DLXS Wiki

From DLXS Documentation

Revision as of 09:52, 15 October 2007

Welcome to the DLXS Wiki

This site provides documentation for the suite of tools available as part of the University of Michigan's Digital Library eXtension Service (DLXS).

If you are a DLXS subscriber, you can contribute to this wiki. Here's how.

If you are looking for the DLXS Workshop Documentation, you can find it here.

Introduction

The Introduction provides an architectural overview of the DLXS suite of tools and middleware classes.

Getting Started with DLXS

Because the DLXS system is expansive and flexible, depending on your collection materials and how you want users to be able to access them, you may want to make different decisions about issues like data conversion and organization. UM has used DLXS to mount many collections and has some insights and recommendations about how you might approach the process. For these pointers and to examine an assortment of DLXS implementations, see the following:

• Making Collection Decisions: A Brief Overview

After you have decided how you want your collection to work, the following topics will help you get started with DLXS:

• System Requirements
• Installing DLXS
• Authentication and Authorization
• Directory Structure
• DLPS Development Environment

Documentation

DLXS developers compiled the existing DLXS documentation over many iterations of the system. The current documentation first describes the different pieces of the DLXS system and then outlines, in task-based steps, how to use DLXS to mount different types of digital collections, including collections made up primarily of text, images, bibliographic material, and finding aids. These sections of the documentation are based on procedures and models DLPS has used in the past. You can customize many of these tasks depending on your collection’s unique needs. Depending on where you are in the process of mounting your collection when you begin working with the DLXS system, and depending on the content and format of your data, you may need to modify and/or skip steps the documentation describes. Where possible, the descriptions provide examples to illustrate the outcome of a particular course of action.

Installing DLXS

Installing DLXS provides information about system requirements, step-by-step installation instructions, database installation, working with multiple releases of DLXS, and installation troubleshooting.

• Directory Structure describes the recommended directory structure for all DLXS files.
• DLPS Development Environment describes the environment in which DLXS developers work on and implement the system.

Authentication and Authorization

An overview of the authenication and authorizations systems. For comprehensive documentation, see the Ancillary Resources section.

Making Collection Decisions: A Brief Overview

In Making Collection Decisions you will find information about directory structures and conventions, working with Unicode, XML, and XSLT, TEILite Tagging, and EAD Encoding. Information about Image Class and Bib Class to come.

Data Conversion and Preparation

In Data Conversion and Preparation, you will find strategies for modifying, normalizing, and converting your data to work with DLXS. This section includes information on UTF-8 and other character encodings.

Mounting Collections: Class-specific Steps

Divided into four sections, Mounting Collections describes how to deal with Text Class, Image Class, Bib Class, and Findaid Class collections.

Customizing the User Interface

Customizing the Interface includes information about XML templates, virtual and XSL stylesheets, and how to customize the look and feel of your user interface.

Working with DLXS Components

Working with DLXS Components includes information about the Collection Manager, the Collection Metadata Database, and describes how to use DLXS utilities and applications.

Working with XPAT

Working with XPAT provides a general XPAT overview, the XPAT manual, and an XPAT FAQ.

Ancillary Resources

Ancillary Resources includes information on the DLXS Authentication and Authorization system, the DLXS Simple Regression Testing System, the DLXS Statistics System, and the OAI Harvesting System.

DLXS Workshop Materials

Every year the University of Michigan hosts a one-week workshop for DLXS subscribers. You can find all the training materials generated for that workshop in the Workshop Materials section.

Tips, Issues, and Case Studies

• DLXS on Solaris Tips includes sections on Compiling OpenSP on Solaris, Installing XML::LibXSLT/XML::LibXML and libxslt/libxml on Solaris, and Using iconv on Solaris.
• Programming Issues is a collection of topics for programmers, and includes information on subclassing, naming conventions, CGI parameter standards, the DLXS object class hierarchy, debugging DLXS Perl code, and the release notes for version 13.
• Case Studies currently includes two examples of how to customize a user interface, both written by Chris Powell. We hope to add more case studies to this section. User case studies are welcome!
• Some Common Error Messages is a growing list of error messages you may see and possible resolutions.

Getting Help

• Paid subscribers to DLXS may contact the DLXS Support group with questions. For information on how to do this, please send email to "DLXS-Info at umich.edu" or contact Perry Willett at (734) 764-8074. If you are not a paid subscriber, please post your question to the dlxsfree-users listserv.
• Using the DLXS Wiki: If you are a DLXS user, we would love to include your expertise in the documentation in this wiki. Using the DLXS Wiki explains how you can contribute.

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