Writers:
Clare Bernier,
Scott Cox,
Jerry Hill.
Last modified: January 7, 1997
The PinPoint Book QA Process and Checklist
This guide outlines the QA process for documents in the PinPoint
browser. The guide includes the following sections:
The goal of the PinPoint QA process is high-quality online books.
What is meant by high-quality?
- The online book meets the same writing and publishing
standards required of hard copy books.
- The hard copy and online books are equivalent (contain the same
information).
- No errors were introduced by the conversion process.
- Online presentation of the book is acceptable (that is, hard
copy presentation does not interfere with online
presentation).
- Book is usable on color and b/w displays.
NOTE Our goal is not another editorial review.
The PinPoint QA is performed after the hard copy book has been
through the ECN QA so that the reviewers are not tempted to make as many editorial comments. The writer is responsible for the first online
review.
- Writer must perform a self-QA of the online book and fix any
problems before submitting the book for formal online QA.
- Print out a hard copy of the book after it has passed ECN
QA--record all comments and problems in the hard copy as
you perform the QA.
- If conditional text has been used for online, set the
conditional text to "Online" before printing a hard copy
of the book for the online QA. Contact the writer for a
brief description of how conditional text was used in the document.
- Length of time needed for online QA is 3-5 full days.
- Platforms for testing--the minimum testing platform is 1
color platform and 1 b/w display. A full review must be done
on the color display; check only graphics on the b/w display.
Contact Steve Fieler to arrange the use of various platforms.
- Copy of the final printreq, which is used to verify
order numbers and part numbers.
The issues concerning the QA process for PinPoint books are:
- Training for people doing online QA.
- How much effort here will duplicate already completed hard
copy QAs.
- Possibility of writing online version first. Producing a good
online book leads to a better hard copy book.
- Viper usage--the QA should not report bugs against the
online doc in Viper, but bugs that are found after the book is
published online should be reported through Viper.
- Bugs against the browser and the stylesheets should always
be reported and tracked through viper.
- Error and warning output from
mkbook
regarding entities
and structural errors should be saved and sent to the
appropriate member of the PinPoint team (Earl Hood).
- Writers must clean up their templates--use latest structured
template and use it properly (for example, writers must
change fonts by using character tags, not by directly applying
fonts.
- The writer performs a QA of the online book.
- The writer fixes any problems observed during the self-QA.
- The book goes through the formal QA review. Reviewers compile
a list of global comments.
- The writer fixes any problems realized during the formal QA.
- The writer completes the QA signoff checklist by spot-check.
- The main reviewer spot-checks (referring to the marked hard
copy used during the formal review and to the global comments)
the fixed online doc and completes the QA signoff checklist.
- (Optional) A secondary reviewer spot-checks (also referring to the marked hard
copy used during the formal review and to the global comments)
the fixed online doc and completes the QA signoff checklist.
This optional step is strongly recommended for:
- Books over 200 pages
- Books containing many illustrations, tables, and/or
code examples
- Books with frequent font changes (due to code examples
and/or command syntax examples)
Summarizing global comments
Persons conducting online QAs need to summarize their comments.
These comments should
- Stress the main and/or recurring problems of the online book
- Point out any problems that can be very time-consuming to fix
and should be avoided when authoring
This list details a procedure for checking the online book. The
items listed must all be checked on a color display. Check only the
presentation of graphics on a b/w display.
- Record the dates the online QA takes places, the date and
time (look at the timestamp) the SGML files are generated,
and the location of the book going through QA (the location
is given by the COLLECTION line used in the .pprc file).
- Check the 8-character filename for the SGML files
(this filename is the same as the last subdirectory listed
in the COLLECTION line for the book) against the
current release information available--through links--from the
PinPoint
information
web page, the URL is http://wwwcpress/pinpoint/pinpoint.html.
- Check the book title against the book name in the book's
Collection in PinPoint. Open the book in PinPoint.
- Check online title information against hard copy and
printreq.
- Title
- Order number
- Edition
- Pop up the copyright notice and check it against hard copy.
- Check the Revision history page against hard copy.
- Expand the TOC completely and check all headings against hard copy.
- Make sure all sections in the TOC are worded correctly and
appear properly in the TOC hierarchy.
- Switch the TOC view to List of Figures. Check each figure
against hard copy--view figures both inline and iconified.
- Is the numbering consecutive in the TOC's List of
Figures? The figure numbering will not be consecutive if
there are figures that do not have captions.
- Is the figure legible online? Is the image quality
acceptable?
- Are figures being used for screen captures when
non-graphic, example text could be used? Normally, example input
and ouput is not put in a figure unless it is annotated.
- Check how long PinPoint takes to display figures. If
a figure is drawn very slowly, it may be in vector format.
For use with PinPoint, bitmap versions of vector images
are required. (For hard copy, vector images provide higher
resolution.)
- Switch TOC to List of Tables. Check each table against hard
copy--view tables both inline and iconified.
- Is the numbering consecutive in the TOC's List of Tables?
The table numbering will not be consecutive if hidden
tables are not wrapped properly or if visible tables have
no captions.
- Are there any tables that use straddling? Straddling
cannot be used in online docs.
- Are there any table titles in the LOT (or the main view)
that contain the string "continuation" ? These strings can be removed
by conditionalizing the table continuation variables
in Frame before exporting to SGML.
- Are there any table cells containing multiple paras that
run together into one paragraph? These paras can be wrapped in lists
to preserve the paragraph breaks.
- Is there any formatting lost in tables due to the use of
invisible cells?
- Are font changes preserved in tables?
- Set the Main view so that tables and figures are iconified to review
the text. Beginning with the preface, check all text
(including appendixes) in the Main view. One strategy for
checking the text is described below.
a. Each time you come to a new page in the printed book, scan the page
for font changes, code examples, lists, and cross-references
(these entities cause the most problems).
b. If you find any of these items in the hard copy,
immediately check the online book for problems with
the items in question.
c. Mark the hard copy as needed and check the items in
the list given below.
- The list below outlines what needs to be checked in the text
of an online book.
- No text was omitted from the body of the book (suggest
checking the first two words and last two words of each
paragraph).
- Formatting of bullet lists matches hard copy.
- Numbered lists are numbered correctly and match hard
copy.
- Font changes are preserved.
- Cross references to tables, figures, and other sections of
the book are hyperlinked and formatted correctly. Must
click on all hyperlinked cross references and check to see
that destinations are correct. Are there places where links
should be added?
- Heading levels match hard copy.
- Figure and table caption text is formatted correctly. Font
changes in figure and table captions are preserved.
- Definition lists are formatted correctly.
- Spacing, indentation (of code and comments), fonts, and
line breaks in code examples are correctly formatted and
consistent with hard copy.
- The string "Example" is not overused.
- Subscripts and superscripts are in the correct positions.
- Spot check how the zooming works on graphics on the
b/w display.
- Check for special characters that did not translate
correctly online. Notify Peter Cash
of any special characters that are not
translated correctly.
This checklist should be followed very closely for the self-QA
and the formal QA. During signoffs, the checklist should be
followed more loosely.
This checklist is an abbreviated version of the checklist above.
Book title _________________________________
___________ Date QA started
___________ Date QA finished
COLLECTION line used
_____________________________________________________________
Timestamp of SGML directory _________________________________
_____ Book title matches title in PinPoint's Collection
_____ Order numbers match
_____ Edition numbers match
_____ Copyright notices match
_____ Revision histories match
_____ TOCs match
Figures
_____ LOF numbering is consecutive
_____ All figures are bitmaps
_____ Quality of images is acceptable
_____ Figures are not used when non-graphic, example text can be used
Tables
_____ LOT numbering is consecutive
_____ Font changes are preserved in table cells
_____ No straddling is used in tables
_____ No invisible cells are used in tables
_____ No "continuation" strings appear in table titles
_____ Paragraphs in table cells (if any) are preserved
_____ Font changes in figure and table captions are preserved
Body text
_____ All text in hard copy appears in online book
_____ Formatting of bullet lists matches hard copy
_____ Numbered lists are numbered correctly and match hard copy
_____ Definition lists match hard copy
_____ All cross-references are linked to the proper destinations
_____ No extraneous text appears in the cross-references
_____ Code examples are formatted correctly and match hard copy
_____ The "Example" string is not overused
_____ Subscripts and superscripts are in the correct positions
_____ Font changes in the body text are preserved
By signing below, you agree that the above document is ready to be delivered online
and can be released in PinPoint.
Date
Writer
____________________________ ______________
Main reviewer
____________________________ ______________
Secondary reviewer
____________________________ ______________