SQL Server 2000 Online Series
Availability assessment report
Test Unit: EU Availability China Support Center
Test date:
year 2004
May
26th
-
Seduce
Month 26
day
Report production: EU Availability China Bai Wentao
Report production date: July 27-30, 2004
If there is a question about this report, please contact the following address:
Address: Dalian Maritime University Computer College EU Availability China Support Center, 116026
Contact: Bai Wentao
Tel: 0411-84724495
E-mail: henry@newmail.dlmu.edu.cn
Report summary
SQL Server 2000 Books are an HTML Help file that provides full-text search features and complete indexes, content overrides new features from SQL Server 2000 to all topics to build SQL Server applications.
The purpose of this test is mainly to evaluate and report the overall availability quality of SQL Server 2000 Books. In the impression of the user, the information of the help manual should be easy to find, focus on the user's task. List the use steps. And don't be too long. Ideally, the use of software systems should be simple, and users do not need any external help. In real life, this situation is difficult to do. Many software need help, although most users are used to using the system directly, not reading any help system, but they don't want to get timely help when they encounter problems. Online Manual Because of its timely, a good online manual can help users find the information they need in a short time.
I. Introduction
1. Use the description of the help system product
1.1 Types of Help Systems:
Application Help System: Inside the software application. And provide support. Usually the application help system provides context-related help when users use applications. Context-related help gives the current user behavior related instructions.
Reference Help System: Provides deep information for a specific topic. But not a user guide for a specific application system. Unlike the chapter organization of the general reference book, the online reference help system also includes interactive hyperlinks between the related subject matter. Although they are related to context. But if needed, you can read it like a book.
Tutorial help system
By special guided tutorial help system: You can perform training for users on a particular subject, usually interactive encourage user input and provide feedback. Such help systems typically lack the characteristics of context help.
Here SQL Server2000 Online Series is a reference help system.
1.2 Evaluation Target Users:
Mainly assess four skills (1) Computer experience (2) Related content experience (3) Experience in applying, assessing a help system is to look at its experience and skills of the target user. If there is a difference in the level of the target user and the help system, there may be problems with the system. And the availability is poor. The key issue is to help the system to provide the information needed by the user in a way that the user may understand. SQL Server2000 Books are provided to users who want to learn SQL Server2000 and have certain database principles knowledge. Whether these users have just learned it, they still have used it for a long time.
1.3 Evaluation Design Method:
We use empirical assessment. That is to use a relatively simple general, inspirated availability rules to perform availability assessments, simply, based on some of the general availability principles and their own experiences, discovery the availability issues in the system.
1.4 Help the composition of the system:
We may evaluate elements that make up the help system. Usually help systems consist of the following elements: Help systems created with help system development include some design elements for simulating Windows Help System features. These elements include a book pagemill, which organizes help the subject.
In the help system. The elements to be tested include:
Content (Content) Link Links
Page link
Topic Page Name, the topic shown in the main window. The subject shown in the secondary window
Index (Index) label
Single-stage index
Contains sub-list
Not included sub-list
Multi-level index
Contains sub-list
Not included sub-list
Find (Find) tag
Full text
Related Links
Other defined labels
Collect
Glossary
Custom term
Browse order
Multimedia theme
video
Audio
link
text
image
Dynamic content:
script
ActiveX control
DHTML
XML Java Applet
Context-related help
Pop-up window
Secondary window
Button
Expansion text (DHTML)
Down-pull text (DHTML)
Second, help the system test strategy
The test of help the system can be divided into two phases, including testing helps the system as a stand-alone system, as well as testing interactivity to the application.
Independent test
Like any application system, the web help system is also prone to compatibility and functional issues, so you need to independently test the help system based on the technologies used.
Interactive test of applications and help systems:
To ensure that all context-related helps are correct and the help content can be displayed correctly in all states of the application. We must combine the application and help system to test. The problems you want to consider in the test include external mapping files, the topic ID of the HELP button in the dialog, get help through F1 keys, shortcuts, buttons, etc.
Third, the types of availability in the system
The following lists a series of test issues and error examples:
UI design
The function test of the help system is to check if each operation can be performed, and each link should be operable and can link the user to the expected destination. The picture can be loaded correctly. The Web system is affected by environmental conditions, such as the compatibility, resolution, browser types, etc. Under different screen resolutions, tunnel mode, and font settings, the display of all web content in the help system should remain consistency. This is a very important issue for helping the system. Because this obvious mistake is very common. The setting of the display often changes the display during the test is a good habit. Different techniques may be used in the help system. In addition, format and readability are also critical to an available help system.
The consistency of help the system: Help the system's implementation requirements are always consistent, otherwise the user may be confused. Consistency tests include the following aspects:
Organizational Structure: Is it effective in helping the system's construction? Does the options are clearly demonstrated to the user? Is there a good navigation feature?
Design method: Usually we use familiar structural and modes to improve the ease of use of procedures. Many help systems are organized in a hierarchy, and some provide context-related help. Is the style between different interfaces in the system? Are you consistent with navigation?
Terminology: Is the term used in the system agree? Commands and terms used in a context should also be used in the same way in other contexts.
Fonts and Colors: Is the font size and style of the system agree? Link text, background, button style is consistent.
Format: The format of text should be consistent.
Easy to help the system: ease of use is usually subjective affected by users. Ideally, users can easily browse the help system and quickly find the information they need. In different interfaces, help the system can fully provide context-related help. The design of the help system is in line with the level of the target user. How is the user's evaluation of the system. Whether the system is useful, accurate, easy to manipulate. In order to find the information you need, the user needs to click how many mouses. Help system content:
The value of the help system is the information provided, and the error program Operating instructions may make users feel confused to help the system's technical errors can result in severe data corruption.
Fourth, empirical assessment
Experience assessment is one of the most direct assessment methods, and evaluates elements that make up the SQL Server2000 Book Series according to the principles provided above. Here are some of our discovery:> layout
All pages of SQL Server2000 Books have relatively simple vertical design. The page is very compact, all pages are suitable for printing. Pictures are available.
> Internal consistency
The format of the page and the use of icons fully meet the consistency requirements. And it is absolutely consistent with the Windows operating system. Text description, font, character color, terminology use and link tags also conform to consistency requirements.
> Design method
Using our familiar Windows structure and model to improve the ease of use. Taking a tree structure organizes resources, applying more "shallow" menus, avoiding a "deep" menu, which fully meets the rules of availability. The style between the different interfaces in the system is consistent, and the lookup and navigation are also exactly the same.
> Testing with application interactions
For the topic ID of the Help button in our dialog box, through the F1 key, shortcut keys, buttons, etc., the help is completely correct.
At the same time, we also proposed some suggestions that need to be improved:
The ash oil in the <"Index" is best removed so than the pop-up dialog box to notify the reader's current subset without options. (See Figure 1)
The filter criteria of the <"Bookmark" option Click "Add" button "When" The current theme content is the same, it is best not to add the label. (See Figure 3) V. conclusion Expert assessment is the "economical availability project" advocated by Mr. Jakob Nielsen, which is very applicable to the system of assessing the complicated task. Help the system is the complicated system of this task. So we use this assessment. The production of help systems is indispensable in business software. A good availability is more likely to wear a friendly aura. In this past few years, due to the availability of improved software, Microsoft has increased its products in the similar products in terms of availability. After tested that we found few usability issues, indicating that the availability of the product is better. Of course, due to the limited level of our level, this is inevitable. But we can discover from testing is the key to the company's success of the company's success.
