Adding Search Options for a Database

To accommodate the many types of indexing schemes in use with bibliographic databases, the Z39.50 protocol requires the Z39.50 client to specify a set of six search attributes and specific code values for each attribute. These six attributes define the criteria for selecting records from the remote database. The attributes are:

1. Use field	Specifies the database index to search.
2. Relation	Defines the relationship (equal to, greater than, less than, etc.) that must exist between the search data and the indexed data in the remote database for the remote database to return records to you.
3. Position	Specifies the position within the fields of database records that the data being searched must occupy.
4. Structure	Specifies if the search is to be by phrase, word, keyword, etc.
5. Truncate	Specifies the degree and type of truncation that the server can apply to its indexes when matching your search against them.
6. Completeness	Specifies the required degree of completeness of fields and subfields in the database records.

Adding Options

To add search options to the menu that is presented to users or to override the default search attributes for any index, select the A > ADD new type of search option. For each search option, you enter an index key (e.g., 'a' for Author) and the search attributes that the specific database expects to receive from clients to search that index. Each search option must have a unique index key. For example, to add an Author search to the menu:

1. Select the A > ADD new type of search menu option. The system prompts you for a one-character search tag and a name for the search index (the maximum length of this name is 49 characters). For example, tag a for AUTHOR. The one-character tag that you enter appears as the menu option letter for this search on the Z39.50 client's search screen (e.g., A > AUTHOR).
2. On the next screen, specify values for the six search attributes for the search that you are adding:

               CHANGE SEARCH ATTRIBUTES FOR 'AUTHOR(a)' SEARCH:

                     1 > Use Field          0
                     2 > Relation           0
                     3 > Position           0
                     4 > Structure          0
                     5 > Truncate           0
                     6 > Completeness       0

___________________________________________________________________________
Select type of attribute or
N > NEW search tag E > EDIT examples      A > ADDITIONAL options
C > CHANGE search name      Q > QUIT
Choose one (1-6,N,C,E,Q,R,A)

You must select each of the six attributes from this menu (by pressing the corresponding number 1 to 6) and assign a value for the search attribute to use with this database.

3. Press 1 for Use Field to specify the Z39.50 code for the index to search for "Author" on this database. The system presents the following menu of possible Z39.50 codes for indexes:

               CHANGE SEARCH ATTRIBUTES FOR 'AUTHOR(a)' SEARCH:
               Use field    attribute is:
                     01 > Name, personal – 1
                     02 > Name, corporate – 2
                     03 > Name, conference – 3
                     04 > Title – 4
                     05 > Series – 5
                     06 > Uniform title – 6
                     07 > ISBN – 7
                     08 > ISSN – 8
                     09 > Local record number – 12
                     10 > Dewey classification – 13
                     11 > LC classification – 16
                     12 > Subject – 21
                     13 > Date – 30
                     14 > Su_Doc number – 50
                     15 > Author – 1003
________________________________________________________________________
Select value of attribute or
F > FORWARD      J > JUMP      Q > QUIT      D > DELETE attribute
Choose one (1-18,F,J,Q,D)

This list presents the name and Z39.50 code for each value available for this attribute. Note that Z39.50 code 1003 (the fifteenth item in this list) appears to be what you want. However, some systems prefer the code 1 (Name, personal) to search by Author. If you select 4 (Title), you specify the remote system should perform a Title search when your user believes that an Author search was requested. You are responsible for selecting the correct Z39.50 Use attribute code for each index you offer your users.

If the Z39.50 code that you require is not in the list, select OTHER and enter the code at the following prompt:

Please enter 4 digit attribute number (0-9999) _ _ _ _

4. Press 2 for Relation to specify the relationship required between the search user types and the database for the index (e.g., Author) on this database to produce results. Available relations are:

1 > Less than – 1
2 > Less than or equal – 2
3 > Equal – 3
4 > Greater or equal – 4
5 > Greater than – 5
6 > Not equal – 6

Most systems require that the data the user enters must be Equal to the data in the database for a search to return records (choice 3). Most systems refuse to process the search if you make any choice here other than 3.

5. Press 3 for Position to specify the position in the database record field in which the search data is to be found. Available positions are:

1 > First in field – 1
2 > First in subfield – 2
3 > Any position in field – 3

For example, MELVYL requires that the data the user enters must be found in the first part of the field for Author searches (choice 1). Note that 3 (Any position in field) is not equivalent to a keyword search.

6. Press 4 for Structure to specify the type of search to perform. Available structures are:

1 > Phrase – 1
2 > Word – 2
3 > Key – 3
4 > Year – 4
5 > Date – 5
6 > Word list – 6

Most systems require a 1 (Phrase) or 6 (Word list) here. 6 means a keyword search, which might or might not be supported by the server in the index you specified in attribute 1 (the Use field).

7. Press 5 for Truncate to specify the degree to which the server is permitted to consider the data that the user types as truncated. Available values for truncation are:

1 > No truncation – 100
2 > Right truncation – 1
3 > Left truncation – 2
4 > Left and right – 3
5 > Process # in search arg – 101

Most systems require that the data entered by the user be treated as if it were truncated on the right (choice 2).

8. Press 6 for Completeness to specify the degree of completeness of fields and subfields that the server can use. Available values are:

1 > Incomplete subfield – 1
2 > Complete subfield – 2
3 > Complete field – 3

Most systems require incomplete subfields (choice 1).

9. After all six attributes have been specified, the system displays them as shown below:

             CHANGE SEARCH ATTRIBUTES FOR 'AUTHOR(a)' SEARCH:

                  1 > Use Field          1   Name, personal
                  2 > Relation           3   Equal
                  3 > Position           1   First in field
                  4 > Structure          1   Phrase
                  5 > Truncate           1   Right truncation
                  6 > Completeness       1   Incomplete subfield
____________________________________________________________________________
Select type of attribute or
N > NEW search tag          E > EDIT examples      A > ADDITIONAL options
C > CHANGE search name      Q > QUIT
Choose one (1-6,N,C,E,Q,R,A)

10. Continue adding search attributes for each additional index that you want to offer for searching (e.g., Title, Subject, ISSN, ISBN, etc.).

Other options available from the menu shown above are described in the following sections.

N > NEW search tag

This option replaces the tag used for this search (e.g., 's' for Subject) with a different letter.

C > CHANGE search name

This option changes the name of the index (e.g., change KEYWORD to WORDS IN TITLE).

E > EDIT examples

For each search index, you can enter search examples or hints to the user that appear on the opening search menu. A title search might have the following search example:

Type as much or AS LITTLE of the title as you want
for example ––> History of American Literature
or just ––> History of Amer
.... then press the <RETURN> key

The Full Screen Editor is used to enter these examples.

R > RESTORE default attributes

If you want to return to the default values after changing search attributes for the currently displayed index, choose this option.

A completed set of search attributes for MELVYL's Full Catalog is shown below:

                   SERVER - Univ. of Calif. MELVYL system
                          DATABASE - Full catalog
01 > Server's Name For Database: CAT
02 > Name to Display to Public:  Full catalog
03 > Type of query:              1
04 > Data Format:                OPAC

05 > G > REQUEST ITEM ALLOWED:   NO
06 >     Patron types (0-1999):   1-9,12,14,16-29
07 >     Message Line 1:         Requests generally require one to two
08 >     Message Line 2:         weeks to obtain.  The library will try
09 >     Message Line 3:         to get this item for you.

    Searches allowed:
10 >    AUTHOR (a):            1:1, 2:3, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1
11 >    TITLE (t):             1:4, 2:3, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1
12 >    SUBJECT (s):           1:21, 2:3, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1
13 >    WORD (w):              1:4, 2:3, 3:3, 4:6, 5:1, 6:1
14 >    ISBN (j):              1:7, 2:3, 3:1, 4:1, 5:100, 6:1
15 >    ISSN (i)               1:8, 2:3, 3:1, 4:1, 5:100, 6:1
_________________________________________________________________________
Key a number or
A > ADD new type of search          E > EDIT information on search menu
D > DELETE type of search           Q > QUIT
Choose one (1-15,A,D,E,Q)

In this display, the search attributes for each index are displayed in the form Attr#:Value. For example, in the line for SUBJECT searches, the value for the first attribute is 21 (1:21), the value for the second is 3 (2:3), etc.

To save your changes, select Q > QUIT. The system prompts:

Save changes? (y/n)

Answer y to save your changes to the Z39.50 Server file. Answer n to discard your changes and leave the Z39.50 Server file unmodified.

Adding Pre-Search Limits

Pre-search limits work only on Z39.50 servers that support this type of limiting. Servers that support pre-search limiting include:

• OCLC
• RLIN (date and language limits)
• CURL (Consortium of University Research Libraries)

Only Sierra Z39.50 clients support pre-search limits. The Web Z39.50 clients cannot use pre-search limits.

To add pre-search limits:

1. Select A > ADD new type of search
2. Enter the limit term at the search tag prompt (e.g., 1,2,3, or 4).
   The following limit terms must be defined:
   
   • Date on or after
   • Date on or before
   • Record type
   • Language code
3. The system prompts with the appropriate search name (for example, Search name: DATE IN/BEFORE). Press ENTER at the prompt.
4. The system prompts you to change the search attributes for your search limit (for example, CHANGE SEARCH ATTRIBUTES FOR 'DATE IN/BEFORE(2)' SEARCH:).
5. Input the attributes as follows:
   

   DATE IN/AFTER
   Use Attribute:	30 or 31
   Relation Attribute:	4
   Position Attribute:	3
   Structure Attribute:	4 or 5
   Truncation Attribute:	100
   Completeness Attribute:	1
   DATE IN/BEFORE
   Use Attribute:	30 or 31
   Relation Attribute:	2
   Position Attribute:	3
   Structure Attribute:	4 or 5
   Truncation Attribute:	100
   Completeness Attribute:	1
   RECORD TYPE
   Use Attribute:	1001
   Relation Attribute:	3
   Position Attribute:	3
   Structure Attribute:	2
   Truncation Attribute:	100
   Completeness Attribute:	1
   LANGUAGE CODE
   Use Attribute:	54
   Relation Attribute:	3
   Position Attribute:	3
   Structure Attribute:	2
   Truncation Attribute:	100
   Completeness Attribute:	1

   Valid Use Attributes

   Valid Use Attributes are as follows. The Use Attribute used for limiting by date varies depending on the server. If you do not see the actual number of the Use Attribute listed, enter the line number for OTHER and manually enter the Use Attribute number.

   • Date on or after four-character string (Use Attribute 30 or 31)
     Use Use Attribute 31 for OCLC and RLIN
     Use Use Attribute 30 for CURL

   • Date on or before four-character string (Use Attribute 30 or 31)
     Use Use Attribute 31 for OCLC and RLIN
     Use Use Attribute 30 for CURL
     

   • Bibliographic format term unique to each server (Use Attribute 1001).
     OCLC uses terms such as BKS or SER as limit terms
     

   • Language MARC language code (Use Attribute 54)

6. Add all desired limits for the database. Choose Quit until prompted to save changes. At the prompt to save changes, choose Yes.