Managing your dataset descriptions with ANZMP

Introduction

The maintenance of geographic dataset descriptions is enabled by retrieving and processing SGML/XML metadata documents. The Australia New Zealand Metadata Parser (ANZMP) will validate the document to ensure that its structure is sound and that certain content is valid. Presentation documents are generated in HTML and plain-text format. If the member then chooses to publish the document, it is added to the public collection overnight and indexed by the search service.

ANZMP is a facility for members of the Eco Companion service to manage their dataset descriptions that conform to the ANZMETA Document Type Definition for datasets in Australia and New Zealand.

The document "About ANZMP" provides an overview.

Preparation of the metadata document

The first step is to prepare the metadata document which describes your dataset. There are two methods available:

• use the Eco Companion "Edit dataset description" facility
  • A set of online HTML forms guides you through the process.
  • Simple interfaces (with pre-defined option lists and error checking) allow you to complete each section of the document at your own pace.
  • See the help document "Edit dataset descriptions".
• or, place your own metadata document at another Internet server
  • Assumes that you know how to prepare SGML/XML metadata documents.
  • Use various software, ranging from a simple text editor, through word processors, to SGML authoring tools.
  • Place the document on your publicly accessible Internet server, perhaps at your home page with your local Internet Service Provider.
  • Refer to the ANZLIC documentation about ANZMETA DTD Version 1.3
  • Use the official examples as a guideline.

Processing SGML/XML metadata

Ask the ANZMP parser to process your document. There are three routes to ANZMP, depending on your method of metadata preparation:

• use the Eco Companion "Edit dataset description" facility
  • You will have completed all of the mandatory sections and have been presented the option to proceed.
  • A listing of your metadata document (with line numbers) has been presented. You may need to refer to this if the parser reports errors with added HTML presentation elements.
  • Press the button.
• or, specify the URL of your SGML/XML dataset description
  • The document must comply with the ANZLIC Document Type Definition ANZMETA DTD
  • Specify the short dataset name, to store it in your member preparation directory.
  • Any existing dataset of that name will be overwritten.
  • Results are reported to your browser screen.
• or, use the batch processing facility
  • Specify the URL of two configuration files.
  • ANZMP will retrieve those files and ensure that all configuration is OK.
  • The SGML/XML documents will be sequentially retrieved and processed.
  • You will be notified by email when the job is complete.
  • An overview report, with links to the individual documents, will be generated.
  • Batch processing is explained in the separate document "Batch processing with ANZMP".

Through either route, ANZMP will process and validate your SGML metadata descriptions ...

• Any SGML errors are reported - the parser is strict
• Common errors include: poorly constructed tags, missing closing tags, missing required elements, tried to add unsupported elements
• Some content checks will be carried out
  • e.g. latitude out of range
• Various presentations of your dataset description will be produced by validating the syntax and checking some of the content of your SGML metadata file.

Please be patient, as the parser has a lot of computing to do. Network response time will have double the effect, if your document is also being retrieved by our server.

Before proceeding, the parser will ensure that the document is a plain-text file and that it looks like an ANZMETA SGML/XML document. Specifically, the following lines must be at the beginning of the file.

<?XML VERSION="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE anzmeta PUBLIC "-//ANZLIC//DTD ANZMETA 1.3//EN"
 "http://www.auslig.gov.au/anzmeta/anzmeta-1.3.dtd">

Conforming to the DTD

The ANZMP parser will ensure that the SGML/XML document conforms to the ANZMETA Document Type Definition by assessing the following:

• All of the required elements are present
• The elements are in the correct order
• All SGML tags are well-constructed and have matching closing tags
• Parent/child relationships are proper

Any error messages will be comprehensively reported by the parser. The messages will describe each problem that is encountered and will indicate the line number in your metadata document. The parser is strict.

If the processing of your document reports any structural errors, then see ANZMP guide to parser messages.

Content checks

The content of many elements is validated to ensure that the document conforms to the ANZLIC Guidelines for Core Metadata Elements.

For example, the DATE elements are validated to ensure well-constructed date strings in the ISO 8601 format: YYYY-MM-DD. Keywords elements are checked against authority lists. Coordinates are checked for numeric range. The important minimum bounding rectangle (upon which search services are built) must be valid window (e.g. North is greater than South).

Content checks are described in ANZMP content checks.

Documents that are produced

ANZMP produces your dataset description in both HTML format and in TEXT format. The HTML documents will be able to be successfully validated by the W3C HTML Validation Service using the HTML 4.0 Transitional DTD.

The documents are published using digital library management techniques, so enabling them to be readily discovered on the network. Dublin Core metadata elements for enhanced resource discovery are added to the HEAD section of the HTML documents by the document management facilities

Publish the document

The documents that you generate will remain in your preparation folders while you edit them, view them, and perhaps edit them again. When you are satisfied with the presentation of your dataset description you can then choose to publish it.

Publishing happens overnight (around dawn Australian Eastern Time). Your documents will be available the next working day for public viewing and searching. This procedure also gives the editors a chance to investigate any documents that are scheduled for publication.

Using this document management facility you can create, publish, or delete your dataset descriptions.

URL:http://www.indexgeo.com.au/ec/help/anzmp.html
Last Modified: 11 September 1998