jan. 15, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference.


BACKGROUND
Creating and maintaining knowledge bases that are used for various projects can be a time consuming task. In the past, a great deal of human effort has been required to create and maintain knowledge bases in terms of developing, debugging and maintaining such knowledge bases. Errors that present themselves in a knowledge base can often cascade or grow when such knowledge bases are deployed and used by various applications. Thus, an important consideration in knowledge base development concerns accurately developing and deploying the knowledge base.
SUMMARY
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Various embodiments provide a tool, referred to herein as “Active Lab” that can be used to develop, debug, and maintain knowledge bases. These knowledge bases (KBs) can then engage various applications, technology, and communications protocols for the purpose of task automation, real time alerting, system integration, knowledge acquisition, and various forms of peer influence.
In at least some embodiments, a KB is used as a virtual assistant that any real person can interact with using their own natural language. The KB can then respond and react however the user wants: answering questions, activating applications, or responding to actions on a web page.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features.
FIG. 1 illustrates a situation group in accordance with one or more embodiments.
FIG. 2 illustrates a concept group in accordance with one or more embodiments.
FIG. 3 illustrates a vocab group in accordance with one or more embodiments.
FIGS. 4-135 illustrate user interfaces in accordance with one or more embodiments.
FIG. 136 illustrates an example system in accordance with one or more embodiments.



DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Overview
Various embodiments provide a tool, referred to herein as “Active Lab” that can be used to develop, debug, and maintain knowledge bases. These knowledge bases (KBs) can then engage various applications, technology, and communications protocols for the purpose of task automation, real time alerting, system integration, knowledge acquisition, and various forms of peer influence.
In at least some embodiments, a KB is used as a virtual assistant that any real person can interact with using their own natural language. The KB can
then respond and react however the user wants: answering questions, activating applications, or responding to actions on a web page.
In the discussion that follows, various terminology will be used. The following glossary is provided to assist the reader in the discussion that follows:
Agent: Agents are entities programmed to respond to inputs in a pre-determined fashion. They are often used to mimic a human consciousness.
AppCalls: AppCalls are Unit responses that perform application operations instead of simply generating a text response.
Building Blocks: Building Blocks are sets of vocabulary or Concepts, often used to group together terms and Concepts that can be associated with one another, but are not always synonymous.
Cascade: Cascades are graphical representations of the load order and match type of vocabulary, Concepts, and Units within the database.
Concepts: Concepts serve as the bricks of Units. As such, they are composed of Vocab Terms, Helper Terms, and Wild Cards arranged in specific input patterns that trigger the Concept's activation.
Context IQ Engine, the: The Context IQ Engine is essentially the algorithm that tracks and processes user inputs.
Data Mining: Data-mining is the targeted recursion of a set of FPML. After the results for a particular input have been achieved, the remainder of the input is run through a specific cascade, which is a self-sufficient FPML set in its own right.
Dependencies: Dependencies for a Concept or Vocab Term are all those objects which depend upon the aforementioned term or Concept for operation.
Dockable Window: Dockable windows are objects made visible by means of the View menu. These windows can be dragged and dropped at any location on the screen, and may be docked either on the right-hand side of the screen, or the top. When docked, multiple windows can be accessed via tabs.
FPML: A programming language, FPML, short for Functional Presence Mark-up Language is used to govern the behavior of Active Lab projects.
Helper Terms: Helper Terms are words or phrases that are commonly used, but have only one meaning. As such, they are not of sufficient importance
to devote separate Vocab Terms and Concepts to them. Helper Terms may be used in both Concepts and Units.
Input Files: Input Files are *.txt files that contain words and/or phrases. They are used in Record Lists and Concepts.
Input Patterns: Input patterns determine the triggering of Concepts and Units. In Concepts, input patterns are composed of Vocab Terms, Wild Cards, and Helper Terms. In Units, input patterns are in turn composed of Concepts and Helper Terms. In both Concepts and Units, input patterns may be configured to trigger only if the input is in a specific order, or by proximity. All Concepts and Units must have at least one input pattern, and many have more than one.
Projects: Projects are the knowledge base storage configuration within the lab.
Situations: Situations are groups of related Units. For instance, a group of Units that all deal with the personality of a project may be grouped together under a personality situation.
Synonyms: Synonyms are words that share the same definition with one another and may be used interchangeably. Linguist's note: This is not entirely true. Many words may have the same definition, but carry different connotations. While they could technically be substituted, doing so would alter the reader's understanding of the sentence.
Test Questions: Test questions are sample inputs that are intended to trigger Units and Concepts. They are generally archetypal in nature, and are used as a guide for input patterns.
Units: Units are composed of Concepts and Helper Terms arranged in input patterns. When those input patterns are triggered, the Unit activates a response, in the form of text or an AppCall.
Units, Nested: Like Units, except that their response is contingent upon another Unit. A nested Unit may only be triggered immediately after its parent Unit has been triggered. This allows for continuity in conversation with the project.
User: The user is the individual human being who operates the software.
Vocab: Short for “Vocabulary,” Vocab Terms form the basis of Concepts, and consist themselves of synonyms.
Wild Cards: Wild Cards function as placeholders within Concepts for any random word or words.
In the discussion that follows, a section entitled
Principles of Active Lab
Knowledge bases (KB) cover the entire scope of a project, including all the information that ActiveAgent uses, along with all of its capabilities. The files themselves are written in a programming language known as FPML (Functional Presence Markup Language), a language similar to XML. This includes master FPML files, optional FPML files, and lex files. For additional information on FPML, the reader is referred to the following U.S. patent applications, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein: Ser. No. 10/839,425 and 11/169,142.
Active Lab is a visual tool (GUI) that allows the user to easily create and maintain a knowledge base without the necessity of knowing the actual FPML code.
The discussion that follows provides some of the principles behind what ActiveAgent can do, and how it works. Instructions for physically putting these Concepts into the lab will come later, along with more advanced uses of each of these principles.
Principles of a Knowledge Base
To begin understanding how to create a knowledge base, we will start with the idea of an input and a response by ActiveAgent. Consider the following input and response:















Input: How much does it cost to have a



savings account?



Response: Our savings accounts are free to









have, but do require that you maintain a



balance of



$300.










Units

First, let's examine the response. The response is a known answer in the knowledge base. When a response is paired together with patterns that will trigger it, it is called a Unit. A group of Units can be categorized into Situation Groups which are similar to folders in Windows®, and are used mainly for organizational purposes due to the large number of responses a KB may have.
Next, we must determine what questions should solicit that response. It turns out there are many different ways to phrase questions, all of which should be taken into account:















Input:



How much does it cost to have a savings



account? What's the price of a savings



account?



$$ of a savings account?



Saving's accounts: cost?



Do I have to pay for savings accounts?



What are the restrictions of a savings



account? Is there a minimum balance I have



to maintain to









have a savings account?









How much is a savings account?










These questions are then listed with the Unit for the purposes of testing to make sure that when they are asked, this particular response is given.
Concepts
A Concept is a breakdown of the critical ideas in a test question. In the above list of possible questions there seems to be three main themes: Cost,
Savings Account, and Minimum Balance. Notice that not all of these Concepts exist in every possible question. Some questions have the idea of Cost, some Minimum Balance, and all have the Concept of Savings Account. To make a successful Unit, these Concepts are listed within the Unit and paired in such a way that this combination of Concepts is unique within the KB. This is called a

Pattern. A Unit may have multiple patterns featuring different combinations of Concepts. For example:
















Cost AND Savings Account = Unit









Response









Minimum Balance AND Savings Account = Unit









Response










Note that a pattern for a Unit includes at least one Concept, however it is not recommended to have more than four Concepts in a pattern. A Concept is made up mostly of Vocab, Helper Terms, and Building Blocks, which are described individually below.
Vocab
A Vocab is a grouping of unambiguous synonyms and misspellings. The name of a particular grouping of synonyms is known as a Vocab Term. Vocab Terms are usually end with the suffix “vocab.”
AccountVocab

    
    
        Account
        Accounts
        Accounts
        Account's
    
    


PriceVocab

    
    
        Price
        Prices
        Prise
        Prises
        Cost
        Costs
        Cost's
    
    


In the example of PriceVocab, the word cost is included because for this KB the user wants the words price and cost to be synonymous.
Helper Terms
A Helper Term is a word that has no unambiguous synonyms, however functions almost the same way as a Vocab, and mostly consists of conjunctions. Here are some examples of common Helper Terms:

    
    
        and
        is
        for
        the

Building Blocks

    
    


A Building Block is a list of either Vocab/Helper Terms or a list of Concepts that may be useful categorized together. As an example, consider the following:

    
    
        Anatomy (Vocab Building Block):
        
            armvocab
            legvocab
            headvocab
            shouldervocab
            feetvocab
        
        
    
    


Now that these Vocab Terms are bundled together, they can be used in a Concept pattern. Here is an example use of a Vocab Building Block:

    
    
        surgeryvocab AND Anatomy (Building Block)
        brokenvocab AND myvocab AND Anatomy (Building Block)
    
    


In this example, because the Anatomy Building Block contained five Vocab Terms, it turned what would have been ten patterns into two. Also notice that Vocab Terms, which include all the synonyms and misspellings, are also included in this example. As another example, consider the following:

    
    
        Types of Accounts (Concept Building Block)
        
            Savings Accounts
            Checking Accounts
            Money Market Accounts
            Investment Accounts
        
        
    
    


This Building Block would then be used to reduce the number of patterns necessary.
Creating Concepts
A Concept is made of patterns of Vocab, Helper Terms, and Building Blocks listed within the Concept. Here are the patterns that would make up the Savings Account Concept:

    
    
        savingsvocab AND accountvocab
        accountvocab AND for AND savingsvocab
        interestvocab AND bearingvocab AND accountvocab
    
    


Notice that the word “for” is a Helper Term and does not end with the suffix “vocab.” In Concepts, two things that are important are Order and Proximity, both of which are optional when creating any given pattern.
If Order is selected, a pattern will only trigger if it is received in that order. For example, a person would have to type in “savings account” to trigger the above example. If a person typed in “account savings” this pattern would not trigger because it is not in the correct order.
If Proximity is selected, a pattern will only trigger if the inputs are received next to each other. For example, a person would have to type in “savings account” to trigger the above example. If a person typed in “savings in my
account” the pattern would not trigger because “savings” and “account” were not typed in next to each other.
Note that for most input patterns, it is important to have both Order and Proximity selected. In the above example, “Savings Account” has a very different meaning than “Account Savings” and “Savings in my Account.” Concepts also have their own associated test questions similar to Units for the purposes of testing.
Examples of Savings Account test questions can include:

    
    
        Do you have savings accounts at your bank?
        What's a savings account?
        Do you have any interest bearing accounts?

The Unit, Concept, and Vocab Relationship

    
    


The relationship between these principles can be stated simply:

    
    
        Units are made of patterns of Concepts.
        Concepts are made of patterns of Vocab and Helper Terms.
        Vocabs are made of lists of synonyms.
    
    


The biggest benefit of this system is its flexibility. Once a Vocab has been created, it can be used in any number of Concepts, and once a Concept is created, it can be used in any number of Units. Conversely, any Unit or Concept can have any number of patterns, and the same Vocab or Concept can be used multiple times within each Unit or Concept.
FIGS. 1-3 show a visual representation of the relationship between all of these principles, as well as the ways Helper Terms and Building Blocks can also apply.
In FIG. 1, input patterns for Units can contain any number of combinations of Concepts, Building Blocks, and Helper Terms. The most common input patterns contain combinations of Concepts, with Building Blocks and Helper Terms used less often.
In FIG. 2, input patterns for Concepts can contain any number of combinations of Vocab, Building Blocks, and Helper Terms. The most common input patterns contain combinations of Vocab, with Building Blocks and Helper Terms used less often.
Context IQ Engine
The Context IQ Engine (CIE) is a term used to describe the part of ActiveAgent that actually does the processing of the FPML code written using Active Lab. The CIE has different functions relative to FPML code, and part of Active Lab is determining which functions to use, and in what order.
Cascades
Completing a single process through use of the CIE is known as a cascade. Any numbers of cascades can, and usually do, run every time the FPML is activated.
Here is an example of the simplest set of cascades necessary for a virtual agent:

    
    
        Pre-Vocab—a cascade that takes in contractions and outputs separate words.
        Vocab—a cascade that takes in all synonyms and outputs Vocab.
        Post-Vocab—a cascade that takes in separate compound words and outputs single Vocab words.
        Concept—a cascade that takes in Vocab, and Helper Terms and outputs Concepts.
        Unit—a cascade that takes in Concepts and outputs the response.
    
    


In this example, each cascade is necessary for a single person's input to output a response, and can do very different things. The Vocab cascade only does substitution; it inputs words and outputs Vocab. The Concept cascade inputs Vocab and Helper Terms, and then outputs all Concepts that have patterns that include those terms. This is known as Match All because it outputs all matches, not just the most accurate one. The Unit cascade inputs Concepts, but only outputs one response. This is known as a Best Match and is a mathematical calculation done by the Context IQ Engine, with the Unit with the highest scoring pattern giving the response.
Static Files
Static Files are individual FPML files that are written by hand without the help of Active Lab's user interface. The most common files include setups and teardowns, as well as a lex file that handles special cases that Active Lab is currently not set up to handle. These are most commonly established during the initial creation of the project, and usually don't need to be modified during general use.
COMMON TERMS
Within this document, the following terms are important to the proper understanding of Active Lab:
Cascades—A cascade is a layer of FPML processing and is essentially a “mini” fpml runtime contained within a larger runtime. It contains most, if not all, the processing features available to a global runtime, including preprocessing, a specialized lexer, setups and teardowns, chunkers, unit nodes, functions, etc.
Static Files—Static files are .fpml files that remain unchanged, such as lex files.
Input Files—Input files are text files that list various user inputs that can be easily categorized, such as a list of names.
Group—A group is a term that refers to separating similar items into smaller lists for organizational purposes. For example: a Concept Group is a group of similar Concepts.
The following describes some aspects of an Active Lab Family and Concepts:














Component
Description









Active Lab
Develops, edits, and manipulates




knowledge bases.



Chat Review
An application used to review chat logs




and make change requests to Active Lab.



Approval Manager
A web application used to approve




changes and change requests for




knowledge bases.



FPML Database
An archive of all the FPML used by the




lab and its sundry applications for a




given project. This database may be a




SQL Server or PostgreSQL..



Chat Review Database
An archive of all chats involving




knowledge bases created via Active Lab.



Agent
Agent is a program that enables the user




to place a KB on a website, simulating a




human being.










Basics of Active Lab

The following describes the basic components of Active Lab in accordance with one or more embodiments. It also provides directions for getting started with Active Lab.
Components of Active Lab
The main application window has several components that allow access to Active Lab features. The following table describes the main features of the illustrated main application window.











Component
Description







Dropdown Menu Bar
Contains the following dropdown menus:



 File



 View



 Admin



 Help


Tabs
The following tabs are found in Active



Lab:



 Tests



 Chat Review



 Debugger



 Concept Editor



 Unit Editor



 Editor


Main Display
Displays currently selected/active tab.


Dockable Window display
Dockable windows selected from View



are displayed here.


Status Bar
Status of the program is displayed here.









Menu Bar

The menu bar contains four dropdown menus: File, View, Admin, and Help, which include the sub-menus illustrated in FIG. 5 and described in the following table:














Menu
Selections









File
 New project opens a Create New




Project window




 open project opens a Browse




window




to select an existing project (*.proj) file.




 close project closes currently




open project




 Force Generate All Fpml Loads




all the FPML from the database




associated with the open project.




 Generate Fpml (Changes Only)




Loads only those portions of the FPML




database associated with the open




project that have been changed.



View
Each of the selections in the View menu




opens the dockable window of the




same name.



Admin
 Application Data opens the Application




Editor window. Note: you must have a




project loaded in order to use this




selection.




 Deployment




  Deploy Fpml opens the Deploy




 Fpml window.




  configure Deployment opens the




 Deployment Configuration window.




  Deploy to Content Management




 opens the Deploy to Content




 Management window.




  Generate Deployment Files creates




 Agent configuration files independent of




 deployment. Not needed when




 deploying.




 Fpml Reports




  Fpml Statistics creates an Excel




 spreadsheet that includes percentage




 passed of all Situation Groups, along




 with other statistics.




  Print Unit Prints all Units and




 their test questions.




 Manage Users opens the Manage




Users window. Note: You must have a project




loaded in order to use this selection.




 Print Status




  set Print Status




   Test Sets the users print status to




  test.




   Production Sets the users




  print status to production.




  View Promotion Suggestions opens




 the Print Status window.




 Project Files opens the Project Files




window.




 Remove Cached Files From Database




removes all FPML files that are cached for




local use.




 Text To Speech opens the Text-To-




Speech File Management window.




 View/Edit Load Order opens the Load




Order window.



Help
 About displays version




information for the software.










All activity begins with the File menu.
Dockable Windows
The dockable windows are the set of windows normally positioned on the right hand side of Active Lab, with each window differentiated by its own tab at the bottom. All dockable windows are opened and closed via the View menu. They may be docked on either the right side of the screen or the top, or allowed to float freely. When docked, multiple windows can be accessed through their corresponding tabs. The following table describes the components available through the dockable windows feature.











Component
Description







Building Blocks
View → Building Blocks opens or closes



the Building Blocks dockable window.



This window displays all of the available



Building Blocks.


Cascades
View → cascades opens or closes



Cascades. This window displays all



the Vocab files, Concepts, and Units



in relationship to one another.


Change Requests
View → change Requests opens or



closes



Change Requests. This window allows



the user to view the change requests



made over the duration of the project's



existence.


Components
View → components opens or closes



Components. This window allows the



user



to view and change all the Variables,



Functions, AppCalls, and Record Lists that



are available for the project.


Concepts
View → concepts opens or closes



Concepts. This window displays all of the



Concepts within their respective groups, and



allows the user to edit existing Concepts and



create new Concepts and Concept Groups.


Directives
View → Directives opens or closes



Directives. This window displays all of the



available Units that are the top most Unit in a



directive.


Dynamic Functions
View → Dynamic Functions opens or



closes Dynamic Functions. This window



displays all the Dynamic Functions



associated with the project, and allows the



user to create and edit them.


Helper Terms
View → Helper Terms opens or closes



Helper Terms. This window displays all of the



available Helper Terms, and allows the user to



create and edit Helper Terms.


Input Files
View → Input Files opens or closes Input



Files. This window displays all the input



files associated with a given project, and



allows the user to create and edit them.


Knowledge Tree
View → Knowledge Tree opens or closes



Knowledge Tree. This window allows the



user to create a Knowledge Tree hierarchy to



organize Concepts and potential Concepts



for personal organization purposes.


Lex Types
View → Lex Types opens or closes Lex



Types. This window allows the user to view



the lex types associated with a given project.


Resource Files
View → Resource Files opens or closes



Recourse Files. This window allows the user



to view and edit all the resource files, or non



FPML files, in the project.


Response Blocks
View → Response Blocks opens or closes



Response Blocks. This window allows the



user to view and manipulate Response



Blocks.


Search Control
View → search Control opens or closes



Search Control. This window allows the



user to search for Units, Concepts, and



Vocab by phrase, dependency, and name.



Open by Default


Static Files
View → static Files opens or closes Static



Files. This window allows the user to view and manipulate static



files.


Test Conditions
View → Test Conditions opens or closes



Test Conditions. This window allows the user to manipulate the



value of Variables for the purposes of testing.


Unit Search
View → unit Search opens Unit Search.



This window displays a search view of all Units, and allows the



user to search for Unit responses by Concepts.


Units
View → units opens or closes Units. This



window displays all of the available Units, and allows the user to



edit existing Units and create new Units.


Unprintable Items
View → unprintable Items opens or



closes Unprintable Items. This window displays those Vocab



Terms, Concepts, and Units that are unprintable, either by virtue



of being blank, or because of some error.


Unused Items
View → unused Items opens or closes



Unused Items. This window displays items that are in the



database but not associated with the open project.


Urls
View → urls opens or closes Uris. This



window displays all of the available URLs, and allows the



user to edit, create, and delete URLs.


Vocab
View → Vocab opens or closes Vocab.



This window displays all of the Vocab Terms available in



addition to all of their constituent synonyms, and allows the user



to edit existing Vocab Terms and create new Vocab Terms.


Wild Cards
View → Wild Cards opens or closes Wild



Cards. This window provides the user with access to Wild Cards.


Web Links
View → web Links opens or closes Web Links. This window



displays all Web Links associated with the project, and allows



the user to create and edit them.









Searches

Searches enable users to find Concepts and Units by words occurring within their input patterns and/or responses (as appropriate). This sub-section discusses the components of Search and Unit Search. With respect to FIG. 6, the following describes how search functionality works in accordance with one or more embodiments.

    
    
        1. Type in a word or phrase in the Search field of the Search dockable window.
        2. Press <Enter> or click <Update>, which will add the phrase the “Phrases” tree in the main window.
        3. Repeat steps 1-2 as often as desired.
        4. Click <Search Now>.
        5. The results will appear in the top pane, organized by Unit, Concept, and Vocab.
    
    


Search contains the following components:














Component
Description









Button Bar
The button bar contains the following:




  <Back and Forward Navigation>:




  Navigates between searches.




  <Edit>: Opens selected item for




  editing.




  <Remove from Search>: Deletes




  selected phrase from search criteria.




  <Search Now>: Executes search.




  <Clear All>: Clears all phrases from




  search.



Search Display
Displays search phrases, Vocab inside and




outside of blocks, Building Blocks, Helper




Terms inside and outside of blocks, Concepts




inside and outside of blocks.



Search Field
Type search phrase here.



<Update>
Adds search phrase to search.










With respect to performing a search, consider the following. Searches in dockable windows only find text that appears in the display names of individual items. Performing a search in a normal dockable window uses the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In the dockable window's Search field, type in the desired text.
        2. Click  <Search>.
        3. The results will appear in the display list highlighted in red.
    
    


Searching for text that occurs within the makeup of a Concept or Unit requires the use of Search and Unit Search, respectively.
To run a search for a Concept, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Search, type a phrase in the Search field.
        2. Click <Update> to add the phrase to the search.
        3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 as often as desired.
        4. Ensure that the FPML for the project is up-to-date by clicking  <Generate FPML>.
        5. Click  <Search Now> to run the search for all the phrases added to the search. Search results will appear in the display.
    
    


To run a search for a Unit in the Unit Search dockable window, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Unit Search dockable window, type a Concept name into the Search field. This will add the Concept to the Concepts display.
        2. Select either <Filter On Patterns> or <Filter On Units>.
        3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 as often as needed.
        4. Click  <Search Units Containing Concepts>.
        5. Results appear in the Search Results display.
    
    


To run a search for a Unit in the Unit Search window, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Unit Search, type a Concept name or phrase into the Input field.
        2. Select either <Match All> or <Match Any>.
        3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 as often as needed.
        4. Click <Search>.
        5. Results appear in the Units Containing Input Concepts and Response Concepts displays.

Tabs

    
    


Active Lab's main window contains five main tabs, in addition to the dockable windows described above. A brief description of each can be found in the following table.














Tab
Description









Tests
Allows the user to view the status of all the tests




in a given project, specifically those for Units and




Concepts. From this tab, the user may run all of




the tests at once.



Debugger
Allows the user to interact with the FPML,




and to view the causes of errors in Units,




Concepts, and Vocab. The debugger also




displays match data for Vocab, Concepts, and




Units.



Concept Editor
Provides an interface for building and




maintaining Concepts, including test




questions, input patterns, and components.



Units Editor
Provides an interface for building and




maintaining Units, including test questions, input




patterns, components and responses.



Editor
Allows the user to create and edit lex files




and raw FPML.










Status Bar

The status bar, located at the bottom of the main window, shows the operations currently being undertaken by the program, and the current progress. An example of this is shown in FIG. 7.
The full utility of Active Lab comes when handling knowledge bases (KBs). There are many things to take into consideration when creating a KB, including defining the scope, domain, and terminology surrounding the KB. Conversation directions should also be laid out before creating the KB in Active Lab. Other preparations vary depending on the specific KB. The section below entitled “Project Management” provides additional information in this regard. For
information on modifying KBs directly, reference should be made to the sections below entitled “Vocabulary”, “Concepts” and “Units”.
Project Management
Each project represents an FPML knowledge base (KB) storage configuration, which tells lab what databases to use for the KB components, which comprise Units, Concepts, and Vocabulary. Active Lab features many means by which the user can create, edit, view, and manipulate aspects of a project. This section details the configuration of KBs through the file menu options, the file menu, searches, administrating a project, and cascades.
Projects
Projects serve as a collection of configuration information for a KB, enabling the user to manipulate the KB through Active Lab. Each project is connected to a database, where all of its constituent components are stored. Multiple projects can work from the same database.
Create New Project is accessed through the File menu by selecting New Project. This window allows the user to specify the foundational specifications of the project. Create New Project contains two tabs: Project Info, and Chat Review. As an example, consider FIG. 8 which shows an example “Create New Project” Window”. Create New Project contains the following components:














Component
Description









Tabs
The following tabs are provided to allow




you to configure the project:




  Project Info




  Chat Review



<Create Project>
Creates a project file with the specified




configurations.



<Cancel>
Closes the window without




creating a project.










Project Info allows you to set the basic parameters of the project, including the name of the project, its local file directory, the project's database connection settings, user settings, and web server and subversion servers. Project Info contains the following components:











Component
Description







Application Name
This text field contains the name of the



project.


Local File Directory
This field contains a text field displaying



the location on your local machine where the



project's FPML files will be stored.



<Browse> opens a Browse for Folder window,



where you can select the desired Local File



Directory.


Lex File Source
This field contains a text field displaying



the location on your local machine where the



project's lex file will be stored.



<Browse> opens a Browse for Folder window,



where you can select the desired Local File



Directory.


Database
Displays the following fields:


Connection
  Database Type: This drop-down list



  indicates the type of database the



  project will use:



    MsSqlServer



    PostgreSQL



  Server Name: This text field contains



  the IP or DNS name of the server housing



  the database.



  Database Name: This text field



  contains the name of the database.



  User Name: This text field contains the



  user ID used to connect to the database.



  Password: This text field contains



  the password used with the User



  Name to connect to the database.


Web Server Path
Will append all Url relative paths with Web



Server Path. This means that all Urls without a full



path will have the Web Server Path appended to



the front of it.


Text to Speech File
Location of Text-To-Speech files.


Share


<Create Project>
Creates the project


<Cancel>
Closes the Create New Project window



without creating the project.









The Chat Review tab of Create New Project stores the location of Agent Chat Log databases. Chat Review contains the following components:














Component
Description









Chat Servers
This field contains the following:




  Chat Servers display: List of chat




  servers connected to Chat Review.




  <Delete>: Removes Chat Server from




  list.



Add Server
This field contains the following:




  Display Name: This text field




  contains the name of the chat




  server.




    <Add>: Add new Chat




    Server




  Connection String: This text field




  contains the connection string for




  the new server.




  Connection Provider: This drop-




  down list provides selections for the




  connection provider of the new




  server.




   Dialect: This drop-down list




  provides selections for the dialect of




  the new server.




  Driver Class: This drop-down list




  provides selections for the driver




  class of the new server.










Project Files

The database that the Knowledge Base is created from can have multiple projects associated with it. A project file is a file that can point to either part of or all of the database. When multiple users use identical project files, all those users will be working on the same part of the database (also known as the same project) at the same time.
The Project Files window, accessed from the dropdown→Admin→Project Files, can be used to access all the different projects that have been saved in the database. When a user has already has a project open, this window will be filled out when opened. Clicking <Connect> will display all project files associated with the database. These project files can then be downloaded by highlighting them and clicking <Download>.
Currently, most projects are stored on the same server with identical passwords. This means that if a user has a project open, they can view the project files of a different database simply by changing Database Name field and clicking
<Connect>. With respect to the Project Files window, consider the following in connection with FIG. 10.











Component
Description







Database to Search
This field has the following components:



    Server field: Contains the IP



  address where the database is



  stored. Defaults to address of the



  current project.



  Database Name field: Contains the name



  of the project. Default to



  current project.



  Database User Name field: Contains the



  name of the user name



  needed to access the database.



  Default to current project.



    Database Password field:



  Contains the password needed to



  access the database. Default to current



  project.



    Database Type dropdown:



  Chooses from the available database



  types:



      MsSQLServer



        PostgreSQL



  <Connect>: Connects to the server and brings



  up all available projects.


Application
Field displays the name of the application



associated with project selected in Project



Files display.


Project Files
Shows all project files saved on the


Display
database. There are two icons that will appear:



  Project File



  No Project Files Found In Database


Download
Downloads selected project to a local site.









Application Data

Application data can be viewed by selecting Application Data from the Admin menu. This selection opens up Application Editor, which displays the project name, the version of the project, and the lex file associated with it. Once a project has been opened, you can view and change parts of the configuration through Application Editor, as well as copy projects to and from the database. AS an example, consider the following in connection with FIG. 11. Application Editor has the following components:














Component
Description









Name
Name of the project



Version
Version of the project.



Approval Mode
This dropdown sets the approval mode for the




project.




  On




  Off



File Name
Name of the associated lex file. This field




also contains the following button:




<Load File>: This button opens a Browse




window to select a lex file for the project.



Project File
Sets project file to be saved in the database:




    <Project File is Saved in Database>:




  check box that shows whether the




  project file is currently saved in the




  database.




    <Upload File>: This button opens a




  Browse window to select a project




  file. Chosen project file will be saved




  to the database as a Project File




  associated with that database.




  <Download>: This button opens a




  Browse window to save the project




  file to a local location.



<Save>
Saves changes.



<Cancel>
Cancels changes.










Manage Users

Selecting Manage Users from the Admin menu opens the Manage Users window, which allows a user to view and edit user information, specifically display name, login name, password, and user type. With respect to Manage Users, consider the following in connection with FIG. 12. Manage Users contains the following components:














Component
Description









Edit User
    This field contains the following:




    User Login: Login name of




  selected




    user.




    Display Name: Display name of




    selected user.




    Password: Selected




    user's password.




    <Change>: Changes selected




    user's password.




    User Type: Drop-down list




    selects user's type.




    <Save>: Saves changes to




    selected user's properties.




    <Cancel>: Cancels changes made




    to selected user's properties.



Operations
This field contains the following:




    <Add User>: Adds new user to




    Users.




    <Edit User>: Edits selected user.




    <Delete User>: Deletes selected




    user.




    <Reset Password>: Resets selected




    user's password.



Users
Display lists all users, with display name,




login name, and user type.










Deployment

Deployment is the process of moving all the FPML files associated with the project from a user's local copy to another location, usually to a test or production server. To configure the deployment, select Deployment
→Configure Deployment from the Admin menu. This will open the Deployment Configuration window. The user can select a means by which the test environment manager can be notified of changes to the FPML. The files may be transferred either by direct e-mail to the test environment manager, or by copying the files to a shared directory. With respect to a Deploy FPML Window, consider the following in connection with FIG. 13. Deploy Fpml contains the following components:














Component
Description









Change Version
Changes the version number of the project



Deployment Settings
Display of Email server, Email list,




Notification list, and copy directory.



Regenerate All Files
If selected, all files are regenerated with




each update.



<Edit Configuration>
Edits deployment configuration.



Deployment Status
Display of deployment. Can be edited by




clicking in the window.



<Deploy>
Deploys the FPML to directory selected in




the Deployment Configuration window.



<Close>
Closes Window










A Deployment Configuration Window allows the user to set up the deployment configuration. This includes the destination folder, email settings, and whether to include copies or Text-to-Speech. With respect to this window, consider the following in connection with FIG. 14. Deployment Configuration contains four tabs across the top of the window (described in the table just below):
Copy Files, Email, Run External Program, and Commit To Subversion.











Component
Description







Copy Files
This tab contains the following items:



  Enable Copy Files: If checked,



  will activate file copy for



  deployment. If



  unchecked, this tab will be



  grayed out.



  Deployment Destination Folder:



  Folder where FPML files will be



  copied into when deployed.



    <Browse> Opens



    Browse window to find



    a shared directory.



  Choose FPML Files To Copy:



    <Create and Copy Zip File>



    radio button: if selected, files



    will be copied in compressed



      (*.zip) format.



      Zip File Name: Type name



      of(*.zip) file



        here.



    <Copy Project Folder> radio button: If



    selected, files copied uncompressed.



    Text-To-Speech: If check box



  Copy Text-To-Speech File Share



  With Deployment: If selected, all



  Text-to-Speech files will be included in the



  deployment.



  Create Deployment Log File: If check box



  Create Deployment Log File is selected, a log



  file will be



  generated in the deployment.


Email
This tab contains the following items:



  Server Name: Name of the email server from which



  the deployment



  will be sent. Contact your system administrator for



  more details.



  Email From: E-mail address deployment notifications



  will come



  from.



  Email Address List: Input field for all the e-mail



  addresses that will be



  notified when the project is deployed, one address



  per line.



  Attach Deployment Files With



  Email: If selected, this option sends



  the updated files to the users in the Address List as an



  attached .zip file. Default: Not selected.


Run 
This tab contains the following items:


External
  Choose Program To Run: Type name of program that


Program
  will run when



  FPML deployment is complete.



    <Browse> Opens Browse



    window to find file.


Commit
This tab contains the following items:


To
  Commit Deployed Files to SVN:


Subversion
  Check box that indicates whether the



  deployed files will be committed to Subversion, a file



  management program.



  Fpml Service Uri: Location of Web



  Service that manages the FPML and



SVN integration.


<Save>
Saves deployment configuration.


<Cancel>
Closes window without saving



deployment configuration.









FPML Reports

Active Lab has functionality that creates documents that may be useful to the user. In one or more embodiments, there are two documents that Active Lab can create: FPML Statistics which is an Excel® spreadsheet displaying the percentage statistics of Unit test questions and Print Units which is an Excel® spreadsheet displaying all the Units along with their respective test questions.
To create the FPML Statistics spreadsheet, follow these procedures in connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 15:

    
    
        1. Open FPML Statistics window by following Admin→FPML Reports→Fpml Statistics.
        2. Type in destination folder and name of file to be created.
        3. Select destination folder and document name by typing in Report File field, or by clicking <Browse> to open a browse window to find a destination folder.
        4. Select Print Status of Test, Production, or InActive.
        5. Click <Generate> to create file.
    
    


FPML Statistics contains the following components:













Component
Description








Report File
Type destination folder and document




name here.




<Browse> Opens Browse window to find a




directory.



Print Status
 Contains three options:




    Production




    Test




    InActive



<Print All Test>
Check to have all Unit tests from project




printed in the document.



<Generate>
Click to create the document



<Close>
Closes window without creating the




document.









To create the FPML Units spreadsheet, follow these procedures in connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 16:

    
    
        1. Open Print Units window by following Admin→FPML Reports
        
            →Print
            Units.
        
        
        2. Select Print Status of Test, Production, or InActive.
        3. Select destination folder and document name by typing in Output File field, or by clicking <Browse> to open a browse window to find a destination folder.
        4. Click <Generate>
    
    


Print Units contains the following components:













Component
Description








Print Status
Contains three options:




   Production




   Test



Output File
Type destination folder and document




name here.




<Browse> Opens Browse window to find a




directory.



<Generate>
Click to create the document



<Close>
Closes window without creating the




document.









Text To Speech Management

Text-To-Speech (TTS) refers to the ability to translate on-screen text into audio speech. TTS files can be generated automatically, or can be pre-recorded voice files. The Text-To-Speech File Management window allows the user to easily manage importing large sets of TTS files.
Text-To-Speech File Management is accessed by selecting Text-To-Speech from Admin as indicated in the user interface of FIG. 17. Text-To-Speech File Management includes an overview section and five tabs as described below:











Component
Description







TTS Overview
This section displays statistics regarding



the status of Text-to-Speech files for



Units within the project



  Change Requests: Number of changed



  responses needing new



  TTS files.



  Delete Requests: Number of TTS



  files no longer used.



  TTS File Needed: Number of responses



  still needing TTS files.



  Missing TTS File: Number of items that



  have an assigned TTS



  file, but the file cannot be located.



  <Refresh>: Refreshes TTS



  Overview display.


Import Files
This tab allows the user to import and



attach pre-recorded voice files to the project.



  Excel Import File: The file path to the



  spreadsheet that identifies



  Units with corresponding audio files. The



  spreadsheet must be saved as an XML file.



  Location of New Audio Files:



  Directory where the audio files



  are saved.



  <Browse>: Allows user to navigate to the



  particular file or



  directory location.



  <Start Import>: Executes the import of



  the audio files.



  Status: Shows the results of the import.


Delete File Requests
This tab allows the user to delete audio



files that are no longer used.



  <Show Delete File Requests>:



  Executes a search for all audio



  files that are no longer assigned to



  a Unit.



  <Clear List in Database>: Clears



  the references to deleted files



  from the database.



  <Delete Files From Share>:



  Deletes the actual audio files



  from the shared directories.



  Display: Shows the unused



  audio files to be deleted.


Change File Requests
This tab allows the users to create an



XML file showing the Units with



responses that have changed since the last



audio recording.



  <Dump Change Requests to Xml



  File>: Creates an XML file that



  can be opened in Excel listing the



  Units with changed responses.



  Status: Shows progress and



  results of the file export.


New File Requests
This tab allows the user to send the new



requests to an Excel spreadsheet



  <Dump New Requests to



  Excel>: Creates an XML file that



  can be opened in Excel that lists all



  of the new Units added since the last



  time TTS files were imported. Once



  updated with the audio file names,



  this file can become the import file.



  Status: Shows the progress and



  results of the file export.


Missing TTS Files
This tab allows the users to view items



that have an assigned audio file, but the



file cannot be found for some reason.



  <View Missing Files>: Executes



  the search for missing files.



  Display: Shows the results of the



  missing file search.









Cascades

A cascade represents a single function of the Context IQ Engine (CIE). Each cascade takes an input, processes that input through the CIE, and then gives an output.
The order that the cascades are listed is very important because many cascades only take the output of previous cascades. When an input is received, it is processed through all cascades in the order listed on the View/Edit Load Order window. There are many different types of cascades, some of which are unique to a project.
When it comes to Concepts and Units in particular, there are two types of outputs that are very important: One is called “Match All” and the other is called “Best Match.” A cascade that is set to “Match All” will output all matches to the input pattern that is received. A cascade that is set to “Best Match” will only have one output, which is calculated by the CIE based on the highest scoring pattern. If there is a tie in a “Best Match” cascade, then the output will be the last item that was calculated.
Concepts Groups can be set to either “Match All” or “Best Match” depending on the user. The majority of Concepts are usually set into “Match All” cascades, because Units take the input of multiple Concepts. Concepts are usually set into “Best Match” cascades when their patterns are so similar that they almost always triggered at the same time.
As an example, consider the following two Concepts—Home Equity and Home Equity Loan. The first Concept will always trigger because it will contain patterns that are also in the second Concept, therefore they should be put in their own “Best Match” cascade so only one can be outputted.
Units must always be assigned to “Best Match” cascades. The reason for this is because the output of a Unit is a response. This way, when an input is received, only one response is outputted.
Vocab is processed through the Context IQ Engine using cascades that only do substitution: it takes in a synonym replaces it with the name of its corresponding Vocab Term. This usually needs to be done three times for full effectiveness: the first time called the Pre-Vocab cascade where contractions are separated into separate words; the second time called the Vocab cascade where Vocab Terms are substituted for words; and a third time called the Post-Vocab cascade where multiple Vocab Term phrases are combined into single Vocab Terms, mainly for use in compound words.
The Cascades dockable window, shown in FIG. 18, is where cascades are created and the type of output for cascades are determined. A user can also move items between cascades in this window. Cascades contain the following components:













Component
Description








Button Bar
 The button bar contains the




    following:




  <Add>: Adds new cascade.




  <Edit>: Edits selected cascade.




  <Delete>: Deletes selected




 cascade




  from the project.




  <View/Modify Order>: Opens




   View/Edit Load Order




      window.



Cascades
Display list of all available cascades and




their constituents. Cascades




are represented thusly:




  Cascade type




   Cascade Group



Search Tree
This field contains the following:




  Input Text Field: Searches




  cascades for specific text.




  <Search>: Executes search.




  <Search Options>: Opens Search




  Options window.




  Whole Word Only Checkbox:




  Limits search to complete word




  matches.









Cascades are organized by type. In Cascade Group Type, shown in FIG. 19, the user may edit the name, match type, response, behavior, pre-process action, and level settings. Cascade Group Type contains the following components:











Component
Description







Name
Text input field for the name of the group


Match Type
Drop-down list allows for selection of match



type. Choose from the following:



  Best: only output highest scoring match.



  All: output all pattern matches.


Response
Drop-down list allows for selection of response



 from the following:



  Standard (Default)



  Concept



  Final



  Can final


Behavior
Drop-down list allows for selection of behavior from



the following:



  Normal (Default)



  Recursive



  Search_replace



  Stacked_ cascades



  Ignore cascades


Pre-Process Action
Drop-down list allows for selection of the pre-



process action from the following:



  Return (Default)



  Internal



  Can_ final



  Pre_pass_through


Domain Object
Drop-down list allows selection of what type of


Type
object can inserted into the cascade group:



  All



  Units



  Concepts



  Vocab



  DynamicFunctions



  DynamicFunctionsBestMatch


Level
This field contains the following:



  Enable Levels checkbox: this should only



  be used for cascades housing



   dynamic functions.



  Levels: this drop-down list allows for the



  selection of levels.


<Save>
Saves settings and closes window.


<Cancel>
Closes window without saving settings.









Cascade Groups represent the primary grouping of all components of a KB. Cascade Group, as shown in the user interface of FIG. 20, allows the user to give the cascade group a name, the type of cascade it will be, as well as its print order. Cascade Group contains the following components:













Component
Description








Name
Text input field for the name of the cascade



Type
Drop-down list for selection of cascade




type. Choose from any cascade group




created for the project.



Print Status
Set Print Status of the cascade to one of




three options:




    Production




    Test




    InActive



Print Order
Print order of the cascade. This affects




when its components will trigger in relation to




the other cascades.



<Save>
Saves settings and closes window.



<Cancel>
Closes window without saving settings.









Load Order

Selecting View/Edit Load Order from the Admin menu opens the Application Load Order window as shown in FIG. 21. Load Order determines what order static files and cascades are processed when an input is received. This window allows the user to drag and drop Vocab, Unit, and Concept Groups into different cascades. This ordering is very important because some cascades take the input of what other cascades output. Application Load Order has the following components:











Component
Description







<Remove Selected Item
Removes the highlighted from the project.


From application>



<Save>
Saves any changes to load order and closes



the window.


<Refresh>
Refreshes window.


<New Window>
Opens new Application Load Order



window.


<Collapse All>
Collapses tree to smallest size.


<Expand All>
Expands tree to maximum size.


Main Window
Tree view of all items in the project in their



load order.









Unused Items

An Unused Item is an item contained in the database, but not used in the current project. This can occur in many ways: newly created projects that point to an existing database will show all the items in that database as unused; and groups of Vocab, Units, and Concepts can be removed from a project, but not from the database, so they can be available for other projects.
In the Unused Items dockable window, as shown in FIG. 22, the user can view all items in the database that are not included in the existing project. This window also allows these items to be added to the current project by selecting→Add To Application from the right-click menu. The Unused Items dockable window contains the following components:













Component
Description








Button bar
The button bar contains the following:




  <Edit>: Edits selected item.




  <Delete>: Deletes selected item.




  <Show Dependencies>: Note:




   Currently not supported.




  <Refresh>: Refreshes Unused




  Items display.




  <New Window>: Opens copy of




  current window.




  <Collapse All> Collapses entire




  tree.




  <Expand All> Expands entire




  tree.




  <Back and Forward




  Navigation>: Navigates




  between searches.



Unused Items
Displays all items in the database not




used by the current project. The




following is a list of all the different




possible Unused Item types.




  Vocab Groups




  Vocab Terms




  Concept Groups




  Concepts




  Situation Group




  Units




  Static Files




  Input Files




  Cascades




  Resource Files



Search Tree
This field contains the following:




  Input Text Field: Searches




  cascades for specific text.




   <Search>: Executes search.




  <Search Options>: Opens




  Search Options window.




  Whole Word Only Checkbox:




  Limits search to complete word




  matches.



Right-Click Menu
Unused Items contains the following




right-click menu:




    Edit: Open edit




  window corresponding selected




  item.




    Delete: Delete selected




  item from the database.




   Add To Application: Adds




 selected item to the current project. Item




 will appear in its corresponding dockable




 window.









Resource Files

The Resource Files dockable window, as shown in FIG. 23, allows the user to view and edit all the Resource Files, or non-FPML files, in the project.
The Resource Files dockable window contains the following components:













Component
Description








Button bar
The button bar contains the following:




  <Add>: Opens Resource File




  Editor.




  <Edit>: Opens selected Resource file




  in Editor tab.




  <Delete>: Deletes selected




  Resource File.




  <Browse For Folder>: Opens a




  Browse window to search for




  Resource Files.




  <Refresh>: Refreshes Resource




  Files display.




  <New Window>: Opens copy of




  current window.




  <Collapse All> Collapses entire




  tree.




  <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




  <Back and Forward Navigation>:




  Navigates between searches.



Resource Files
Displays all Resource Files in the project.




  Resource Files



Search Tree
This field contains the following:




  Input Text Field: Searches cascades for




  specific text.




  <Search>: Executes search.




  <Search Options>: Opens Search




  Options window.




  Whole Word Only Checkbox:




  Limits search to complete word




  matches.



Right-Click Menu
Resource Files contains the following




 right-click




  menu:




  Add




    Resource File: Opens




     Resource File




      Editor.




    Directory: Opens




    Browse window to




    search for new Resource




    File




  Edit




    Properties: Opens




     Resource File




      Editor.




    File Contents: Opens




    selected Resource File




    in Editor tab.




    Delete: Delete selected file.




    Remove From




  Application: Removes selected




  file from current project, but




  does not delete it from the




  database.




    Show Applications:




  Displays all application that use




  selected file.




    Replace Text




    Replace In All Files: Opens




  Replace Text window.









Managing Projects

This section provides detailed instructions for creating projects and interacting with the project management tools. To create a new project, use the following procedure in connection with the user interfaces shown in FIGS. 24 and 25:

    
    
        1. Select File→New Project to open a Create New Project
        
            window.
        
        
        2. Type the Application Name.
        3. Click <Browse> under Local File Directory to select a local directory where the FPML files will be generated, or type the path in the Local File Directory text field.
        4. Click <Browse> under Lex Field Source to select a local directory where the lex file will be found, or type the path in the Local File Directory text field.
        5. Configure the Database Connection as follows:
        
            a. Select the Database Type from the drop-down menu
            b. Type in the Server Name in the appropriate field.
            c. Type in the Database Name in the appropriate field.
            d. Type in the User Name of your choice in the appropriate field.
            e. Type in the Password.
        
        
        6. Type in the Web Server Path or skip to step 6.
        7. Type in the Subversion Service or skip to step 7.
        8. Click on Chat Review or skip to step 9.
        9. Configure the Chat Review as follows:
        
            a. Type in the Display Name of the chat server. b. Type in the Connection String of the chat
            
                server.
            
            
            c. Select the Connection Provider for the chat server.
            d. Select the Dialect for the chat server.
            e. Select the Driver for the chat server.
            f. Click <Add>.
            g. Repeat steps a-g for each chat server to be added.
        
        
        10. Click <Create Project> to open the new project, or click <Cancel> to exit the Create New Project window without creating a new project.
    
    


To opening an existing project, using the user interface of FIG. 24, complete the following actions:

    
    
        1. Select File open Project
        2. Browse for the project (*.proj) you want to open.
        3. Click <Open> to open the selected project, or click <Cancel> to continue without opening a project.
    
    


Within Active Lab, configuration settings that may be changed are found in Application Editor. To change these configurations, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Select Application Data from the Admin menu to open Application
        
            Editor.
        
        
        2. Make any changes desired to the Name or skip to step 3.
        3. Make any changes desired to the Version or skip to step 4.
        4. Make any changes desired to the Approval Mode or skip to step 5.
        5. Change the lex file using the following procedure or skip to step 6.
        
            a. Click <Load File> to open a Browse window.
            b. Browse to the desired location and select the lex file.
            c. Click <Open>.
        
        
        6. Click <Upload File> to open a Browse window that will select an existing project or skip to step 7.
        7. Click <Download File> to open a Browse window to save the project as a (*.proj) file in selected directory or skip to step 8.
        8. Click <Save> to close the window and save changes OR click <Cancel> to close the window without saving changes.
    
    


Project deployment involves sending the project files from one location to another, usually from the user's local hard drive to a test or production environment. There are two methods of deployment: by email or by copying the project files to a shared directory. You may select one or both of these methods as the situation warrants.
Before deploying a project, the following steps can be used to ensure a stable set.

    
    
        1. Click <Generate All FPML> or select→File→Force Generate All FPML.
        2. Wait for FPML generation to complete.
        3. Close Active Lab.
        4. Reopen Active Lab.
        5. Open the project by selecting File→open Project and browsing to project file.
    
    


Once the above steps have been completed, it is very important not to do any other activity in Active Lab before you deploy, or it may interfere with the deployment. This means that after opening the project, you continue directly to the following steps, without doing any other activity.

    
    
        1. Select Admin→Deployment→Deploy FPML open
        
            Deploy FPML window as shown in FIG. 26.
        
        
        2. Click <Change Version> to open Application Editor (FIG. 27).
        3. Edit Version field to desired number.
        Click <Save>. Window will close.
        4. Return to Deploy FPML window.
        5. Click <Edit Configuration> to open Deployment Configuration window (FIG. 28) or skip to step 24.
        6. Click <Enable Copy Files> to deploy to a shared directory, or skip to step 12.
        7. Type or browse to the Deployment Destination Folder of your choice. This is where the deployed files will be copied.
        8. Select Create and Copy Zip File or Copy Project Folder.
        
            a. If Create and Copy Zip File is selected, enter
            
                Zip File Name in appropriate field.
            
            
        
        
        9. Select Copy Text-To-Speech File Share With Deployment
        
            (Optional).
        
        
        10. Select Create Deployment Log File (Optional).
        11. Click Email tab (FIG. 29) or skip to step 18.
        12. Type the Server Name in the first field. This should be your local network email server.
        13. Type the e-mail address the e-mail will originate from in the second field.
        14. Type in the email address to which the pertinent files will be sent in the Email Address List.
        15. Repeat step 10 as often as desired, one address per line.
        16. Select Attach Deployment Files With Email to ensure that the files will be sent. If this is not selected, the addresses listed will only receive a notification.
        17. Click Run External Program tab (FIG. 30) or skip to step 20.
        18. Type in or browse to appropriate file.
        19. Click Commit To Subversion tab or skip to step 22.
        20. Click <Commit Deployed Files to SVN>. (Optional)
        21. Click <Save> to close the window and save the deployment settings. The window will close
        22. Return to Deploy FPML window.
        23. Examine the Deployment Settings to ensure that all is in order.
        24. Examine Deployment Status. If it reads “Ready To Deploy,” click
        
            <Deploy>.

Creating a List of Units Requiring Audio Files

        
        
    
    


When the Unit responses have been finalized, one can generate a spreadsheet of the ones requiring new audio files. If you have previously imported voice files, this will be a two step process. First, generate a list of new requests; and secondly, generate a list of responses changed since the last recording.

    
    
        New Requests:
        
            1. Admin→Text-To-Speech to open Text-To-Speech File
            
                Management.
            
            
            2. Click on New File Requests tab
            3. Click <Dump New Requests to Excel>.
            4. Click <OK> in response to the “Please Choose an xml file” window.
            5. In the Save As window, choose a name and location for the file. Click <Save>.
            6. The file will be created and the results displayed in the Status field.
        
        
        Changed Responses:
        
            1. Admin→Text-To-Speech to open Text-To-Speech File Management.
            2. Click on Change File Requests tab
            3. Click <Dump Change Requests to Xml File>.
            4. Click <OK> in response to the “Please Choose an xml file” window.
            5. In the Save As window, choose a name and location for the file. Click <Save>.
            6. The file will be created and the results displayed in the Status field.
        
        
    
    


When updated with the names of the audio files, these spreadsheets can be used as TTS import files.
Vocabulary
Active Lab uses vocabulary to allow the user a way to define important terms in a project as well as group synonyms together in order to streamline the Concept, Unit building, and maintenance process. This section contains a description of the details and principles surrounding vocabulary as well as instructions on creating and maintaining vocabulary within Active Lab.
Vocabulary is at the core of defining a Knowledge Base. Concepts and Units build on the foundation of vocabulary. The purpose of vocabulary is to group synonymous words together to be used in formulating input patterns for Concepts and Units. Vocabulary also vastly streamlines the maintenance involved in managing a KB.
The way that vocabulary is streamlined in the KB is by grouping synonyms together under a single label, called a Vocab Term. Synonyms can include any unambiguous synonyms, misspellings, tenses, pluralities, and/or possessive forms. Together, a list of Synonyms and its corresponding Vocab Term are known as a Vocab.
Vocab functions as a substitution algorithm: when a word is entered, it is substituted for its corresponding Vocab Term. This way, only the Vocab Term needs to be used when creating patterns later on. Vocab Terms are organized into Vocab Groups, mainly for organizational purposes. Vocab Groups can then be assigned to different cascades. Vocab is primarily viewed in the Vocab dockable window (See FIG. 31), which allows the user to view all the Vocab Terms associated with the currently open project.
The Vocab dockable window contains the following components:











Component
Descriptio







Button Bar
The button row contains the following buttons:



  <Add>: Adds new Vocab Term.



  <Edit>: Opens Vocab Editor with selected term



  loaded.



  <Delete>: Deletes the selected Vocab



  Term, and all of its synonyms from the



  project.



  <Show Dependencies>: Shows the Concepts



  and Building Blocks that use the selected



  Vocab Term.



  <Refresh>: Refreshes Vocab display and



  collapses open groups.



  <New Window>: Opens copy of current



  window.



  <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree.



  <Expand All> Expands entire tree.



  <Back and Forward Navigation>:



  Navigates between searches.


Vocab display tree
 This tree shows vocabulary organized as follows:



  Vocab Group



    Vocab Term



      Synonym



  Expand and Collapse: these expand and



  collapse Vocab Groups to show Vocab



  Terms, and Vocab Terms to show



  synonyms.


Search Tree
This field contains the following:



  Input Text Field: Searches cascades for



  specific text.



  <Search>: Executes search.



  <Search Options>: Opens Search Options



  window.



  Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits



  search to complete word matches.









The Vocab dockable window has three different right-click menus (shown in FIG. 32) that appear, based on whether one right-clicks on the Vocab Group, Vocab Term, or Synonym. The following selections are available:











Selection
Description







Add
  Vocab Group: opens Add New



  Vocab Group.



  Vocab Term: opens Vocab



  Editor.



  Synonym: Opens Vocab Editor



  with highlighted Vocab loaded.


Edit
Opens selected item for editing in its



respective window.


Delete
Deletes selected item from the project.


Show Applications
Shows all applications that use selected


(Vocab Group only)
Vocab Group.


Remove From Application
Removes selected Vocab Group from


(Vocab Group only)
current project. Vocab Group can now be



found in Unused Items.


Show Dependencies
Shows all Concepts and Building Blocks


(Vocab Term only)
using the term.


Create Concept
Creates a Concept in the Concept tab using



current Vocab Term.


View File
Views FPML file containing current Vocab



Term in the Edit tab.









Vocab Groups are sets of Vocab Terms that are categorically similar. For instance, the Vocab Terms “dog,” “cat,” and “parrot” might be placed in a Vocab Group called “animals.” Vocab Groups are used to simplify Vocab management within cascades and projects. Individual groups can be added and removed from projects, and can be moved around, in, and between cascades. Each Vocab Term can only belong to one Vocab Group.
The Add New Vocab Group window (FIG. 33) consists of the following components:













Component
Description








Group
The desired group name.



Required
Check to assign Vocab Group to a



Cascade Group
The desired cascade group.



<OK>
Confirms Vocab Group creation.



<Cancel>
Closes window without creating new




group.









Vocab Terms are used to simplify maintenance of Concepts and Units by converting all synonymous words into a single term. Thus, Vocab Terms act as a form of substitution. In cases of ambiguous synonyms, create two separate Vocab Terms to be placed in a Building Block together later on. Vocab Terms are created via the Vocab Editor (See FIG. 34), which is accessed by either right-clicking in Vocab or by clicking <Add> in Vocab. The following are components found in the Vocab Editor window:














Component
Function









Group
Drop-down list for the group to which




the term will belong



Vocab Term
 This field contains the following




components:




    Button Row: Contains




      <Add>: adds term to




       Vocab Group.




      <Edit>: edits natural




       language or term.




      <Show Dependencies>:




       Shows all Concepts and




       Building Blocks in which




       the term appears.




   Natural Language: Text field for




   the word as it would appear




   in natural language.




   Term: Text field for the term as it




   is listed in Vocab. Typically,




   this ends in “-vocab” (“help”




   would be “helpvocab”).




   Add Plural Forms: Selection, if




   checked, adds all terms




   synonyms with an “s” on the




   end. Default: not selected.




    Add Possessive Forms:




   Selection, if checked, adds a




   version of each synonym ending in




   “‘s.”



Synonyms tab
This field contains the following:




   Display: list of all manually




   typed synonyms in the term.




   Input Field for the entry of




   synonyms.




      <Add>: Adds synonym to




       term.




      <Update>: Makes




       changes to selected




       synonym.




      <Delete>: Deletes




       selected synonym.




      <Cancel>: Cancels




       changes made to




       synonym.



Comments tab
 This field contains the following:




   Display: The current comment for




   the Vocab.




   The comments display will be




   marked with one of the




    following icons:




       Currently no comments.




       Comments exist for this




      vocab.




   The following buttons are used:




      <Save Comments>:




       Save current comments.




      <Clear Comments>:




       clears all comments.



<Close>
Closes the Vocab Editor window.










Helper Terms are commonly used words and phrases that are used to build sentences, and have no synonyms or common misspellings, such as “is,” “or,” or “but.” Helper Terms are also used for words that should not be made into Vocab, especially those that are only necessary for a single Concept or Unit. Some names/proper nouns that you want to reuse in response may be used as Helper Terms. Helper Terms can be used anywhere Vocab is used, and also directly in Units. The Helper Terms dockable window is shown in FIG. 35 and includes the following components:














Component
Description









Button Row
Row of buttons contains:




   <Add>: Add new Helper Term.




    <Edit>: Opens Edit Helper Term




   with selected Helper Term loaded.




    <Delete>: Deletes selected Helper




   Term from the project.




    <Show Dependencies>: Shows all




   Concepts and Units that use




   selected Helper Term.




   <Refresh>: Reloads Helper Terms




   display.




   <New Window>: Opens copy of




   current window.




   <Collapse All> Collapses entire




   tree.




   <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




    <Back and Forward Navigation>:




    Navigates between searches.



Display
List of all Helper Terms defined in the




project.



Search Tree
 This field contains the following:




   Input Text Field: Searches cascades for




   specific text.




   <Search>: Executes search.




   <Search Options>: Opens Search




   Options window.




   Whole Word Only Checkbox:




   Limits search to complete word




   matches.










The Add New Helper Term and Edit Helper Term windows (see FIG. 36) both contain the following components:














Component
Description









Term field
Helper Term name



<OK>
Confirms creation or change of Helper Term



<Cancel>
Closes window without creating or




editing Helper Term.










Building Blocks serve as a means to group related Vocab and Helper Terms and Concepts together. There are two types of Building Blocks: Standard and Phrase.
Standard Building Blocks provide a useful means for associating terms or Concepts that are commonly though not always related to one another, specifically ambiguous Vocab, or words with multiple meanings based on context, such as “arm,” which can mean a part of the body or to ready a weapon.
Phrase Building Blocks are used to group short patterns of Vocab and/or Helper Terms together in a particular order. When a phrase Building Block is used in an input pattern, that pattern will only trigger when an input is received that exactly matches the order, from top to bottom, that is listed in the Building Block.
Building Blocks composed of Concepts are represented by a first type of icon, while those composed of Vocab Terms are represented by a second type of icon. Vocab and Helper Term Building Blocks can be used in Concept input patterns, while Concept Building Blocks can be used in Unit input patterns.
Building Blocks can be nested. This means that Building Blocks can be used to make other Building Blocks. Building Blocks has a dockable window shown in FIG. 37 and contains the following components:














Component
Description









Button Row
Contains the following buttons:




   <Add>: Opens Building Block




   Editor.




   <Edit>: Opens Building Block




   Editor with selected Building Block




   loaded.




   <Delete>: Deletes selected Building




   Block.




   <Show Dependencies>: Shows all




   Concepts or Units in which the




   selected Building Block appears.




   <Refresh>: Reloads Building




   Blocks display.




   <New Window>: Opens copy of




   current window.




   <Collapse All> Collapses entire




   tree.




   <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




    <Back and Forward Navigation>:




    Navigates between searches.



Display
Lists Building Blocks and their constituent




parts.



Search Tree
 This field contains the following:




   Input Text Field: Searches cascades for




    specific text.




   <Search>: Executes search.




   <Search Options>: Opens Search




   Options window.




   Whole Word Only Checkbox:




   Limits search to complete word




   matches.










Building Block Editor (FIG. 38) allows the user to create new standard and phrase Building Blocks, populate it with pre-existing Vocab, Helper Terms, and Concepts, and edit its contents. The Building Block Editor contains the following components:














Component
Description









Building Block
 This field contains the following:




   Name: Text field for Building




   Block name.




   Type: Choose type of building




   block:




      Standard




      Phrase




   Button Row: Contains the following




   buttons:




      <Add>: Adds the Building




      Block to the project.




      <Edit Name>: Updates




      changes to the name.




      <Show Dependencies>:




      Shows all Concepts and Units




      that use the Building Block.



Terms
Contains the following:




   Display: List of Vocab Terms,




   Helper Terms, and/or Concepts in




   the Building Block.




This field contains the following:




   Name: Text field for Building




   Block name.




      <Remove Component>:




      Deletes selected term from the




      current Building Block.




      <Edit Term>: Edit selected




      item in its own pop up




      window.




      <Show Term




      Dependencies>: Shows




      dependencies of selected




      term in pop up window.




      <Show Term In Main




      Window>: Display selected




      term in its corresponding




      dockable window.




      <Move Up/Down>: Move term




      up or down relative to the other




      terms in the Building Block.




      Only available for Building




      Block phrases.



Search
Same as Search dockable window.



<Close>
Closes window.










Managing Vocabulary

This section describes how to create, edit, and delete Vocab Groups, Vocab Terms, Helper Terms, and Building Blocks. Creating a Vocab Group can be performed in the following way.

    
    
        1. In the Vocab dockable window, right click anywhere and select Add→New Vocab Group to open the Add New Vocab Group window (FIG. 39).
        2. In the Add New Vocab Group window, enter a name for the group in the Group field.
        3. Select the appropriate cascade group from the Cascades Group drop-down menu. Note: for Vocab Groups, the selection should end in “vocab”. Most words will be found in the General_Vocabulary cascade.
        4. Click the <OK> button to add the Vocab Group to the database OR click <Cancel> to continue without adding the Vocab Group to the database.
    
    


Because Vocab Groups are shared across projects that share the same database, deleting a Vocab Group from the database affects the functionality of all projects attached to it. For this reason, it is best to remove the group from the project rather than deleting it from the database. Note: Vocab Groups may only be removed if they have no dependencies. To remove a Vocab Group from a project, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Vocab, right-click on the desired Vocab Group and select Remove From Application.
        2. The group will disappear from the list.
    
    


As noted above, it is generally not recommended to delete Vocab Groups. However, should it be necessary to delete a Vocab Group from the database altogether, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Select the desired Vocab Group and click <Delete> OR right-click on the desired Vocab Group and select Delete.
        2. In the Confirm Delete dialogue, click <Yes> to delete the group OR click <No> to close the dialogue without deleting.
    
    


To create Vocab terms, consider the following in connection with FIG. 40:

    
    
        1. Right click on an empty portion of the Vocab dockable window and select Add New Vocab Term OR click the <Add> button at the top of the window.
        2. Select the Group to which the Vocab Term will belong from the drop-down menu.
        3. Type the Natural Language form of the term.
        4. Select Add Plural Forms and/or Add Possessive Forms if desired.
        5. Click <Add> or press the <enter> key, which will generate the name for the term.
        6. Click in the Synonym text field
        7. Type the desired synonym and press <Enter> or click <Add> to add the synonym to the list.
        8. Repeat steps 6-7 for each additional synonym.
        9. Click the <Close> button when finished.
    
    


Adding new synonyms can be accomplished as follows:

    
    
        1. Right click on an existing Vocab Term and select Add→Synonym, OR double-click on said existing Vocab Term OR highlight the desired Vocab Term and click
        
             <Edit> to open the Vocab Editor window.
        
        
        2. Click on the Synonyms text field.
        3. Type the desired synonym and press <Enter> or click <Add>.
        4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for each additional synonym you wish to add.
        5. Click the <Close> button when finished.
    
    


Editing a Vocab Term can take the form of adding or deleting synonyms, changing the title of the term, or changing the Vocab Group to which it belongs. To edit an existing Vocab Term use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Open the Vocab Editor window either by right clicking the desired Vocab Term and selecting Edit OR double-clicking on said Vocab Term OR highlighting the
        
            Vocab Term and clicking the <Add> button.
        
        
        2. Make any desired changes to the Natural Language field, Term field, or Group drop-down menu, and click the <Edit Names or Vocab Group> button.
        3. Select a synonym from the Synonyms display. Make any changes as needed in the Synonyms field, and click
        
            <Update>.
        
        
    
    


Editing a synonym in Vocab Editor uses the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Double click on the synonym you wish to edit.
        2. Modify the text in the Synonym text field as desired.
        3. Click <Update> to add the changes to the term OR click <Cancel> to cancel the changes.
        4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each synonym to be edited.
        5. Click <Close> to close the window.
    
    


To delete synonyms, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Double-click on the desired synonym in the Synonyms display list.
        2. Click <Delete>.
        3. In the Confirm Delete dialogue, click <Yes> to delete the synonym OR click <No> to close the dialogue without deleting.
        4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each synonym to be deleted.
        5. Click <Close> to close the window.
    
    


To remove a Vocab Term from a project:

    
    
        1. Right click on the Vocab Term in question and select Delete OR select the term and click <Delete>.
        2. In the Confirm Delete dialogue, click <Yes> to delete the term OR click <No> to close the dialogue without deleting.
    
    


To create a Helper Term, consider the following in connection with FIG. 41.

    
    
        1. In the Helper Terms dockable window, click the <Add> button, or right click in the window and select Add, either of which will open the Add New Helper Term window.
        2. Type the desired term in the Term field
        3. Click <OK> to save the term, or click <Cancel> to close the window and continue without adding the term.
    
    


With respect to editing Helper Terms, consider the following in connection with FIG. 42.

    
    
        1. In Helper Terms, select the desired Helper Term and click <Edit> OR right-click on the desired Helper Term and select Edit, OR double-click on the desired Helper Term to open Edit Helper Term.
        2. Make any changes desired to the text in the Term field.
        3. Click <OK> to close the window and save the changes OR click <Cancel> to close the window without saving the changes.
    
    


With respect to deleting Helper Terms, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Helper Terms, select the desired Helper Term.
        2. Click <Delete> OR right click on the term and select Delete.
        3. In the Confirm Delete box that appears, click <OK> to delete the file OR click <Cancel> to close the box without deleting the term.
    
    


With respect to creating, editing and deleting Building Blocks, consider the following in connection with FIG. 43.
To create a Building Block, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In the Building Blocks dockable window, click the <Add> button OR right click anywhere in the window and select Add from the right click menu, either of which will open up the Building Block Editor window.
        2. Type name for the Building Block in the Name field and click <Add> or press <Enter>.
        3. Select a Standard or Phrase from the Type dropdown.
        4. Drag and drop Vocab Terms, Helper Terms, or Building Blocks from the Vocab, Helper Terms, or Building Block dockable windows OR drag and drop Concepts from the Concepts dockable window OR manually type the a term into the text field at in the Search section of the Building Block Editor, press <Search>, and drag and drop the results into the Terms display. A Building Block may contain either vocabulary (Vocab and Helper Terms) or Concepts.
        5. Click <Close> when done.
    
    


To edit a Building Block, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Select the desired Building Block and click <Edit> OR double-click on the desired Building Block OR right-click on the desired Building Block and select Edit to open Building Block Editor.
        2. Add new components to the Building Block by using the steps described above or skip to step 3.
        3. Remove the desired terms/Concepts or skip to step 4. a. Double-click on the desired term or Concept. b. Click <Remove>.
        4. Click <Close>.
    
    


To delete a Building Block, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Select the desired Building Block in Building Blocks.
        2. Click <Delete> OR right-click to open the right-click menu and select Delete.
        3. In the Confirm Delete box, click <OK> to delete the Building Block OR click <Cancel> to close the box without deleting the Building Block.

Concepts

    
    


Concepts can serve as the middle step in the Vocab, Concept, and Unit process. It is an important step in the process that defines the meanings behind groups of words and phrases. This section details what a Concept is, as well as the processes involved in creating and editing Concepts.
In the English language, groups of words and phrases can imply a particular meaning. This meaning could be a goal, as in the phrase, “tell me about”, or it can be an idea, such as “a refreshing drink”. A group of all the possible phrasings that can define a meaning is known as a Concept. These Concepts are then used to create input patterns for any number of Units later on.
The Basics of Concepts
Concepts are composed of input patterns of Vocab Terms, Building Blocks, Wild Cards, and Helper Terms. A Concept is considered triggered (or “hit”) when it receives an input pattern that completely matches at least one of its patterns.
Concept Groups
Concepts are organized into groups by subject matter. The placement of Concept Groups in a cascade determines load order, and whether they are “Best Match,” or “Match All.” If a Concept Group is in a cascade labeled “Best Match,” only the constituent Concept with the best matching input pattern is triggered. If, on the other hand, the Concept Group is in a cascade labeled “Match All,” any Concept in this cascade having an input pattern matching the user's input will trigger.
Material Concepts
Knowledge Bases created by Active Lab can be used for many different things, even the use of functions not currently supported by the Lab. One of these uses is to help create Information Retrieval (IR) databases, which are used for other advance types of searching.
For use with these IR searches, Active Lab has the functionality to mark a Concept as a Material Concept, which will have a specific functionality within the IR search.
Generic Concept
For every Concept Group, one Concept can be marked as the Generic Concept. The Generic Concept will trigger any time any Concept triggers from that Concept Group.
Concepts Dockable Window
The Concepts dockable window, as shown in FIG. 44, allows the user to view, create, and manage Concepts and Concept Groups using a simple drag-and-drop interface. Concepts contain the following components:














Component
Description









Button Bar
The button bar contains the following




(along with their corresponding right-click menu




selections):




   <Add>: Creates new Concept.




   <Edit>: Opens Concepts with




   selected Concept loaded for editing.




   <Delete>: Deletes selected Concept from




   project.




   <Show Dependencies>: Shows all




   Units and Building Blocks in which




    the selected Concept appears.




   <Refresh>: Refreshes display list




   <New Window>: Opens copy of




   current window.




   <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree.




   <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




   <Back and Forward Navigation>:




    Navigates between searches.



Concepts
 Display lists all available Concepts in their




   respective groups thusly:




   (red icon) Match All Concept




   Group




    (blue icon) Best Match Concept




   Group




      Concept




       Material Concept



Search Tree
 This field contains the following:




   Input Text Field: Searches cascades for




   specific text.




   <Search>: Executes search.




   <Search Options>: Opens Search




   Options window.




   Whole Word Only Checkbox:




   Limits search to complete word




   matches.










Concepts also has two right-click menu options, as shown in FIG. 45: the first option comes from right-clicking a Concept Group, the second from right-clicking a Concept. The right-click menu options have the following components:











Component
Description







Add
    concept Group: opens Add New



   Concept Group.



    concept: opens Concept Editor



   tab, with Concept Group field set



   to current Concept Group.


Cascade Print Status To Concepts (from
Changes the print status of all Concepts in


Concept Group)
selected Concept Group to the print status of



the Concept Group.


Delete
Deletes selected Concept or Concept



Group.


Edit (from Concept Group)
Opens Edit Concept Group window.


Edit (from Concept)
     In Main Editor: opens Concept



   in Concept Editor in main window.



     In Pop-Up: opens Concept



   Editor in its own pop-up window.


Generate Concept Group FPML (from
Generate FPML file for selected Concept


Concept Group)
Group


Remove From Application (from Concept
Removes selected Concept Group from the


Group)
current project.


Set All Child Concepts Immaterial (from
Changes the status of all Concepts in


Concept Group)
selected Concept Group to Not Material


Set All Child Concepts Material (from
Changes the status of all Concepts in


Concept Group)
selected Concept Group to Material


Set/Clear Generic Concept
Set or clear Concept as the Generic



Concept for its Concept Group.


Set Material/Not Material (from Concept)
Toggle the status of Concept between



Material and Not Material.


Set Print Status
Sets Print Status of selected item to:



      Test



      Production



      InActive


Show Applications (from Concept Group)
Shows all applications selected Concept



Group is used in.


Show Dependencies (from Concept)
Opens Dependencies window and shows



all dependencies of selected Concept.


View File
Opens FPML file of selected Concept



Group in Editor tab of the main window.









Concepts Editor Tab

Concepts are comprised of two principle components: tests and patterns. Patterns are made up of Vocab Terms, Helper Terms, Building Blocks, and Wild Cards and determine what phrases trigger the Concept. Tests are ways to make sure that the Concept is working as intended. FIG. 46 and the following table lists the components available at the top of the Concept Editor tab. (This does not include tabs within the Concept Editor, which are described later on.)











Component
Description







Group
 This field contains the following:



   Drop-down list: The name of the



   group to which the Concept



   will belong.



   <Add>: Adds a new Unit to a



   giVen group.



   <Show Dependencies>: Opens the



   Show Dependencies



   window, which displays all of the



   components affected by the



   Concept.



   <Show in Main Tree>: Opens



   Concept in Concept dockable



   window.



   <Find in FPML File>: Opens



   Concept file in Editor.



   <Forward> and <Back>:



   Navigates between previously



   opened Concepts.


Hide Narne Checkbox
Check to not allow the Concept to be



passed out of its cascade. Default not



checked.


Material Concept Checkbox
Check to change status of the Concept



to Material. Default not checked.


Name
Text field: Shows the name of the



Concept.


<Create>
Creates the new Concept.


<Update>
Updates any changes to the name of the



Unit.


Print Status
This dropdown contains the following



options:



   Test



   Production



   InActive


<Advanced View> selection
Makes the Components, Match



Condition, Comments, and Response



blocks tabs visible.


Tabs
The default tabs of Concepts are Tests



and Patterns









Tests Tab

Tests allows the user to create and edit test questions. Test questions represent user inputs that should cause the Concept to trigger. When looking at the set of test questions, it is best to consider the ideas involved. Ideal test questions should represent complete user inputs. In this manner, each Concept can be tested to see how it interacts with other Concepts. Test questions serve as a useful guide for the creation of input patterns. The Tests tab, as shown in FIG. 47, found under Concepts functions in much the same way as the main Tests tab, though it focuses solely on the tests for the open Concept. Tests contains the following components:














Component
Description









Button Bar
 The button bar contains the following:




   <Run Tests>: Runs tests to ensure that




   Concept is triggered when




   expected.




   <Refresh>: Clears information from




   tests so that they may be run from




   the beginning.




    <Collapse All> Collapses test tree.




   <Expand All> Expands test tree.




    <Edit Test Question>: Allows user




   to edit a selected test question from




   the Test Questions box. Note: a test




   question must be selected in order




   for this button to function.




   <Delete Test Question>: Allows




   user to delete a selected test




   question from the Test Questions




   display. Note: a test question must be




   selected in order for this button to




   function.




   <Set Question Active/Inactive>:




   Toggles a questions status as either




   active or inactive. Inactive questions




   are not tested, and do not affect the




   status of the Concept.




    <Debug Question>: Opens Debug




   tab and displays the processes that




   led to the test's result.




    <Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens




   Tests tab with all Concepts whose




   input patterns include any item in




   the selected Concept's input pattern, as




   well as all Units using that Concept.



Test Questions
This field contains the following:




   Display: Displays all test question




   inputs by the user, as well as their




   test status. A green circle indicates that




   the test succeeded; a yellow circle




   indicates that the test has yet to be run




   or is InActive; and a red circle indicates




   that the test failed.




   Text input field: Input test questions




   here.




      <Add>: Adds test question from




      Test Questions field to the Test




      Questions box.




      <Update>: Updates changes




      made to selected test question in




   Test Questions field.




 <Delete>: Deletes selected test question from




 Test Questions box.










Tests also includes a right-click menu, as shown in FIG. 48, when you click on a test question and contains the following components:











Component
Description







Edit
Copies test question into Test Questions



field below.


Delete
Deletes selected test question.


Debug Question
Opens Debugger in main window with



selected test question loaded.


Copy Text
Copies selected test into Windows



clipboard


Set Question Active/Inactive
Toggles selected test question between



Active and InActive status.









Patterns, as shown in FIG. 49, allows the user to create and edit input patterns for the Concept and contains the following components:














Component
Description









Button Bar
The button bar contains the following:




   <Add>: Adds a blank pattern.




   <Refresh>: Refreshes display and




   collapse all pattern trees.




   <Collapse All> Collapses tree.




   <Expand All> Expands tree.




   <Edit>: Allows user to edit pattern




   name, position, and proximity/order




   selections.




   <Delete>: Deletes selected pattern.




   <Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens




   Tests tab with all Concepts whose




   input patterns include any item in




   the selected Concept's input pattern,




   as well as all Units using that




   Concept.



Patterns
Displays all the patterns created for the




Concept. Input patterns are represented




thusly:




   Active input pattern




   Inactive input pattern



Edit Pattern
This field contains the following:




   Position: Allows user to select




   where the pattern must be located in




   the input in order to trigger the




   Concept. There are four options:




       AnyWhere




      Beginning




      End




      Entire




      Substitute




   Order Matters checkbox: When




   selected, Vocab Terms in input




   must be in the same order as




   displayed in the pattern to trigger.




   Default: selected.




   Proximity Matters checkbox:




   When selected, the Vocab Terms in




   the pattern must be adjacent in the




   input in order to trigger. Default:




   selected.




   <Save>: Saves changes made to




   Position, and Order/Proximity




   selections.










The tabs shown in FIG. 50 are only available when <Advanced View> is selected. Advanced Tabs has the following components:











Tab
Description







Components
 This tab allows the user to add Variables,



 Function Calls, AppCalls, and Record Lists to



 the Concept.


Match Condition
 This tab allows the user to create and edit



 pre- and post-conditions.


Comments
 This tab allows the user to leave comments



 associated with the Concept. Note: Comments



do not in any way affect the functioning of the



software, as they are intended to allow the



user to comment on the thought processes and



reasoning that went into the designing of the



Concept.


Response Blocks
 In this tab, the user may input response



blocks in conjunction with the Response



Blocks dockable window. For more



information.









As discussed earlier, the Concepts Builder function is accessed either by means of the Concepts Editor tab, or by right clicking in the Concepts dockable window.
Creating a New Concepts Group
New Concept Groups are created using the following procedure in connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 51:

    
    
        1. Right click on a blank space in the Concepts dockable window and select Add→concept Group to open the Add New Concept Group window.
        2. Enter the name of the new Concept Group in the Group field.
        3. Choose a Print Status from the Print Status drop.
        4. Select a Cascade Group from the Cascade Group drop-down menu.
        5. Click <OK> to create the new Concept group OR click <Cancel> to close the window without creating a new Concept Group.

Adding New Concepts

    
    


New Concepts can be added using the following procedure in connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 52:

    
    
        1. Click <Add> in the Concepts dockable window OR right click on blank space in the Concepts dockable window and select Add→concept, which opens the Concept Editor tab, or Click <Add> in the Concept Editor tab of the main display.
        2. Choose Concept Group from drop-down menu.
        3. Enter the name of the Concept in the Name field
        4. Click <Create>.

Adding Questions

    
    


Once a Concept has been created, the user can add test questions on the Tests tab using the following procedure in connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 53:

    
    
        1. Type the question in the Test Question field. Note: For Concepts, test questions are often single words or short phrases; however there is no limit to the size of test question.
        2. Click <Add> or press <Enter>
        3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 as often as desired.

Creating Patterns

    
    


To add Vocab Terms to a Concept pattern, use the following procedure in connection with the user interface shown in FIG. 54:

    
    
        1. In the Patterns tab, click the <Add> button to generate a blank pattern.
        2. Open the Vocab dockable window and select a Vocab Term.
        3. Drag and drop the selected Vocab Term into the blank pattern.
        4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as often as desired.
        5. If needed, select Helper Terms and Building Blocks from the Helper Terms or Building Blocks dockable windows and drag and drop them into the pattern.
        6. Drag and drop to edit the order of the input pattern.
        7. Select <Order Matters> and/or <Proximity Matters> if desired.
        8. Select Position from drop-down if desired.
        9. Click <Save> if steps 7 or 8 have been followed.
        10. Repeat steps 1-9 to create as many input patterns as desired.

Generating Files

    
    


Once patterns for either Concepts or Units have been changed, it is necessary for the FPML files themselves to be generated. There are currently two options:

    
    
        <Generate All FPML>: This will generate all FPML files for the project.
        <Generate FPML (Change Only)>: This will generate only the FPML files that have recently changed in the database.

Testing Patterns

    
    


Once test questions and patterns have been added to the Concept, it is necessary to run a test to ensure correct patterns have been used.

    
    
        1. Click <Run Tests> in the Tests tab. The dialogue box in FIG. 55 will only appear if changes have been made to the database (i.e.: a pattern has been changed):
        2. Click <Yes> to generate FPML (Changes Only) and run test or Click <No> to not generate FPML. The dialogue box in FIG. 56 will only appear if <No> was selected from the Generate Files dialogue box.
        3. Click <Yes> to run tests, or click <No> to not run tests.
    
    


When the test is completed, the results will show in the Test Questions display next to each question. As discussed above, a green circle indicates success, a yellow circle indicates the Concept was untested or has been marked as InActive, and a red circle indicates failure.
Editing Concepts
Editing a Concept works as follows:

    
    
        1. Find the Concept in the Concepts dockable window.
        2. Double click on the Concept, which will open it in the Concept Editor tab OR right click on the Concept and select Edit→In Main Editor or Edit→In Pop-Up.
        3. Make any changes desired.

Deleting Concepts

    
    


To delete a Concept, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In the Concepts dockable window, Select the Concept to be deleted and click <Delete> OR right click on a Concept and select Delete.
        2. In the Confirm Delete dialogue, click <Yes> to delete the Concept and close the dialogue OR click <No> to close the dialogue without deleting.

Removing Concept Groups

    
    


Because Concept Groups are shared by every project that accesses a given database, they may only be removed from the given project using the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Right-click on the Concept Group to be removed and select Remove from the right-click menu.

Units

    
    


Units are the primary form of response to user input. A response is what results from user input. Units ensure that the appropriate responses appear for the each user input. The response may be as simple as a plain text output, or as complex as a series of Application Calls (AppCalls) that trigger specific actions, or any combination thereof. When preparing a Unit, it is important to consider the kinds of questions to which it will respond. What are the key phrases or words that are likely to show up in questions that should trigger the Unit?
What question is the Unit supposed to answer? The answers to these questions will influence the user's choice of Concepts and the structure of the patterns.
In order to trigger the Unit, an input must match all the Concepts and Helper Terms in at least one of the input patterns of the Unit. It is often helpful to determine the Unit's response first, as that will in turn define which questions it will answer.
Units are organized into sets called Situation Groups according to their subject matter. Like Concept Groups, Situation Groups are placed under cascades, except they are set to “Best Match.” The placement of these cascades in the load order is usually last, because the Unit cascade outputs the response.
The Units Dockable Window
The Units dockable window, shown in FIG. 57, allows the user to view, create, and manage Units and Situation Groups through simple drag and drop functionality. You can also search for Units by name using the Search field. Units contains the following components:











Component
Description







Button Bar
The button bar contains the following:



   <Add>, Add Unit: Adds new



   Unit.



   <Edit>, Edit: Edits selected Situation or



   Unit.



   <Delete>, Delete: Deletes selected



   Situation or Unit.



   <Show Dependencies>: shows



   dependencies and Web Links for



   selected Unit.



   <Refresh>: Refreshes Units display.



   <New Window>: Opens copy of



   current window.



   <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree.



   <Expand All> Expands entire tree.



   <Back and Forward Navigation>:



   Navigates between searches.


Approval Search
Searches Content Management System for



Units matching the Approval Status.



   <Search>: Executes search.



   Content Management System drop-



   down: Choose content management



   system assigned to current project.



   Approval Status drop-down:



   Chooses type of search.



      Approved



      Disapproved



      Pending


Units
Display lists responses and Units in their



respective Situation Groups as follows:



   Situation Group



      Unit



         Unit Response


Search Tree
 This field contains the following:



   Input Text Field: Searches cascades for



   specific text.



   <Search>: Executes search.



   <Search Options>: Opens Search



   Options window.



   Whole Word Only Checkbox:



   Limits search to complete word



   matches.









Unit contains two right-click menus as shown in FIG. 58. One is accessed from the Situation Group, the other from the Unit. The right-click menus have the following components:











Component
Description







Add
    situation Group: opens Add



   New Situation.



    unit: opens Unit Editor tab,



   with Situation field set to current



   Situation.


Cascade Print Status To All Units
Changes the print status of all Units in


(from
selected Situation to the print status of the


Situation)
Situation.


Delete
Deletes selected Concept or Concept



Group


Edit (from Situation)
Opens Edit Situation window.


Edit (from Unit)
    In Main Editor: opens Unit in



   Unit Editor in main window.



    In Pop-Up Editor: opens Unit



  Builder in its own pop-up window.


Generate Situation FPML (from
Generate FPML file for selected Situation.


Situation)


Remove From Application (from
Remove selected Situation Group from


Situation)
current project. Does not delete from database.



The Situation Group can now be found in



Unused Items.


Request Approval (from Unit)
Submits selected Unit to Web Approval



Tool.


Set Print Status
Sets Print Status of selected item to:



    Test



    Production



    InActive


Show Applications (from Situation)
Shows all applications in which selected



Situation Group is used.


Show Change Requests
Opens Unit Requests window and shows



all change requests for selected Unit.


Show Dependencies (from Unit)
Opens Dependencies window and shows all



dependencies of selected Unit.


Submit Child Units For Approval (from
Submits all Units in Selected situation to


Situation)
the Web Approval Tool.


View File
Opens FPML file of selected Situation or



Unit in Editor tab of the main window.









The Unit Editor Tab

The Unit builder function can be accessed through Unit Editor as shown in FIG. 59, or by right clicking on blank space in Units dockable window and selecting Add→unit, or by double clicking on any Unit in Units dockable window. The Unit builder function has three main tabs: Tests, Patterns, and Response, as well as a set of advanced tabs. Unit Editor contains the following components:














Component
Description









Button Bar
This field contains the following:




   <Add>: Adds a new Unit to a given




   group.




    <Show Dependencies>: Opens the




   Show Dependencies window,




   which displays all of the components




   affected by the Unit.




    <Show In Main Tree>: Highlights




   Unit in Units dockable window.




   <Find In FPML File> Opens FPML




   file of current Unit in Editor tab.




   <Forward> & <Back>: Navigates




   between previously opened Units.




   <View Directives>: Opens




   Directives dockable window.




   <Open Directive Editor>: Opens




   Directive Builder with current Unit




   loaded.



Situation
    Drop-down list: Select the name of




   the Situation Group to which the




   Unit will belong.



Name
This field contains the name of the Unit.



<Create>
Creates new Unit.



<Update>
Saves any changes to Situation, Name, and




Print Status fields.



Print Status
Change Print Status of Unit to the




following options:




   Production




   Test




   InActive



<Advanced
Makes the Components, Match



View> selection
Condition, Comments, Response blocks,




Nested Units, and Text-To-Speech tabs




visible. Default: Not selected.



Tabs
The following default tabs are available




normally:




   Tests: Allows user to manage test




   questions for Unit.




   Patterns: Allows user to manage




   input patterns for Unit.










Tests, as shown in FIG. 60, allows the user to create and edit test questions. Test questions represent user inputs that should cause the Unit to trigger. When looking at the set of test questions, it is best to consider the ideas involved. Ideal test questions should represent complete user inputs. In this manner, each Unit can be tested to see how it interacts with other Units. Test questions serve as a useful guide for the creation of input patterns. Tests contains the following components:











Component
Description







Button bar
 The button bar contains the following:



  <Run Tests>: Runs tests on the questions



  input by the user for the Unit.



  <Reload Tests>: Reloads tests.



  <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree.



  <Expand All> Expands entire tree.



  <Edit Test Question>: Allows the user to edit



  the selected test question.



  <Delete>: Allows the user to delete the



  selected test question.



  <Set Question Active/Inactive>: Toggles



  active/inactive for a question. Default for all



  questions is Active. When inactive, tests are not



  performed on the question.



  <Debug Question>: Opens Debug tab,



  allowing the user to view the response



  generated in response to the question, and the



  processes leading up to said response.



  <Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens Tests tab



  with all Concepts used in the Unit input



  patterns, as well as all Units using those



  Concepts.


Test Questions
This field contains the following:



  Display: Displays all Test Questions input by the



  user, as well as their test status. A green



  circle indicates that the tests succeeded; a yellow



  circle indicates that the test has yet to be run or is



  InActive; and a red circle indicates that the test



  failed.



  Text Field: Type test questions here.



    <Add>: Adds test questions to the



    display.



    <Update>: Updates changes made to a



    test question.



    <Delete>: Deletes a selected test



    question.









The Tests tab also contains the right-click menu shown in FIG. 61 and includes the following components:











Component
Description







Delete
Deletes selected test question.


Debug Question
Opens Debugger tab with selected test



question loaded.


Set Question Active/
Toggles selected test question between


InActive
Active and InActive status


Copy Text
Copies selected test question into Windows



clipboard.


View Unit Hit
Opens Unit Builder window with the Unit the



test question responded with. Only available



when test question does not hit current Unit.









The Patterns tab, as shown in FIG. 62, in the Unit builder looks and functions similarly to the patterns tab found in the Concept builder. Input patterns may consist of Concepts, Building Blocks, Helper Terms, lex types, input files, and Variables. Patterns contains the following components:













Component
Description








Button bar
The button bar contains the following:




  <Refresh>: Refreshes changes to




  patterns.




  <Collapse All> Collapses entire




  tree.




  <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




  <Add>: Adds a blank pattern to the




  display.




  <Edit>: Allows user to edit the




  name, Position, and




  Order/Proximity settings of a




  selected pattern.




  <Delete>: Deletes selected pattern.




  <Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens




  Tests tab with all Concepts used in




  the Unit input patterns, as well as all




  Units using those Concepts.




  Show Ignore Items checkbox:




  When selected, Ignore Concepts




  folders are visible. Any Concepts/file




  dropped in these folders will not be




  considered when that specific input




  pattern is evaluated. Default: not




  selected.



Patterns
Displays all the patterns created for the




Unit. Input patterns are represented thusly:




  Active input pattern




  Inactive input pattern



Edit Pattern
  Edit Pattern Position: Drop-down list




  determines where the pattern




  must be located in input in order to




  trigger the Unit. Choose between




  “Anywhere,” “Beginning,” “End,”




  “Entire,” or “Substitute.”




  Order Matters checkbox: When




  selected, the pattern will only




  trigger if the order of the input




  matches the order of the pattern.




  Default is selected.




  Proximity Matters checkbox: When




  selected, the pattern will only




  trigger if the inputs are adjacent to one




  another. Default is selected.




  <Save>: Saves changes to pattern name,




  location, and order/proximity




  selections.




 Note: Order Matters and Proximity Matters




 have no affect on Unit input patterns, except




 for use with AppEvents.









The Patterns tab also has the following right-click menu shown in FIG. 63 along with the following components:











Component
Description







Edit
Opens pattern in the Edit Pattern



display below.


Delete
Deletes selected pattern.


Copy and Create New Pattern
Creates an exact copy of selected



pattern and places it as the last pattern in



the display.


Set Active/InActive
Toggles selected pattern between



Active and InActive status.


Show Item in Tree
Highlights selected Concept in



Concepts dockable window.









Response Tab

The response tab, as shown in FIG. 64, allows the user to determine the response the Unit gives when triggered. Responses may contain plain text, or FPML tags. This response may also include internet URLs and Web Links. Response contains the following components:













Component
Description








Url
This field contains the following:




  <Edit Url>: Opens Url Editor




  with current Urlloaded.




  <Remove All Url Items>: Removes




  Url from response.




   <Show In Tree>: Shows current




  Url in Url dockable window.




  <Add>: Opens two new fields for the




  purpose of creating a




  new Url:




    Uri: New Url name field.




    Label: New Url Label field.




  <Save>: Saves new Url. Only available




  through <Add>




  button.




  Uri: displays path for response.




   Label: displays label of Url for




  response.




  Auto Navigate To URL




  checkbox: When selected, the




  Unit's triggered response




  automatically redirects to the




  selected URL. When not selected,




  the URL will be displayed as a




  message link below the response.




  Drop-down list: list of all




  available URLs for the




  response.



Web Links
This field contains the following:




  <Edit Web Link>: Opens Web




 Link window with selected web




 link.




  <Remove Call To Web Link>




 removes selected Web Link




 from response.




  <Show Web Link In Main




  Window>: Highlights selected




  Web Link in Web Links




  dockable window.




  <Move Call Order Up>: Moves




  selected Web Link up in relation




  to other Web Links.




  <Move Call Order Down>: Moves




  selected Web Link down




  in relation to other Web Links.



Response
This field is where the response is




entered.



<Save>
Saves the settings for the response.



<Cancel>
Cancels all changes made to the




response.









The right click menu shown in FIG. 65 is available from the Web Links display of the Response tab and has the following components:











Component
Description







Edit Web Link
Opens selected Web Link in Web Link



window.


Edit Unit/Uri
Opens selected Unit/Url in respective



Units/Uris editors.


Remove Web Link Call
Removes selected Web Link call from



response.


Show Web Link In Main
Shows selected Web Link in Web Links


Tree
dockable window.


Move Call Order Up
Moves selected Web Link up in relation to



other Web Links.


Move Call Order Down
Moves selected Web Link down in relation



to other Web Links.


Set Print Status
Change print status of selected item to the



following options:



    Test



    Production



    InActive









One of the most powerful tools of ActiveAgent is the ability to direct a response to a particular web page. This is done by creating a Url in the Urls dockable window, shown in FIG. 66, then dragging it into the Response tab of the Unit Builder. The Urls dockable window contains the following components:













Component
Description








Button Bar
The button bar contains the following:




  <Add>: Adds new Url.




  <Edit>: Edits selected Url.




  <Delete>: Deletes selected Url.




  <Show Dependencies>: shows




  dependencies for selected Url.




  <Validate All Urls>: Checks the




  validity of all Urls. Invalid Urls




  are displayed with an icon.




  <View Url>: Open selected Url in a




  new web browser.




  <Set Web Server>: Opens Set




  Web Server Path.




  <Refresh>: Refreshes Uris




  display.




  <New Window>: Opens copy of




  current window.




  <Collapse All> Collapses entire




  tree.




  <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




  <Back and Forward




  Navigation>: Navigates




  between searches.



Urls
 Display lists of all Urls in the project:




  Url




  WrongUrl




  Unit that uses above Url.



Search Tree
This field contains the following:




  Input Text Field: Searches




  cascades for specific text.




   <Search>: Executes search.




  <Search Options>: Opens




  Search Options window.




  Whole Word Only Checkbox:




  Limits search to complete word




  matches.









Clicking the <Add> button or right-clicking Add will open the Edit Url window shown in FIG. 67, which is used to both create and edit Urls. This window has the following components:













Component
Description








Label
Text field containing the Active Lab




display name for the Url.



Link Name
Text field containing the name displayed by




the Agent.



URI
Text field containing the path for the Url



<ViewUrl>
Opens Url in new web browser.



<Save>
Save any changes to the Url, OR creates




new Url.



<Cancel>
Closes window without saving.









Web Links

Web Links allow the user to include links directly to other Units and/or Urls along with a response. Web Links are created and edited from the Web Links dockable window shown in FIG. 68. They can be added to any number of responses by dragging the Web Link from the Web Links dockable window to the Web Links field in the Response tab of the Unit Builder.
The Web Links dockable window is separated into two folders: Links Containing Urls, and Links Containing Units. This is done for mainly organizational purposes. The Web Links dockable window contains the following components:













Component
Description








Button Bar
The button bar contains the following:




  <Add>: Adds new Web Link.




  <Edit>: Edits selected Web Link.




  <Delete>: Deletes selected Web




  Link.




  <Refresh>: Refreshes Uris display.




  <New Window>: Opens copy of




  current window.




  <Collapse All> Collapses entire




  tree.




  <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




   <Back and Forward Navigation>:




  Navigates between searches.



Uris
Display lists of all Urls in the project:




  Folder




  Web Link




  Url




  Unit



Search Tree
This field contains the following:




  Input Text Field: Searches cascades for




  specific text.




  <Search>: Executes search.




  <Search Options>: Opens Search




   Options window.




  Whole Word Only Checkbox:




  Limits search to complete word




  matches.









Web Links are created and edited by selecting <Add> or by selecting right-click→Add to open the Web Links window, which is shown in FIG. 69. Web Links Editor has the following components:











Component
Description







Agent Link Name
Text field containing the name displayed by the



Agent.


Lab Display Name
Text field containing the name displayed by



the Active Lab.


Link Style Dropdown
Choose between Standard and Default


Navigation Type
Dropdown chooses what type of link the


Dropdown
Web Link will use. There are three



options:



  Main Window: Url will appear in the



  main web browser.



  PopUp: Url will appear in its own web



  browser window.



  Go To Unit: Units response will be



  displayed.


Linked Object
Field has two components:



  An icon showing whether the Web



  Link is one of the following:



    Url



    Unit



  The name of the Url or Unit used by the



  Web Link.


<Save>
Save any changes to the Url, OR creates



new Url.


<Cancel>
Closes window without saving.









Advanced Tabs

These tabs may only be viewed when <Advanced View> is selected.













Tab
Description








Components
This tab displays the Variables, function




calls, AppCalls, and Record Lists




associated with the Unit.



Match Condition
This tab allows the user to create and




edit pre- and post-conditions.



Comments
This tab allows the user to leave




comments on the Unit. Note: Comments do




not in any way affect the functioning of the




software, as they are intended to allow the




user to comment




on the thought processes and reasoning




that went into the designing of the Unit.



Response Blocks
This tab allows the user to create




response blocks in conjunction with the




Response Blocks dockable window.



Text-To-Speech
This tab allows the user to attach an




individual Text-To-Speech file to the




Unit.









Response Blocks are responses shared by multiple Units in addition to the unique Unit-specific responses. Response Blocks can be manipulated via the Response Blocks dockable window, and the Response Blocks advanced tab found under the Units tab.
The Text-To-Speech tab allows the user to manually attach a voice file to a Unit and has the following features:













Tab
Description








Current Status
This display has the following components




  Text Field: Displays the name of the




  Text-To-Speech file.




  <Browse>: Opens a Browse




  window to search for a Text-To-




  Speech File.




  <Remove>: Removes Text-To-Speech




  file listed in the Text Field.



Status
Shows the progress and results of the file




import.









The following discussion describes various ways to create, test, and edit Units.
Creating a New Situation
To create a new situation, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In the Units dockable window, right click on a Unit or Situation and select Add situation, which will open the Add New Situation window shown in FIG. 70.
        2. In the Situation field, type the desired name of the Situation Group and hit <Tab> or <Enter>. The Counter Variable field will auto populate.
        3. Edit the Counter Variable if desired. Note: Counter Variables can only be a single word.
        4. Select a Print Status from the drop-down.
        5. Select <Required> check box if desired, or skip to step 7.
        6. Choose a Cascade Group from the drop-down menu.
        7. Click <OK> to continue and save the changes OR click <Cancel> to close Add New Situation without creating a new situation.

Adding New Units

        1. In Units, select a Situation Group and click <Add> OR right-click on a Situation Group and select Add→Unit from the menu to open the Units tab.
        2. Select the Situation which the Unit will belong to from the drop-down menu.
        3. Type in the Unit Name.
        4. Click <Create>.
    
    


Adding Questions
Once the Unit has been created, test questions may be added under the Tests tab of the Unit Editor.

    
    
        1. Type the question in the Test Questions field.
        2. Press <Enter> or click <Add> to add the test question to the Test Questions display.
    
    


Adding Responses
Each Unit has a response that occurs as a result of an input that matches any of its input patterns. As discussed above, this may be as simple as a single line of text or as complicated as an application action.
Though responses do not require URLs to function, they can benefit from the versatility associated with web pages. To add a URL to a response:

    
    
        1. Open Uris dockable window.
        2. Click and Drag selected Url from the Uris dockable window into the Uri display in the Response tab.
        3. Select Auto-Navigate to URL if desired.
    
    


To create the response itself:

    
    
        1. Type in the desired response in the Response field.
        2. Click the <Save> button to save the response OR click the <Cancel> button to erase any changes made to the response.
    
    


Web Links allows the user to add links to additional web pages and/or Units in the response. To add a Web Link to a response:

    
    
        1. Open Uris, Web Links, or Units dockable window.
        2. Click and Drag selected Url, Web Link, or Unit from the dockable window into the Web Links display in the Response tab. Note: you may be prompted to create a Web Link at this point.
        3. Use <Move Call Order Up> and <Move Call Order Down> as desired.
    
    


Generating the Patterns
In order to generate a pattern for a Unit, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Patterns of Units, click <Add> to create a blank input pattern.
        2. Drag and drop any desired Concepts from the Concepts
        
            dockable window into the blank pattern.
        
        
        3. Drag and drop any desired Helper Terms from the Helper Terms dockable window into the pattern.
        4. Arrange the Concepts and Helper Terms as desired.
        5. Select <Order Matters> and/or <Proximity Matters> as desired. Note: no affect will be produced by this step unless AppEvents are used.
        6. Choose a pattern position from the Edit Pattern Position drop-down
        
            menu.
        
        
        7. Click <Save> to save any changes.
        8. Click <Generate FPML (Changes Only) or <Generate All Fpml> or to enter the pattern into the database if desired.
    
    


Use steps 1-7 to create as many patterns as desired. Note: You must double click on the pattern in order to later make any changes to the Position or <Order Matters> and <Proximity Matters> check boxes. Click <Save> to save these changes.
Testing the Patterns
In order to test the input patterns, use the following procedure similar to testing Concepts:

    
    
        1. Click <Run Tests> in the Tests tab.
        2. The dialogue box in FIG. 71 will only appear if changes have been made to the database (i.e.: a pattern has been changed):
        3. Click <Yes> to generate FPML (Changes Only) and run test or Click <No> to not generate FPML. Note, select <Yes> if a pattern was changed.
        4. The dialogue box in FIG. 72 will only appear if <No> was selected from the Generate Files dialogue box.
        5. Click <Yes> to run tests, or click <No> to not run tests.
        6. The status of each test question is displayed as a colored ball next to the question. A green circle indicates success, a yellow ball indicates the question was not tested, and a red ball indicates failure. Questions that fail feature a brief summary of the error(s) encountered.
    
    


To debug a failed question:

    
    
        1. Right click on the test question.
        2. Select Debug Question. This loads the selected question into the debugger, and allows the user to see the processes that led to the question's failure.
    
    


Editing a Unit
To edit a unit, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Double click on the Unit in the Units OR right click on the Unit and select Edit→In Main Editor or Edit
        
            →Pop-Up Editor. Both methods have the same functionality.
        
        
        2. Make any changes desired to Name, Situation, or Print Status then click the <Update>.
        3. Make any changes to individual input patterns. a. Select an input pattern.
        
            b. If desired, drag and drop a new Concept into the input pattern.
            c. If desired, select or de-select Order Matters.
            d. If desired, select or de-select Proximity Matters.
            e. If desired, select a Position.
            f. Click <Save> to finalize the changes to the input pattern.
        
        
        4. Make any changes to test questions.
        5. Make any changes desired to the response.
    
    


To delete a pattern, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Select the desired input pattern and click <Delete> OR right-click on the selected input pattern and select Delete.
        2. In Confirm Delete, click <Yes> to delete the pattern or <No> to close the window without deleting.
    
    


To deactivate a pattern, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Right-click on the desired pattern.
        2. Select Set Active/Inactive from the right-click menu.
    
    


In the same way that patterns may be deactivated, the same may be done to entire Units.

    
    
        1. In the main tab Tests, right-click the tests associated with the desired Unit.
        2. Select Set Active/Inactive from the right-click menu.
    
    


Test questions may be edited using the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Double-click on the desired test question to open it in the text field.
        2. Make any desired changes to the text.
        3. Click <Update>
    
    


Responses may be edited using the following procedure:

    
    
        1. If desired, select a new URL by dragging it from the Urls dockable window.
        2. Make any changes desired to the text.
        3. Click <Save>
    
    


Deleting a Unit
To delete a unit, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Select the desired Unit in Units.
        2. Right click on the Unit and select Delete.
        3. In the Confirm Delete window that appears, click <Yes> to continue and delete the Unit OR select <No> to continue without deleting the Unit.

Directives

    
    


Directives are the way conversation scenarios are created for ActiveAgent. They can take the form of a directed conversation, or a series of steps the user needs a person to follow. This section discusses in detail what directives are, along with the different windows that are associated with it, as well as how to implement them.
Definition of a Directive
A Directive can be thought of as a series of Units that are linked together by specific responses, forming conversations. These conversations can be triggered by events on a web page, or by a person's input to ActiveAgent.
Take this simple example:

    
    
        Person: How are you?
        ActiveAgent: I'm fine, thanks! How are
        Person: you? Good.
        ActiveAgent: I'm glad to hear that.
    
    


In this example, there are actually two Units being triggered. The first is the response of “I'm fine, thanks! How are you?” and the second Unit has the response “I'm glad to hear that.” The work of the Directive is to make the second Unit only accessible directly after the first Unit has triggered. The reason for this is to prevent ActiveAgent from responding with “I'm glad to hear that” anytime a person types is “Good.”
A single Directive is not limited to one conversation stream; it can have many branches, based on the variety of things a person could say to the question of “How are you?”

    
    
        Person: How are you?
        ActiveAgent: I'm fine, thanks! How are
        Person: you? Not so good.
        ActiveAgent: I'm sorry to hear that.
    
    


In this example, the same Unit response was hit, of “I'm fine, thanks! How are you?” but a different response is given.
Directive Trees
Directives are displayed in a Directive Tree, which is a series of responses that can branch out as many times and with as much complexity as the user wants.
In the following example, a single Unit, called the Parent Unit, is triggered. The conversation then flows into Child Units, or Units that can be accessed through Directives.












Initial input: “I want to buy a watch”









Unit 1 (Parent Unit)- “Great! Would you like a



gold, silver, or diamond watch?”









1. Response - “a diamond”










a.
Unit 2- “would you like a small,









medium, or large diamond watch?”










i.
Response - “small”










1.
Unit 5- “To purchase a









small diamond watch,



please...”










ii.
Response - “medium”










1.
Unit 6- “To purchase a









medium diamond



watch, please...”










iii.
Response - “large”










1.
Unit 7- “To purchase a









large diamond watch,



please...”









2. Response - “a gold watch”










b.
Unit 3 “would you like a small, medium,









or large gold watch? ”










i.
Response -









“small”










1.
Unit 8- “To purchase a









small gold watch,



please...”










ii.
Response - “medium”










1.
Unit 9- “To purchase









a medium gold watch,



please...”










iii.
Response - “large”










1.
Unit 10- “To purchase a









large gold watch,



please...”









3. Response-“a silver watch”










c.
Unit 4-“would you like a small,









medium, or large silver watch?”










i.
Response -









“small”










1.
Unit 11- “To purchase a









small silver watch,



please...”










ii.
Response -“medium”










1.
Unit 12-“To purchase









a medium silver watch,



please...”










iii.
Response - “large”










1.
Unit 13- “To purchase a









large silver watch,



please...”










As seen in this example, specific responses to a Unit that is set up as a Directive will produce other Units. If a person typed “small” and wasn't in a Directive, no Unit would be triggered. However, if “small” is typed in response to a particular Unit, a specific Unit is triggered. In this manner, conversations can be directed.
Another feature of Directives is that a Child Unit still has all the qualities of a regular Unit. This means that a Child Unit can also be accessed from outside the Directive. For example, Unit 3 from the above example can be set to always respond directly to the question, “Can I buy a gold watch?” even if its Parent Unit has never been triggered.
Directive Dockable Window
Since Directives are simply Units that have Child Units, the Directives dockable window, as shown in FIG. 73, looks very similar to the Units dockable window. The major difference is that the Directives dockable window will only show Parent Units (Units that have Child Units and that have no Parental Unit above them). The Directives Dockable window has the following components:













Component
Description








Button Bar
The button bar contains the following:




  <Add>: Opens Directive Builder




   with empty directive.




  <Edit>: Opens Directive Builder




   for selected Directive.




  <Delete>: Deletes selected




   Directive.




  <Show Dependencies>: shows




  dependencies of selected Directive.




  Note: Currently Directives have no




  dependencies.




  <Refresh>: Refreshes Directives




  display.




  <New Window>: Opens copy of




  current window.




  <Collapse All> Collapses entire




  tree.




  <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




  <Back and Forward Navigation>:




  Navigates between searches.



Directives
 Display lists responses and Units in their




respective Situation Groups as follows:




  Situation Group




    Unit




    Unprintable Unit




    Empty Directive



Search Tree
This field contains the following:




  Input Text Field: Searches for




  specific text.




  <Search>: Executes search.




  <Search Options>: Opens Search




  Options window.




  Whole Word Only Checkbox:




  Limits search to complete word




  matches.









Directive Builder
Directives are created and edited in the Directive Builder window. This window consists of two main Tabs:

    
    
        Builder Tab: a quick easy way to create directive trees, and responses, and links.
        Advanced Tab: a tree view of the entire directive, as well as testing and pattern building for Child Units.
    
    


Builder Tab
The Builder tab of the Directive Builder window, as shown in FIG. 74, is the easy place to create responses, add Urls and Web Links, and edit tests questions and has the following components:











Component
Description







Slide Show Display
 This display has the following components:



  Main Slide: displays expected User



  Input and response of Parent Unit.



  Child Unit Slides: displays



  response input for Child Units.



  Click individual Child Unit Slide to



  view Child Unit response and view



  any additional Child Units of selected



  Unit.



Right-Click menu:



   Add Child: adds empty Child



  Unit to Directive at current place in



  Slide Show Display.



   Delete: deletes current Child



  Unit.


Chat Window Display
This display gives an editable view of the



selected Unit:



   User Input: displays expected User



  Input. Click in this field to edit.



  Response: displays Agent



  Response. Click in this field to edit.



  Web Links: displays Web Links for



  current Unit. Drag Web Links



  here to add to Unit Response.



   Unused Answer Links: displays



  Child Units that are not listed as



  Web Links for that Unit. Drag to



  Web Links above to add to Unit



  Response. This window also contains



  the following buttons.



    <Edit Web Link>: Opens Web



    Link window with selected web



    link



    <Remove Call To Web Link>



    removes selected Web Link



    from response.



    <Show Web Link In Main



    Window>: Highlights selected



     Web Link in Web Links



    dockable window.



    <Move Call Order Up>: Moves



    selected Web Link up in relation



    to other Web Links.



    <Move Call Order Down>: Moves



    selected Web Link down



    in relation to other Web Links.


Browser
Displays the website for the Url associated with



current Unit.


Url Field
 This field is used to edit the Url for current



Unit.



This field contains the following



components:



  <Edit Url>: Opens Url Editor with



  current Urlloaded.



  <Remove All Url Items>: Removes



  Url from response.



  <Show In Tree>: Highlights current



  Url in Uri dockable window.



  <Add>: Opens two new fields for the



  purpose of creating a new Url:



    Uri: New Url name field.



    Label: New Url Label field.



  <Save>: Saves new Url. Only



  available through <Add> button.



  Uri: displays Url for response.



  Label: displays label ofUrl for



  response.



  Auto Navigate To URL checkbox:



  When selected, the Unit's triggered



  response. When not selected, the



  URL will display as a message link.









Advanced Tab
The Advanced tab of the Directive Builder window, as shown in FIG. 75, is where the directive tree can be directly accessed, where patterns and test questions can be added, and where test can be run.
The Advanced tab contains three main sections:

    
    
        Directive field: the location of the Directive Tree
        Edit Info tab: use this tab to add or modify patterns, responses, test questions, Variables, and Urls.
        Test tab: where all test questions can be run.
    
    


The Directive Tree is a tree view of the entire Directive. Each indent on the tree implies one level further into the tree. Branches on the same level of the tree are linked together with vertical lines.
To access many of the features of the Directives field, access the right click menu. The Directives field has the following components:











Component
Description







Button Bar
The button bar contains the following:



  <Add>: Adds empty User Input or



  Response, based on which item is



  currently selected in the Directive



  Tree.



  <Edit>: Opens Unit Builder for



  selected Unit or response.



  <Remove>: Removes selected item from



  Directive Tree



  <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree.



  <Expand All> Expands entire tree.



  <Refresh>: Refreshes Directives



  display.



  Show Uris checkbox: Toggles display



  ofUrls with responses in



  Directive Tree.



  Show Variables checkbox: Toggles



  display of Variables with responses



  in Directive Tree.


Directive Tree
The Directive Tree uses the following



Icons:



  Complete Directive Branch: Indicates a



  branch of the Directive



  Tree that has at least a name, a



  response, and a user input.



  Incomplete Directive Branch: Indicates



  a branch of the directive



  tree that has yet to be completed.



  Directive Response: Displays



  response for its corresponding



  branch of the Directive Tree



  Incomplete Directive Response:



  Displays when no response exists



  for the corresponding branch of the



  Directive Tree.



  Unprintable Unit: Displays when a directive is incomplete due to



  missing user inputs, responses, or patterns



  Unit: Displays when Directive has all pieces considered to make it



  complete.


Right-Click Menu
The Directive Tree uses the following right-click menu options:



  Add Prompt/Agent Response:



  Add response to a branch if none



  exists.



  Add User Input: Add a branch to the Directive Tree under



  selected



  response.



  Edit: Opens Unit Builder with selected Unit loaded.



  Rename: Rename selected item



  Remove: Removes selected branch



  and all child branches underneath.



  Edit Unit: Opens Unit Builder



  with selected Unit loaded.



  Create Unit: Opens Unit Builder



  and creates new Unit from the



  selected branch.



  Show Unit In Tree: Highlights selected Unit in Units dockable



  window.



  Copy Input/Response: Make a copy of selected branch.



  Paste Input/Response: Pastes copied Input/Response into selected



  branch.



  Set Print Status: Sets Print Status of selected Unit to the following



  options:



    Test



    Production



    InActive



  Cascade Print Status To



  Children: Copies Print Status of



  selected branch to all child branches.









The Edit Info tab, as shown in FIG. 76, allows changes to be made to individual branches of the Directive Tree. The use of this window is similar to the Unit Editor tab for adding test questions, editing responses, and adding patterns.
Test questions and patterns listed under the Edits Tab are Directive specific. This means that they only apply within the Directive, and cannot be accessed unless the previous point in the Directive has been hit. The Edit Info tab has the following components:











Component
Description







User Input Display
The name of the branches displayed



in the Directive Builder.


Response Display
The Response for the Unit is written



here.


Show As Link
Check to show Directive Child as a


checkbox
Web Link.


Link Name
Displays the name of the Web Link



shown for the Unit.


User Input
 This tab contains the



  following:



 <Add New Match



 Condition>: Add test



 question to the



 Directive.



 <Edit Match Condition>:



 Edit selected test question.



 <Delete Match Condition>:



 Removes selected test



 question.



 <Refresh>: Refreshes



Directives



 display.



 Show child user inputs



 checkbox: Toggles display of



 all



 questions that are associated



 with selected Unit from



 outside the Directive.



 Main window: displays all



 directive specific test



 questions



 for selected Unit.



 Text field: Field for typing



 new test questions.



  Default User Input



   checkbox:



 set selected test question as



 Default (the name in User



 Input Display field).



 Add: Add test question.



 Update: Saves changes to test



 question.



 Delete: Deletes selected test question.


Additional Patterns
 This tab contains the following:



 <Refresh>: Refreshes changes to patterns.



 <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree.



 <Expand All> Expands entire tree.



 <Add>: Adds a blank pattern to the display.



 <Edit>: Allows user to edit the name,



 position, and



 order/proximity settings of a selected



 pattern.



 <Delete>: Deletes selected pattern.



 <Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens



 Tests tab with all



 Concepts used in the Unit input patterns, as



 well as all Units using those Concepts.



 Show Ignore Items checkbox: When



 selected, Ignore Concepts



 folders are visible. Any Concepts/file



 dropped in these folders will not be



 considered when that specific input pattern



 is evaluated. Default: not selected.



 Show Child Patterns



 Checkbox: Toggles display of



 all patterns that are associated with selected



 Unit from outside the Directive.



 Patterns Main Window: all the patterns



 created for the Unit.



 Input patterns are represented thusly:



  Active input pattern



  Inactive input pattern



 Position: Drop-down list



 determines where the pattern



 must be located in input in order to trigger



 the Unit. Choose between “Anywhere,”



 “Beginning,” “End,” “Entire,”



 or “Substitute.”



 Order Matters checkbox: When selected,



 Unit only



 triggers on same order as input pattern.



 Selected by default.



 Proximity Matters checkbox:



 When selected, inputs must be



 next to one another in order to trigger Unit.



 Selected by default.



 <Save>: Saves changes to pattern name,



 location, and



 order/proximity selections. Note: Order Matters



and Proximity Matters have no affect on Unit input



patterns, except for use with AppEvents


Additional Variables
Variables listed in this tab will only



trigger within the Directive. This tab also contains



the following:



 <Edit>: Edit selected Variable



 <Delete>: Removes selected



 Variable.



 <Refresh>: Refreshes



  Additional Variables tab.


Url
This field contains the following:



 <Edit Url>: Opens Uri Editor



 with current Urlloaded.



 <Remove All Url Items>: Removes Url



 from response.



  <Show In Tree>: Shows current



 Url in Uri dockable window.



 <Add>: Opens two new fields for the



 purpose of creating a



 new Url:



  Uri: New Url name field.



  Label: New Url Label field.



 <Save>: Saves new Url. Only available



 through <Add>



 button.



  Uri: displays Url for response.



  Label: displays label of Url for



 response.



Auto Navigate To URL checkbox: When selected,



the URL will display when the Unit is triggered.



When not selected, URL will display as a message



link below the response.









In the Tests tab, shown in FIG. 77, it is possible to test all the test questions for the Directive at the same time. For ease of use, the test questions are set up in a tree format that is identical to that found in the Directive Tree. When the tests are run, the results will show not just which test questions failed, but also in which branches of the Directive the test questions are failing.
Except for the fact that the tests are in the form of a tree, the functionality of Tests is very similar to the Tests tab from the Unit Editor. The Tests Tab has the following components:














Component
Description









Button bar
The button bar contains the following:




 <Run Tests>: Runs tests on the questions




 input by the user for the




 Unit.




 <Reload Tests>: Reloads tests.




  <Collapse All> Collapses entire




 tree.




 <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




  <Edit Test Question>: Allows the




 user to edit the selected test




 question




 <Delete Test Question>: Allows the user to




 delete the selected test




 question.




 <Set Question Active/Inactive>: Toggles




   active/inactive for a




 question. Default for all questions is




 Active. When inactive, tests are not




 performed on the question.




 <Debug Question>: Opens Debug




 tab, allowing the user to view the




 output generated in response to the




 question, and the processes leading up to




 said output.




  <Test Potential Conflicts>: Opens




 Tests tab with all Concepts used in




 the Unit input patterns, as well as




 all Units using those Concepts.



Test Questions
This field contains the following:




 Display: Displays all Test Questions




 input by the user, as well as their




 test status. A green circle indicates




 that the tests succeeded; a yellow




 circle indicates that the test has yet




 to be run; and a red circle indicates




 that the test failed.




 Text Field: Type test questions here.




  <Add>: Adds test questions




  to the display.




  <Update>: Updates changes




  made to a test question.




  <Delete>: Deletes a selected




  test question.










Variables

This section describes the creation and editing of Directives using the Directive Builder, and Directives dockable window.
The Builder Tab
When the Directive Builder opens, it will default to the Builder tab. The Parent Unit will be displayed in the upper left corner. From this window, both the Parent Unit and the Child Unit can be edited, and an entire Directive Tree can be easily built. The Builder tab creates an easy way to build a Directive Tree, however patterns and test questions are added using the Advanced tab discussed below.
The left hand side of the Builder tab is a slide show view of the entire Directive. The uppermost slide will always be the Parent Unit of the entire Directive. Below it on smaller slides are all of the Child Units that are directly below it in the Directive Tree.
If a Child Unit is selected, it will increase in size and any of its Child Units will appear in as small slides below it. This can be repeated as long as there are more Child Units below each subsequent Child Unit.
Clicking on any Parent Unit will change the slide show view to show all Child Units of that Unit.
A Directive can be created in a variety of ways from a variety of places. The reason for this is because a Directive is simply multiple Units linked together in a series. This makes creating Directives very flexible.
There are three different ways to begin the process of creating a
Directive:


    
    
        From an existing Unit (either from the Unit Editor tab or Unit Builder window), click <Open Directive
        Editor> to open the Directive Builder. If the Unit is not already used in a Directive elsewhere, it will appear as the main Parent Unit in the Directive Builder.
        From the Directives dockable window, click <Add> to open the Directive Builder.
        From the Directives dockable window, right-click Add Directive to open the Directive Builder.
    
    


When the Directive Builder opens, it will default to the Builder tab. The Parent Unit will be displayed in the upper left corner. All Child Units will be displayed below.
To add a Child Unit:

    
    
        Right-click on the enlarged Child Unit and select→Add Child.
    
    


To add a Child Unit to an existing Child Unit:

    
    
        1. Left click on desired Child Unit to bring it to the full size of a Parent Unit
        2. Right-click on the desired Parent Unit and select→Add
        
            Child.
        
        
    
    


To delete a Child
Unit:


    
    
        Right-click on the desired Child Unit and select→Delete.
    
    


Once a Parent Unit or Child Unit has been created its User Input display can be added or changed:

    
    
        1. Left Click on desired Parent Unit or Child Unit in the Slide Show
        
            Display.
        
        
        2. Click in the field labeled User Input in the Chat Window display.
        3. Type desired User Input.
    
    


Once a Parent Unit or Child Unit has been created its Response can be added or changed:

    
    
        1. Left Click on desired Parent Unit or Child Unit in the Slide Show
        
            Display.
        
        
        2. Click in the field labeled Response in the Chat Window display.
        3. Type desired Response.
    
    


Once a Parent Unit or Child Unit has been selected, its Web Links can be added and removed, and the order of the Web Links modified.

    
    
        1. Open Uris, Web Links, or Units dockable window.
        2. Click and Drag selected Url, Web Link, or Unit from the dockable window into the Web Links display in the Response tab. Note: you may be prompted to create a Web Link at this point.
        3. Use <Move Call Order Up> and <Move Call Order Down> as desired.
    
    


Unused Answer Links, listed below Web Links, are the Child Units of the selected Unit. They can be added as Web Links to the Unit by clicking and dragging them from Unused Answer Links to the Web Links field.
Web Links can be removed from the Unit by clicking the <Remove> button.
Urls can be added and removed from the Unit response in a Directive using the same steps as a regular Unit.

    
    
        1. Open Uris dockable
        
            window.
        
        
        2. Click and Drag selected Url from the Uris dockable window into the Uri display in the Response tab.
        3. Select Auto-Navigate to URL if desired.
    
    


The Advanced Tab
When the Directive Builder window opens, it will default to the Builder tab, as shown in FIG. 78. Click Advanced to view the Advanced tab.
The Advanced tab allows an entire directive to be built and maintained. It includes all the functionality of the Builder tab, just in a different form. It also has the ability to add test questions, add patterns, and actually test the Directive. This section describes the process.
There are two ways to create a Parent Unit. Using Existing Units:

    
    
        1. Drag any existing Unit from the Units dockable window onto “Missing User Input” in the main Directive Tree window of the Directive Builder.
        2. Click <Yes> when prompted to replace the node.
    
    


To create a new Parent Unit from the Directive Builder:

    
    
        1. Right-click on the Missing User Input and select→Add Prompt/Agent Response. An unfinished response will appear below the Unit.
        2. Type a name for the response in the Agent Response field and press
        
            <Enter>.
        
        
        3. Type a user input that will display as the name of the Unit in the User Input Display on the it Info tab to the right.
    
    


Once a Parent Unit is set in the Directive Tree, you can now add possible user responses. Each response will be considered a Child Unit, therefore only add one response per Child Unit desired. There are two ways to add a Child Unit:
Note: These processes can be used on any branch of the Directive Tree to create Child Units for any branch.
Using Existing Units:

    
    
        1. Drag any existing Unit from the Units dockable window onto the response of the Parent Unit. This becomes the new Child Unit.
        2. Enter response in User Input Display in the Edit Info tab to the right.
        3. Change the Response Display in Edit Info tab to the right if desired. This will also change the Unit's name in the Unit Editor as well.
    
    


Creating a new Child Unit:

    
    
        1. Right-click on the response of the desired Parent Unit and select→Add User Input.
        2. Type the response name in the Input Display in the Edit Info tab to the right and press <Enter>.
        3. Type a name for the Unit Response in the Response Display in the Edit Info tab to the right and press <Enter>.
    
    


Units that are created in the Directive Builder do not technically exist until they are officially created. This is done by right-clicking on the selected Directive and selecting→Create Unit. The Unit Builder window will open. You may edit the Unit as necessary, or close the window.
Once the Unit is created, it can be found in its corresponding Situation Group in the Units window, or by selecting→Edit Unit from the right-click menu. Patterns and test questions created from the Unit Editor can be accessed
from outside the Directive, while patterns and test question created inside the Directive Builder will only operate when in the Directive.
There are three ways to edit both the User Input Display and Response Display:

    
    
        Left click twice slowly on any input or response in the Directive Tree to open a text field to edit the item.
        Right-click on any input or response in the Directive Tree and select→Rename to open a text field to edit the item.
        With the Edit Info tab open, left-click on any input or response to make that Unit display on the it Info tab. The User Input Display and Response Display can now be directly edited.
    
    


To delete any branch of the Directive Tree, including any Child Units of that branch:

    
    
        1. Select Unit to be deleted by left clicking on either the response or User Input.
        2. Click <Remove> or right-click and select→Remove.
        Note: Removing a Unit from the Directive Builder does not delete the Unit from the project if it has already been created.
    
    


Adding Test Questions within a Directive
To add test questions that will only apply within the Directive, follow these steps:

    
    
        1. Select chosen Child Unit by left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree.
        2. Select the User Input tab under the Edit Info tab.
    
    


Type test question into the text field and press <Enter> or <Add>. Repeat this step as many times as desired.
To add test questions that will only apply within the Directive, follow these steps:

    
    
        1. Select chosen Child Unit by left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree.
        2. Select the User Input tab under the Edit Info tab.
        3. Select Test question and click <Delete> OR double click on selected test question so it appears in the text field and click <Delete>. Repeat this step as desired.
    
    


To edit test questions within a Directive, follow these steps:

    
    
        1. Select chosen Child Unit by left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree.
        2. Select the User Input tab under the Edit Info tab.
        3. Select Test question and click either <Edit> or double click on the test question. It will appear in the text field below.
        4. Edit the test question in the text field.
        5. Press <Enter> or click <Update>. Repeat steps 3-5 as many times as desired.
    
    


Adding Patterns to Child Units
Adding a pattern to a Child Unit within the Directive will limit that pattern to work only in the Directive. Adding these patterns is done in the exact same way as it is done in the Patterns tab of the Unit Editor.

    
    
        1. In Additional Patterns of Edit Info, click <Add > to create a blank input pattern.
        2. Drag and drop any desired Concepts from the Concepts dockable window into the blank pattern.
        3. Drag and drop any desired Helper Terms from the Helper Terms dockable window into the pattern.
        4. Arrange the Concepts and Helper Terms as desired.
        5. Select <Order Matters> and/or <Proximity Matters> as desired. Note: Currently, these options only affect AppEvents.
        6. Choose a pattern position from the Edit Pattern Position drop-down menu.
        7. Click <Save> to save any changes.
        8. Use steps 1-7 to create as many patterns as desired. Note: You must double click on the pattern in order to later make any changes to the Position or <Order Matters> and <Proximity Matters> check boxes. Click
        
            <Save> to save these changes.
        
        
        9. Click <Generate FPML (Changes Only) or <Generate All Fpml> or to enter the pattern into the database if desired.
    
    


To edit patterns within a directive, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Select chosen Child Unit by left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree.
        2. Select the Additional Patterns tab under the Edit Info tab.
        3. Select pattern and click either  <Edit> or double click on the pattern. It will appear in the Edit Pattern field below.
        4. Edit the pattern by either dragging and dropping new Concepts into the input pattern or deleting Concepts.
        5. If desired, select or de-select Order Matters.
        6. If desired, select or de-select Proximity Matters.
        7. If desired, select a Position.
        8. Click <Save> to finalize the changes to the input pattern if steps 5, 6 or 7 were followed.
    
    


To delete patterns within a directive perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Select chosen Child Unit by left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree.
        2. Select the Additional Patterns tab under the Edit Info tab.
        3. Select the desired input pattern and click <Delete> OR right-click on the selected input pattern and select Delete.
        4. In Confirm Delete, click <Yes> to delete the pattern or <No> to close the window without deleting.
    
    


To deactivate patterns within a directive, perform the following procedure. When set inactive, a pattern will not trigger the Unit when matched.

    
    
        1. Select chosen Child Unit by left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree.
        2. Select the Additional Patterns tab under the Edit Info tab.
        3. Right-click on the desired pattern.
        4. Select Set Active/Inactive from the right-click menu.
    
    


Additional Variables within a Directive
To add a Variable to a Directive, drag and drop any chosen Variable from the Components dockable window into the Additional Variables tab under Edit Info.
Adding a Url within a Directive
Though responses do not require URLs to function, they can benefit from the versatility associated with web pages. To add a URL to a response:

    
    
        1. Select chosen Child Unit by left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree.
        2. Select the Url tab under the Edit Info tab.
        3. Open Urls dockable window.
        4. Click and Drag selected Url from the Urls dockable window into the Uri display in the Url tab.
        5. Select Auto-Navigate to URL if desired.
    
    


To remove a URL from a response:

    
    
        1. Select chosen Child Unit by left-clicking on it in the Directive Tree.
        2. Select the Url tab under the Edit Info tab.
        3. Select  <Remove All Url Items>.
    
    


Testing Directives
To test only the test questions associated with the Directive, follow these steps:

    
    
        1. Select the Tests tab from the Advanced tab within the Directive Builder.
        2. Click <Run Tests>. The dialogue box shown in FIG. 79 will only appear if changes have been made to the database (i.e.: a pattern has been changed).
        3. Click <Yes> to generate FPML (Changes Only) and run test or Click <No> to not generate FPML. The following dialogue box will only appear if <No> was selected from the Generate Files dialogue box.
        4. Click <Yes> to run tests, or click <No> to not run tests in the box shown in FIG. 80.
    
    


The status of each test question is displayed as a colored ball next to the question. A green circle indicates success, a yellow ball indicates the question was not tested, and a red ball indicates failure. Questions that fail feature a brief summary of the error(s) encountered.
To debug a failed question:

    
    
        1. Right click on the test question.
        2. Select Debug Question. This loads the selected question into the debugger, and allows the user to see the processes that led to the question's failure.

Variables

    
    


Variables are means by which the KB may store information captured in a conversation for later use. This section discusses Variables and Record Lists as they fit into Units and Concepts.
Components Dockable Window
Variables and Record Lists are accessed via Components, along with AppCalls. The Components dockable window is shown in FIG. 81 and includes the following components:














Component
Description









Button Bar
The button bar contains the following:




  <Add>: Opens Variable,




   Record




 List, Function, and AppCall




 Editors, depending on which




 is currently highlighted.




  <Edit>: Opens Variable,




   Record




 List, Function, and AppCall




 Editors, depending on which




 is currently highlighted.




  <Delete>: Deletes selected




   item.




 <Show Dependencies>: shows




 dependencies and web links for




 selected Unit.




  <Refresh>: Refreshes




   Components




 display.




 <New Window>: Opens a copy




 of the current window.




 <Collapse All>: Collapses




 entire tree.




 <Expand All>: Expands entire




 tree.




 <Back and Forward Navigation>:




 Navigate between searches.



Components display
Shows all available Variable Types,




 Variables, and Record Lists thusly:




  Variable type




   Variable




   Variable that is saved in




 Chat Logs




 Record List



Search Tree
This field contains the following:




 Input Text Field: Searches cascades




 for specific text.




 <Search>: Executes search.




 <Search Options>: Opens Search




 Options window.




 Whole Word Only Checkbox:




 Limits search to complete word




 matches.










The above components only apply to Variables and Record Lists.
Variables
Variables are components used for profiling and contextualization. When used for profiling, they log a site user's activities on the user's site, and any information they might divulge, such as name, IP address, e-mail address, or credit card number.
Variables are means by which a user may allow certain Units to trigger only in specific situations. Much like Directives, they allow for greater specificity in a Unit's functioning. The user may specify the type of Variable, the Variable's name, and the Variable's initialization value (be it true/false, empty string, or other value). Furthermore, the user may specify whether Variable information is saved in the chat logs. Note: If the Save In Chat Logs selection is not checked, all information gained from the Variable will be lost when the site-user leaves the chat. Save In Chat must be selected to view the information at a later time.
Variables are grouped together by type. This is done mostly for organizational purposes. There are three categories of Variables:

    
    
        System Variables: System Variables are set by the Context IQ Engine.
        Application Variables: Application Variables are set by the parent application.
        User-defined Variables: These variables can represent a single value, an array, or a Record List.
    
    


By clicking on Variables, and selecting <Add> or selecting a Variable Type and selecting <Edit>, the Variable Type window shown in FIG. 82 will appear. Variable Type includes the following components:











Component
Description







Name
Name of the Variable Type.


Make Public checkbox
Makes Variable publicly available if



selected.


<Save>
Saves changes made.


<Cancel>
Closes window without saving changes made.









Variable Editor, shown in FIG. 83, allows the user to create and edit specific Variables and includes the following components:











Component
Description







Variable Type drop-down/field
Select type from list.


Name
Name of the Variable.


Initialization Value
The value of the Variable at the start of



every session. There are three options:



 Do Not Initialize: If



 selected, Variable will not



 initialize.



 Clear When Initializing:



 If selected, value=“.”



 Set Initialize Value: Variable is



 set to the entered initialization



 Variable.


Setup Action
The action selected in this field will be



performed prior to the processing of



each input. There are four options:



 None: Nothing is done.



 Clear: Value of Variable is cleared.



 Set Initialize Value: Variable is set



 to the entered initialization



 Variable.



 Increment by one: value of



 Variable will increase by one.


Save In Chat Logs checkbox
If selected, chat logs record usage of



Variable in question.


<Save>
Saves changes made to Variable.


<Cancel>
Closes window without saving changes.









View Variable Initialization and Setup
Selecting→Admin→View Variable Initialization And Setup will open the Variables window. The Variables window is a list of all Variables associated with the project, as well as what value the Variables are set to at either initialization or setup (before each User Input).
The Variables window, shown in FIG. 84, is broken up into four distinct columns:

    
    
        Variable: This column displays the name of the Variable.
        Initialization Action: This column displays what is done to the Variable at the beginning of each session. A Variable can be set to a value, cleared, or not initialized at all.
        Initialization Value: This column displays the value the Variable is set to at either initialization or setup.
        Setup Action: This column displays what action is taken before every user input.
    
    


The Variables window also contains the following right-click menu:














Component
Description









Edit Name
Opens field to edit the name of the




Variable.



Edit Initialization
Opens drop-down to change




Initialization Action.



Edit Value
Opens field to edit Initialization Value



Edit Setup Action
Opens drop-down to change Setup




Action field.



Open In Editor
Opens selected item in Variable Editor.










Record Lists
Record Lists are lists of Variables that work in conjunction with one another. They are used when information should be grouped together and when an unspecified number of values is possible.
The Record List Editor, shown in FIG. 85, allows the user to specify the name of the Record List, the index Variable name, and the required parameters and includes the following components:














Component
Description









Main
This field contains the following:




 Name: Input field for the name of




 the Record List.




  <Save>: Saves Record List




  to the project. This button




  must be clicked in order to




  add parameters.




 Index Variable Name: Text input




 field for name of index Variable.




 Clear on Initialization




 checkbox: When selected, clears




 Record List once initialized.



Required Parameters
This field contains the following:




 <Edit Required Parameter>: Allows




 user to edit selected required




 parameter in Required Parameters




 field.




 <Delete Required Parameter>:




 Deletes selected required parameter.




 Display: Lists all required




 parameters.




 Text input field: Required




 parameters typed here.




  <Add>: Adds field input to




  display list, saves parameter.




  <Update>: Updates changes




  made to selected desired




  parameter.




  <Delete>: Deletes selected




  required parameter.



<Close>
Closes window.










Record List configuration appears whenever a Record List is added to a Concept, Unit; or Response Block. The Configure Record List window, shown in FIG. 86, will open automatically and includes the following components:











Component
Description







Parameter display list
List of available parameters


Parameter display
Selected parameter.


<Select Parameter Value Type>
Choose between the following:


radio selection
 <Select from a Variable>: Assigns



 parameter value from a Variable



 already assigned.



 <Select from a Record List>: Pulls



 value from another Record List.



 <Type in a value>: Specific typed



 input.



 <Set from pattern>: Select one of



 the following values to assign to the



 parameter:



  Wild Card



  Input File



  Lex Type


Value field/drop-down
Value to assign to current parameter.


<Back>
Navigates to previous parameter.


<Next>
Navigates to next parameter.


<Finish>
Closes window with changes saved.


<Cancel>
Closes window without saving changes.


Select A Value
Appears when no value is selected.









The following section discusses the procedures involved in creating, maintaining, and using Variables and Record Lists.
Managing Variables and Record Lists
This sub-section deals with creating, editing and deleting Variables and Record Lists. These operations are performed via Components. To create variable types, perform the following procedure in connection with FIG. 87:

    
    
        1. Select “Variables” and click <Add> OR right-click on “Variables” and select Add.
        2. In Variable Type, type in a Name for the Variable Type.
        3. If desired select the Make Public check box.
        4. Click <Save> to save the Variable Type OR click <Cancel> to close the window without saving.
    
    


To edit an existing variable type:

    
    
        1. Select the desired Variable Type in Components and click  <Edit> OR double-click on the desired Variable Type OR right-click on the desired Variable Type and select Edit from the right-click menu.
        2. In Variable Type, make any changes to Name or Make Public.
        3. When finished, click <Save> to close the window and save changes, OR click <Cancel> to close the window without saving changes.
    
    


To create variables perform the following procedure in connection with FIG. 88:

    
    
        1. In Components, select a Variable Type and click <Add> OR right-click on a Variable Type and select Add from the right-click menu.
        2. In Variable Editor, select Variable Type from the drop-down-list. Defaults to the Variable Type you were on when you clicked <Add>.
        3. Select a Variable Type from the dropdown
        4. Type in a Name for the Variable.
        5. Select an Initialization Value from one of the radio buttons.
        
            a. If <Set Initialize Value> is selected, enter a value in the appropriate field.
        
        
        6. Select a Setup Action from one of the radio buttons.
        7. If desired, select Save in Chat Logs. Default is unchecked.
        8. Click <Save> to save the Variable and close the window OR click <Cancel> to close the window without saving the Variable
    
    


To edit variables, perform the following procedure in connection with FIG. 89:

    
    
        1. In Components, select the desired Variable and click <Edit> OR double-click on the desired Variable OR right-click on the desired Variable and select Edit from the right-click menu.
        2. In Variable Editor, make any changes to Variable Type, Name, Initialization Value, Setup Action, or Save in Chat Logs as needed.
        3. Click <Save> to close the window and save all changes made OR click <Cancel> to close the window without saving changes.
    
    


To delete variables:

    
    
        1. In Components, select the desired Variable and click <Delete> OR right-click on the desired Variable and select Delete from the right-click menu.
        2. In Confirm Delete, click <Yes> to delete the
    
    


Variable OR click <No> to close the window without deleting the Variable.
To creating record lists, perform the following procedure in connection with FIG. 90:

    
    
        1. In Components, select “Record Lists” and click” <Add> OR right-click on “Record Lists” and select Add.
        2. In Record List Editor, type in a Name.
        3. Type in an Index Variable Name. Note: This must be different from the name of the Record List. A common means of doing this while making the association between the index Variable and Record List clear is to simply type the name of the Record List, followed immediately by “index” Thus, the index Variable for Record List “state” would be “stateindex”
        4. Click <Save>.
        5. If desired, select Clear on Initialization. If selected, this will set Record List name to“.” and set index to “O”.
        6. Type a desired required parameter in Required Parameters input field.
        7. Click <Add>.
        8. Repeat steps 6 & 7 as often as desired.
        9. When finished, click <Close>.
    
    


To edit record lists, perform the following procedure in connection with FIG. 91

    
    
        1. In Components, select the desired Record List and click <Edit> OR double-click on the desired Record List OR right-click on the desired Record List and select Edit.
        2. In Record List Editor, make any changes to Name or Index Variable Name desired.
        3. Click <Save>.
        4. To edit a required parameter:
        
            a. Select the desired required parameter.
            b. Make any changes in the Required Parameters field.
            c. Click <Update> to make the changes, or click <Delete> to remove the required parameter.
        
        
        5. When finished, click <Close>.
    
    


To deleting record lists, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Components, select the desired Record List and click <Delete> OR right-click on the Record List and select Delete from the right-click menu.
        2. In Confirm Delete, click <Yes> to delete the
    
    


Record List from the project OR click <No> to close the window without deleting.
Using Variables and Record Lists
When Variables and Record Lists are placed in a Concept or Unit, they are assigned a value. This sub-section concerns the assigning of value for Variables and Record Lists.
To set variables in concepts and units, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Open the desired Unit or Concept in the appropriate tab.
        2. Select Advanced View.
        3. Open Components as shown in FIG. 92.
        4. Drag the desired Variable from Components to the tab.
        5. In Variable Value Editor, as shown in FIG. 93, type in the desired value in the Set Value To field. This value will henceforth be available for all other Variables in the drop-down list.
        6. When finished, click <Save> to close the window and save the Variable OR click <Cancel> to close the window without saving the Variable.
        7.
    
    


To remove variables from concepts and units, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Open the Concept or Unit in question in the appropriate tab.
        2. Select Advanced Tabs
        3. Open Components.
        4. Select the Variable in question and click <Delete>
    
    


OR right-click on the Variable in question and select Delete from the right-click menu.

    
    
        5. In Confirm Remove Variable, click <Yes> to remove the Variable from the Concept or Unit OR click <No> to close the window without removing the Variable.
    
    


To set record lists in concepts and units, perform the following procedure in connection with FIG. 94:

    
    
        1. Open the Concept or Unit in the appropriate tab.
        2. Select Advanced View.
        3. Open Components.
        4. Drag and drop the desired Record List from Components into Components.
        5. In Configure Record List, select the Parameter Value Type from the radio buttons for each parameter.
        6. Select a Value from the drop-down list.
        7. Click <Next>.
        8. Repeat steps 5-7 for each parameter.
        9. When finished, click <Finish> to close the window and add the Record List to the Concept or Unit OR click
        
            <Cancel> to close the window without setting values for the Record List.
        
        
    
    


To removing a record list from a concept or unit, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Open the Concept or Unit in the appropriate tab.
        2. Select Advanced View.
        3. Open Components.
        4. Select the Record List in question and click <Delete> OR right-click on the Record List and select Delete from the right-click menu.
        5. In Confirm Remove Record List, click <Yes> to remove the Record List from the Concept or Unit OR click <No> to close the window without removing the Record List.

Advanced Vocabulary

    
    


Advanced vocabulary refers to items that may be used to add greater flexibility to Concepts and Units, as well as discern the differences between various types of inputs. This section describes Variables, lex types, Wild Cards, and input files.
Lex Types
Lex types classify user inputs to further specify what is to be matched. Lex types function as placeholders that determine the type of input that is recognized. For instance, lex types are used to differentiate between numerical inputs and word inputs, or between units of weight and units of distance.
Lex Types includes a dockable window, shown in FIG. 95, which provides the user with a means by which lex types may be created, edited, and deleted. Lex Types contains the following components:














Component
Description









Button bar
The button bar contains the following:




 <Add>: Adds a new lex type.




 <Edit>: Opens Lex Builder with




 selected lex type loaded.




 <Delete>: Deletes selected lex type.




 <Show Dependencies>: Shows all




 Concepts in which the selected lex




 type appears.




 <Refresh>: Reloads the Lex Types




 display list.




 <New Window>: Opens a copy of the




 current window.




 <Collapse All> Collapses entire




 tree.




 <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




 <Back and Forward Navigation>:




 Navigates between searches.



Lex Types
Displays available lex types, represented




thusly:




 Lex type



Search Tree
This field contains the following:




 Input Text Field: Searches cascades




 for specific text.




 <Search>: Executes search.




 <Search Options>: Opens Search




 Options window.




 Whole Word Only Checkbox:




 Limits search to complete word




 matches.










Lex files are static files that are edited manually using a text editor or the Editor tab. They may be added to a project through the lab by means of a Lex Builder component. A Lex Builder window is shown in FIG. 96 and includes the following components.














Component
Description









Name
Input field for lex type name



Display Narne
Input field for display name of lex type.



<Save>
Saves lex type to project.



<Cancel>
Closes window without saving lex type to




project.










Wild Cards are place-holders that allow the user to create more flexible input patterns for Concepts. A Wild Card is placed between two Vocab Terms to indicate that there may be any words in between the Vocab Terms. There are three Wild Cards, and they are applicable to all projects:

    
    
        Match Any: this Wild Card can hold the place of zero or more words.
        Match One: This wildcard holds the place of one and only one unspecified word in a pattern.
        Match One or More: This Wild Card holds the place of one or more words.
    
    


Wild cards includes a dockable window shown in FIG. 97 and includes the following components.














Component
Description









Button Bar
The button bar contains the following:




  <Add>: Adds new Wild




  Card. Note: While it is




  theoretically possible to add




  a new Wild Card, the




  existing ones are all that are




  needed.




  <Edit>: Edits selected Wild




  Card. Note: Do not do this




  without consultation of




  development team.




  <Delete>: Deletes selected




  Wild Card. Note: Do not do




  this without consultation of




  development team.




  <Show Dependencies>:




  Dependencies are not




  supported for Wild Cards.




  <Reload>: Refreshes Wild




  Cards display.




 <New Window>: Opens copy of




 current window.




 <Collapse All> Collapses entire




 tree.




 <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




  <Back and Forward




  Navigation>: Navigates




  between searches.



Wild Cards
Displays all available Wild Cards,




which are indicated thusly:




 Wild Card



Search Tree
This field contains the following:




 Input Text Field: Searches




 cascades for specific text.




 <Search>: Executes search.




 <Search Options>: Opens Search




 Options window.




 Whole Word Only Checkbox:




 Limits search to complete word




 matches.










The Wild Card Builder, shown in FIG. 98, allows the user to create and edit a Wild Card's settings and has the following components.














Component
Description









Name
Wild Card name



Output
The symbol used to indicate Wild




Cards presence in match data.




 Match All: [*]




 Match One or More: [+]




 Match One: [.]



<Save>
Saves Wild Card.



<Cancel>
Closes window without saving Wild




Card.










Input Files are lists of words in a text file (*.txt). They are used as substitutes for large groups of words, such as names and locations. An Input File can be placed in the pattern for a Concept just like a single Vocab Term. The pattern for the Concept will then trigger if any word in the Input File is hit, much like a Building Block.
Once an Input File has been created, it can be compared against all Vocab in the KB. Any overlapping words are converted to Vocab in the Input File. In this way, common misspellings can be included if a word has already been assigned to a Vocab Term. Input files are accessed via a dockable window of the same name, illustrated in FIG. 99 and having the following components.














Component
Description









Button bar
The button bar contains the following:




 <Add>: Adds new input file.




 <Edit>: Opens Input File Builder




 with selected input file open.




 <Delete>: Deletes selected input




 file.




 <Show Dependencies>: Shows all




 Concepts in which the selected




 input file appears.




 <Refresh>: Refreshes Input Files




 display




 <New Window>: Opens copy of




 current window.




 <Collapse All> Collapses entire




 tree.




 <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




 <Back and Forward Navigation>:




 Navigates between searches.



Input Files
Displays all available input files for the




project thusly:




 Input File



Search Tree
This field contains the following:




 Input Text Field: Searches




 cascades for specific text.




 <Search>: Executes search.




 <Search Options>: Opens Search




 Options window.




 Whole Word Only Checkbox:




 Limits search to complete word




 matches.










Input File Builder, shown in FIG. 100, is used to create and edit input files. Each word or phrase should be on its own line of the text file. Input File Builder has the following components.











Component
Description







File Name
Text input field for the file name.



 <Browse>: Allows user to browse



 for existing text file.


Display Narne
Name as it appears in the Active Lab.


Print As Vocab checkbox
Check to enable contents of the Input File



to be generated as Vocab.


Input File tab
Enter words and phrases here. One per



line.


Vocab Output tab
Input File is converted to existing Vocab



here. This tab contains the following:



 <Create Vocab Output>: replaces



 entries with Vocab Terms if they



 exist and displays the results in the



 Vocab Output field.



 <Save Output>: Opens Browse



 window to save the Vocab output.



 Vocab Results display: shows the



 Input File contents after <Create



 Vocab Output> has been pressed.


Search Tree
This field is used to:



 Allows user to search for specific



 text in the input file tree.



 <Search>: Executes search.



 Whole Word Only Checkbox:



 Limits search to complete word



 matches.


<Save>
Saves input file.


<Cancel>
Closes Input File Builder without saving



additions.









The next section deals with the procedures involved in managing lex types and input files. As mentioned above, lex types are created as part of the overall lex file, which is created manually by the administrator.
To add a lex type to a project, use the following procedure. Note that corresponding FPML must be manually entered into the static file *.lex before this will have any affect.
In Lex Types, click <Add> OR right click anywhere in the window to open a right-click menu and select Add.
In the Name field (FIG. 101), input the name of the desired lex type.
Type the desired Display Name in the appropriate field. While this name may be any name, it would be best to stick to a name that accurately represents the lex type's function.
Click <Save> to close Lex Builder and add the lex type to the project OR click <Cancel> to close the window without adding the lex type to the project.
To edit lex types, use the following procedure in connection with FIG. 102:

    
    
        1. In Lex Types, double-click on the desired lex type OR select the desired lex type and click <Edit> OR right-click on the desired item to open a right-click menu and select Edit.
        2. Make any changes desired to the Name and/or Display Name fields.
        3. Click <Save> to close the window and save changes OR click <Cancel> to close the window without saving.
    
    


Lex types may be added to the input patterns of Concepts just like any other form of vocabulary. To do so, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Open the desired Concept in Concept Editor.
        2. Select Patterns.
        3. Create an input pattern OR open a previously existing input pattern.
        4. In Lex Types, drag the desired lex type into the desired pattern.
        5. Make any desired changes to Position, Order and Proximity.
        6. Click <Save>.
    
    


To delete a lex type from a project, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Lex Types, select the desired file and click <Delete> OR right-click on the desired file to open a right-click menu and select Delete.
        2. In the Confirm Delete dialogue, click <OK> to delete the file OR click <Cancel> to close the dialogue without deleting the lex type.
    
    


Managing Wild Cards
This sub-section deals with creating, editing, and adding Wild Cards to Concepts.
In one or more embodiments, Wild Cards are created by the administrator only. To add a Wild Card to a Concept input pattern, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In the Wild Cards dockable window, click and drag the desired Wild Card into an input pattern in the Concepts Patterns tab.
        2. Change the order of the input pattern as desired.
        3. Make any changes to Position, Order, and Proximity selections as desired.
        4. Click <Save>
    
    


Input files are manipulated primarily through Input Files. This sub-section outlines the procedures involved in creating, editing, and deleting input files.
Creating Input Files

    
    
        1. In Input Files, click <Add> OR right-click in the window and select Add from the right-click menu.
        2. In Input File Builder (FIG. 103), type a file name into the File Name field OR browse for an existing file using <Browse>. Note: the File Name must end with the file extension *.txt.
        3. Enter desired word or phrase on one line in File Contents. Repeat as often as desired.
        4. Select Vocab Output tab, or skip to step 8.
        5. Select <Create Vocab Output>.
        6. Review Vocab Results to ensure proper results.
        7. Click <Save Output>. This will open a Browse window to select a name and location of the output file.
        8. Click <Save>.
    
    


Editing Input Files

    
    
        1. Double-click on the desired input file in Input Files OR right-click on the desired input file and select Edit from the right-click menu.
        2. Make any changes desired in Input File Builder and click <Save> OR click <Cancel> to close the window without saving changes.
        3. Select Vocab Output tab, or skip to step 6.
        4. Select <Create Vocab Output>.
        5. Review Vocab Results to ensure proper results.
        6. Click <Save Output>. This will open a Browse window to select a name and location of the output file.
    
    


Adding Input Files to Concepts

    
    
        1. Open the desired Concept in Concept Editor.
        2. Open Patterns.
        3. Create a blank input pattern by clicking <Add>.
        4. In Input Files, select the desired input file.
        5. Drag the desired input file from Input Files to the blank input pattern.
        6. Add any desired Vocab Terms, Helper Terms, or Building Blocks.
        7. Make any changes to Position, Order, and Proximity.
        8. Click Save>
    
    


Deleting Input Files

    
    
        1. In Input Files, select the desired Input File and click <Delete> OR right-click on the input file and select Delete in the right-click menu.
        2. In the Confirm Delete box, select <OK> to delete the input file from the project OR click <Cancel> to close the box without deleting.

Advanced Response Items

    
    


This section deals with advanced response items, specifically Dynamic Functions, AppCalls, Conditional Statements and Response Blocks. All of these items are used primarily, though not exclusively, in response-related capacities.
This section examines the principles behind Conditional Statements, AppCalls, Response Blocks, and Dynamic Functions.
Conditional Statements
Conditional statements represent the necessary prerequisites for a specific action being taken. They are used in Response Blocks and often for data-mining operations. In such situations, the conditional statement is a pre-established Variable value. The value of this Variable will then determine the way in which a Unit that contains the given Response Block functions. For instance, a Unit might respond differently based upon whether the user registers as male or female. The user's gender thus functions as the pre-condition of the Response Block.
Components Window
AppCalls are accessed via Components (FIG. 104), along with the previously mentioned Variables and Record Lists. Components contains the following AppCall-related components.











Component
Description







Button bar
  The button bar contains the



      following:



   <Add>, Add: Creates new



  AppCall.



   <Edit>, Edit: Opens AppCall



   Editor with selected AppCall



   open.



   <Delete>, Delete: Deletes



  selected



   AppCall from project.



   <Show Dependencies>, Show



   Dependencies: Shows all Units



   and Concepts in which the



   selected AppCall appears.



   <Refresh>: Refreshes Components



   display.



   <New Window>: Opens copy of current



   window.



   <Collapse All> Collapses entire tree.



   <Expand All> Expands entire tree.



      <Back and Forward Navigation>:



   Navigates between searches.


Components
Display list of all available components.


display
AppCalls are listed thusly:



   AppCalls


Search Tree
   This field contains the following:



   Input Text Field: Searches cascades for specific



   text.



   <Search>: Executes search.



   <Search Options>: Opens Search



   Options window.



   Whole Word Only Checkbox: Limits search



   to complete word



   matches.


Right-click menu
   This right-click menu contains the



following:



   Add: Creates new AppCall.



   Edit: Opens AppCall Editor for



   the selected AppCall.



   Delete: Deletes selected AppCall from project.



   show Dependencies: Opens



   Show Dependencies window for



   selected AppCall.



   Search Usage: Opens Search



   Usage window.









AppCalls
AppCalls, short for “Application Calls,” are a form of response wherein an external application is used. For example, a Unit might have an AppCall that opens a new program or fills out a form when triggered.
The AppCall consists of two parts. The first is the call to the outside application.
The second part of an AppCall is to define what parameters (ex: the value of a Variable) needs to be passed along with the AppCall.
AppCall Editor (FIG. 105) contains the following components:














Component
Descriptio









Name
Text field that contains the name of




the AppCall



Type
Drop-down that gives options for the




type of AppCall. Select Php if




generating FPML for ActiveAgent,




the remaining if used for that




corresponding product.



Output Type
Drop-down that gives options for the




type of output for the AppCall.




   Standard: For products other




   than ActiveAgent or older




   versions of ActiveAgent.




   Xml: For all current




   ActiveAgent products.



Required Parameters
Parameters are placeholders for data




that will be passed to an external




application. This field contains




the following:




   <Edit>: Edits selected




   required parameter.




   <Delete>: Deletes




   selected required




   parameter.




   Display: List of all




   required parameters in




   AppCall.




   Text input field: Input




   required parameters here.




      <Add>: Adds input to




      Required




      Parameters display.




      <Update>: Updates




      input.




      <Delete>:




      Deletes selected




      required




      parameter.



<Save>
Adds AppCall to Components.



<Close>
Closes window.










Configure AppCall Window
The Configure AppCall window (FIG. 106) will appear when a particular AppCall is brought into a Unit and contains the following components.











Component
Description







Parameters
List of all available parameters.


<Set Parameter Value
Specifies what information is sent with the


Type> radio selection
AppCall. Choose from the following:



   <Select From a Variable>: Sets



   parameter as a pre-assigned



   Variable



   <Select From a Record List>: Sets



   the parameter to a previously



   assigned Record List.



   <Type In a Value>: Sets the



   parameter to a manually-typed



   value



   <Set From Pattern>: In general, this



   option is not used. Sets the



   parameter to one of the following



   from an input pattern:



      wild-card



      lex type



      Input File


Value
Value for parameter.


<Back>
Previous parameter.


<Next>
Next parameter.


<Finish>
Closes window with changes saved.


<Cancel>
Closes window without saving changes.









Search AppCall Usage
The Search AppCall Usage window (FIG. 107) is accessible exclusively through the right-click menu on the Components dockable window. This window allows the user to search for all uses of an AppCall and a particular associated parameter. This window has the following components.











Component
Description







Parameters
List of all available parameters.


<Set Parameter Value Type>
Choose from the following:


radio selection
   <Select From a Variable>: Sets



   parameter as a pre-assigned



   Variable



   <Select From a Record List>: Sets



   the parameter to a previously



   assigned Record List.



   <Type In a Value>: Sets the



   parameter to a manually-typed



   value



   <Set From Pattern>: Sets the



   parameter to one of the following



   from an input pattern:



      wild-card



      lex type



      Input File


Value
Value for parameter.


<Search>
Searches for all Concepts and Units that



use the AppCall with selected parameters.


<Cancel>
Closes window.









Response Blocks
Response Blocks are responses that are shared by multiple Units, which may or may not have other additional response features, such as AppCalls, Dynamic Functions, or Record Lists, which coincide. Response Blocks are also used when more control over the print order of the Unit is desired. They also provide a means of data-mining when combined with dynamic functions. Response Blocks may be added to both Concepts and Units by means of dragging and dropping them into the Response Blocks tab.
Response Blocks Dockable Window, shown in FIG. 108, has the following components.














Component
Description









Button bar
The button bar contains the following:




   <Add>: Adds new Response Block.




   <Edit>: Opens selected Response




   Block for editing.




   <Delete>: Deletes selected




   Response Block.




   <Show Dependencies>: Shows all




   Concepts and Units in which




   selected Response Block appears.




   <Refresh>: Refreshes Response




   Blocks display




   <New Window>: Opens copy of




   current window.




   <Collapse All> Collapses entire




   tree.




   <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




   <Back and Forward Navigation>:




   Navigates between searches.



Response Blocks
Display of all available Response Blocks




and their dynamic functions, listed thusly:




   Response Block




      Call item: Dynamic




      Function




      Call item: Variable




      Call item: Url




      Call item: Clear




      Call item: Copy




   Incomplete Response Block



Search Tree
This field contains the following:




   Input Text Field: Searches cascades




   for specific text.




   <Search>: Executes search.




   <Search Options>: Opens Search




   Options window.




   Whole Word Only Checkbox:




   Limits search to complete word




   matches.



Right-click menu
This right-click menu contains the




following:




     Add: Creates new Response




   Block.




     Edit: Opens selected Response




   Block for editing..




     Delete: Deletes selected




   Response Block from project.




     show Dependencies: Opens




   Show Dependencies window with




   selected Response Block.










The Response Block Editor window, shown in FIG. 109, includes the following components.














Component
Description









Name
Name of Response Block.




   <Save>: Saves Response Block




   to project.



Tabs
The following tabs are found in




Response




Block Editor:




   Call Items: Tab that




   provides access to call




   items, such as




   Record Lists and




   dynamic functions.




   Response: plain text response




   or tagged statement.




      Conditional




      Statement:




   Conditional statements.




   Text To Speech: add a




   particular Text-To-Speech




   file.










The following discussion describes aspects of the tabs of the Response Block Editor window.
Call Items are Record Lists, AppCalls, Variables, and dynamic functions that are used when the Response Block is called. Variables, AppCalls, and Record lists are set to the value listed here, similar to the Components tab in the Unit Editor. Call Items contains the following components:














Component
Description









Button Row
The button row contains the following:




   <Add>: Adds new call item.




       copy Record List




      Request.




   <Edit>: Edits selected call item.




   <Delete>: Deletes selected call




   item.



Call Items Display
Display of all call items in Response




Blocks.










Response allows the user to set a plain text and/or tagged response associated with the Response Block and includes the following components.














Component
Description









<Save>
Saves response input.



Response
Either plain text or FPML response.










Conditional Statement allows the user to associate specific conditional statements with the Response Block and includes the following components.











Component
Description







<Add>
Adds a new statement.


<Save>
Saves configuration.


<Delete>
Deletes statement.


<Choose Type> radio selection
Select one of the following:



   Build Dynamic Statement



   Type Static Statement


Dynamic Statement
This tab allows the user to construct a



dynamic statement. It is only



available if <Build Dynamic



Statement> is selected. It contains



the following:



   <Add New Match



   Condition>: Adds new



   match condition



   <Edit Match Condition>:



   Edits selected match



   condition



   <Delete Match



   Condition>: Deletes



   selected match



   condition.



   Match Condition: Display



   of all match condition



   statements.


Static Statement
This tab allows the user to type a



static



statement, and is only available if



the user selects <Type Static



Statement>.









Text-To-Speech allows the user to select a specific Text-To-Speech File for the Response Block. Text-To-Speech includes the following components.














Component
Description









Current File
Name of Text-To-Speech file



<Browse>
Opens Browse window to select a




particular Text-To-Speech file.



<Remove>
Remove selected Text-To-Speech file.



Status
Displays load information about an




added Text-To-Speech file.










Dynamic Functions

Dynamic functions serve as a means for profiling site users and running searches based upon ranges (such as “cameras between $100 and $200”). They are used in Call Items for Response Blocks. Each dynamic function must reside in its own cascade, which must bear the same name. This cascade must have leveling enabled. Dynamic functions has a dockable window as shown in FIG. 110 and includes the following components.











Component
Description







Button bar
The button bar contains the following:



   <Add>: Adds new dynamic



   function.



   <Edit>: Opens Dynamic Function



   Editor with selected dynamic



   function loaded.



   <Delete>: Deletes selected dynamic



   function.



   <Show Dependencies>: Shows all



   Concepts in which the selected



   dynamic function appears.



   <New Window>: Opens copy of



   current window.



   <Refresh>: Reloads Dynamic



   Functions display list.



   <Collapse All> Collapses entire



   tree.



   <Expand All> Expands entire tree.



   <Back and Forward Navigation>:



   Navigates between searches.


Dynamic Functions display
Displays a list of all dynamic functions



available, as well as the Concepts in



which they appear, and the Record



Lists ofwhich they are components.


Search Tree
This field contains the following:



   Input Text Field: Searches cascades



   for specific text.



   <Search>: Executes search.



   <Search Options>: Opens Search



   Options window.



   Whole Word Only Checkbox:



   Limits search to complete word



   matches.


Right-click menu
This right-click menu contains the



following:



   Add: Creates new Dynamic



   Function.



   Edit: Opens selected Dynamic



   Function for editing.



   Delete: Deletes selected



   Dynamic Function.



   View File: Opens Dynamic



   Function in Editor.



   show Dependencies: Opens



   Show Dependencies window with



   selected Dynamic Function.



   suggest Concepts: Searches for



   Concepts containing the Record List



   used by the Dynamic Function. If



   the Concept is not used by the



   Dynamic Function, it is suggested.



   show Applications: Shows all



   applications that use selected



   Dynamic Function.



      Generate Fpml For



   Function: Generates the FPML



   associated



   with the selected dynamic function.









A Dynamic Function Editor, shown in FIG. 111 is provided and includes the following components.














Component
Description









Name
Text input field for the name of the




Dynamic Function.



Type
Dropdown to assign a Cascade Group Type




to the Dynamic Function will belong.




There are four options:




   Dynamic Functions Best Match




   Dynamic Functions Match All




   Dynamic Functions Search and




   Replace




   Dynamic Functions



Cascade Group
The name of the Cascade Group that the




Dynamic Function will belong. This




is required to be identical to the




Name.



Lex File
This field contains the following:




   <Load New Lex> Loads new Lex




   file.




   Lex file: Drop-down list to select




   lex file. Default is lex file




   associated with the open project.



Pattern Override
Selecting a Pattern Override will change




the Position of the patterns in the Concepts




only while the Dynamic Function is




processed. The following Positions are




available:




   None




   Beginning




   End




   Entire



Print Order
Where the Dynamic Function appears in




load order.



<Save>
Saves dynamic function.



<Cancel>
Closes window without saving.










Managing Advanced Response Items
This section deals with managing the AppCalls, Response Blocks, and dynamic functions. AppCalls are found in Components. This sub-section deals with the procedures involved in creating, editing, and using AppCalls. Creating new app calls can be performed using the AppCall Editor shown in FIG. 112 using the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In the Components dockable window, select the AppCalls object.
        2. Open the AppCall Editor window.
        3. Enter a name for the AppCall in the Name field.
        4. Select a Type from the drop-down list.
        5. Select an Output Type from the drop-down list.
        6. Enter a string of FPML in the Required Parameters field.
        7. Click <Add>.
        8. Repeat steps 6 & 7 as often as desired.
        9. Click <Save>.
    
    


To edit AppCalls, perform the following procedure using the AppCall editor of FIG. 112:

    
    
        1. Double-click on the desired AppCall in Components OR select the desired AppCall and right-click on the desired AppCall and select Edit from the right-click menu.
        2. In AppCall Editor, double click on the desired required parameter OR select the desired required parameter and click
        
            <Edit> OR right-click the desired required parameter and select Edit from the right-click menu.
        
        
        3. Make any changes in the Required Parameters field and click <Update> to replace the old required parameter OR click <Add> to add the new form as an additional required parameter.
        4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 as often as needed.
        5. When finished, click <Close>.
    
    


To delete AppCalls, perform the following procedure using the editor of FIG. 112:

    
    
        1. Select the desired AppCall in Components and click <Delete> OR right-click on the desired AppCall and select Delete from the right-click menu.
        2. In the Confirm Delete dialogue, click <Yes> to delete the AppCall OR click <Cancel> to close the dialogue without deleting.
    
    


To create new response blocks, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Response Blocks, right-click in the window and select Add from the right-click menu.
        2. In Response Block Editor, enter a Name and click <Save>.
        3. In Call Items, add any desired Dynamic Functions, Record Lists, AppCalls, or Variables by dragging them from their respective dockable window. You may be prompted to set the value the item will have when the Response Block is triggered.
        4. In Response, type in the desired response and click <Save>.
        5. In Conditional Statement, click <Add>
        6. Select <Build Dynamic Statement> or <Type Static Statement>.
        
            a. If <Build Dynamic Statement> is selected, use the following procedure:
            
                1. Choose Concatenator from the drop-down list.
                
                    11. Click
                    <Add>.
                
                
                111. Set Variables for each operand in Match Condition.
            
            
            b. If <Type Static Statement> is selected, use the following procedure:
            
                i. Type the desired static statement into the Static Statement tab.
            
            
        
        
        7. In Text-To-Speech, select a particular Text-To-Speech by clicking <Browse> if desired.
    
    


To edit response blocks, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Response Blocks, select the desired Response Block and click <Edit> OR right-click on the desired Response Block and select Edit from the right-click menu. Either of these will open Response Block Editor.
        2. Make any changes desired in Call Items, Response, Conditional Statement, and Text-To-Speech desired.
    
    


To deleting response blocks, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Response Blocks, select the desired Response Block and click <Delete>.
        2. In Confirm Delete, click <Yes> to delete the Response
    
    


Block OR click <No> to close the window without deleting the Response Block.
To create new dynamic functions, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Dynamic Functions, click <Add>, opening Dynamic Function Editor.
        2. Enter a Name for the new dynamic function. The name entered will be copied into Cascade Group automatically.
        3. Select a Type from the drop-down menu.
        4. Insure that the proper lex file is loaded.
        5. Select a Pattern Override from the drop-down menu.
        6. Select a Print Order.
        7. Click <Save> to close Dynamic Function Editor and save the dynamic function OR click <Cancel> to close the window without saving.
    
    


To edit dynamic functions, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Dynamic Functions, select the desired dynamic function and click <Edit> OR double click on the desired dynamic function OR right-click on the desired dynamic function and select Edit from the right-click menu.
        2. Make any changes desired in Dynamic Function Editor to the Name, Type, Lex File, Pattern Override, and Print Order.
        3. Click <Save> when finished to close the window OR click <cancel> to close the window without saving changes.
    
    


To delete dynamic functions, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Dynamic Functions select the desired item and click <Delete> OR right-click on the desired dynamic function and select Delete from the right-click menu.
        2. In the Confirm Delete dialogue, click <Yes> to delete the dynamic function or <No> to close the dialogue without deleting.

Using Advanced Response Items

    
    


Until they are placed in a Concept or Unit, advanced response items are just empty templates that do not actually contain any information, just the form. Like Variables, they must be assigned values in order to function properly.
To call AppCalls from a Concept or Unit, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Double-click on the desired Concept or Unit in the Concepts or Units dockable window, respectively, to open it in the appropriate tab.
        2. In the Concept Editor or Unit Editor, select <Advanced View>.
        3. Open the Components advanced tab.
        4. Drag the desired AppCall from the Components dockable window to the Components tab.
        5. In Configure AppCall, select a Parameter Value Type the first parameter.
        6. Select a Value.
        7. Click <Next>.
        8. Repeat steps 5-7 for each parameter.
        9. When finished, click <Finish> to close the window.
    
    


AppCalls may also be manually input into the response of a Unit in the Response tab.
To use response blocks in a concept or unit, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Open the desired Concept or Unit in its respective tab.
        2. Select Advanced View.
        3. Open Response Blocks.
        4. Drag the desired Response Block from the dockable window to the Concept or Unit.
    
    


Response Blocks can also be incorporated into the Concept or Unit by adding it to Wild Cards within any input patterns.
Dynamic Functions are added to Concepts and Units as part of Response Blocks, which are in turn added to Concepts and Units as described above. To add dynamic functions to a concept or unit, perform the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Open the desired Response Block from Response Blocks.
        2. Drag the desired Dynamic Function from its dockable window into the Call Items tab of Response Block Editor.
        3. Add the Response Block to the Concept or Unit using the procedures described above.
    
    


Testing and Debugging
Testing and its sister function, debugging, are important elements of creating a successful project. To this end, this section will examine both the testing and debugging features of Active Lab.
Details of Tests
While tests for each Unit and Concept may be found in the respective tabs, it is also possible to view the tests for the entire project in a Tests Tab shown in FIG. 113. This tab displays the results for every single test in the project.
Unit tests are organized by Situation Group, while Concept tests are organized by Concept Group. Each Concept Group and Situation Group may be expanded to view its constituent parts, and each of these in turn may be expanded to view the individual test questions.
As with the tests in individual Units and Concepts, green circles represent success, yellow circles represent a test that did not run, and red circles indicate a failed test. If one test for one Unit or Concept shows up red, the status of the Unit or situation itself will show red, and will in turn lead to a red status for the Situation Group or Concept Group in which it appears. This status is also reflected on the project as a whole. Thus, if so much as one test question in one Concept in the entire project shows red, the entire project will be red. Put simply, the status of any group is only as good as that of its worst constituent.
The Tests Tab contains the following components.











Component
Description







Button bar
The button bar contains the following:



   <Run Tests>: Runs all tests. Note:



   In order to ensure that the tests are



   up-to-date, always force generate



   all FPMLfirst.



   <Reload Tests>: Reloads all tests.



   <Collapse All> Collapses entire



   tree.



   <Expand All> Expands entire tree.



   <Add>: Adds new test to selected



   Concept or Unit in Test Editor.



   <Edit>: Edits selected test question



   in Test Editor.



   <Delete>: Deletes selected test



   question.



   <Debug Question>: Sends selected



   question to Debugger, where match



   data may be viewed.



   <Set Question Active/Inactive>:



   Toggles question to active or



   inactive. Default is active. Inactive



   questions will not be tested, and



   therefore will not affect the over-all



   status of the Concept, Unit, or



   group.



   Icon shows when tests may not be



   up to date.


Test Statistics
This display shows the percentage



passed, along with a ratio of Passed/Non



Passed of all Units, Unit Tests, Concepts,



and Concept Tests, respectively.


Test Selection drop-down
Selection of tests. Allows user to narrow


list
down the tests to be displayed or run.


Search Tree
This field contains the following:



   Input Text Field: Searches



   cascades for specific text.



   <Search>: Executes search.



   <Back and Forward Navigation>:



     Navigates between



      searches.


Right-Click Menu
The right-click menu will change based



on



whether a Unit, Concept, or test



question is selected. In general, it



contains the following options:



   Edit: Opens Test Editor.



   Delete Question: Deletes selected



   question.



   Debug Question: Opens



   Debugger tab and loads



   selected question into the



   debugger.



   Set Active/Inactive: Toggles



   status of selected test question



   between Active and InActive.



   Find Duplicates: Searches all



   tests for duplicate of selected



   question.



   Copy: Copies selected test



   question into Windows



   clipboard.









Test Editor, shown in FIG. 114, allows the user to add and edit test questions for a Unit or Concept without opening the respective tab associated with such. Test Editor contains the following components.














Component
Description









Questions
This field contains the following:




   Display: List of test questions




   within the Concept or Unit.




   Text Input Field: Edit and add




   questions here.




      <Add>: Adds Questions




      input.




      <Update>: Saves Questions




      input changes.




      <Remove>: Removes




      selected question.










Details of Debugger
The Debugger enables you to validate the FPML to make sure it is syntactically correct. Syntax is only one part of creating FPML. The other is ensuring the right response and action is taken for the right input. The Debugger also allows you to see what response will be given for a given input. To further aid in testing and validating FPML, the Debugger allows entire input scripts to be run in order to verify comprehensive response results.
FIG. 115 illustrates the debugger tab which has the following components.











Component
Description







Chat Control dockable
This window allows the user to interact


window
with the project. Its components are as



follows:



   <Reload Debugger's FPML>.



   Reloads the FPML into the



   debugger, either the entire project,



   or just those files that have been



   altered.



   <Set/Clear Show Lex Types as



   Type>. When toggled, shows lex



   types in match data. Default is not



   toggled.



   Chat History display. Displays the



   interaction between user and Agent.



   Chat Here field. Allows the user to



   input questions to the Agent as if it



   were a live person.



      <Send to Chat> button.



      Sends input from Chat Here



      field.


Match Data
This tab displays the Vocab Terms,



Concepts, and Units hit by the user's



input in the Chat Here field. This



following icons are also used:



   User Input: displays next to



   the original user input (also



   known as



   the Pre-processed string).



   Pre-Processed String:



   displays next to a processed



   string that will



   be sent to the next series



   of Cascades (also known



   as a Processed string).



   Hit Concept: Concept that



   has been triggered by the



   input.



   Lower Scoring Concept:



   Concept that was triggered, but



   has been



   eliminated from the Cascade



   because it did not score as high



   as another Concept that it was



   Best Matched with.



   Lower Scoring Unit: Unit that



        was



   triggered, but did not score high



   enough to give its response.



   Highest Scoring Unit: Unit that



   scored the highest, and whose



   response is therefore used.



   Score: Displays the score of the



   Concept or Unit that it is above it.



   Pattern: Displays the pattern that



   triggered the Concept or Unit above



   it.



   Static File Hit: Displays what line



   in a Static File that is triggered.



This tab also has the following buttons:



   <Collapse All>: Collapses entire



   tree.



    <Expand All>: Expands entire tree.



   <Find Tied Scores>: Displays in



   red all scores that tied.



   <Copy Debug Data To Another



   PopUp>: Opens copy of Match



   Data tab in new window.


App Calls
This tab displays all the App Calls that



were triggered from the user's input in



the Chat Here field, along with their



corresponding values.


Brain Variables
This tab shows the brain Variables



triggered by the user's input in the Chat



Here field, along with their



corresponding value.


Web Page
This tab displays the web page that was



triggered from the user's input in the



Chat Here field. It also has the



following displays:



   Web Sever Base Uri field:



   domain name or Url used to



   append Urls



   that written with only the



   relative path (or path not



   including a domain).



   <Save>: saves Web Server Base



  Url



   FPML Page Variable: displays



   label of displayed web page. Click



   link to open Uri Editor.



   Current Web Page: displays



   path for displayed web page.



   Click link



   to open web page in new window.


FPML Error Message
This tab displays all FPML errors that



have recently occurred. It also has one



button:



   <Clear Error Message>: Clears the



   FPML Error Message tab.


Load Data
This tab displays the load status of all the



FPML files in the database to ensure



that they are available. Errors appear



in red.


Raw Match Data
This tab displays the raw FPML code



that is used to generate the Unit's



response.


Watch Variables
This dockable window, normally hidden,



displays a list of chosen Variables, as well



as their current value. This window also



has the following right-click menu:



   Add: Opens a text field to type



   the name of desired Variable.



   Edit: Edit the name of selected



   Variable



   Delete: Removes selected



   Variable from Watch Variables



   window.



   Clear All: Removes all



   Variables from the Watch Variables



   window.



   Copy Record Set Xml to



   Clipboard: Copies an Xml version



   of selected Record List to Window



   clipboard.









The Debugger is designed to allow users great flexibility in their testing and debugging processes. After a KB has been thoroughly debugged in Active Lab, it is recommended to also test it in the Active Agent application before using it live. The Debugger environment does not replicate the AppCalls, as they are defined in the application using the FPML.
Chat Control
The Chat Control dockable window, usually residing on the left hand side of the Debugger tab, is used to directly ask questions to the Agent.
Anything entered into the Chat Here window will be processed by Active Lab. The response will be displayed in the Chat History window directly above it. The processes that occur to receive that response are displayed in the variety of tabs that appear in the Debugger.
Note: Any time that “Send To Debugger” is selected elsewhere in Active Lab, the Debugger tab is opened and the selected test question in entered into the Chat Here field and processed.
The Match Data Tab
Match Data, as described above, displays the procedure used by the project to trigger the Unit. More specifically, it shows how the pre-processed string is converted into Vocab and Helper Terms, which Concepts are triggered by the Vocab and Helper Terms, then which Units are then triggered by those Concepts.
Here is a breakdown of the pieces of the Match Data:

    
    
        The User Input entry displays the natural language form of the user's input, also known as the Pre-processed string.
        The first Pre-Processed String entry shows the string after it has been processed through the Vocab cascades, but before it is sent to the Concept cascades.
        All Concepts that are triggered by the first Modified String will be displayed as a Concept Hit or as a Lower Scoring Concept. The Score of the Concept listed, as well as what pattern triggered it.
        Multiple Pre-Processed String entries will show the string as it is processed through all the Concept cascades, but before it is sent to the Unit cascades. Vocab and Helper Terms are still displayed, and now Concepts are displayed as {cp Concept Name cp}.
        The Highest Scoring Unit, along with any other Lower Scoring Units, are the last items displayed at the bottom of the Match Data tab. The score for each Unit that was triggered is displayed, along with which pattern triggered the Unit.
        When no Unit is triggered, the processed string is handled by FPML that is hand written in Static Files. The Static File Hit will list which line within the listed static file was hit.
    
    


Note: In case of a tie, the Unit that was triggered last will be listed as the Highest Scoring Unit. In case of a tie between Concepts that are in a Best Match cascade, the Concept that was triggered last will be listed as a Concept Hit.
FIG. 116 shows an example of Match Data. Here you can see how the User Input string “what is your favorite food” is converted into the Vocab and Helper Terms “ask what your favoritevocab foodvocab”. The Concepts that are triggered are Define, Dining, Favorite, and Favorite Food. Two Units were triggered, Inflight Meals, and Favorite Food. The response that is delivered comes from the Unit that scored the highest, which in this case is Favorite Food.
The App Calls Tab
The App Calls tab, shown in FIG. 117, displays the information on any AppCalls triggered by the Unit or Concept. It is important to note that while the information may be displayed, the Debugger does not actually perform the AppCall operation in question.
The Brain Variables Tab
The Brain Variables tab, shown in FIG. 118, displays information on the processes occurring within the program's Context IQ Engine, or “brain”, as well as the current value of all Variables after a question has been asked in the Debugger.
Right-click on any Variable and select Add Watch to add selected Variable to the Watch Variables window.
The Web Page Tab
The Web Page tab, shown in FIG. 119, displays which web page was triggered by the Unit Response, along with the Url label and a link to that page.
The Fpml Error Messages Tab
The Fpml Error Messages tab, shown in FIG. 120, shows errors that have occurred in the FPML, along with when they occurred. This screen can be cleared by clicking on the <Clear Error Message> Button.
The Load Data Tab
The Load Data tab, shown in FIG. 121, displays the loading process of all the FPML involved in the Unit. Files that did not load properly are displayed in a prominent color, such as red.
Each entry in the Load Data tab displays consists of an action and a file path. Common actions include: Loading, Learning, and IRDLL. Each *.FPML file that is loaded correctly will be listed in black, and errors will be listed in red.
The Raw Match Data Tab
The Raw Match Data tab, shown in FIG. 122, shows exactly how the Pre-processed string is handled all the way to the output that is displayed back to the user. This tab shows the actual FPML code as it processes the input string through each cascade and static file.
Watch Variables Dockable Window
The Watch Variables window, shown in FIG. 123, is used, literally, to watch the value of any number of selected Variables. Any time the value of a Variable changes, that change will immediately be seen in this window.
Variables can be easily added or removed from Watch Variables, using the available right-click menu.
Viewing Dependencies
One of the most powerful tools to track down problems is the Dependencies window shown in FIG. 124. A Dependency is a list of all items in the project that use the selected item. For example, if <Show Dependencies> was selected from a Concept, all Units and Building Blocks that used that Concept would be displayed in the Dependencies window. If <Show Dependencies> was selected from a Vocab, all Concepts and Building Blocks that used that Vocab would be displayed.
The Dependency window can be opened by selecting a particular item and choosing <Show Dependencies> from many of the Button Bars. It is also available on many different right-click menus.
Displayed in FIG. 124 is the Dependencies window. In this image, the dependencies for the Concept “Benefits” has been found. The Units that use the Concept “Benefits” are listed here, as well as the patterns within those Units that use the Concept.
The Dependencies window has the following components:











Component
Description







Replace Usage checkbox
Check to view Drag/Drop Replacement



field and view a check box next to each



item in Dependencies.


Drag/Drop Replacement field
Drag and Drop one item that will replace



all checked items in the Dependencies



Display


Button bar
The button bar contains the following:



  <Edit>: Opens selected items



  Editor window.



  <Delete Item And Ignore All



  Dependencies>: Deletes selected



  regardless if it has dependencies.



  <Refresh>: Refreshes display and



  collapses entire tree.



  <Show Dependencies>: Show



  dependencies of selected item.



  <Collapse All> Collapses entire



  tree.



  <Expand All> Expands entire



  tree.



  <Create Tests From



  Units/Concepts>: Opens Tests



  tab with only tests that are used



  for the Units and Concepts



  currently in the Dependencies



  window.



  <Show In Main Tree>:



  Highlights selected item in its



  corresponding dockable window.



  <Replace>: Replaces the



  searched item with the item in the



  Drag/Drop Replacement field if



  selected line is checked.


Dependencies Display
Displays all dependencies for searched



item in a tree format, including



all patterns that use the searched



item.



Check boxes will only appear if



Replace Usage checkbox is selected.









Testing Conditions
The Test Conditions dockable window, shown in FIG. 125, is used to artificially assign the value of Variables of Record Lists for the purposes of testing.
There are two Test Conditions that can be set to Variables and Record Lists: Pre-Conditions and Post-Conditions. These conditions are then assigned to any number of test questions.
When a Pre-Condition and inserted into a test question, the value of the condition is set just prior to the test question being run. When a Post-Condition is set into a test question, the value of the condition is set just after the test question is run.
Test Conditions contains the following components:













Component
Description








Button bar
The button bar contains the following:




  <Add>: Opens Create new Pre/Post




  Condition window.




  <Edit>: Open Edit window to edit




  test conditions.




  <Delete>: Deletes selected test




  condition.




  <Show Dependencies>: Currently




  has no effect.




  <New Window>: Opens copy of




  current window.




  <Refresh>: Reloads Test




  Conditions Display.




  <Collapse All> Collapses entire




  tree.




  <Expand All> Expands entire tree.




  <Back and Forward Navigation>:




  Navigates between searches.



Test Conditions Display
The Display shows the different test




condition in tree format:




  Pre-Condition




  Post Condition









Create/Edit New Pre/Post-Condition
Creating and editing pre and post conditions is completed using three different windows, an example of which is shown in FIG. 126, all with identical functionality:

    
    
        Create New Pre-Condition
        Create New Post-Condition
        Edit
    
    


Edit contains the following components:













Component
Description








Name
This field has two components:




  Text Field: Location of the




  name of the condition




  <Save>: Saves the name of




  the condition.



Values
Values has two components:




  <Delete>: Deletes selected




  Variable or Record List from




  condition.




  Values Display: Shows values




  set for all Variables and Record




  Lists for the condition.



Set Value To Display
This Display will show differently if a




Variable or Record List has been selected




in Values. If a Variable has been selected,




the display has the following components:




  Text Field: Value of the Variable




  or Record list is set here.




  <Save>: Save value of Variable




  or Record List




  <Cancel>: Do not save value of




  Variable or Record List.




  <Close>: Closes the window.




If a Record list has been selected, the




display has the following components:




  Index Value: Determines Load




  Order of the Test Condition.




  Parameter: Lists name of the




  parameter being edited.




  Radio Buttons




    Set Text Value: Sets the




    value of the Variable to




    the value listed in the Text




    Field below.




    Set Variable: Sets the




    value of the Variable to




    one selected from the




    dropdown below.




  <Save>: Saves the value of the




  Record List parameter.




  <Cancel>: Does not save the




  value of the Record List




  parameter.




  <Close>: Closes the window.









Managing Tests and Debugger

This section deals with the procedures involved in testing and debugging.
Managing Tests
This sub-section deals with adding new test questions, editing existing test questions, and running tests.
Adding New Test Questions
In addition, new test questions may be added in Tests. To add a new test question, use the following procedure in connection with the window shown in FIG. 127:

    
    
        1. In Tests, select the desired Unit or Concept to which the new question will be added.
        2. Click <Add> to open Test Editor.
        3. In Test Editor, type the desired test question in Question.
        4. Click <Add>
        5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 as often as desired.
        6. When finished, click <Close>.
    
    


Editing Test Questions
Test questions may be edited in Test Editor or in Concept Editor or Unit Editor, respectively. The following is the procedure for editing a test found in Tests in its appropriate tab:

    
    
        1. Double click on the desired test question. The appropriate Unit Editor or Concept Editor tab will open.
        2. Follow the procedures for editing a test questions as described in Concepts—Adding Questions or Units—
        3. Adding Questions.
    
    


To edit test questions in Test Editor, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Tests, select the desired test question and click <Edit> OR double-click on the desired test question. This will open Test Editor with the test questions for the selected Unit or Concept loaded.
        2. Make any changes desired to the selected test question and click <Update>.
        3. When finished, click <Close>.
    
    


Deleting Test Questions
To delete a test question in Tests, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Select the desired test question and click <Delete> OR right-click on the desired test question and select Delete from the right-click menu.
        2. In Confirm Delete, click <Yes> to delete the test question OR click <No> to close the window without deleting.
    
    


To delete a test question in Test Editor, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Select the desired test question in Tests and click <Edit> OR double-click on the desired test question; either of these methods will open the test question in Test Editor.
        2. Ensure that the test question is selected and click <Remove>.
        3. In Confirm Delete, click <Yes> to delete the test question OR click <No> to close the window without deleting the test question.
    
    


Running Tests
To run tests in Tests, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. Ensure that all FPML is up-to-date by selecting <Generate FPML (Changes Only)> OR<Generate All FPML>. Select the tests to be run from Test Selection.
        2. Click <Run Tests>. This may take a while
        3. Examine the results.
    
    


Debugging Questions
After examining the test results, it is important to examine the causes of any failures that might have cropped up. To debug a question (particularly a failed question), use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Tests, select the desired test question and click <Debug Test Question> OR right-click on the desired test question and select Debug Question from the right-click menu.
        2. In Debugger, examine results.
    
    


Debugging
This sub-section deals specifically with the procedures involved in debugging Units and Concepts.
Manual Debugging Procedures
Manual debugging is useful for running scripts through the FPML. To manually debug a project, use the following procedure:

    
    
        1. In Debugger, type an input into Chat Here.
        2. View the response in Chat History.
        3. Examine results in Match Data, App Calls, Brain Variables, Web Page, FPML Error Messages, LoadData, and Raw Match Data.
    
    


Debugging from Outside the Debugger
To debug any question automatically from outside the Debugger, simply right-click on the test question and select Debug Question. This will have the same effect as typing the question into the Debugger directly.
Dependencies
This sub-section shows the different uses of the Dependencies window.
Find Dependency
There are two ways to find the dependencies on an item:

    
    
        Right-click on selected item and choose show Dependencies.
        Highlight the selected item and choose <Show Dependencies>
    
    


Replace Usage
To replace either one item or a large group of a selected item with another, follow this procedure.

    
    
        1. Select item to be replaced by right clicking and choosing show Dependencies OR by choosing <Show Dependencies> from the Button Bar. This will open the Dependencies window.
        2. Check Replace Usage checkbox in Dependencies.
        3. Drag replacement item into Drag/Drop Replacement field.
        4. Check all boxes in Dependencies Display that have the searched for item that will be replaced. Note: Checking an item higher in the tree will check all items that are included in that branch.
        5. Click <Replace>. The searched item will be replaced with the replacement item.
    
    


Test Conditions
This sub-section will describe the creation, editing, and use of Test Conditions.
Creating Test Conditions
The steps for creating both Pre and Post Condition are the same:

    
    
        1. Open the Test Conditions dockable window.
        2. Highlight either Pre-Conditions or Post-Conditions, depending on which will be created.
        3. Select <Add> OR right-click→Add. Create New Pre/Post Condition will open.
        4. Type desired Name and press <Enter> or <Save>.
    
    


The name of the window will change to Edit followed by the name of the Test Condition.

    
    
        5. Drag desired Variable or Record List into Values Display from Components dockable window. The Set Value To Display will activate. Repeat for all Variables and Record Lists desired for selected
        6. Click <Expand> to view Variables and/or Record Lists.
        7. Highlight the first Variable or Record List item.
        8. Click <Save>.
        9. Change Set Value Display to the desired value of the Variable or Record List. Repeat steps 5-8 for each Variable and Record List.
        10. Click <Close>.
    
    


Editing Test Conditions
The steps for creating both Pre and Post Condition are the same:

    
    
        1. Open the Test Conditions dockable window.
        2. Double click on chosen Pre/Post Condition OR highlight chosen Pre/Post Condition and click <Edit>.
        3. Edit Name field and press <Enter> or click <Save>.
        4. Click <Expand> to view Variables or Record Lists used by the test condition.
        5. Left-click once to bring up a Variable or Record List parameter in the Set Value To display.
        6. Edit Set Value To display as desired. Repeat steps 5 and 6 as many times as needed.
        7. Click <Save>.
        8. Click <Close>.
    
    


Deleting Test Conditions
The steps for deleting both Pre and Post Condition are the same:

    
    
        1. Open the Test Conditions dockable window.
        2. Click on chosen Pre/Post Condition and click <Delete OR highlight chosen Pre/Post Condition and right-click→Delete.
    
    


Adding a Test Condition to a Test Question
Once a Test Condition has been created, it can be linked with any number of test questions:

    
    
        1. Open the Tests tab in either the Concept Editor or the Unit Editor.
        2. Open the Test Conditions dockable window.
        3. Drag selected Test Condition from the Test Conditions dockable window to the desired test question in the Tests tab. A window will pop up prompting whether to add the Test Condition to all tests for the Unit/Concept.
        4. Select <Yes> or <No> in the pop-up.
    
    


Removing a Test Condition from a Test Question
To remove a Test Condition from a test question, follow this procedure:

    
    
        1. Open the Tests tab in either the Concept Editor or the Unit Editor
        2. Highlight the name of the test condition and click <Delete> or right-click on the name of the test condition and select→Delete.

Static Files and Editor

    
    


The Editor tab allows the user to view and interact with the raw FPML code of static files and lex files that forms the basis of all of Active Lab's operations.
The Editor tab, shown in FIG. 128, has the following components:













Component
Description








Button Bar
The button bar contains the following:




  <New>: Starts a new *.fpml file.




  <Open>: Opens an existing




  <Save>: Saves the currently open




  *.fpml file.




  <Cut>: Removes selected text




  from the currently open *.fpml




  file.




  <Copy>: Copies selected text




  from the currently open *.fpml




  file to the clipboard.




  <Paste>: Inserts copied text from




  the clipboard into the currently




  open *.fpml file at a selected




  location.




  <Search>: Allows the user to




  search the currently open *.fpml




  file for text.



Editor
Text field displays the text of an




*.fpml file, and allows the user to




edit it as desired.









Using Editor

The Editor can be used in the same manner as other text editors. There are also customizable shortcuts which can be configured in the shortcuts.xml file located in the directory with Active Lab.
Static Files
Static Files are FPML files created manually using either a standard text editor or Active Lab's Editor tab. They allow the user to create custom
FPML functions beyond Active Lab's capabilities should such a need arise. Static files must be created manually outside of the lab and then imported into the database using the Static Files dockable window.
Lex Files
Lex Files are instrumental to the proper function of a project, and as such should generally be left alone by the user. The user may view and edit Lex files through the Editor tab, though this is not generally recommended for most users.
Change Request
While change requests do not directly affect the functioning of a project, they represent a way for the user to view feedback from other users regarding the construction of the project. In this regard, they can be quite useful in the process of fine-tuning the components of a project.
Because all of these change requests pertain to Units, they may be accessed through their respective Units or through Change Requests. This dockable window contains the components illustrated in FIG. 129 and described in the table below.
Change request management occurs primarily within the dockable window of the same name. The right-click menu allows the user to go directly to the Unit in question and make any changes. Change requests may not be deleted, as they serve as a record of the changes made to the project.
There are six types of change requests:

    
    
        Create New Unit Requests
        Change Response Request
        Url Change Request
        Add Test Question Request
        Wrong Response
        WrongUL
    
    













Component
Description







Button bar
 The button bar contains the



    following:



  <Add>: Add new Request Group.



  <Edit>: Edit Request Group.



  <Delete>: Deletes selected



 Request



  Group.



  <Show Dependencies>:



  Currently has no effect.



  <New Window>: Opens copy



  of current window.



  <Refresh>: Reloads Change



  Request display list.



  <Collapse All> Collapses



  entire tree.



  <Expand All> Expands entire tree.



  <Back and Forward Navigation>:



  Navigates between searches.


Filters
Select the filters used to find current



change requests. This field contains



the following dropdowns:



  Content Management System:



  Select appropriate Content



  Management System



  Change Request Groups: Select



  from available groups.



  Status: Select status of change



  requests to view:



     All



    Pending



     Assigned



  Group By: Select how the display



  will organize the change requests:



    (none): No organization.



    Group By User



    Group By Unit



    Group By Situation


Change Requests display
Displays change requests in tree view,



organized by type:



 Create New Unit Requests



 Change Response Request



 Url Change Request



 Add Test Question Request



 Wrong Response



 WrongURL


Search Tree
This field contains the following:



  Input Text Field: Searches cascades



  for specific text.



  <Search>: Executes search.



  <Search Options>: Opens Search



  Options window.



  Whole Word Only Checkbox:



  Limits search to complete word



  matches.


Right-Click Menu
The following right-click menu only



applies to the change request item:



  View Details: Opens



  corresponding request



  window.



  Accept Change: Accept



  change request. Item will now



  appear as regular item in Active



  Lab









Create New Unit Request
New Unit request can be edited, changed, and implemented in the Create New Unit Requests window. This window is broken up into two tabs: the Create Unit Request tab, which shows all the parameters for the Unit; and the Request Information tab, which shows history, comments, and the option to ignore the request.
FIG. 130 illustrates the Change Unit Request tab which includes the following components:













Component
Description








Situation
Dropdown that chooses the Situation




Group for the new Unit.



Label
Text Field that displays the name of the




Unit.



Response
Text field where the Unit's response is




written.



Url
This field contains the following:




  <Edit Url>: Opens Uri Editor with




  current Urlloaded.




  <Remove All Url Items>: Removes




  Url from response.




  <Show In Tree>: Shows current Url




  in Uri dockable window.




  <Add>: Opens two new fields for




  the purpose of creating a new Url:




    Uri: New Url name field.




    Label: New Url Label field.




  <Save>: Saves new Url. Only




  available through <Add> button.




  Uri: displays path for response.




  Label: displays label ofUrl for




  response.




  Auto Navigate To URL checkbox:




  When selected, the Unit's triggered




  response automatically redirects to




  the selected URL.




  Drop-down list: list of all available




  URLs for the response.



Questions
Text field where test questions are listed.




Note: Only use one test question per line.



<Create Unit>
Creates the Unit in appropriate Situation




Group.









The Request Information tab is shown in FIG. 131 and includes the following components:











Component
Description







Request Group dropdown
Choose from available pre-set group that



created the request.


Request Information
 Field displays all information relating to



     the Unit, including:



   Request Information Display,



   which includes:



      Response



       URI



      Questions



      Requesting User



      Request Date



      Brain UID



       User Input



      Current Status



      Recommend Status



       Unit ID



      Comments



   <Show Unit>: Highlights Unit in



   Units dockable window.



   <Show History>: Shows Request



     History for the change



        request.


Comments
This field has two components:



   Text Field: New comments



   are typed here.



   <Save Comments>: Saves



   new comments.


<Mark As Complete>
Marks the change request as completed



outside of the change request.


<Recommend Ignore>
Marks the change request as ignored.


<Notify Unit Deleted>
Notifies Content Management System that



the Unit is deleted.


<Cancel>
Closes the window making no changes.









The Response Change Request window, illustrated in FIG. 132, is used to edit, implement, or ignore requests to change the response of a Unit and includes the following components.











Component
Description







Requested Response
This field contains two components:



   Text Field: New response is



   listed here.



     <Change Unit Response>:



      Changes



   the response of the Unit to the one



   listed in the above text field.


Request Group dropdown
Choose from available pre-set group that



created the request.


Request Information
Field displays all information relating to



     the Unit, including:



   Request Information Display,



   which includes:



       Unit Label



      Requested Response



      Old Response



      Old URI



      Old Unit Label



      Is Approval Required



      Requesting User



      Request Date



      Brain UID



       User Input



      Current Status



      Recommend Status



       Unit ID



      Comments



   <Show Unit>: Highlights Unit



        in



    Units dockable



     window.



    <Show History>: Shows



      Request



   History for the change



      request.


Comments
This field has two components:



   Text Field: New comments



   are typed here.



   <Save Comments>: Saves



   new comments.


<Mark As Complete>
Marks the change request as completed



outside of the change request.


<Recommend Ignore>
Marks the change request as ignored.


<Notify Unit Deleted>
Notifies Content Management System



that the Unit is deleted.


<Cancel>
Closes the window making no changes.









Url Change Request
The Url Change Request window, illustrated in FIG. 133, is used to edit and accept Url change requests and includes the following components.











Component
Description







Requested Url
This field contains the following:



   <Edit Url>: Opens Url Editor with



   current Url loaded.



   <Remove All Url Items>: Removes



   Url from response.



   <Show In Tree>: Shows current Url



   in Url dockable window.



   <Add>: Opens two new fields for



   the purpose of creating a new Url:



      Uri: New Url name field.



      Label: New Url Label field.



<Save>: Saves new Url. Only available



through <Add> button.



   Uri: displays path for response.



   Label: displays label ofUrl for



   response.



   Auto Navigate To URL checkbox:



   When selected, the Unit's triggered



   response automatically redirects to



   the selected URL.



   Drop-down list: list of all available



   URLs for the response.


<Accept Requested Url
Changes the Url to the one listed in the



Request Url field.


Current Uri/No
Field visible only ifUrl exists for the


Current URL Exists
Unit. Contains identical options as



Requested Url field.


Request Group dropdown
Choose from available pre-set group that



created the request.


Request Information
Field displays all information relating to



     the Unit, including:



   Request Information Display,



   which includes:



       Unit Label



      Requested Uri



      Old Response



      Old URI



      Old Unit Label



      Is Approval Required



      Requesting User



      Request Date



      Brain UID



       User Input



      Current Status



      Recommend Status



       Unit ID



      Comments



   <Show Unit>: Highlights Unit



   in Units dockable window.



     <Show History>: Shows



  Request History for the change



      request.


Comments
This field has two components:



   Text Field: New comments



   are typed here.



   <Save Comments>: Saves



   new comments.









Add Question to Unit Request
The Add Question To Unit Request window, illustrated in FIG. 134, is used to edit and accept test questions that will be added to the corresponding Unit and includes the following components.













Component
Description








Add Question
This field contains the following:




   Text Field: Test question is listed




   here.




   <Add Question>: Adds question in




   Add Question field to the Unit




   listed in the Request Information




   field.



Request Information
 Field displays all information relating to




        the




Unit, including:




   Request Information Display,




   which includes:




      Response




       URI




      Questions




      Requesting User




      Request Date




      Brain UID




       User Input




      Current Status




      Recommend Status




       Unit ID




      Comments




   <Show Unit>: Highlights Unit in




   Units dockable window.




   History for the change request.



Comments
This field has two components:




   Text Field: New comments




   are typed here.




   <Save Comments>: Saves




   new comments.



<Mark As Complete>
Marks the change request as completed




outside of the change request.



<Recommend Ignore>
Marks the change request as ignored.



<Notify Unit Deleted>
Notifies Content Management System




that the Unit is deleted.



<Cancel>
Closes the window making no changes.









Wrong Response/Wrong Url
The Request Details window, illustrated in FIG. 135, is used to view Wrong Responses and Wrong Url change requests and includes the following components. This window does not have the functionality to change Units, however it can mark whether a response has been changed.













Component
Description








Request Information
Field displays all information relating to




     the Unit, including:




   Request Information Display,




   which includes:




      Response




       URI




      Questions




      Requesting User




      Request Date




      Brain UID




       User Input




      Current Status




      Recommend Status




       Unit ID




      Comments




   <Show Unit>: Highlights Unit




   in Units dockable window.




     <Show History>: Shows




   Request History for the change




        request.



Comments
This field has two components:




   Text Field: New comments are




   typed here.




   <Save Comments>: Saves




new comments.



<Mark As Complete>
Marks the change request as completed




outside of the change request.



<Recommend Ignore>
Marks the change request as ignored.



<Notify Unit Deleted>
Notifies Content Management System




that the Unit is deleted.



<Cancel>
Closes the window making no changes.









Example System
FIG. 136 illustrates an example system in accordance with one or more embodiments. Here, the system includes a computing device 1360 that can be any suitable computing device such as a desktop device, laptop, handheld computing device and the like. In this example, computing device 1360 includes one or more processors 1362 and one or more computer-readable storage media 1364. Media 1364 can comprise any suitable storage media such as ROM, RAM, a hard disk, flash memory, optical media, magnetic media and the like.
In one or more embodiments, computer-readable instructions reside on the computer-readable media and implement the functionality described above. Such functionality can reside in the form of an application referred to as Active Lab 1366. Active Lab 1366 can present the various user interfaces described above and can implement the described functionality.
CONCLUSION
Various embodiments provide a tool, referred to herein as “Active Lab” that can be used to develop, debug, and maintain knowledge bases. These knowledge bases (KBs) can then engage various applications, technology, and communications protocols for the purpose of task automation, real time alerting, system integration, knowledge acquisition, and various forms of peer influence.
In at least some embodiments, a KB is used as a virtual assistant that any real person can interact with using their own natural language. The KB can then respond and react however the user wants: answering questions, activating applications, or responding to actions on a web page.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

## Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
evaluating a natural language processing system with a group of input-result pairs, each input-result pair of the group of input-result pairs mapping an input to a result, the evaluating including:
processing each input of the group of input-result pairs with the natural language processing system to identify a result; and
determining, for each input of the group of input-result pairs, whether or not the result of the processing matches the result of the input-result pair; and

in response to determining that a result of the processing does not match a corresponding result of the input-result pair, providing a user interface with an indicator for the result of the processing that does not match the corresponding result of the input-result pair to enable a user to modify the natural language processing system.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the natural language processing system is implemented at least in part by a knowledge base, the knowledge base including a set of concept-based units that are each paired with a response.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein each result of the group of input-results pairs comprises at least one of:
a concept of the corresponding input;
a unit that includes a pattern of concepts for the corresponding input; or
a response for the corresponding input.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes elements that enable modification of at least one of:
a response that is determined from the processing;
a concept that is determined from the processing;
a building block that is determined from the processing;
a vocab term that is determined from the processing;
a variable that is utilized for the processing;
an application call that is triggered by the processing;
a pattern of concepts that is utilized for the processing;
a pattern of units that is utilized for the processing;
a data mining process; or
a cascade that is utilized for the processing.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:
after modifying the natural language processing system, processing additional input with the natural language processing system to determine whether or not a result of processing the additional input matches a result that has been previously associated by a user with the additional input.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein each input of the group of input-result pairs is mapped to a result by a user.

7. A method comprising:
identifying a natural language processing system that is associated with a virtual assistant;
evaluating the natural language processing system by processing test user input with the natural language processing system, the test user input having been previously associated with a particular result;
determining that the processing does not identify the particular result; and
causing display of a user interface with an indicator associated with the test user input to enable a user to modify an element of the natural language processing system that is associated with at least one of the test user input or the particular result that has been previously associated with the test user input, the indicator indicating that the processing does not identify the particular result.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the test user input is associated with the particular result by at least one of the user or another user.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the natural language processing system is implemented at least in part with a knowledge base.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
upon modifying the element of the natural language processing system, evaluating the natural language processing system with a batch of test user input that is associated with the knowledge base.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the natural language processing system utilizes a plurality of components, each of the plurality of components comprising at least one of:
a unit that associates one or more concepts with a response;
a concept; or
a vocab term comprising a grouping of at least one of unambiguous synonyms of a word or spelling variations of a word.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the natural language processing system utilizes a plurality of concept-based components, each of the plurality of concept-based components comprising a unit that associates one or more concepts with a response; and the method further comprises:
presenting information that identifies a concept of the one or more concepts that caused the process to not identify the particular result.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the element of the natural language processing system that is enabled to be modified by the user comprises at least one of:
a response that is determined from the processing;
a concept that is determined from the processing;
a building block that is determined from the processing;
a vocab term that is determined from the processing;
a variable that is utilized for the processing;
an application call that is triggered by the processing;
a pattern of concepts that is utilized for the processing;
a pattern of units that is utilized for the processing;
a data mining process; or
a cascade that is utilized for the processing.

14. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
evaluating a natural language processing system by causing the natural language processing system to process test user input that has been previously associated by a user with a particular result; and
in the event that the evaluation indicates that the processing does not satisfy one or more criteria, presenting a user interface with an icon for the test user input to enable at least one of the user or another user to modify the natural language processing system, the icon indicating that the processing of the test user input does not satisfy the one or more criteria.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the natural language processing system is implemented at least in part by a knowledge base, the knowledge base including a plurality of concept-based components that each associate a pattern of concepts with a response.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the particular result that is associated with the test user input comprises a concept-based component of the plurality of concept-based components, and the operations further comprise:
determining that the processing does not satisfy the one or more criteria based at least in part on a concept-based component that is identified from the processing not matching the concept-based component that is associated with the test user input.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:
presenting information to the user or the other user that indicates that the concept-based component that is identified from the processing does not match the concept-based component that is associated with the test user input.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the user interface includes elements that enable modification of at least one of:
a response that is determined from the processing;
a concept that is determined from the processing;
a building block that is determined from the processing;
a vocab term that is determined from the processing;
a variable that is utilized for the processing;
an application call that is triggered by the processing;
a pattern of concepts that is utilized for the processing;
a pattern of units that is utilized for the processing;
a data mining process; or
a cascade that is utilized for the processing.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:
causing a virtual assistant to be presented to facilitate a user conversation;
receiving user input during the conversation;
causing the natural language processing system to process the user input to formulate a response to the user input; and
causing the virtual assistant to provide the response.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving the test user input from the user and receiving input from the user to associate the test user input with the particular result; and
associating the test user input with the particular result.

21. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
identifying a natural language processing system that is associated with a virtual assistant;
performing a first evaluation of the natural language processing system by:
accessing a plurality of test user inputs from a database, each of the plurality of test user inputs being associated with a respective predetermined result;
performing natural language processing on each of the plurality of test user inputs with the natural language processing system to analyze an accuracy of the natural language processing system; and
generating test result information indicating whether or not the natural language processing system identifies the respective predetermined result for each of the plurality of test user inputs;

providing a graphical user interface that displays the test result information and that enables a user to provide input regarding a modification to an element of the natural language processing system;
based at least in part on the modification to the element of the natural language processing system, performing a second evaluation of the natural language processing system by:
accessing the plurality of test user inputs from the database;
performing natural language processing on each of the plurality of test user inputs with the natural language processing system to analyze an accuracy of the natural language processing system; and
generating additional test result information indicating whether or not the natural language processing system identifies the respective predetermined result for each of the plurality of test user inputs; and

causing display of the additional test result information in the graphical user interface.