EAD import/export definitions

[Andreas Nef]

I have a bunch of EAD to import into AtoM, but obviously have to
adjust some of the coding as the results are not quite as expected.
Mainly, the archdesc entry will end up in the list of archival
descriptions, but none of the hierarchy is displayed. It looks as if
the elements have been imported (the q_information_object table is
full), but the parent_id column is blank for the imported entries.
Also, if I export a test fonds I created and try to important that EAD
file, I get errors regarding the names of the levels of description.
This makes it hard to guess what the coding standard for AtoM should
be. Are there some guidelines on how AtoM uses the different EAD
elements?

Regards, Andreas

[Evelyn McLellan]

Hi Andreas,

Your best bet at this point is to wait for release 1.0.8, scheduled
for next month. Unfortunately in 1.0.7 the EAD import is quite
problematic, but the issues (most of them, anyway) should be fixed for
1.0.8. In terms of how we use the different EAD elements, please have
a look at our ISAD(G) crosswalk at http://www.ica-atom.org/docs/index.php?title=Crosswalks:_ISAD(G)
and at the xml import/export development page at
http://www.qubit-toolkit.org/wiki/index.php?title=XML_import/export.

Evelyn McLellan
ICA-AtoM Community Manager

[Andreas Nef]

Hi Evelyn
I need this import to be done by the end of the month, so
unfortunately the AtoM release plan does not quite fit for me. I'll
check out your links, thanks very much. What's the latest status of
the development? Would most of the updated import/export functionality
be already available through svn?

Regards, Andreas

[Peter Van Garderen]

Hi Andreas,

Yes, you will be able to get all the import/export improvements sooner
via svn. The current revision has a significantly improved EAD XML
export. However, I am still working on the import mapping this week. I
recommend that you at least wait until after the 1.0.8 code freeze this
Sunday, Sept 20 if you can.

The error with parent/child levels you report in your previous message
is a little odd. In our own testing all the nested <dsc><c> levels are
being imported and the hierarchy is being re-constructed correctly.

Can you send me one of your files (peter [at] artefactual [dot] com) and
I can include it in my tests as I work on import this week.

Cheers,

--peter

[Peter Van Garderen]

Hi Andreas,

> Hi Peter
>
> Thanks for this info. You'll find attached a very short section of a
> simplified EAD file that I try to import. As stated before, the
> individual entries are reflected in the informationobjects, however, the
> hierarchy is not being built (parent_id is null).

I've tested your sample EAD file and it is importing correctly in the
latest development version of the software (i.e. the description
hierarchy is being constructed and displayed properly).

> I also get warnings
> regarding a missing dtd, see attached screenshot. However, even if I
> link the respective ead dtd or xsd in the xml file, the same happens.

The missing dtd warning goes away when you include a DOCTYPE declaration
right after the opening XML tag (see attached). The ICA-AtoM 1.0.8 EAD
export now includes this DOCTYPE declaration (as well as a host of other
fixes to make it fully validating EAD).

> The latest ica-atom code is to be found within the branches, not the
> trunk, right? Trying to set it up (on OS X) I get the following error
> message during the "Loading data" step: "Fatal error: Class
> 'Zend_Search_Lucene' not found in
> /Library/WebServer/Documents/ica-atom/apps/qubit/lib/SearchIndex.class.php
> on line 90".
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Andreas
>

The latest ICA-AtoM development code is actually found in the Qubit trunk:
http://code.google.com/p/qubit-toolkit/source/browse/trunk

When we finish release cycle testing we tag the Qubit trunk and then
merge these stable tags to the ICA-AtoM branch (so the ICA-AtoM branch
is only updated with each release).
See http://code.google.com/p/qubit-toolkit/source/browse/#svn/tags

We expect to tag 1.0.8 on Friday, Oct.2. It takes a while to then merge
to the branches, update translations and customizations, update the
migration tasks, update the website and documentation, create a new
installer, etc. So the actual ICA-AtoM release date comes a couple of
weeks later (Oct.19 for release 1.0.8).

For more background on this see:
http://qubit-toolkit.org/wiki/index.php?title=Qubit_or_ICA-AtoM%3F

Cheers,

--peterVG