Customizing the ALEPH500 Web OPAC

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• Customizing the ALEPH500 Web OPAC
• 14.2.7
• Laura K. Murray
• 6/15/04

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Touring Behind the Scenes

• login-sny01 (identical copy of find-b-sny01)
  -WHY?

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Basic Frameless WebOPAC Screens

• Basic Search (find-b)
• Advanced Search (find-a)
• Brief Results List Keyword (short-2-head)
• Brief Results List Browse (scan-acc-head)
• Full Record (full-set-head)
• Availability/Holdings (item-global-head-1)
• Databases (base-list)

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Basic Search - find-b
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Advanced Search find-a
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Brief Results List Keyword short-2-head
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Brief Results List - Browse - scan-acc-head
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Full Record full-set-head

• full-999-body

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Availability/Holdings item-global-head-1
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Databases base-list

• Connected to tab_base.eng in alephe/tab

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Skills You Need

• - a basic knowledge of HTML
• - basic UNIX commands
• - knowledge of ALEPH file structure
• - knowledge of ALEPH shortcuts
• - how to use a text editor (OLIS editor, Notepad,
  Vi)
• - a basic understanding of stylesheets

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Software You Will Need

• - Putty
• - Internet Explorer web browser
• - the OLIS table editor or VI
• - or a secure FTP client and Notepad
• Putty is available on the OLIS Web support page

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Web OPAC Support

• Point your browser to
• http//www.sunyconnect.suny.edu/aleph/
• Login with your GUI login, or
• aleph500 aleph500
• Click on 14.2.7 Frameless Web OPAC Support

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Two kinds of files for Web OPAC

• HTML
• - mostly in www_f_eng (for 01 and 30)
• - edit with a TEXT editor, not an HTML editor
• - filenames use hyphens, not underscores
• - .html extension is rarely used
• - FILES MUST BE RENAMED TO CAMPUS extension

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Two kinds of files for Web OPAC

• Edit Tables
• - mostly in xxx01/tab (xxx30/tab for Reserves)
• - edit with a TEXT editor SPATIALLY SENSITIVE
• - filenames use underscores, not hyphens
• - MUST MAINTAIN THE SAME NAME

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Putty secure server connections

• In order to connect to your ALEPH500 server, you
  will need a telnet client that supports an SSL
  connection. The OLIS recommends Putty
• Connect to the Putty download page
  http//www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/sgtatham/putty/
  download.html
• select putty.exe under "For Windows 95, 98, ME,
  NT, 2000 and XP on Intel x86" under "the latest
  release version
• you can save Putty to your desktop
• after downloading Putty, just double-click on its
  icon
• select SSH, type in your ALEPH500 server address,
  and click the Open button to make a secure
  connection

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Navigation Logging In to See Your Web OPAC Files

• You are assigned an account on the ALEPH server
  that allows you to edit files and tables in your
  librarys directories.
• SUNY libraries have two sides to each campus
  library
• Prod - for production purposes
• Dev - for development purposes
• You should use the Development side of your
  library for testing purposes.

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Logging In

• passwords are provided by implementation/systems
  folks
• After you login, you must designate the library
  in which the files you need to edit reside. Most
  of your editing will be in the xxx01 library. For
  example
• dlib xxx01 (replace xxx with your library code)

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Navigation Shortcuts

• The best way to locate the files you need is to
  use the navigation shortcuts set up for the ALEPH
  software (the Tips, Tricks, Shortcuts document
  for a complete list)
• wf - brings you to the www_f_eng directory where
  the OPAC web pages for your library reside
• wr - brings you to the web files for the Reserve
  screens you see in Web services
• wb - brings you to the other Web Services web
  files

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Finding Your Web OPAC HTML Files

• type ls xxx01 (replace the xxx with your
  3-letter code)- these are the template files
  created by OLIS that are unique to your campus
  (you must rename them before you edit)
• type ls sny01 - these are the template files
  everyone uses

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Workflow Overview

• decide what you want to change in the Web OPAC
• identify the files you need to edit using
• List of Web OPAC Files and Screen Shots and File
  Names for Web OPAC Files
• grep (see exercise)
• use your IE browser to connect to the OLIS web
  editor
• locate the HTML file or table and perform your
  edits DONT FORGET COMMENTS
• if you edited an HTML file, refresh your browser
  view of the Web OPAC to see the changes (Shift
  Refresh)
• if you edited a table, login to the server via
  putty, dlib xxx01, run util, w, 3, 2

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OLIS Web Editor

• https//westaleph.sunyconnect.suny.edu8939/edit_t
  ables/
• web files are in multiple locations
• take a tour
• look at tab_base.eng
• Your Web OPAC is configured in tab_base.eng to
  look for HTML file extensions in a particular
  order

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You Need to Know HTML

• Comment tags block users from seeing what is in
  the HTML code
• lt!-- this is hidden --gt
• class indicates a call to a style sheet

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Tracking Comments/Spreadsheets

• ALWAYS put a comment in your HTML files and
  tables when you make a change
• KEEP TRACK of the files you edit in a spreadsheet
• You WILL thank yourself later for these extra
  steps.

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Refresh IE After HTML Edits

• To see your HTML edits, you have to Refresh your
  browser screen.
• Just clicking the Refresh button often does not
  work. Try Shift Refresh or
• Right-click in the desired frame and choose
  Refresh

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Campus Questions

• Now lets try a campus specific HTML modification.

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Editing Tables

• Tables are spatially sensitive - unlike HTML you
  must maintain the columns as they are
• Tables must maintain their original name - unlike
  HTML, there are no campus-specific extensions.
• Table edits must be followed by a Restart of of
  the Aleph web server
• login with Putty
• dlib to your library
• type util, w, 3, 2
• You must minimally do a new search to see the
  edits, sometimes you have to start a fresh Web
  OPAC session in IE.

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edit_doc_999.eng

• edit_doc_999.eng controls your full record
  display
• Be sure to skip the lines for your GUI OPAC and
  edit the fields for the Web OPAC

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xxx01/tab/www_tab_short.eng

• www_tab_short.eng controls the Brief display
  table contents
• If you change the position or number of fields,
  you have to change the corresponding HTML.

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Edit Tables

• www_tab_short.eng

Column 8
Column 12
edit_field.eng
Column 3
Column 4
edit_doc_999.eng
Column 2
Column 6
edit_paragraph.eng
edit_doc.eng
Column 5
Column 1
Column 3
Column 4
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www_tab_short.eng
edit_field.eng
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Edit_field.eng

• This is an important table that controls which
  subfields are displayed and some formatting.
• Tip The EXT definition controls the display of
  your 856 field in Full Record

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edit_field.eng
edit_doc_999.eng
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Table Headings - a must read

• You must read the table headings to understand
  the edit tables
• They may not always be easy to understand, but
  you cant get anywhere without tackling them

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Table Editing Workflow

• decide which field display you want to change and
  identify the MARC field behind it
• if you are not sure of the MARC field, write down
  the system number of a sample record use Util,
  f, 4, doc to look at the field structure
• using your documentation, identify the table
  behind your Web OPAC displayif this table
  interrelates to another, identify that table
• edit your table(s), add comments about your
  changes to the bottom of the table
• and do util, w, 3, 2 to re-start your ALEPH web
  server
• run a test search - document your edits in a
  spreadsheet

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edit_field.eng
edit_paragraph.eng
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Style Sheets

• You know when some style is being controlled by a
  stylesheet when you see references to class
• For example classtitle

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Changing Class

• - you can change the appearance of your text by
  using different pre-defined classes
• - examine the existing definitions to see what is
  available

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Browser Safe Colors

• Browser safe colors can be seen at
• - http//www.lynda.com/hexh.html

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Cleaning Up

• - you have to clean up files on the UNIX level
• - you need to use the ls and rm commands
• - discuss documenting your file changes in a
  spreadsheet

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Bug Work-Around -FYI

• - if repeatedly refreshing your browser, or
  restarting your Web server doesnt allow your
  HTML or table edits to display, you may be having
  a problem with stuck cached files (bug)
• - type util, x, 7 to clear out the directory
  alephe/utf_files
• - you will have to dlib xxx01 again to reset
  yourself
• This problem occurs almost everytime you replace
  a file with an older back-up version.

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What to Do After Training

• Make a wish list with two categories
• 1) Must have before STP
• 2) Want after STP
• Send your list to murraylc_at_sysadm.suny.edu

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Which Editor?

• It is wise to learn VI. It cuts out the step of
  using FTP to transfer files, and therefore the
  possibility that you may transfer ALEPH ASCII
  files as binary or other complications.
• But Notepad is easy to use and immediately
  understandable to Windows users.
• You can use Notepad while you are learning VI.
• You can use both.
• Youll figure it out.

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Bonus Secure FTP

• Putty Secure FTP
• http//www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/sgtatham/putty
  /download.html
• You need to know that HTML files and ALEPH tables
  are ASCII (logo files are binary)

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FTP and Notepad

• By transferring files to your local drive, you
  can use the Notepad text editor for easy editing
• Putty SFTP, WS_FTP Pro, Core Lite FTP are viable
  secure FTP clients
• Use Core FTP only if you have Windows 2000 or
  another recent version of Windows

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Notepad as an HTML Editor

• You dont want to use an actual HTML editor - it
  can break the ALEPH-specfic codes
• Notepad allows search and replace, a big help...

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Bonus Changing Your logo

• Quick Start
• rename your new logo file to logo.gif (if it is
  not a gif file, convert it to one)
• now place logo.gif on your local hard drive

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FYI ONLY Creating a Test Environment

• These are the steps using the Util menu and Vi
  (this can also be accomplished by using the OLIS
  web editor or FTP and Notepad as we did with HTML
  pages)
• type util to enter the Utility menu, then Y/3/1
  to edit tab_base.eng
• type wq tab_base.engtodaysdateyourinitials to
  save the file before you change it
• type 1 from the Util menu again to edit
  tab_base.eng

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FYI ONLY Test Evironment Tab_base

• down arrow to the columns area after the end of
  the header
• type O (capital O) to enter Insert mode while
  inserting a new line
• type this line (you must align the information
  exactly with the existing entries)
• TST01 Test Web OPAC
  TST01 XXX01 SNY01 XXX01
• Note column 7 must contain the code of the
  library on your server against which you will be
  testing the OPAC.
• Examine the other configurations for your library
  while you are looking at tab_base.eng
• press ESC, then type wq to go to command mode,
  save and exit

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FYI ONLY Test Environment Tab_base

• type Util, w, 3, 2
• this restarts the Aleph web server and activates
  your test environment
• To view your test pages, compose your URL as
  follows
• http//aleph1.sunyconnect.suny.edu4950/F/?funcfi
  lefile_namefind-blocal_basetst01