A procedure describes a business process within a project, shown as a decision tree.
        

• The tree represents a series of steps (or nodes) that are of two types:
  • interactive steps or Web pages seen by the user: information display (text, tables, pictures, etc.), request for information (forms), decision-taking (choice between several answers), links to Internet sites, etc. ;
  • automatic steps or actions, unseen by the user: running of scripts, communication with third party services via Web services, performance of tests and calculations, debugging breakpoints.

            see:

• Each step may return a result: response from the user, decision made by the user, value of a calculation, test results, etc.
• The user’s route in the process can be guided based on each result: move to the next step, select a branch, jump to another step via a loop, end the procedure, and so on.
• An execution report specific to each procedure gives a trace record of all the steps and branches that the user has gone through. The writer uses this tool to search for the reason for a hung step.
    

The procedures are managed from the Explorer pane of the graphic editor and built in the Design pane.

Notes

• A procedure is always delimited by:
  • a Start step ;
  • an End step  in each branch.

• The Web pages use the theme associated with the procedure. Only a writer with the Designer profile can change its look&feel.

• Users must be authorized to access the procedure in order to be able to view it on the browser ( to the right of the procedure name in the Explorer pane)  -  see Procedure

• Text can be hidden from the user by placing it within [ ] characters.
             
  • All of the metadata displayed in the Properties pane may contain hidden text: procedure names, step titles, form field labels, description, etc.
  • The theme can also manage hidden text automatically.

• To delete a step that has branches, you must first delete all the branches.

• Procedure execution report:
  • The report is generated by user at the writer’s request.
  • All the text is hidden from the user when the procedure is run.
  • By default, the report contains the title of all the steps and branches that the user goes through. It can be configured step by step -  see Description pane  of the graphic editor > Report tab

• Scope of the components of a procedure:
  • Macros: limited to a step.
  • Formulas: stored in the library that is common to all the procedures of the project.
  • Variables: local (limited to the procedure) or global (common to all the procedures of the project). A list of predefined variables is given by .

• Access rights to procedures:
  • Several writers can work on the same procedure depending on their access rights.
  • A user can access a procedure via a URL based on their access rights. 
  • Subprocedures cannot be accessed using a URL.

• Recycle Bin management:
  • Recycle bin folder of a project: contains only Explorer pane objects (resources, procedures); to restore a procedure, click the project’s Recycle bin folder in the Explorer pane  -  see Procedure
  • Cancel or restore changes to procedure steps: managed through the  history of the Design pane.
  • Cancel or restore in the step content editor: managed through the history  of the Description pane.

Caution

• Deleting a branch will delete all the steps defined within that branch.

Best practice

• Use the keyboard shortcuts to create procedure components rapidly.

• A resource can be inserted only in a procedure that belongs to the current project. To use the resources of another project, use the import-export functions -  see Procedure

• The page layout of the resources that are added to a step as attachments in the Design pane is managed automatically by the theme associated with the procedure. To create your own page layout, insert the resource in the step content editor  -  see Procedure

• To display the list of procedures that use a procedure/subprocedure, click the procedure in the Explorer pane and then the Used by tab in the Properties pane.

• You can use the hidden text to:
  • add keywords in the portal search.

    By default, searches can be run only on the words in the procedure text. To add keywords that are not found in the procedure but that are likely to be searched for, go to the Description metadata of the procedure (Properties pane ) and insert them as hidden text.

     [Update]How to modify a procedure
    ==> search keyword: Modify
    ==> additional search keyword with the hidden text: Update

  • modify the procedures/folders sort order in the Explorer pane.

    The ranking is in alphabetical order by default. To define your own ranking, go to the Description metadata of each component and add an order number before the label in hidden text form.

     [0.2]Archiving, [0.1]Creation
    ==> alphabetical order (by default): Archiving, Creation
    ==> order forced by the hidden text: Creation, Archiving

The step types

Step type	Viewable by the user	Icon in the Description pane		Representation in the diagram		Notes
Action						Automatic step, without interaction with the user. see procedure How to create an action
Action with switch						Automatic step without interaction with the user, containing a condition that points to several branches. The condition is checked when the step is performed. The procedure chains to the branch that satisfies the condition. All the steps defined in this branch are performed up to the End step of the branch. see procedure How to create an action with switch
Branch						Step linked to an execution condition that defines one of the proposals in an Action with switch step or a Page with choices step. Mouse over the title to display the execution condition of the branch. When the condition is satisfied (action condition satisfied, user’s choice), all the steps defined in the branch are performed up to the End step of the branch. A dashed line - - - - indicates that there is a condition of visibility on the branch: the branch is displayed only if the condition is satisfied. see procedure How to create a branch
Page						Non-interactive step that displays information to the user via a Web page. The procedure chains to the next step with the user’s making any choice. see procedure How to create a page
Page with choices						Interactive step that displays several proposals to the user via a Web page. The procedure chains to the branch corresponding to the user’s choice. All the steps defined in this branch are performed up to the End step of the branch. see procedure How to create a page with choices
Marker						Automatic step without interaction with the user, used to redirect the procedure. The procedure chains to the step indicated by the marker. see procedure How to create a marker
Sub-procedure						Business subprocesses comprising a series of steps (interactive/automatic). Once the subprocedure is run, the process resumes from the next step in the main procedure. see procedure How to create a subprocedure

The content of a step

The objects used in a step may be:

• specific to the step:
  • the object is defined using the dedicated editor in the Description pane (Content tab):
• Common to several procedures and steps of the current project:
  • the object is defined through a resource; 
  • it is added to the step as an attachment (page layout based on the theme of the procedure) or inserted in the HTML content of the step (which can be used to create a customized page layout).

      see:

• How to define HTML content
• How to create resource types
• How to use a resource in a procedure step
   

Properties of a procedure

Access: select the procedure in the Explorer pane of the graphic editor, then go to menu View > Properties

Toolbar

• : Select the display language for the procedure properties content.
•  : Open the procedure in the Design pane.
•  : Define the users’ rights to launch the procedure directly. Click the icon to change the status.
   

List of tabs

Info.: Information about the procedure (creation date, last update date, path).

• Parameters > Edit parameters: Enter the modifiable metadata of the procedure  -  see Procedure
• Link > Click to generate a link: Generate a URL of the procedure, that you can test in an Internet browser -  see Procedure
• Icon: Click  to select the picture associated with the procedure -  see Procedure
   

Uses: List of resources used by the procedure.

• Click Open the procedure and display the nodes that use this resource: the Design pane shows the procedure; the Properties pane shows the steps containing the resources that are used.
   

Used by: List of resources that use the procedure.

• Click Open the procedure and display the nodes that use this resource: the Design pane shows the procedure; the Properties pane shows where the resources are used in the procedure.
   

Statistics: Statistics on the use of the procedure (number of executions launched and their average duration, average number of steps in the procedure)  -  see Procedure

Procedures

How to create a Self Help procedure

See the detailled step by step in Self Help

Step 1: Select the project in the procedure

1. Expand the project tree in the Explorer pane using .

Step 2: Create the procedure

1. Right-click the folder in which you want to create the new procedure.
          

2. Select New > Procedure from the context menu.
The procedure is inserted in the Explorer pane, under <Nouvelle procédure>.

3. Rename the procedure.
The Explorer pane is refreshed.

Step 3: Create the steps of the procedure

1. Double-click the procedure in the Explorer pane.
The Edit pane is opened. The Start step  and End  step are displayed automatically.

2. Right-click the Start step .

3. Select Insert a step from the context menu, and the type of step to add.
          

     see Description of the different types of steps

How to create the different types of steps

4. Fill in the step based on its nature; click below to display the instructions.

See the detailled step by step in Self Help

Action

Action with conditions

Branch

Page

Page with choices

Marker

Sub-procedure

5. (Optional - for a step that is viewable by the user) View the step as it would appear on screen to the user:

• Click a step in the Design pane.
• Click the Preview view.
  The step is displayed as a Web page.
             
• (Optional) Modify the theme:
  • Click the Design view.
  • Select the desired theme from the  list in the toolbar.
    The step preview is automatically updated.

6. Add the other steps of your procedure:

• Go to the step after which you want to insert a new step.
• Repeat all the actions from point 3.
   

Modifying the content of a step

• The content is defined in the Description pane:
  • Open the Content tab.
  • Make your changes using the content editor.
  • Click  to save them.

• The content is defined via a resource:
  Caution: Any modification made to a resource is automatically applied in all the procedures that use it.
  • Open the resource from the Explorer pane.
  • Make your changes.
  • Save the resource.

Step 5: Testing the procedure

Objective 1: Test the steps sequence

1. (Optional) Select the desired theme from the  list in the Design pane toolbar.
The Preview is automatically opened to display the step selected.

2. Click the Design view.

3. Click  in the toolbar and select Launch the procedure.
The first step of the procedure is opened in your Internet browser.

4. Navigate through the steps to check that the sequence is correct.

Objective 2: Test the URL link

1. Define the procedure as the entry point for the users:

• Right-click the procedure in the Explorer pane.
• Select Allow launch by users from the context menu.
   is shown to the right of the procedure name.

2. Click  in the toolbar and select Generate a procedure link.

3. Enter the information in the dialog box -  see Procedure

4. Click Copy a Reusable Link.
The URL displayed in the Generated link field is copied to notepad.

5. Paste the URL in the address bar of your Internet browser and confirm.

6. Specify the authentication information.
The first step of the procedure is opened in your Internet browser.

7. Navigate through the steps to check that the sequence is correct.

8. Click Finish to close the dialog box.

How to personalize the content of a step

See the detailled step by step in Self Help

How to use an attached resource

1. Drag the resource from the Explorer pane to the frame containing the step.
The page layout of the step is automatically updated by the theme associated with the procedure.

How to define HTML content

1. Click a step in the diagram.

2. Click the Content tab of the Description pane.

3. Define the step content using the editor:

• Drag the resources from the Explorer pane to the content editor.
• Add the text and the hyperlinks.
• Arrange the page layout.

How to create a table

1. Click .

2. Click the cell and select Modify the table from the context menu.

• Define the table width, the border size, etc.

• Delete a row using the context menu of a cell  Line > Delete rows.

• Merge cells using the context menu of a cell Cell > Merge right

• Change the size of a cell using its context menu Cell > Cell properties.

How to create a clickable picture

See the detailled step by step in Self Help

1. Right click the picture inserted in the Content tab of the Description pane.

2. Select Pictures > Create a clickable area in the context menu.

3. Delimit the clickable area of the picture with your mouse, via the Edit clickable area in this image dialog box.

4. Indicate the action to be performed when the area is clicked, using the Action management dialog box.
 

Case 1: There are branches (choice steps) after the step in which the clickable picture is inserted.
You must specify the sequencing to a branch of the procedure (select Hide the corresponding branch to allow access only from the picture).

• In the Tooltip field, enter the text displayed when the clickable area is moused over.
• Select the action to be performed when the area is clicked:
  • URL: the user opens the URL address in a new Web page;
  • Select a branch: the user proceeds to the steps of the selected branch. Select the Hide the corresponding branch option to hide the selected branch.
• Click OK.
   

Case 2: No branch is defined after the step in which the clickable picture is inserted
The procedure continues to the next step.

• In the Tooltip field, enter the text displayed when the clickable area is moused over.
• Select the action to be performed when the area is clicked:
  • URL: the user opens the URL address in a new Web page;
  • Move to the next node: the user moves to the next step. Select the Deactivate the Next button option.
• Click OK.

5. Repeat all the actions for each clickable area of the picture.

How to name a step

1. Double-click:

• Either the step in the diagram (1).
• Or the title bar of the Description pane (2) .
           

2. Enter the step name.

3. Press <Enter> to confirm.
The name is automatically updated in both the Design and the Description panes.

How to enter the parameters of a procedure

How to generate a URL for direct access to a procedure

How to obtain the use statistics of a procedure

See the detailled step by step in Self Help

Step 1: Select criteria

1. Enter your selection criteria (period, include working version).

2. Click Show Statistics.
 

Step 2 (optional): Get statistics on procedure execution

1. Enter the procedure identifier.

2. Click Open a Procedure Execution.
 

Step 3 (optional): Save the results to a file

All results

1. Click Export All.
 

Select procedure executions

1. Select the procedure executions in the table.

2. Click Export Selection.