Exercise 5: Adding steps for edit session tools

Complexity: Beginner Data Requirement: ArcGIS.com Goal: Learn how to use the step management tools to promote, demote, move up, or move down the new step in the task assistant workflow.

In this exercise, you will focus on using the step management tools to promote, demote, move up, or move down the new step in the task assistant workflow if it is not added at the correct level. You will also use the Please Enter a Description dialog box to format the step description and the Help tab contents.

A step container is a parent step with a number of child steps. You will use the step management tools to promote, demote, move up, or move down the steps in the task assistant workflow to create a step container that will include the following edit session tools:

Button

Name

Function

Promote Step

Promote Step

Promotes the highlighted step one level

Demote Step

Demote Step

Indents the highlighted step one level

Change Step Order 'Down'

Change Step Order 'Down'

Moves the highlighted step down one level

Change Step Order 'Up'

Change Step Order 'Up'

Moves the highlighted step up one level

Step management tools and functions

Each of the steps can contain a step description. To add a description, you can type directly into the Description field or click the ellipsis (...) and format the text using the Please Enter a Description dialog box. On the Please Enter a Description dialog box, you will see the following tools.

Please Enter a Description tools

At the completion of this exercise, your task assistant workflow will appear as follows.

Task Assistant window

Create the step container

In this part of the exercise, you will create a step container to house your workflow steps.

Steps:
  1. Click the New Step button New Step on the Task Assistant window.

    A new step appears in the Task Assistant window.

  2. Click to highlight the new step.
  3. Click the Designer tab.
  4. Click the cell next to Description and type Edit Session Tools.
  5. Click the cell next to Name, double-click the existing text, then type Edit Session Tools.
    NoteNote:

    Edit Session Tools is a container step and as such will not have any other configuration information associated with it.

Create the Start Editing step

In this part of the exercise, you will create a new workflow step called Start Editing. You will associate the Start Editing step with the Start Editing command.

Steps:
  1. Click the New Step button New Step on the Task Assistant window.

    A new step appears under the Edit Session Tools node in the Task Assistant window.

  2. Click to highlight the new step.
  3. Click the Demote Step button Demote Step on the Task Assistant toolbar.

    The step should appear as a child of the Edit Session Tools node. The Designer tab appears.

  4. Click to highlight the Description field and click the ellipsis (...) that appears.
  5. In the Please Enter a Description dialog box, type Start an edit session.
  6. Highlight the text Start an edit session.
  7. On the Please Enter a Description dialog box, click the Font size tool and change the font size from 8 to 10.
  8. On the Please Enter a Description dialog box, click the Undo tool. Use the Please Enter a Description dialog box tools to change the font, font color, text format (bold/italics/underline), and text placement. After finalizing your text, click OK.

    The font is returned to the original size of 8.

  9. Use the Please Enter a Description dialog box tools to change the font, font color, text format (bold/italics/underline), and text placement.
  10. Click OK.
  11. Click the cell next to Name, double-click the existing text, then type Start Editing.
  12. Click the cell next to Commands and click the ellipsis (...) that appears.

    The Command Item Editor dialog box appears.

  13. In the Categories list, click Editor.
  14. In the Commands list, double-click Start Editing.

    The command appears in the Selected Commands area.

  15. Click OK.

Create the Save Edits step

In this part of the exercise, you will create a new workflow step called Save Edits. You will associate the Save Edits step with the Save Edits command.

Steps:
  1. Click the New Step button New Step on the Task Assistant window.

    A new step appears in the Task Assistant window.

  2. Click to highlight the new step.
  3. If necessary, click the Demote Step button Demote Step or any of the other step management buttons on the Task Assistant window to place the step at the correct level under Edit Session Tools.
  4. Click the Designer tab.
  5. Click to highlight the Description field and click the ellipsis (...) that appears.
  6. In the Please Enter a Description dialog box, type Saving your edits.
  7. Press the ENTER key. On the Please Enter a Description dialog box, click the Bold tool and type Note: You must save your edits before stopping the edit session.
  8. Click OK to close the dialog box.

    The information you enter in the Description field is visible to the Task Assistant user. Use the Please Enter a Description dialog box tools to emphasize text and notes for the user.

  9. Click the cell next to Name, double-click the existing text, then type Save Edits.
  10. Click the cell next to Commands and click the ellipsis (...) that appears.

    The Command Item Editor dialog box appears.

  11. In the Categories list, click Editor.
  12. In the Commands list, double-click Save Edits.

    The command displays in the Selected Commands area.

  13. Click OK.

Create the Stop Editing step

In this part of the exercise, you will create a new workflow step called Stop Editing. You will associate the Stop Editing step with the Stop Editing command.

Steps:
  1. Click the New Step button New Step on the Task Assistant window.

    A new step appears in the Task Assistant window.

  2. Click to highlight the new step.
  3. If necessary, click the Demote Step button Demote Step on the Task Assistant toolbar or any of the other step management buttons on the Task Assistant window to place the step at the correct level under Edit Session Tools.
  4. Click the Designer tab.
  5. Click the cell next to Description and type Stop the edit session.
  6. Click the cell next to Name, double-click the existing text, then type Stop Editing.
  7. Click the cell next to Commands and click the ellipsis (...) that appears.

    The Command Item Editor dialog box appears.

  8. In the Categories list, click Editor.
  9. In the Commands list, double-click Stop Editing.

    The command displays in the Selected Commands area.

  10. Click OK.

In this exercise, you used the step management tools to promote, demote, move up, or move down the new step in the task assistant workflow. You created a new step container and added new steps that were associated with step commands. You used the Description Editor toolbar to format text in the Description field.

To proceed to the next exercise, click Exercise 6: Adding a parent node for a help node and digitizing.

4/17/2014