Configuring Feed Builder

To configure Feed Builder, you must create configuration files for each feed you want. You can edit or delete these files after you have created them, if needed.

Creating Configuration Files

  1. Using a text editor of your choice, create a configuration file for each feed you require. Each configuration file must have a .conf extension (for example, newdvds.conf) and must have the following elements. These elements are case-sensitive and can appear in any order in the file.

    format=[format]
    hostname=[host name]
    query_type=[query type]
    query=[query]
    max_items=[max items]
    title=[title]
    desc=[description]
    lang=[language]
    item_title=[item title]
    item_desc=[item description]
    record_type=[rectype]
    date_adj=[date]
    range=[range]
    cover_image=[cover image]
    custom_link=[custom link]

     

    ValueDescription
    [format]This value is the format of the feed. Feed Builder supports RSS 2.0
    [host name]This value is the qualified host name (e.g., lib.catalog.edu) for the Innovative server. This value is used when generating the feed URL.
    [query type]This value specifies the type of query Feed Reader can expect. Feed Reader currently accepts queries from a saved bool query or a review file. Valid values are: b for "saved query" or r for review file.
    [query]This value is the query used by the configuration file. If the [query type] is b, this value is the name of the saved bool query. If the [query type] is r, this value is the name of the review file.
    Boolean Queries and Review Files

    Feed Builder does not support saved bool queries that specify a review file. For example, if "french titles" is a saved query and "bib01" is a review file:

    Query Type

    Query

    Supported

    b

    french titles

    Yes

    r

    bib01

    Yes

    b

    bib01

    No

    [max items]This value is the maximum number of items included in feed regardless of query results. The default for this value is 500. Values higher than 500 are ignored.
    [title]This value is the title label for the feed.
    [description]This value is the descriptive label for the feed.
    [language]This value is the three-character language code for the language in which WebPAC displays the feed.
    [item title]This value is the field specification defining the title to display and the record to use to obtain the title.
    [item description]This required value is the field specification defining additional record information to display, such as author or subject.This value must be defined for the item's associated image to display.
    [rectype]This value is the record type to match against.
    [date]This value is the number of hours to subtract from the current date and time to replace all dates in the query. The final value is matched against the CAT DATE in the target record. For example, if the current time is Aug 28, 11:00 A.M. and the date_adj element is set to 72, the record passes the test if the CAT_DATE is greater than Aug 25, 11:00 A.M.
    [range]This value is the number of records to include in the range, starting from the last record in the catalog or the last record in your query.
    [cover image]This value is the URL for the book jacket image associated with the bibliographic record. This value accepts the following special variable: %s. The WebPAC replaces the %s variable with the ISBN of the bibliographic record. For example:

    cover_image=http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=userid&Password=password&Return=1&Type=S&Value=%s&erroroverride=1

    The URL format should match the URL settings used in the BIBIMAGE Web option (if used). Note that this value only accepts one URL. If your BIBIMAGE Web option uses multiple URLs, choose one of the URL values for this element.

    You must define the item_desc= element to use this element.
    [custom link]

    This value is a customized URL that overrides the [host name] value of the hostname element to point to an alternate catalog (such as Encore). This value requires the use of a special variable: %1. The system replaces the %1 variable with the record number. For example:

    custom_link=http://encore.hetrodyne.edu/iii/encore50/record/C__R%1?lang=eng

    If the %1 variable is not present in the [custom link] value, the system ignores this setting and uses the [host name] value of the hostname element to generate the target URL for the record.

    For example:

    format=RSS2.0
hostname=lib.cat.edu
query_type=b
query=kwtest
max_items=10
title=New DVDs
desc=New Additions to the Library Collection
lang=eng
item_title=:Vit|:Vbt
item_desc=:Via|:Vba
record_type=i
date_adj=12
range=10000
cover_image=http://contentcafe2.btol.com/ContentCafe/Jacket.aspx?UserID=userid&Password=password&Return=1&Type=S&Value=%s&erroroverride=1
  2. Using the Web Master function, upload your configuration files to the /live/config/feeds directory.

Field Specifications (fieldspecs)

Field Specification Element Description
V The character 'V' signifies that the field being selected is a variable-length field. This is a required element and must have a colon (:) preceding it.
r The record type indicator for the record from which to take the selected field. This is a required element.
t The variable-length field group tag for the selected field. This is a required element.
mmm The three-character MARC tag (including any leading zeros) for the selected field. This is an optional element.
ii The indicator for the MARC tag specified above. This is an optional field, and can be included only if a MARC tag has been defined.
s The subfield for the MARC tag specified above. This is an optional field, and can be included only if a MARC tag and indicator have been defined.

For example:

:Vbt24510a

Defines a TITLE field from a bibliographic record, having a MARC tag of 245 with an indicator of 10 and a subfield a. Data will be taken from or written to a field (the first field found that matches, not every field that matches) that matches this pattern. If a subfield is included, only that subfield is affected. If no subfield is included, the entire field is affected.

An item_title or item_desc can contain only one field specification for each record type. For example, these elements and values are allowed:

item_title=:Vit|:Vbt
item_desc=:Via|:Vba

These elements and values are not allowed, because they contain more than one field specification for a record type:

item_title=:Vbt|:Vbe|:Vbp
item_desc=:Fb028|:Fb084|:Fb081|:Fb083

Editing Configuration Files

To edit an existing configuration file, complete the following steps:

  1. Using the Web Master function, select the /live/config/feeds directory.
  2. Select and edit the appropriate file.
  3. When you are done, save your changes.

Deleting Configuration Files

To delete an existing configuration file, complete the following steps:

  1. Using the Web Master function, select the /live/config/feeds directory.
  2. Select and delete the appropriate file.