Big Parser Guide

User Manual:

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BigParser Guide

What is BigParser?

We’re glad you are here! BigParser is the Community of Grid Creators. Grid

Creators are people who are helping make data more open and accessible for

all.

It’s powered by a digital brain called “Blue”. Blue sifts through millions of pieces

of data and keeps it connected — so you can get things done.

Basics

The BigParser Community

The community is comprised of the following people:

  Grid Creators

  Contributors

  Mentors

  Community Leaders

How it works: A Grid Creator chooses a topic to create a Grid for. E.g. Drones.

Mentors help the Grid Creator define the Model for the Grid. Anyone can request

a Grid Creators to add them as a contributor. Community Leaders help support

and govern the community.

Using BigParser

When you create an account and login to BigParser you will see a typical screen

as shown below:

BigParser Guide

And here are the main components we'll break down for you, piece-by-piece:

My Data

Grid

Apps

Shared

Public

My Data

My Data is a place to bring in your data from anywhere, so that Blue can convert

it into a Grid.

What does Blue do to my files ?

BigParser Guide

Blue takes each file you add and parses it into a Grid, once Blue is done parsing,

your file is marked with a thin green line as show below:

< show two icons of cards side by side, one on left that is not parsed without the

green bar, one that is parsed with the green bar on the right side> <write below

the card > Not Yet Parsed  | Parsed

Grid

Grid is where things are in order. Unlike, a web page which does not follow any

specific pattern, Grids always follow a unique pattern. It’s a pattern that Blue likes

and understands really well.

What is the pattern of a Grid?

A Grid is composed of rows and columns of data. A column always has a Header

that defines what each column contains.

<show image of a Grid which has labels on it showing Header, Row, Column.

Is there a Limit?

A Grid can be of any size. It can have any number of rows and columns.

However, the size of Grids that you can create depends on the nature of your

BigParser Account.

(Icon) Already



have



BigParser



Account





View



your



limit





www.bigparser.com/pricing

You can always increase the limit by upgrading your BigParser account.

Does my file need to be in a specific format ?

BigParser can parse multiple files formats including CSV, TXT, XLS, PDF and

more.

BigParser Guide

Apps

BigParser apps can be found in the BigParser app store. These app help you do

more with your grids, like Sharing, Plugging in data on your site, importing data in

from various cloud drives like Google, Dropbox and OneDrive. You can find

available apps at www.bigparser.com/apps

You can view all available apps by clicking on the Apps icon.

There are a few different types of Apps available to the BigParser community, as

explained below.

Core Apps

These apps are part of the core BigParser.com experience. There are 3 popular

apps Grids, Share and Plug.

<show apps Grids, Share, Plug> icons and below that words 3 Powerful Apps

Grids is an app that allows you to browse and search grids using any device.

Share is an app that allows you to share parts of your grid or the entire grid.

Plug is an app that allows you to embed your grid within your page or app.

Connector Apps

Connector Apps allow you to easily connect to any drive or source where your

data can be imported from.

What are the sources i can connect to?

You can bring in your data from popular cloud file sharing systems like Google

Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive (Office 365).

BigParser Guide

<App icons from our app store> Google | Dropbox | Office

With text labels below

(icon) Need a different connector app ? Pre-Order (links to appstore)

How many apps can i install ?

The number of apps you can install in your account depends on the nature of

your BigParser Account.

(Icon) Already have a BigParser Account ? View your app limit on

www.bigparser.com/pricing

You can always increase the number of apps you can install by upgrading your

BigParser account.

Shared

You can share your Grids with others. Blue keeps track of all your Shared grids,

by first organizing them under Shared.

<Show a screen of shared tab> label (Grid Shared by me with Sam), Grid Shared

by Sam with me.

Shared Grids include:

(icon) Grids that you make Public

(icon) Grids that you share Privately with others using their email

(icon) Grids that others share with you Privately

BigParser Guide

Public

This is where you can find all grids that have been made public by anyone in the

Community.

You can search for Grids by Grid Name, Description or the Name of the Person

who made the Grid public.

<Show Global search for Public tab here>

You can favorite grids you like and support the good work done by Grid Creators.

To favorite a grid simply click on the Heart (Heart icon) icon.

To view a Public Grid simply tap or click on it to open the Grid.

Ask Blue

Blue is always there to answer any questions for you. If any of your questions

are still not answered you can continue working or simply ask Blue by clicking on

the Chat icon or use an Ask Blue device.

Getting started for first time users

Now that you know what BigParser is, let’s show you how you can start using

BigParser. You will need to start with creating your BigParser account. You can

BigParser Guide

do this in two different ways, we have shown both the ways you can sign-up. Lets

go!

Sign-up using your email

Simply use the sign-up form at www.bigparser.com and enter your details as

show below.

<Show image of the sign-up form> with option to enter Full Name, Email, Phone,

etc and check the box>

Sign-up using your Google Account

Simply click on the G icon (Login with Google button) and then follow the steps:

Complete your profile set-up

Now that you have logged in, let’s start with personalizing the avatar.

Tap on the blank avatar icon on the top right corner.<Show avatar dropdown>

and then tap on the Settings option in the Menu.

This will bring your to the profile screen, where you can upload your Avatar

photo.

BigParser Guide

Install Connector Apps

Since you know all about BigParser apps, we can simply get started by the steps

on installing them within your BigParser account.

Install once, that’s it!

BigParser Guide

BigParser connector apps are installed in your account, not on your device. So

once you install them you can access them from any of your devices, using your

BigParser account.

To install an app simply click on the Install button

<show app icon inside the app store with the mouse clicking on the install button

Then login using your account details for the connector (Google, Dropbox or

Office 365)

Then click on the Allow button to give BigParser access to your data source.

<show allow screen>

Then select preferences for the account and click ok.

Ask Blue

You are now all set to start using BigParser.

Go to Using BigParser  Or Ask Blue

We are here to help you and make your BigParser experience awesome. Reach

out to us if you need any help!

BigParser Guide

Using BigParser

Now that you have created your BigParser account.  Let us show you how to use

the different BigParser apps.

Grids App

The Girds app allows you to view and search grids within BigParser.com. The

Grids app is simply installed in your account and works across all Desktop,

Tablet and Mobile devices.

You can search across the entire Grid or inside 1 or more columns in the Grid.

Global Search

Simply click inside the search box, type in your keywords and hit return.

The global search allows you to search across the entire grid, which could be

millions of rows and hundreds of columns.

Column Search

Every column of the Grid is searchable. Simply click inside the search box for

any column. Type in the keywords and hit return.

<Show example of Column Search : three images of the movies grid>

<Cursor inside Column Search : Year Column : “Tap inside Column Search”>

< Keywords typed in Column Search: 201 : “Type in Words or Numbers” >

BigParser Guide

< Show results : Hit return to see matches >

Filters

You can save your frequently used Global or Column searches as Filters.

A Filter is a saved search.

<icon> Tap the Save Filter icon to save your current search

<icon> Tap the View Filters icon to View a list of all your Filters.

Share app

Share app provides you controls so you can keep your data private and secure

or make it public.

Sharing a grid

You can launch the share app from multiple places to quickly share your grid.

<show cut outs of screens same size as cards>

<My Data highlight the Share button, Grids highlight the share button, Mobile

Right Menu highlight the Share button>

<text below: From My Data, From the Grids App, via your Mobile >

Sharing a Filter

To Share a Filter simply view the Filter in the Grid and then launch the share app.

<Show two card size images : Switching Filter in filters dropdown, then Clicking

on Share>

BigParser Guide

You can select the Filter you want to Share inside the share app.

<Show two card size images: Launching the Share app, Then selecting Filters

from dropdown>

Hiding Columns and Sheets

You can also Hide columns or entire Sheets that you do not wish to share with

others.

<Show card size images : Show Hide columns dropdown, Select Columns to

Hide, click on Done >

Then click on the button in the Share App to share the Grid.

<Show screenshot of that section of the page zoomed in >

Permissions

You can set a Grid to Public, Unlisted or Private permissions.

(icon) Public Grids : These can be accessed by anyone on the web and are also

listed for the community to find under www.bigparser.com/Public.

(icon) Unlisted Grids : These can be accessed by someone as long as they have

the URL for the Grid. The viewer does not require login to view the grid.

(icon) Private Grids : These can be accessed only by people who you explicitly

share with using their email address. The viewer can see these grids only when

they are logged in.

Copy URL

You can Copy a URL of a Grid using the Copy URL button in the share app.

<Show screenshot and highlight the Copy URL button>

BigParser Guide

NOTE: Some browsers, devices may prevent this button from working. Please

select the entire text and use the native copy feature of the browser or device to

copy the URL.

More Settings

You can prevent others from Downloading, Copying or Sharing the grid further

with others.

To do this simply use the appropriate switch:

NOTE: these setting changes will be active only if you click on the Share button

Overwrite / Create New

You can share the Same Grid / Filter with different Settings and Hiding Different

Columns with the same or different people. Each Time you Share you have the

option to Modify (Overwrite) the existing Share or Create a New Share.

You can change the Name of your Shared grid each time, if you do not wish to

overwrite an existing Share.

<Show card size images: Create New / Overwrite, Share Name, Change Share

Name>

Plug app

Share app provides you controls so you can keep your data private and secure

or make it public.

Sharing a grid

BigParser Guide

You can launch the share app from multiple places to quickly share your grid.

Google app

Share app provides you controls so you can keep your data private and secure

or make it public.

Sharing a grid

You can launch the share app from multiple places to quickly share your grid.

Dropbox app

Share app provides you controls so you can keep your data private and secure

or make it public.

Sharing a grid

You can launch the share app from multiple places to quickly share your grid.

BigParser Guide

Getting Started for Grid Creators

Now that you have become familiar with Using BigParser, let us show you how to

create a grid.

Uploading a Grid

There are currently four supported file types (Excel, Google Sheets, CSV, and

PDF) that can be converted into a grid.

Excel to Grid

To convert an excel file into a grid click the Upload



New



File





button, select your

excel file, and click open. If there is a green bar over your file, the file has

successfully been converted.

BigParser Guide

CSV to Grid

To convert an CSV file into a grid click the Upload



New



File





button, select your

CSV file, and click open. If there is a green bar over your file, the file has

successfully been converted.

BigParser Guide

PDF to Grid

To convert an CSV file into a grid click the Upload



New



File





button, select your

PDF file, and click open. If there is a green bar over your file, the file has

successfully been converted.

Google Sheets to Grid

To convert an Google Sheets file into a grid click on the Google Drive icon,

located above the Upload New File button. If prompted to login, login with your

google account and continue. Click View



Recent



Files





or Search



for



Files





access your file. Select your file a and click select. If there is a green bar over

BigParser Guide

your file, the file has successfully been converted.

Naming a Grid

It is important for each grid to have a clear, specific name, along with a coherent

description of its contents. In many cases, this is the only content that people will

view before either viewing your grid or moving on to the next one. If you want to

publish a grid to the public tab, you must have both a name and description, and

follow the following guidelines

Select a Name

It is important that each grid is named in a concise and specific manner. For

example Dogs “Dogs” would not be considered an acceptable grid name, as it is

too broad. “Dog Breeds In North America,” is an acceptable name as it is specific

to the grid and also concise.

BigParser Guide

Give a Description

It is important that each grid is given a clear, coherent, and cohesive description.

This description must efficiently encapsulate the content of the grid without being

too excessive.

Data Model

Every Grid has a data model. The data model consists of three things: headers,

descriptions, and resources. Submitting a data model is a necessary step for

getting your grid published.

An example of a data model can be found here:

https://www.bigparser.com/share/u/598dd9adeead2105727d28c4-1

BigParser Guide

Header

A header defines what data falls under that column. In the above example Dog

Breed is a header of a column which contains names of the dog breeds.

Description

The description defines what the data in each cell is. In the above example

“Name of the Dog Breed” is the description of the data that falls under the Dog

Breed header.

Resources

The resource is the source of the data that is placed in the grid. It is

recommended that this source be found online, as this makes it easier for the

data to be verified by a Community Leader. However if the source is not available

online, do not leave the resource cell empty. Leaving this cell empty may cause

your grid to be rejected by a Community Leader.

Publishing your Grid***waiting for release

Share with a Group***

Share with Everyone***

Getting Started for Skill Creators

Now that you are familiar with the concept of grids and know how to create them,

let us show you how to apply this knowledge to creating skills for the alexa.

BigParser Guide

Understanding Skills

What is a Skill

Alexa Skills allow an alexa to interpret your speech and perform an operation

based on your command.

Grids and Skills

You can connect an Alexa skill to a grid, to allow an Alexa to access and utilize

the data in your grid.

Types of Skills

There are two types of skills: Basic Skills and Power Skills.

What is a Basic Skill

Basic Skills are skills that require little to no programming to create and deploy.

In many cases only a grid is required for the skill to be deployed. The most

common Basic Skill is the Q&A Skill.

Q&A Skill

The Q&A Skill is one type of basic skill. A Grid Creator inputs questions and

answers into a grid. The grid is converted into a Q&A Skill that allows users to

ask an alexa those questions and receive an answer.

Other Basic Skills****Unsure

What is a Power Skill

Unlike Basic Skills that require little to no programming, Power Skills require

knowledge of the BigParser Libraries and API, along with essential programming

knowledge. Power Skills are suited towards complex grids that have multiple

columns of data. By using a power skill you allow your skill to answer complex

questions for your grid.

BigParser Guide

What are Complex Questions

Unlike the Q&A grid, which has each question paired with one concrete answer,

complex questions use the data in the grid to formulate a response. For example

the question, “Wh



at



the



average



rating



Now



You



See



Me?,”





is a complex

question for Movies.grid, whereas the question “Is



there



Movies.grid?,”





is a

basic question.

Examples*****Unsure

Creating a Q&A Skill

A Q&A skill is one of the simplest and most common basic skill used to combine

a grid with an alexa device.

Q&A Grid

There is only one thing necessary to create a Q&A skill: The Q&A grid, a grid of

questions and answers.

Q&A Grid Data Model

There are only 5 headers in Q&A Grid data model: Question Type, Verb,

Keywords, Answer, and Exact Question.

BigParser Guide

Question Type: Includes types like Who, What, When, Where, Why, How, Yes or

No, and Statement. Yes or No types are used for questions, that would have a

yes or no as the answer answer, such as “Is



BigParser



tech



company?,”



 and

must be written as Yes / No in the grid. Statement type indicates that the phrase

that is spoken is not a question, but still needs a response. For example

“BigParser



tech



company,”





is a statement.

Verb: This is the main verb of the question. The verb is always expressed in the

infinitive. For example is becomes be and has becomes have.

Keywords: Keywords are used to differentiate questions. Keywords should

always be written in the plural to guarantee the best results.

Answer: The answer to the question.

Exact Question: The exact question without punctuation.

How to write Questions

Questions are written in three different columns Q&A grid: Question Type, Verb,

Keywords, as defined above. Take, for example, “Where



BigParser?”





The

BigParser Guide

question type would be “Where”, the verb would be “be,” and the keyword would

be “BigParser.” However there is no need to do this manually as this process is

made easier using BigParser’s NLP service.

NLP

The first three columns can be filled using BigParser's free NLP service which is

available on www.bigparser.com/summer/nlp. Simply enter the exact question

without punctuation and you will receive the question type, verb, and keywords.

How to write Answers*****Unsure

Converting the Q&A Grid into a Q&A Skill

To convert your Q&A grid into a Q&A skill, simply fill out this google form with all

the required fields: https://goo.gl/forms/oTaRdcjelLmvTTld2.

BigParser Guide

You will receive an email with the login credentials for an amazon account. This

may take some time. Do not expect to immediately receive this email. If you do

not receive this email within an hour, please contact our support team. This

amazon account will come with your alexa skill.

Setting Up The Q&A Skill

To setup your alexa you must have an phone, tablet, or have access to the

internet. If you are using a phone or tablet use the alexa app to proceed. If you

are using an internet browser visit https://alexa.amazon.com.

BigParser Guide

settings tab. Under the devices header, click on Set



New



Device.





Choose

the correct device from the list, and set the language to English (United States).

Click Connect



WIFI





and follow the directions on the screen and finish the

setup.

Creating a Power Skill

A Power skill is a complex skill, and it requires a lot more programming than a

basic skill, but it can handle complex questions, and has more use cases than a

basic skill. It is recommended that before you complete this section, you should

complete the API Overview section.

Select Grid (s)***Unsure

You can launch the share app from multiple places to quickly share your grid.

Developer Setup

BigParser Guide

In order to make a power skill, Skill Creators must make an amazon developer

account and an aws account.

Amazon Developer Account

First, visit the developer.amazon.com website and click the sign in button. Click

the grey button labeled Create Your Amazon Developer Account.

Enter your information and click the button to proceed. Fill in all required fields on

the registration page. For the company field you may enter a screen name.

Click save and continue.

BigParser Guide

Accept the App Distribution Agreement and continue to the next page.

BigParser Guide

Answer the questions on the payments page and enter further fields if prompted.

Click save and continue to complete the signup process.

BigParser Guide

You should at your developer dashboard once you are completely setup

AWS Account

Visit console.aws.amazon.com. Enter your email address, select I am a New

User and click Sign in Using our Secure Server.

BigParser Guide

Enter your information and click Create Account.

BigParser Guide

Select Personal account, fill in your contact information, complete the security

check, and check the aws customer agreement. Click Create Account and

Continue.

Enter your credit card information. If you do not have a credit card ask a parent,

guardian, or friend for their credit card. You will not be charged as long as you do

not exceed the limits of the free tier. This information is required to verify your

identity. The address must match the cardholder’s address.FINISH THIS

BigParser Guide

Once you have completed the entire sign up process, you should arrive to a

screen that looks like this.

BigParser Guide

Getting Started

If you are new to alexa skills and lambda functions follow this tutorial found on

Github: http://bit.ly/2wIXALC.

Creating Functions***Waiting for Product Team

If you have not completed the API Overview Section, it is highly recommended

you complete it before you continue. Creating lambda functions will require using

BigParser’s Node JS Libraries. Use this example to create a functioning power

skill: www.githublinkwillgoherethisisaplaceholder.com

Configure

To configure your power skill to an Alexa, simply follow the directions given in the

Setting Up The Q&A Skill section.

BigParser Guide

Publish

To publish your Alexa skill, view this guide provided by Amazon:

http://amzn.to/2jWCS49. Amazon has strict guidelines, and will reject your skill if

it does not follow those guidelines. If



you



publish



Alexa



skill



the



month



August,



Amazon



will



give



you



free



alexa:





http://amzn.to/2rgpnTh



BigParser Guide

Getting Started for API Users

API Overview

Developer Setup

In order to become a BigParser Developer, all you need to do is Create a

BigParser Account.

Libraries***Waiting for oficial word

Currently there are three languages that support the BigParser Library: Node JS,

Python, and Java. Syntax and Instructions on how to use these libraries can be

found in the ReadMe files in the git repositories below.

Java:

Python:

Node JS:

*If



you



are



creating



alexa



skills



and



lambda



functions,



you



should



focus



the



Node



Libraries.

Using Search***Unsure

Using Crud***Unsure

Publish Your App

Publishing your app is an important, but optional step, in allowing your app to

reach a widespread audience.

Website / Web App

To publish a website, you need a domain and a hosting. If you are not

familiar with these concepts, visit https://mzl.la/2nec5RZ. You can find

these services for free from websites like Wordpress or Github, but if you

are looking toward publishing a long term website, you should look into

BigParser Guide

buying a domain and renting a hosting space on services such as

domain.com.

 Android App

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IOS App

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Outline

1. Basics

a. Lesson 1: Why BigParser?  (Ed)

b. Lesson 2: What are Grids? (Ed)

i. What’s a Grid

ii. Why Grids are important ?

iii. Where can I find Grids ?

c. Lesson 3: Using Grids ***

i. Sample Grids

ii. My Data

iii. Public Grids

iv. Opening a Grid

v. Searching inside a Grid

1. Global Search

2. Column Search

d. Lesson 4: Uploading a Grid

i. Using Excel

ii. Using Google Sheets

iii. Using a CSV or other Text File

iv. Paste a URL

v. Use an API (see the API videos)

e. Lesson 5: Share a Grid

i. Create a Filter

ii. Share a Filter

iii. Hide Columns

iv. More Settings

BigParser Guide

2. Grid Creator

a. Lesson 1: ***

i. Create a data model based on searching

ii. Row data vs column data for searching

iii. Good grid model

iv. Bad Grid model

b. Lesson 2: How to collect data

i. Identify sources

ii. Licensing Data

iii. Public data

c. Grid Submission

d. Grid Creator Certification

i. Certified Grid Creator badge on profile

3. Skill Creator

a. Lesson 1: What’s a Skill

i. What are skills

ii. Types of Skills (Basic, Power)

b. Lesson 2: Create a Basic Skill ***

i. Get or Create a Q&A Grid

ii. Configure your Grid

iii. Test your Skill

c. Lesson 3: Create a Power Skill

i. Create your Grid

ii. Creating an amazon developer account and aws account

iii. Configure your Skill Settings

iv. Create a Lambda Function

v. Deploy your Skill

vi. Test your Skill

4. Creating Apps

a. Lesson 1: Get Started

i. Create a BigParser Account

ii. Get your AuthID

b. Lesson 2: How to call

i. Install Libraries (Python, Java)

c. Lesson 3: Sandbox

i. Sandbox URL

ii. How to Find an API Method

iii. How to Browse an API Method

d. Lesson 3: Utilizing the BigParser API / BigParser Libraries

e. App submission

f. App Creator Certification

i. Certified App Creator .

BigParser Guide

5. Creating Skills

a. Lesson 1: Creating an amazon developer account and aws account

b. Lesson 2: Creating a skill

c. Lesson 3: Creating a lambda function

d. Lesson 4: Deploying your skill

e. Skill Submission

f. Skill Creator Certification

i. Certified Skill Creator

Big Parser Guide

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