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Manual: Features

RidgeStar Sites can contain a wide variety of Features, completely dependent upon the functions required to satisfy Client requirements. Each Feature is given a distinct identity (Name) within RidgeStar, which is then incorporated and integrated into your site. The following list contains currently identified Features that have additional documentation available for them.

Accounting - A table recording fiscal operations

The Accounting table contains a single entry for each Chapter fiscal transaction between the Chapter and a User. Commonly used as a respository for Referee Match Reports, the Accounting table can also hold Dues, Penalty assessments, Bonuses, and miscellaneous Chapter Debits or Credits that are associated with an individual User (Referee) or Match.

Entries are generally created by Referee: Match Report, directly manipulated by Administrator: Manage-Accounting, and processed by a variety of Finance functions (Process, Export, Invoice, etc.).

Audit - A table to record significant User Activity

The Audit table typically contains a date and time stamped record of all database updates, deletes, or adds, as well as other significant elements of site processing.

The Audit table can be quite handy when attempting to diagnose which User did what to a specific Database record (e.g. who changed the Match, when, etc.)

Audit table entries are automatically deleted during processing (you control the duration held via the Setting=DeleteAudit value, which defaults to 6 months).

The Audit table is searched and displayed using Administrator: Manage-Audit.

BulkLoad - Upload a CSV file and Bulk Load it to the database

This feature permits authorized Users to upload a digital file (in Comma Separated Value format) to the Server and, subsequently, use it to load in mass a series of data records to a Database table.

The mechanism does permit Bulk Loading to any database table, but is typically used to load Matches in bulk.

Directory - A white pages listing of Site Users

Permits Site Users to lookup contact information about other site participants. The specific information available to the Visitor is normally controlled by the disclosing User by indicating his/her desires on Services: Profile.

The individual Directory entry is also what is displayed when a hyperlinked User name is displayed on other site pages. Thus, a Visitor clicking on a Name will receive the User's Directory entry (theoretically, showing the forms of communication available for that User).

Fragments - Accept string patterns as search criteria arguments

Portions of character strings may be entered as criteria elements such that data will match that contains the entered data.

Locations - A table to establish geographic Locations

Creates the Locations table containing a Location name and corresponding geographic street address (for mapping via GoogleMaps). Each Location contains 1 or more Fields (see the Fields feature).

Contents are directly managed via Administrator: Manage-Locations and are normally queried via the public Information: Locations.

Mail - Site based Mail mechanism

Creates an Email like, Site based mechanism for correspondence between two Users of the Site. Mail is designed to also completely replace the pre-4.4 Notices mechanism.

MessageHelp - Extend Message Interpretation via Topics

Permits each Site to establish a Topic for their site that will be hyperlinked to via a Help symbol at the end of a specific Message (when issued by the Site). This is most useful for Sites with a large number of Users that need to be empowered with more detailed information about a specific message and what they can do to address the condition represented by the Message.

Method - Utilize a Position Method to determine assignment mechanism

Each Position that can be associated with a Match has a Method value associated with it to describe the current methodology used to assign the Position.

Method=None means the position is not required for the Match and will not be assigned. Method=SelfAssign means it is available for Referee: SelfAssign (an Assignor can still manually make the assignment). Method=Manual indicates the Position will be manually assigned (usually by an appropriate Assignor) and is NOT available for SelfAssign.

Options - A table for holding operational values

The Options table is a simple repository for small operational values that control the various Features that may be implemented in the site (Criteria, Methods, Ranks, Fees, Rules, and/or Settings).

Entries can be manually managed via the Administrator: Options panels. This is particularly true of the Fees, Methods, Ranks, Rules, and Settings functions. The Criteria entries are usually allocated by the individual User through page based use of the Reset and Save symbols.

PasswordReset - Permit an end User to reset the Password

This feature implements a series of Questions and stores the Users responses for subsequent use during a Password Reset request.

The number of Questions is established via Administrator: Database-Questions, responses are provided by the User at Services: Profile-Questions.

Logon: Password Reset is configured via a series of Settings, controlling the number of questions that will be asked, etc.

Passwords - Use secret strings to identify a User

Permits a Site to associated a secret combination of letters and numbers for each User to identify themselves to the site with.

Photos - Store photos of the User

This feature permits the end User to upload a suitable graphics file (.PNG, .GIF, .JPG) representing a photo of himself/herself to introduce them to other site users.

The uploaded photo is converted to PNG format, a variety of pixel resolutions, and stored into the Users table for subsequent display.

SelfAssign - A Methodology permitting Referees to assign themselves

A Feature that implements a mechanism permitting Referees to assign themselves to suitable Assignments (within Chapter specified constraints).

Referee: SelfAssign utilizes a series of Chapter defined Rules to determine if the individual Referee can SelfAssign to the Assignment or not. Some typical Rules:

• proper Ranking
• proper Grade
• properly licensed and registered
• hasn't seen the team too often
• hasn't had too many Assignments in a single day, week, month
• is an appropriate Age
• has filed all required Match Reports
• etc

SSL - Secure Socket Layer Support

Indicates that the Site will support SSL (HTTPS) protocols. This requires a third party Certificate Issue (RidgeStar normally utilizes Thawte) to issue a trusted third-party certificate

Topics - A table enabling simple HTML page composition

The Topics mechanism permits authorized individuals (typically, Administrators) to create a series of data records containing HTML-like specifications to present information to the Users in HTML format without having to have detailed HTML knowledge.

The mechanism also permits the use of specific formatting directives that are translated to the appropriate level of HTML constructs to conform with the Site standard. The objective is to permit the creation of simple HTML based pages without the requirement for specific HTML constructs or syntax. The resulting page WILL conform to the Site Standard XHTML constructs when processed by the Display processor.

This Feature will also allocate a second database table called Text to contain the individual elements associated with the Topic.

Turnback - A Methodology permitting Referees to return a prior Assignment

A Feature that implements a mechanism permitting Referees to return a current assignment to a "generally available" pool of Assignments for other Referees to SelfAssign. The Turnback is subject to a series of Rules, such as:

1. Referee is assigned to the Match
2. the Referee has provided an acceptable period of time prior to the Match to assign another Referee

If the Rules are not passed, the Turnback is rejected and the Referee is directed to an Assignor for assistance.

WSYSARMA - WSYSA Risk Management Authorization interface

Activates an interface between the Site and the WSYSA's RMA data, where identified Users will have their RMA information downloaded and checked each time they logon to the Site.

This is an interactive connection requiring no information from the User or SiteManager (once the RMAName and BirthDate for the individual has been properly established in the Chapter Users table).