Managing Review Packages

Once review packages are in Central, SMEs and authors can edit, annotate, set status, and send files back to the owner. See Editing Review Files.

In addition to the reviewing and editing capabilities, bundling files in a review package provides authors with options for managing packages and files in Central. How you use and control the available options depends on what is important to your specific review workflow.

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Permission Required?

For this activity, you must have the following permission setting:

For more information about permissions, see Setting User Permissions or Setting Team Permissions.

Why Manage Reviews?

Package Updates Review packages can be adjusted after they are created and sent for review. You can easily access the Review Package profile to add or delete files for a package, add or remove reviewers, change the TOC, or update the status of a package for any review package that is in Central.
Revision History You can glean information from the Projects > Commits page since it acts as a history log for file versions that are connected to your Flare project. The commit ID is a reference point for when an item was created in the repository regardless of what it includes (e.g., review packages, files).
Timely Feedback Collaborative content reviews are a vital part in the documentation process. The review packages feature enables owners to keep an active eye on any reviews in progress. Stale statuses or date and time gaps can trigger owners to follow up on progress.
Tracking Use the data grids to follow every aspect of a review package as it moves through the review process. You can click different path links in the Reviews interface to locate and find more information about projects, files, or users in Central. You can filter and sort data to quickly search statuses, names, dates, projects, etc.
Viewing Status Virtually every component in Central reviews captures some sort of status. For example, status is reflected in the Review Explorer, the package overview, the right Side Panel, the grids, and the profiles. It ranges from what state the package is in, the overall status of all files in a package, to the individual reviewer status and where they are with a given file. Flare and Central work together to maintain the current state of files in a review package to their respective environments; giving momentum to the review process.

Packages and Files Grids

The Packages grid displays all the review packages in Central, while the Files grid shows all files sent for review regardless of the package. The grids provide a way to view, modify, or compare data. Each grid has a local toolbar, and most column elements are clickable, leading you to relevant pages, context menus, and profiles for further inspection of details and manipulation. See Grids.

The main difference between the two grids is a matter of perspective—for managing reviews. You can do many of the same functions (e.g., adding reviewers, setting statuses, adding files), but the grid you use depends on if you want a package- or files-centric view of the project. Of course, there some things unique to each grid. For example, if you have a file in a package but are not sure which one, you can search the Files grid to find it.

Packages Grid Displays every review package. In the Packages local toolbar you can set package status , delete review packages , and customize grid columns . Columns include: Name, Status, Review Owner, Reviewers, Project, Branch, Commit ID, Created On, Description, and TOC Path. Many of the columns include a filtering function for finding specific items. In the main toolbar, you can click to create a new review package.

The Packages grid also includes a Create Review Package button where you can start a new package. See Creating Review Packages.
Files Grid Displays all files sent for review. In the Files local toolbar you can set file status , and customize grid columns . Columns include: File Name, Status, Path, Review Package, My Status, My Submitted Date, All Users Status, All Users Submitted Date, Review Owner, Created On, Reviewers, Project, Branch, and Commit ID. Many of the columns include a filtering function for finding specific items. In the main toolbar, you can click to create a new review package.

Updating Review Packages

With the permission to manage reviews, you can make changes to a review package after it has been created and uploaded to Central.

How to Add or Remove Reviewers

On the left side of the interface, click Reviews.
From the top navigation, click Grids.
Select Packages.
For the review package you want to add reviewers to or remove reviewers from, select its icon (under the Name column). The Review Package profile opens.

Note Alternatively, you can click the three dot vertical menu and select View Reviewers. This way also opens the Review Package profile, directly to the Reviewers option.
Select Reviewers.
On the right, the current reviewers are listed. Select Edit.
From the list of available reviewers, select to add a reviewer (or deselect to remove a reviewer.) Click Save.

Note You can also use the Files grid to add or remove reviewers. The process is the same except you would select the review package icon under the Review Package column.

How to Add or Remove Files

On the left side of the interface, click Reviews.
From the top navigation, click Grids.
Select Packages.
For the review package you want to add files to or remove files from, select its icon (under the Name column). The Review Package profile opens.

Note Alternatively, you can click the three dot vertical menu and select View Files. This way also opens the Review Package profile, directly to the Files option.
Select Files.
On the right, the current files are listed. Select Add Files. Also, to delete a file, you can click the trash icon to the right of the file.
From the popup, select other files from the project to add to the review (or deselect to remove files.) Click Add and Save Files.

Note You can also use the Files grid to add files. The process is the same except you would select the review package icon under the Review Package column.

How to Delete a Package

On the left side of the interface, click Reviews.
From the top navigation, click Grids.
Select Packages.
Do one of the following:

From the package row click the vertical three dot menu, and select Delete Review Package. The Review Package profile opens to the Delete option.
From the package row, click the package name icon.

The Review Package profile opens to the Overview option. Select the Delete Option.

Confirm the delete action, and click Delete. Deleting a review package cannot be undone.

Note Alternatively, you can select one or multiple review packages to delete.

Select the package row. This action enables options in the top toolbar.
Click Delete Review Packages.
In the dialog, confirm the delete action, and click Delete.

Note If you add or remove files associated with a review package, keep the following in mind—deleting a is a "soft" delete. If you add the same file back, it "undeletes" the file. But if a reviewer is added or removed while it is deleted, those changes are reflected in the package if the file is added back. If a package is closed and then reopened, you can opt to reset file and reviewer statuses to the To Do state.