A task is an individual work assignment that is generated when an asset that is part of a project reaches a human step in the workflow. A task has the action that corresponds to the current workflow step, and the assignee or assignees that were specified for the current workflow step.
Example: In your two-step workflow, the first step is "Translate", and the assignee is the French Translator workflow role. When the project is created, tasks are generated with an action of "Translate", assigned to the French Translator workflow role. Each user in the French Translator workflow role will have these tasks in their task list. Once a task is completed, it disappears from the task list of the translator and moves to the next step, which may be "Review", and is assigned to Jacques, the reviewer specified in the workflow. Jacques now has the task in his task list.
Since there can be more than one assignee for a task, a user who wants to work on a particular task must claim it. Claiming a task prevents other users from working on it. You can explicitly claim a task or automatically claim it by opening the task in the Translation Workbench or by exporting it.
You can view and work with your tasks in the Project List.
Viewing the Project List in Tree View
The project list provides information about the projects with which you may be involved. When you view the project list in "Tree View", you see the project list organized by project groups. A project group is two or more projects that share the same name and workgroup, are created at the same time and contain the same assets, but have different locales.
When viewing projects in tree view, you are able to see project groups at the highest level, then, by expanding a project group, you can see the individual projects (shown as locales), and if you expand the project, you can see the individual assets (tasks). You are able to perform the same actions in the project list in tree view as you are able to perform in the project list in traditional view and in the task list.
Viewing the Task List
Each project has a task list, which displays the tasks in the project. To view the task list, click the project name link. You can choose to view all tasks claimed by you, all tasks assigned to you, all active tasks (all except hidden and deleted tasks), or all tasks in the project from the "View" drop-down menu.
Using the Viewer
The viewer allows you to see, and sometimes edit, the asset on which a task is based. This is helpful while you are working on a task and want to see a preview. You can view the source asset or the target asset in the following list:
You can access the viewer from the task list by clicking the asset link, or from the Translation Workbench by clicking "View".
Claiming Tasks
When a workflow step is assigned to multiple users or to a workflow role consisting of multiple users, the corresponding tasks will appear in each assignee's task list. The user who will work on the task must claim it to prevent other users who are assigned to the task from making changes to it. You can claim a task explicitly by selecting it and clicking "Claim", or automatically claim it when you export or open it in the Translation Workbench. Once you claim a task, work on it, and complete it, the task will stay claimed by you if it should return to the step that was assigned to you (for example, if the task progressed to a review step and then returned to the translate step where it was claimed by you, it would still be claimed by you).
Conversely, you can unclaim a task that you will not complete so that other users can claim and work on the task.
Working on Tasks with a Human Step
When a task is at a human step, you can open it in the Translation Workbench in the browser, or you can export the task to the Translation Workbench for Windows, Trados, or SDLX. With at least one task selected, clicking the "Translate" button launches the Translation Workbench.
Editing Tasks Externally
When a task is part of a project that does not use linkage, it can be edited externally, using the Launcher. When a project does not use linkage, it is generally because the project is set up as a means of tracking source file editing, as opposed to translation.
Exporting and Importing Tasks
You can export tasks to work on them offline in the Translation Workbench for Windows, Trados, or SDLX. When you export a task, it is automatically claimed, and the corresponding target asset is locked. The translation memory is exported with it. After translating the task offline, you import them back into WorldServer.
When you import a task, WorldServer checks if the task is still claimed by you, and if the corresponding target asset is still locked by you. If the task is no longer claimed, or the asset is no longer locked, WorldServer will not import it, since there may have been changes made to it. The source and target segments of the translated document populate the translation memory if you select that option upon import. The translation memory from the offline tool does not get imported into WorldServer translation memory, since it may contain irrelevant or incorrect matches. However, you can import offline translation memory (TMX format) into a WorldServer translation memory.
Changing Task Status
Task status helps you keep track of your progress in completing the assignment. Changing the task status has no effect on the task itself. For example, changing the task status to "Completed" does not complete the task, it is simply an indication to you that you are ready to complete it. The task status changes to "In Progress" automatically when you save changes in the Translation Workbench. Also, the task status changes to "Exported" when you export a task, and "Imported" when you import a task.
NOTE: You cannot manually change a task status to "Exported" or "Imported".
Viewing Task Information
By clicking the task number link in the task list, you can view the general information of a task, including the project name, workflow, and the source and target asset paths as well as the task history and a diagram of the workflow.
Viewing Project Information
By clicking the "View Project Information" link, you can view the general information of the project, including the locale, workgroup, description, and creation date.
You can also access the scoping information by clicking the appropriate link. In the Scope dialog box, you can view the word count and pricing information by selecting the appropriate cost model. You can also download the cost information to a comma-separated values (CSV) file that you can open in spreadsheet software to further refine, review offline, or distribute. You must have at least one cost model set up (Management > Linguistic Tool Setup > Cost Models) before you can access cost information.
Logging Task Issues
Issues are problems that arise when globalizing content. Issues can be associated with a particular task (task issues), or can be assigned to a user or workflow role (independent issues).
To log a task issue, click the issues link for the appropriate task. A task issue remains with the task while it progresses through the workflow steps. You can modify and close these issues in the Assignments > Issues page, along with task-independent issues. To log an independent issue, you do so in the issues list.
Example: There is a typo in one task. Since this issue only involves one task, and is not related to any particular user, you should log a task issue from the task list. In addition, the marketing manager reports that there is a missing graphic on one of the Spanish Web site's pages. Since there is no current project or task associated with this problem, you should log an independent issue from the issues list.
Setting Due Dates and Custom Attributes
You can set a due date for a group of tasks, or for the entire project. A due date can help translators to prioritize tasks. You can set a project due date when creating a project. Set or change a project due date from the project list, and a task due date from the task list.
In addition, you can create and set custom attributes for a project.
Reassigning and Modifying Task Assignees
The Reassign command allows you to reassign a task to another user. This only reassigns the current workflow step of the task. Any subsequent steps remain the same.
The Modify Task Assignees allows you to modify the assignees of all workflow steps of a task.
Moving Tasks
You can move particular tasks to an existing or new project, if the need arises. To add a task to an existing project, the project must have the same locale, and you must have permission to add tasks to the project. You can also choose to create a new project with the selected tasks. When you create a new project, the tasks will enter the project at the same workflow step they were at when you moved them, since the workflow is designated at the tasklevel.
Canceling Tasks
You can cancel tasks that you do not need to do any work on. For example, if you have a task that contains an image with no translatable attributes, you can cancel it. When you cancel a task, it is canceled from the project entirely.
Downloading Task Assets
You can download the source or target assets of a task if you store your final translated files in a different location than the target folders in Explorer. Downloading the assets should be the last step of the workflow, after all translation and review is completed. To bring the assets back online, you can upload them in Explorer.
Changing Task Priority
When a project is created, its tasks are assigned a priority by default. If you have permission to do so, you can change the priority of all the tasks within a project from the project list, or of individual tasks from the task list.
Completing Tasks
Completing a task forwards it to the next step in its workflow.
Example: You have a two-step workflow with a translate step and a review step that circles back to the translate step if rejected, or progresses to the Finish step if accepted. When the translator finishes translating the task and clicks "Complete", the task moves to the reviewer. When the reviewer finishes reviewing the task and clicks "Complete", there is a choice to accept or reject the translation. If the translation is accepted, the task is finished. If the translation is rejected, the task circles back to the translator for corrections.
