VistaDocs: New web-based UI to search and filter the VistA Documentation Library

[rrichards]

Vistadocs:  a new web-based UI for VistA documentation. You can filter on package name, document type, status, format, and with direct links to each of the 8,834 documents and 196 packages. 

https://vistadocs.github.io

This was comprehensive crawl, ingestion, and classification of all documents in the VDL website.  All code was generated by Claude using test-drive-development framework. Code is freely available if any one interested.

[Nancy Anthracite]

There is also the opportunity to search the site and all the documents with the Google on Hardhats.org.  In the left hand frame, slide down to the search field and choose to search the VDL.  I have found it invaluable.

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Nancy Anthracite

[Nancy Anthracite]

PS, if I recall correctly, Ben Irwin set that up.

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Nancy Anthracite

On Monday, March 30, 2026 8:22:27 AM EDT Nancy Anthracite wrote:

> There is also the opportunity to search the site and all the documents with

> the Google on Hardhats.org.  In the left hand frame, slide down to the search

> field and choose to search the VDL.  I have found it invaluable.

>

> > Vistadocs:  a new web-based UI for VistA documentation. You can filter on

[Benjamin Irwin]

Nancy,

That may have been written last century before "https" became important.

I have added that functionality, updated, to the bottom of the following page on EDU2.  https://edu2.opensourcevista.net/vista/index.php

The following is the code that makes it work.  In case the Hardhats web page maintainer would like to update it.

<p><b>VA Vista Documentation Search</b></p>
  <form method="get" action="https://www.google.com/search" name="form1" id="form1" target="_blank">
  <table summary="Divisions">
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Search:</td>
      <td><input name="as_q" type="text"></td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
      <td>
        <select name="as_sitesearch" size="6">
          <option selected="selected" value="https://www.hardhats.org/">Hardhats</option>
          <option value="https://www.va.gov/vdl">Full VDL</option>
          <option value="https://www.va.gov/vdl/documents/Clinical/">Clinical</option>
          <option value="https://www.va.gov/vdl/documents/Infrastructure/">Infrastructure</option>
          <option value="https://www.va.gov/vdl/documents/Financial_Admin/">Financial-Adm.</option>
          <option value="https://worldvista.org/">WorldVista</option>
        </select>
      </td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>&nbsp;</td>
      <td><input value="Search" name="Search" type="submit"></td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
  </table>
  </form>

[Sam Habiel]

> In case the Hardhats web page maintainer would like to update it.

I will go ahead and update it, but in a few days.

--Sam

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[DoItBobSD Guajardo]

Hello all, Good Morning

I was looking for a global visualization tool, similar to the Global Walker of old.  Is there a new tool that some something similar?

[Benjamin Irwin]

It's not visually cute, but it might give you the information needed.  https://edu2.opensourcevista.net/vista/dictionary.php

[David Whitten]

Could you elaborate on what the Global Walker did, its UI etc ?

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[Sam Habiel]

Updated.

Nancy, the links on the Plone website are broken for conferences. Can you try to fix them?

--Sam

[DoItBobSD Guajardo]

Hey David, how are you?  Now that I remember, I think Sam Habiel called it Global Walker.  Sam, ring any bells?

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Robert Guajardo
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[Sam Habiel]

We are hijacking a different thread. I will start a new one.

--Sam

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[Greg Kreis]

Snappy interface!

I think back to how we worked in 80s and early 90s. One green screen. Only one thing open at a time. You had to keep more in your head and VPE was very powerful because it linked relevant info with just a few keystrokes. It made the most of the single view.

We have all read articles talking about how AI tends to dumb folks down, depending on how they use it. I wonder how multiple windows and displays affected how we approached problems and our ability to keep the context in our heads?

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[Nancy Anthracite]

They are working for me.  Are you talking about the links in the left hand panel under conferences?

--

Nancy Anthracite

> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/hardhats/228b80e7-4e33-4396-bd7b-858ece7dc809n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>

> >> .

> >>

> >

>

>

[Benjamin Irwin]

Nancy,

I am talking about the search box on the left of the https://hardhats.org/ page.  It has a search box and a selector to enable the user to search Hardhats, Full VDL, Clinical portion of VDL, Infrastructure portion, Financial-Admin portion, or WorldVista.

Currently the form is using a "http" call and causing some browsers to balk and require confirmation about using a unsecured link.

Currently: <form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/search" name="form1" id="form1" target="_blank">

Should be: <form method="get" action="https://www.google.com/search" name="form1" id="form1" target="_blank">:

The selector is setting a variable as_sitesearch.  Currently these are using a "http" call that is better used as "https:.  Also the links to the division specific search URL's are incorrect.

Currently: value="http://www.hardhats.org/"

Should be:value="https://www.hardhats.org/"

Currently:value="http://www.va.gov/vdl"

Should be:value="https://www.va.gov/vdl"

Currently:value="http://www.va.gov/vdl/VistA_Lib/Clinical/

Should be:value="https://www.va.gov/vdl/documents/Clinical/"

Currently:value="http://www.va.gov/vdl/VistA_Lib/Infrastructure/

Should be:value="https://www.va.gov/vdl/documents/Infrastructure/"

Currently:value="http://www.va.gov/vdl/VistA_Lib/Financial_Admin/

Should be:value="https://www.va.gov/vdl/documents/Financial_Admin/"

Currently:value="http://www.worldvista.org/

Should be:value="https://worldvista.org/"

I hope that question was for me.

Thanks,

Ben

[Nancy Anthracite]

I think Sam is planning to fix it.

--

Nancy Anthracite

> > Nancy Anthracite

[Sam Habiel]

It's done! Try it now.

--Sam

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/hardhats/3039590.e9J7NaK4W3%40owl.

[Benjamin Irwin]

Some of the fixes have been done, some still not working.