CALO Dry Run Instructions

FOAM Client Plugin Installation and Usage Guide

Overview The PAL Form Online Analyzer and Manager (FOAM) presents ranked suggestions for completing online forms based on cross-field models learned from previous form-filling episodes. The contextualized learning is based on a Naive Bayes approach that enables more accurate suggestions for forms with dependencies among fields. Using the results of learning, FOAM presents ranked suggestions in drop-down boxes beside form fields to enable more rapid completion of complex forms. Learning can be configured for an individual user or to work collectively across a collection of users.

FOAM is for demonstration only. DO NOT USE FOAM WHEN INPUTTING SENSITIVE OR PERSONALLY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION. Only use FOAM for form data that you are willing to expose to the world.

IF YOU USE FOAM, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO COMPLY WITH ALL APPLICABLE PRIVACY AND DATA PROTECTION LAWS. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH SUCH LAWS MAY RESULT IN SEVERE PENALTIES, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PENALTIES.

Overview and Source code: DISTAR 15985 - Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited Prerequisites Firefox 2.0 or later is required for the FOAM client plugin. This plugin, once installed, assists the user while filling forms on the internet (including intranets). The goal is to predict what the user will enter into a form field. FOAM takes into account the user’s browsing history, other FOAM user’s histories and the current state of the form.

The FOAM plugin works by connecting to a FOAM server to exchange information. Your FOAM administrator will have pre-programmed the FOAM plugin to have the correct server URL and listening port.

Installing FOAM FOAM’s Firefox plugin is available at the PAL website (https://pal.sri.com). To install, download the plugin, then drag and drop it into a Firefox browser.

Firefox will offer to install the plugin as shown in figure 1. Click Install Now to start the installation.

Figure 1

Overview and Source code: DISTAR 15985 - Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited Firefox needs to be restarted for the FOAM plugin to take effect. The next step is to restart Firefox, as shown in figure 2.

Figure 2

After installing FOAM and restarting the browser, you should see an additional panel in the status bar (as shown in figure 3). This panel informs the user of the current state of FOAM.

Figure 3

Overview and Source code: DISTAR 15985 - Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited Understanding FOAM Status The table below explains the icons that may appear in the FOAM panel.

Image Description Message Error FOAM is not connected. Trying to connect to server at server url. Warning Warning Message Connected FOAM is connected to server at server url

FOAM can be turned off, independent of whether it is connected. If connected, the letters FOAM in the status bar panel will appear in green (if FOAM is on). Otherwise it will be red (in case the user has turned off FOAM). In order to troubleshoot the plugin, it is advisable to look at the tooltip that appears by hovering over the panel. Clicking the FOAM panel will alternate between switching it on and off.

Overview and Source code: DISTAR 15985 - Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited Using FOAM Once FOAM is on (i.e. FOAM panel is green) and connected (i.e. the little thunder icon is shown), you will see a hovering FOAM panel on top of every page as shown in figure 4. This panel is the most visible way of knowing FOAM is activated for a certain page.

Figure 4

This panel has five subpanels, where each one of them offers the following information in the respective order: 1. FOAM title 2. Space of activity icon. Presents a rolling activity indicator when FOAM is connecting with its server. 3. Number of assisted forms in the page. 4. Mode of operation: private or public. By default FOAM operates in the private mode, but user can switch to public operation. 5. Help. It will give helpful hints.

Overview and Source code: DISTAR 15985 - Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited In private mode, FOAM associates your input with you and you alone. No other user of FOAM sees your input nor does your input affect other users’ presented input options. In public mode, FOAM associates your input with everyone. Everyone can see your input, but there is no way to identify who generated it. Everyone learns from your input as a possible input.

While the system is designed to minimize the chance that your inputs may be seen by someone else, you should understand that they might be seen even in private mode. Do turn off FOAM when inputting sensitive data such as credit card numbers, personally identifying information, etc.

After FOAM has been installed, it will offer assistance in filling forms throughout all the web pages that are visited. FOAM does this by placing a drop-down button by the right side of every form element that the form contains. Hovering over the drop down button will display a list of candidate inputs, in descending order of probability, according to FOAM’s internal models.

The table below shows the two possible buttons that will be shown, depending on the status of data availability and field type.

Image Description Data is available and will be presented as the user hovers over this button

No data is available

Data will not be collected (or presented) because field information is sensitive (i.e. passwords).

Overview and Source code: DISTAR 15985 - Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited FOAM Examples Below is an example of FOAM at work with the PAUSD.org webpage.

Initially the user has to type in the search item “SAT classes” (figure 5). The gray arrow to the right of the search field indicates that FOAM has not learned any form-filling pattern from the user at this site.

Figure 5

Overview and Source code: DISTAR 15985 - Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited The second time the same user visits the webpage, FOAM automatically fills in the search term “SAT classes” for the user (figure 6). The facts that the form field is painted orange and that there is an orange down arrow to the right of the field indicate that FOAM has learned one or more probable search terms from the user.

Figure 6

Overview and Source code: DISTAR 15985 - Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited By left clicking the orange down arrow, user can see the list of probable values in order of decreasing probabilities. Figure 7 shows the list of search terms FOAM learned in the past from the user on the www.expedia.com webpage.

Figure 7

Overview and Source code: DISTAR 15985 - Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited