FileMaker Workflow Tracking System Boot Camp

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FileMaker Workflow Tracking SystemBoot Camp
DRAFT WORKING DOCUMENT FOR DISCUSSION
PURPOSES Draft of July 1, 2005

• Contents

• Databasics
• What OCWs FM system does
• Navigating the system
• Finding records, sorting them, and changing them
• Adding and deleting records

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DATABASICS
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What is a database, anyway?

• Literally, a collection of data. The information
  weve collected over the past two years is a
  database. It just happens to be stored in a
  FileMaker system. Most data is in some sort of
  tabular form.
• What is FileMaker then?
• A database management systemallows for the
  manipulation of data in the system.
• A rapid application development toolallows for
  quick, easy changes to the system.

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Why FileMaker?

• Networking, networking, networking. Plays nice
  with PC and Mac, uses TCP/IP.
• Plays nice with other tabular data (Excel,
  Tab-delimitated text files, CSV files)
• Flexible ways to get data back out.
• Combines multiple data sets (tables) via defined
  relationship rules.

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Some terms

• Server A machine that hosts FileMaker files for
  networked use (using a program called FileMaker
  server). Ours is named Bedazzler.
• Client A machine that runs a local copy of
  FileMaker used to access FileMaker Server. Yours
  is on your computer.
• File The actual .fp7 file stored locally or on a
  server. Our system is made up of four separate
  files, stored on Bedazzler. The one you see is
  called OCW_WTS_Interface.fp7.
• Table A data set about a defined entity in
  tabular form. Files can (and do hold multiple
  tables).
• Record A set of data about a particular defined
  entity within a table.
• Layout A user view within a file that simplifies
  (we hope) the manipulation of data.
• Field A defined data element (an attribute of
  the entity, if you speak database), usually
  encountered as a data entry box on a layout.
• Key Special field containing unique serial
  number that identifies each record.
• Mode The data manipulation operational state of
  the FileMaker client. You are usually only going
  to use Browse and Find modes.

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More than you need to know
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What you actually need to know (99 of the time)
The publication world
The intellectual property world
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WHAT OCWS FM SYSTEM DOES
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Publication and reporting information flow cycle
Publicationland
FileMaker
Authoring instructions
Selected use data
FL19
Feedback e-mail
Raw documents
CMS
WebTrends
Feedback server
Feedback e-mail requests
Detailed use data
Finished sites
Akamai
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FM WTS publication functions

• Contributor tracking The system stores contact
  information for faculty, students, OCW staff, and
  owners of third-party intellectual property, as
  well as their association with courses and
  third-party content.
• Course tracking The system tracks courses
  evaluated for publication, supporting the
  management of target lists and tracking courses
  not suitable for publication.
• Course specification support The WTS supports
  the creation of course construction
  specifications for those courses entering into
  the publication queue, and provides the remote
  authoring team access to the specifications.
• Intellectual property management Third party
  intellectual property embedded in course content
  can be tracked within the WTS and the system
  supports the generation and tracking of
  permission requests for third party intellectual
  property.
• Authoring support The remote authoring team
  accesses course construction specifications via
  the WTS, and the system facilitates
  communication/clarification regarding
  specifications between the remote authoring team
  and the OCW publication team.

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FM WTS reporting functions

• E-mail feedback tracking and processing The
  system stores incoming feedback e-mails, and
  facilitates response to feedback by the OCW
  communication team. The system supports sorting
  of e-mail by educational role (educator, student,
  self learner), country and region of origin, and
  a number of other categories for reporting
  purposes.
• Course tracking The WTS stores quarterly course
  traffic data, imported from WebTrends 7, our web
  metrics system, and facilitates the generation of
  course traffic reports for participating faculty
  members and other key stakeholders.
• Geographic traffic tracking The system
  aggregates OCW site traffic by country data,
  which we receive from our distribution partner
  Akamai, into regional traffic data. The system
  allows for easy retrieval of geographic traffic
  data for reporting purposes.
• Use case tracking The system stores qualitative
  data related to specific instances of OCW site
  use and relates them back to individual
  contributors and courses.
• And also
• External contact tracking The system stores
  contact information for key individuals at other
  institutions and organizations.

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Navigating in FileMaker
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Getting into FileMaker

• The easy way
• Get a copy of the FM_Opener.fp7 on your desktop
  and double-click on it.
• Less easy, but still not bad (if youve been
  there before)
• Use the FileMaker Open Recent feature
• Start FileMaker from your applications list
• Use the pull down menu at the top of the screen
  to access recently opened file names FilegtgtOpen
  Recent
• Select OCW_WTS_Interface
• The hard way
• From within the OCW HQ domain
• Start FileMaker 7.0 on the client machine.
• FileMaker opens to a welcome dialogue box with
  options to Create a new file, Create a new file
  using a template, or open an existing file.
  Select Open an existing file. (Note An option
  is provided to not display this dialogue box in
  the future. Users should select this option,
  which will move them directly from step 1 to step
  3 in this process)
• An Open New or Existing File dialogue box will
  open. Click on the Remote button.
• An Open Remote File dialogue box will open,
  with two boxes labeled Hosts and Available
  Files.
• From within the domain, the host Bedazzler
  (18.89.3.215) should appear. Highlight this
  host by clicking once on it.
• OCW_WTS_Interface should appear in the
  Available Files box (see Figure 1 below)
• Higlight the OCW_WTS_Interface file by click on
  it once, then click the open button.
• The system should open without requiring password
  entry if an authentication failure or password
  entry dialogue box appears, then the user is not
  correctly logged into the MIT OCW domain. The
  user can at this point supply domain credentials
  in the password dialogue box to enter the system.
  
• From outside the domain
• Enter fmnet/18.89.2.203/OCW_WTS_Interface into
  the Network File Path text box at the bottom
  of the dialogue box.

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Access permissions
Publication
Evaluation
FM Users
Read/write
Read only
FM Users Plus
Read/write
Read/write
Administration
Read/write/reformat
Read/write/reformat
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Basic navigation
FM default dropdown
Layout navigation
Record manipulation
Main system navigation
FM default sidebar
Portal hotspot navigation
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OCW FM main navigation
To get to a desired table
Main publication table navigation
Main eval/admin navigation
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OCW portal hotspot navigation
Jump to all related record in Section table
To get from one table to related records in
another
Jump to just this related record in Section
table
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FM default navigation
To understand what records you are looking at
FM default dropdown (Ignore for most operations)
Book icon
Slider
Active record display
Found set display
Total records display
Sort status display
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OCW FM record manipulation navigation
To do things with records in the table and other
random stuff
To enter Find mode
To bring Nav panel to front
To ensure all data displayed is current
To create a new record
To delete record
To report a bug or request a feature
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OCW FM layout navigation
To view other layouts in a table
Other available layouts
Active layout
List view
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FINDING RECORDS, SORTING THEM,AND CHANGING THEM
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Finding records in OCW FM
To enter Find mode

• To find a set of records
• Enter find mode
• Enter criteria in appropriate fields
• Logical operators (lt,gt,, etc.) can be used
• Multiple find requests can be created (A/C-N)
• Records can be omitted from the find using the
  Omit checkbox
• Order of requests is important!
• What if the find isnt right?
• Use RecordsgtgtModify last find function (A/C-R)
  to recall last find request.
• Change find to work.
• What if even the best find returns unwanted
  records?
• Use RecordsgtgtOmit Record function to omit
  (hide, not delete) unwanted records. (A/C-T)
• Sometimes easier to search for what you dont
  want.
• Find what you dont want, then use RecordsgtgtShow
  Omitted function to pull up hidden records.

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What youve found
93 records match your criteria
3129 records in the table
Records arent sorted
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Performing a sort
Pre-programmed sort buttons
1.
2.
Control-F
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Modifying a record

• Most fields are open for editing
• Enter the field
• Alter the text
• Leave the field
• Automatically saves changes on exit
• Some field protected (important course info)
• Click Edit button
• Make changes in dialogue box
• Close dialogue box
• A few fields locked
• Record keys (system unique identifiers)
• If you need to change a locked field, get me
• Minimal undo
• System backed up 6 am 6pm
• Call me if you need access to backed up data

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CREATING AND DELETING RECORDS
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Creating Parent records in Course and
Contributor

• ALWAYS check to see if a record already exists,
  esp. in Contributors
• Perform a find to try and locate the record
• Create records in Course and Contributor tables
  using the new button
• For Course, automatically pre-populates default
  sections
• Dont use Records drop down menu! Will not
  invoke scripts.

To create a new record
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Creating Child record in Course

• Use the on the parent record portal
• Adds a new row to the portal

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Deleting records

• For Course and Contributor records
• Use Delete button at top right
• DELETIONS ARE CASCADING!!
• If you delete something you need back, get me
• For other tables, use the trash can in the parent
  record portal
• You can also use the Delete button
• DELETIONS ARE STILL CASCADING!!
• Remember 6 am and 6 pm backups
• Worst case scenario, everyone loses 6 hours of
  work
• Most times, we can restore lost files
• When in doubt, ask for help

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Final thoughts

• Lots here I havent had time to cover--play
  around! As long as you arent deleting things,
  you cant get into too much trouble.
• If you happen to know advanced Excel, import and
  export is pretty easy with some training
• System is in a constant beta state, with new
  features coming on line
• If you dont see a feature you want, ask for it!
• Brought to you by
• Me - system architecture
• Debi Fuchs, Aptworks Consulting - System
  implementation and maintenance