User modeling in an information architecture with DITA

Transcription

1 IBM User Technologies User modeling in an information architecture with DITA Ian Larner User Technologies, IBM Hursley Lab, England

2 Why we are here To discuss and try user modeling, biased towards user modeling (manual or automatic) for IBM company use, to show our students real-life applications of user modeling. in such a way that they may get a hands-on experience as part of the 4th year CS411 module, Dynamic Web-Based Systems. General theories of user modeling Use of user modeling in IBM User modeling tool (IAWB) DITA XML Delivery of user assistance (Eclipse help) 2

3 User modeling in IBM Widespread use of user modeling in project teams Modeling of software, systems, user interfaces, and information Range of IBM modeling tools (IBM Rational family) 3

4 Why user modeling for information? An information [architecture] model is a resource that helps your team to deliver: The right content To the right people At the right time [Give the user what they need when they need it in part by enabling them to adjust what they see to suit them.] [From pertinent information Provide information that is pertinent to the context of the user and what they are doing Provide pertinent links to other resources for the context large amounts of information Provide just enough information Allow for discovery 4

5 What is a user model for information architecture? User model for information = information architecture model Two aspects: 1. What user does with offering (user experience for offering) What user does with offering (that the user needs information for) Users, scenarios, goals, tasks, subjects,... Offering use vocabulary, presentation expectation, and continuum Need for, organization, and consistent (development of) information content for use of the offering 2. What user does with information (applying the user model) User interactions with information in specific product contexts [use model] User assistance categories, content classes, information types and content elements [information model] Standardized entry points to information [access model] DITA maps, topics, metadata, guidelines, for consistent information development and delivery or really also 3? What content producers do with information Writer expectations, skills, assistance Component development and integration Enabling for consistency and reuse Building/serving needs and technology constraints 5

6 What information do users use? UI Help or local Information Center UI text & hover help 2a. Information Centers (Web) Information use 1. 2b. UI text & hover help Quick Start leaflet (Box) Product/artifact use 6

7 Elements of an information architecture user model 7

8 Defining the model and more with DITA It s generally acknowledged that content providers need to move to structured data to describe their content, and the structured data format of choice is XML. DITA the Darwin Information Typing Architecture is an XML document technology that was developed by IBM and now owned as an OASIS standard and open source project. 8

9 IBM User Technologies User modelling with DITA Examples from IBM Information Architecture Workbench (IAWB) and raw DITA XML From usage scenarios to DITA maps, user metadata, subject metadata, subject glossary, entities for reuse

10 DITA key ideas IBM Information Development Structured information based on XML. You follow a standard template for the information type (task, concept, reference, topic, mixed) or map. Specialization - Declare more precise semantics, constrain content models Generalization for interchange Semantic tagging (adds meaning to the information) <task> is a task and you can know what that implies. Domains for vocabulary common to many topics (eg on next slide) Metadata (audience, platform, otherprops ) for additional personalization. Architected reuse - through DITA maps, content reference, conditional processing, automatic linking and link checking. 10

11 Example: DITA topic, domain vocabularies <task id="amortizingloan"> <title>amortizing the loan</title>... <taskbody> <steps> <step><cmd>choose the Amortizer menu item</cmd> <stepresult>the <wintitle>amortizer</wintitle> window displays.</stepresult> </step> <step><cmd>enter the <loanfactor>term</loanfactor>.</cmd> <info>you <b>must</b> choose one of the options.</info> </step> </steps> </taskbody> </task> task information type UI domain Financial domain (possible future) Highlighting domain <task domains="(topic ui-d) (topic hi-d)..." class="- topic/topic task/task "> the <wintitle class="+ topic/ph ui-d/ wintitle ">Amortizer</ wintitle > window, 11

12 Example: DITA map, metadata, 12

13 Example scenario for following discussion Welcome CSH CSH CSH CSH Select Blend 3 Select additives Summary & Serve Tg T T To C R 2 I want a tea, English Breakfast, milk, & 2 sugars Tea Maker / Coffee Maker 1 I want a standard (default) coffee 4 I need to install the Tea Maker 13

14 User modeling process with DITA 1. Construct a use model Identify user roles and the scenarios/use cases for their use of the system. Prototype UI & embedded/contextual information use. 2. Construct an information model Define user roles and other context metadata (ditaval files), identify information needs in user assistance categories, content types, and information types UI Context UA. Work from UI context outward, to tasks and concepts (UI.UA ditamap) Task-based UA. Work from user goal contexts, through tasks, to concepts and reference (IC ditamap) Chunk and model content, select and type topics. Prototype navigation. Generate topic stubs. Model information to meet user needs in various delivery contexts. Prototype build & delivery. Model information center back to DITA source. Model for component development, authoring, and reuse 14

15 1. Construct a use model General process: Understand and model users and their tasks through research, user demographics Model scenarios and use cases. For interactions, identify: Roles Use community definitions like Outside In Design (OID) Common Customer Roles Goals UI component contexts Delivery contexts General process using IAWB Use Task modeling perspective (Note advisors at bottom, Method Exponent ) Import Samples > OID Common Customer Roles Add Organization to collect model Add Role from OID. Note range of roles, descriptions as node properties As child, add general Goal and its tasks Add Contexts for general UI components. Relate Roles to contexts Add Contexts for specific delivery. As child, add Role and its specific Goal. 15

16 Slide for reference The The Administrator Administrator is is responsible responsible for for performing performing all all operational operational processes processes and and procedures, procedures, ensuring ensuring that that all all IT IT services services and and infrastructure infrastructure meet meet operational operational targets targets and and that that all all configuration configuration items items are are appropriately appropriately recorded. recorded. 16

17 2. Construct an information model (1, UI context) General process: Work from UI context outward, to tasks and concepts Define general user roles and context metadata (ditaval) Audience and product metadata Define information needs in user assistance categories (ditamap) Embedded assistance (strings), Contextual help Identify information types for UI contexts (cshelp) Define relationships for UI.UA topics (ditamap/reltable) Related links to tasks and concepts General process using IAWB: Use DITA Modeling perspective (Note advisors at bottom, Method Exponent ) Create a new DITA map (standard DITA map) Add a topic for embedded assistance strings Add a topic to collect help topics for the UI component Add a cshelp topic for each UI page Add additional cshelp topics for other UI contexts Optionally, add a relationship table, then drag and drop nodes into cells 17

18 Slide for reference General General filtering filtering metadata metadata defined defined in in a ditaval ditaval file file 18

19 Slide for reference Embedded Embedded & Contextual Contextual UA UA defined defined in in a ditamap ditamap file file 19

20 3. Construct an information model (2, Task-based) General process: Work from user goals and content types, through tasks Define content types (IC ditamap) Overview Define a topic, and add child concepts Goals (e.g. Configuring, Using, ) - Define task hierarchy Reference - Define reference sets Identify any special information types Specialized types CShelp (reuse), Custom use of std types; e.g.topic/@outputclass= container-xxx Define relationships between topics (ditamap + reltable) General process using IAWB: Use DITA Modeling perspective Create a new DITA map (standard DITA map) Add a topic as the Welcome page for the information center component Add a topic for each content type set (e.g. Overview, Configuring, Using, ) For Overview, add child Concepts For goal content types, add child tasks or other maps (e.g. for Reference) Add a relationship table, drag and drop nodes into cells 20

21 Slide for reference 21 Task-based Task-based UA UA defined defined in in a ditamap ditamap file file --Content Content type type templates templates --Information Information types types

22 Slide for reference Task-based Task-based UA, UA, custom custom Information Information type type defined defined in in a dita dita topic topic file file 22

23 4. Model information to meet user needs in various contexts General process: Work from delivery contexts, Define use of metadata (ditaval) Audience, product, etc Define context-specific entities for reuse Define topic sets for delivery contexts (ditamap) Consider delivery technology (context help, information center, PDF, ) Consider and exploit reuse of other information components Define extra relationships for delivery context (ditamap + reltable) General process using IAWB (for Eclipse help output): Create a ditaval for the delivery context; adjust actions for context Add key phrases and other entities for reuse to entities file Use DITA Modeling perspective Create a plugin DITA map Add references to other maps to form the TOC for the topic set Optionally, in IAWB create and use an Information Center model 23

24 Slide for reference UI UI help help for for Tea Tea Maker Maker Include Include all all user user roles roles Include Include teamaker Exclude coffeemaker Include Include ui-only ui-only content content Common entities entities file, file, section section for for teamaker 24

25 Slide for reference User User information center centerfor for Tea Tea Maker Maker Include Include user user Exclude administrator and and business_customizer Include Include teamaker Exclude coffeemaker Exclude ui-only ui-only content content 25

26 Slide for reference 26

27 Summary: User modeling process with DITA 1. Construct a use model Identify user roles and the scenarios/use cases for their use of the system. Prototype UI & embedded/contextual information use. 2. Construct an information model Define user roles and other context metadata (ditaval files), identify information needs in user assistance categories, content types, and information types UI Context UA. Work from UI context outward, to tasks and concepts (UI.UA ditamap) Task-based UA. Work from user goal contexts, through tasks, to concepts and reference (IC ditamap) Model artifacts: IAWB project files, including TMF DITA maps, DITA topics, specialized or custom information types?, specialized vocabulary domains?, metadata use for conditional processing (DITAvals), 27

28 Final thought - Use model for adaptable or dynamic information What can we adapt to? User role, user goal, activity, product, preferences, What input is available? Content elements (semantics and structure), infocenter filter controls, linking relationships, inference from user action, user input, let the user inspect and correct plans, user preferences(metadata) What can we affect? Topics in sequence include/exclude/reorder Content include/exclude/adapt Linking include/exclude/redirect Example: Threads Navigation (include/exclude for user preference) Content (include/exclude for thread and user preference) Content (adapt for user preference values) Linking (include/exclude for thread and user preference) 28

29 Thank you IBM Information Development Any questions or comments? [The remaining slides are some pointers to IBM information resources about user modeling, DITA, and Eclipse help] 29

30 IBM User Technologies Information resources Slides for reference

31 DITA resources Publications: DITA articles on developerworks ( DITA Cover Page ( Standards and tools: OASIS DITA Technical Committee ( DITA Open Toolkit ( Community: DITA Wiki ( This site is being worked on at the moment, should be up and flourishing by April. Yahoo! Group: dita-users ( 31

32 Patterns: Model-Driven Development Using IBM Rational Software Architect (IBM Redbook) 32

33 Modeling demystified (developerworks article) 33

34 The value of modeling (developerworks article) 34

35 UML Resource Center 35

36 Eclipse resources Centralizing help in Eclipse Take advantage of Eclipse's dynamic help and plug-in architecture: Dynamic User Assistance in Eclipse Based Applications This article introduces you to Eclipse's powerful Dynamic Assistance framework and provides examples that illustrate how you can take full advantage of its capabilities. 36