On Mon, Aug 26, 2013 at 02:13:26PM -0400, Thomas Ronayne wrote:
> I have created a local Metadata Schema Registry, "local," that is in 
> addition to the "dc" registry. I'm looking for the easiest way to create 
> a data entry form (which looks just like the user "Start a New 
> Submission" form) with the "local" fields added.

See [DSpace]/config/input-forms.xml.  There is quite a bit of
commentary, and you can see the way that the stock forms are defined.
It is documented here:

  
https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/DSDOC3x/Submission+User+Interface#SubmissionUserInterface-CustomMetadata-entryPagesforSubmission

If a large number of new fields makes the form pages unwieldy or you
need more structure, also consider reconfiguring the submission
process:

  
https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/DSDOC3x/Submission+User+Interface#SubmissionUserInterface-UnderstandingtheSubmissionConfigurationFile

> I should mention that I pretty much know how XML is spelled, but that's 

http://www.w3schools.com/xml/default.asp

XML itself is not very difficult, and DSpace's use of XML is fairly
plain and simple.  XML is really just infrastructure for building
members of a class of domain-specific languages, and those languages
can be fearfully complex, but DSpace doesn't demand virtuoso XML skills.

> about it; I'm pretty sure I can bolt together a form, using existing 
> field definitions, data checking, drop-down's and so on but it'd be a 
> lot easier if there was something semi-automagic or a template somewhere 
> or other (that I haven't been able to find yet). I don't have any 
> problem with Unix/Linux text editors and I am a 35+ year C programmer 
> and data base developer if that matters. The "Start a New Submission" 
> format will be just fine for the folks that are going to be entering 
> information by hand (and there is a whole lot of it to be entered and 
> there are no electronic files that can be bulk loaded other than the 
> 600+ records that I've already done; that's it, no  more -- that just 
> leaves 60,000+ to go).

Stare at input-forms.xml for a moment and I think you will see some
familiar patterns.  It's just nested pairs of brackets, perhaps
enclosing text content at some level.  The weird thing is that the
brackets ("tags") have names instead of single-character symbols, and
the tag <example> is closed by the tag </example>.  The other weird
thing is that some tags take attributes: <page number="1">.

The tag and attribute names have meaning only to the program that is
supposed to interpret them.  A few are reserved for the XML processor
itself, and for now you can treat them as boilerplate.  Don't be
confused by the "dc" in <dc-element> and <dc-qualifier>; <dc-schema>
specifies the actual namespace in which these are interpreted, so

  <dc-schema>local</dc-schema>
  <dc-element>color</dc-element>
  <dc-qualifier>background</dc-qualifier>

is quite alright if you've defined your own "color.background" in
your "local" namespace.

> A couple of wrinkles: there are multiple collections: books (from the 
> 11th through the early 20th centuries), artifacts (from ancient Egypt, 
> Greece, Rome and other places though medieval to modern times), art 
> (ditto), postage (since the beginning of postage) and currency (ditto).

At the top of input-forms.xml is the <form-map/> element.  You can
define different forms for different collections, if need be.  Just
define a new <form/> inside of <form-definitions/>.  You can start by
copying an existing <form/> that is closest to what you need, then
remove, add, and rearrange <field/>s, keeping them grouped in <page/>s
within the <form/>.

I should say that I don't do very much of this, and am now teetering
on the edge of what I know about DSpace input forms.  As you run into
more questions, ask!  Someone here should be able to answer.

-- 
Mark H. Wood, Lead System Programmer   [email protected]
Machines should not be friendly.  Machines should be obedient.

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: Digital signature

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introducing Performance Central, a new site from SourceForge and 
AppDynamics. Performance Central is your source for news, insights, 
analysis and resources for efficient Application Performance Management. 
Visit us today!
http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=48897511&iu=/4140/ostg.clktrk
_______________________________________________
Dspace-general mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/dspace-general

Reply via email to