The ISIS-software environment

1. The ISIS-software environment an introduction

2. Automation of documentary information • Definitions : • information : data with structure and meaning which have the potential to change the receiver’s knowledge • documentary : recorded knowledge, considered worth to be kept on a time- and space-persistent carrier • Automation : • using the computer to optimize management; in documentary systems : mainly retrieval of information

3. Automation of documentary information • D.I. = info kept in ‘documents’ with a mainly textual contents component • variant : documents can also represent real documents : e.g. bibliographic records, with or without abstracts • automation criteria : • professional standards • flexibility in structure • words-recognition • powerful formatting functions • …

4. Automation of documentary information • Professional standards : • ISO-2709 file format • MARC (subfields, repeatable fields…) • XML (!!) -> gaining importance • variable length and structure records • e.g. cfr. XML : capable of dealing with semi-structured text-entities (document elements are optional, repeatable, extensible, defineable…)

5. Automation of documentary information • Typical software characteristics : • word recognition (<>field) • flexible structures • Inverted File (addressbook of all words) support • additional features : stopwords, equivalency lists, thesaurus (knowledge systems…), strong formatting, web-capabilities etc. • <> ‘library systems’ = integrated systems for catalogues and administrative data (e.g. loans)

6. The ISIS-environment • Why ISIS ? • professional, academic concept by UNESCO (UNISIST, CCF, MARC…) • educational qualities • multi-platform (DOS, Windows, Unix, WWW, JAVA) • non-commercial software (free) • world-wide users’ community (especially Latin-America, Eastern Europe, Asia…)

7. ISIS-history (1) • I.L.O. 70’s: merging of ‘C.D.S’ and ‘I.S.I.S.’ • UNESCO : • 1985 : produces PC-version ‘Micro CDS/ISIS’ for DOS (as a series of separate softwares) • version 2.0 (1988) : added ISIS/Pascal • 1990’s : version 2.3 (integrated menu system) • 1992 : v.3.0 (networking, multi-user), new : Unix-version • 1998 : Winisis (graphical interface, hyperlinks) • 2001-2004 : current version 1.5 (a.o. XML, wizards)

8. ISIS-history (2) • BIREME (Sao Paulo, Brazil) : • 1995 : CISIS, a set of command-line utilities for ISIS-database management • 1997 : ISIS-DLL, a programming library for graphical operating systems • 1998 : WWWISIS : a server for CGI-web applications • 2000 : WXIS = WWWISIS version 4.0

9. ISIS-history (3) • Italy + UNESCO : JAVAISIS • JAVA : platform-independent programming language (RTE : free) • JAVAISIS allows to access (remote) ISIS-databases (based on BIREME WWWISIS-server) • interface : ‘copies’ WinISIS looks-’n-feel • now : searching + basic data-entry functions are available, but slow

10. ISIS-history (4) • OPENISIS : re-programming ISIS using the ‘open source’ philosophy (OpenISIS Verein, http://www.openisis.org) • 2002 : first initiatives • 2003 : first results • 2004 : version 1.0 released as server only • 2005 : renamed MALETE and split of SELENE • UNESCO also prepares to release ISIS-software as an open-source software : • source code available, non-commercial • best known example : Linux O.S. • co-ordination and tight control still necessary, to maintain the standards and a certain unity

11. ISIS history (5) : WEBLIS • Since 2003 : fully integrated, web-based library system based on ISIS is available from FAO • Based on ISIS.DLL and www-isis.exe as a dedicated database-server • Functions : • simple, advanced and thesaurus-based OPAC • Data entry with lists and strong validation • Loans circulation with advanced features • New version 2005 : simple acquisition module

12. The basic concepts (1) • ISO-2709 : a format to precisely describe (bibliographic) records for transport between systems • the ‘header’ and directory : fixed-format numerical description of the record (how long, which fields/lenghts), start-position of text-content and field tags • the text-contents concatenated with a separator character • the records separated by a record-separator • used as exchange format e.g. for all MARC-tapes

13. ISO-2709 • example record : 00846000000000277000450000100310000000400040003102300090003512001140004400­3000200158005000200160100001100162100001100173109003300184121006700217122001700284123001500301600000500316220013000321200001700451240004200468250001000510324002800520 332001000548343000500558350000500563#ABT ASSOCIATES INC./AGRICULTUR#AMS#19951205 #Conducting Pan‑European research: a preliminary evaluation of a new methodology for European aquaculture research#B#K#Shaw, S.A.#Bailly, D.#^aUniv. Strathclyde ^bGlasgow^cUK#3. Annu. Conf. of the European Association of Fisheries Economists #Dublin (Ireland)#10‑12 Apr 1991#^aen#Proceedings of the third Annual Conference of the European Association of Fisheries Economists, Dublin, Ireland, 10‑12 Apr il 1991#Hillis, J.P.^ed.#^aDublin (Ireland)^bThe Stationery Office#^p163‑175#Ir. Fish. Invest. [B. Mar.]#0578‑7467#1994#^i42#~

14. MARC-records • ‘Machine Readable Catalogues’ (IFLA) for international standardization of bibliographic data (-> exchange) • based on ISO-2709 file format • field-tags 1-999 (defined by implementation, e.g. UNIMARC, CCF…) • variable fields and field lengths • subfields, e.g. ^ade Smet^bEgbert

15. Inverted File support • the IF contains all searchable elements (terms) , sorted alphabetically, and their positions within the database: • which record • which field • which occurrence of that field • which position in that field (word-counting for proximity retrieval) • the IF in fact represents ‘all possible searches’ already done - except for Boolean set-combinations (AND/OR/NOT) - and saved

16. ISIS-structures : the MST • the database itself is a binary ISO-2709 file with all the records concatenated • no separators, binary header • records can be active or non-active (e.g. changed, logically deleted…) • all new records are appended at the end of the file, which always grows (-> needs ‘compacting’)

17. ISIS-structures : XRF • the Cross-Reference file is a ‘first-phase’ normal index (list of pointers, i.e. relative addresses sequence with fixed records) to the records in the MST for fast access of records • an XRF-file completes a basic ISIS-database • M+X = ISIS, cfr. CISIS-tool ‘MX’ (Bireme) • can be reconstructed if absent by special tools (e.g. UNESCO, Bireme)

18. ISIS-structures • an ISIS-database = at least one combination of MST + XRF plus IF • all other files are : • supporting (e.g. Field Definition Table, data-entry FMT’s, presentation PFT’s…) or • optional (e.g. stopwords .STW, equivalency list .ANY) or • derived from MST : the Inverted File-components, defined by FST

19. ISIS-structures • The Inverted File : • ‘nodes’ and ‘leaves’ of a B-Tree organised (for quick positioning in very big files) table, separate for ‘short’ and ‘long’ entries • .L01 and .L02 • .N01 and .N02 • an index on the B-Tree (.CNT) • the postings-file : .IFP, containing all alphabetically sorted entries with their postings (record, field, occurrence, position) • temporary files for sorting (in WORK-directory)

20. The FDT • Listing of : • data-entry worksheets (FMT) • IF-definitions (FST) • presentation formats (PFT) • the actual fields (tag, name, length, type and repeatability) • mandatory in CDS/ISIS, WinISIS, JAVAISIS but not in other family members

21. The Field Selection Table • defines the strings to be put into the IF • three columns : • 1 : identifier (a real or ‘alias’ tag) • 2 : a method : 8 types (per field, delimiters <> or /, per word, with or without prefixes) • 3 : the extraction format, following the ISIS-Formatting Language (with all features of it, incl. ISIS/Pascal programs)

22. SYSPAR.PAR • All ‘settings’ of the software, some of them can be set using ‘configuration’ • Line 5 : data folder -> either the database-files or their referral files DBN.PAR • In WinISIS : very much used • CISIS : CIPAR.CPR

23. The Formatting Language • = the real nucleus of the ISIS-software and its main development tool • defines which strings are produced as either : • database-values (taken from the fields); can be ‘processed’ values from the database, e.g. fields combined, computations, even data taken from other ISIS-databases by ‘REF-’function or • ‘literals’ : quoted strings, e.g. HTML- or XML-tags • in WinISIS : hyperlinks are added to enrich the presentation graphically and functionally

24. The Formatting Language • FL is used in 5 basic ISIS-functions : • ‘normal’ output of the database : display on screen or printing or ‘dumping’ in file • to define the strings extracted for the IF • to convert values while importing or exporting records from/to ISO-2709 using a ‘reformatting’ PFT • for sorting records • for validation of data entry

25. FL basics • 3 possible element types : • Vx : values from the fields, can be ‘processed’, even by a program (format exit) • Literals : texts to display • Mode commands and links • Literals : 3 types • ‘unconditional’ e.g. ‘ID=‘v1 • |conditional| (with + : not last/first) e.g. |Remarks: |+v500 • “repeatable” e.g. (“Author: “v300)-> only once

26. FL basics • Mode commands : p/d/h • P: proofreading • D: data mode (with . and space) • H: heading mode -> end user • l/u : lower/uppercase • {i/b/f/fs …} : italics, bold, fonts, fontsize etc.

27. FL basics : logical routing • IF condition THEN statements ELSE other statements FI – nesting possible • Select Vx case ‘value’ : statements case ‘value’ : statements elsecase : statements Endsel

28. FL basics : hyperLINKs • LINK((‘prompt’),`COMMAND ‘,format) • Commands : e.g. OPENFILE, TEXTBOX • E.g. • LINK((‘website’),(OPENFILE ),v445) • LINK((‘abstract’),(TEXTBOX ),v600) • Textboxes can also contain images, e.g. • link((‘Show'),'TEXTBOXIMG ',v50) • Can be ‘RCHILD’ -> closing with record e.g. ‘TEXTBOXIMGRCHILD ‘,v50

29. To do on FL : • hyperlinks (LINK) • REF(L( )) on internal + external database • textboxes • OPENFILE • etc.

30. Assignment 1 : • Install WinISIS on your PC • Use the WinISIS-wizard to produce : • a FDT for a catalogue database • a data-entry worksheet with 1 picklist • one simple IF-FST • at least one standard PFT • Enter a few sample bibliographic records

31. Assignment 2 : FL • enter records with 1) repeatable fields 2) subfields 3) date field etc. • Install ‘ASFA’-database • apply basic FL commands to display, using WinISIS PFT-editor, e.g. starting from ‘decorated’ PFT : • literals (uncond. ‘ ‘ ; repeat. “ “ ; cond. | |) • fs, cl, i, b, box() etc. • modes : mpl, mhl, mdl

32. Assignment 3 : elaboration • Create 2 new databases : • For users, I.e. names/addresses • For ‘loans transactions’ • Enter some data in both new databases • Develop PFT’s for bibliographic display with loans info, using ‘REF(L())’ functions

33. Assignment 4 : recapitulation • Create new database ‘ABSTRA’ with only two fields : v1 (title) and v2 (abstract), indexing on full title and all abstract words • export title- and abstract fields from ASFA-database using export FST • import into ABSTRA • write ASFA-PFT to display abstract in separate textbox, using ABSTRA as external database with REF-function (or write ABSTRA-PFT to display e.g. authors from ASFA-database) • use ABSTRA-database to test search techniques

34. Sources for self-study on ISIS • WinISIS Handbook Hopkinson&Buxton • ‘Novice.htm’ (E. de Smet, intro) • WinISIS.DOC : official manual • WinISIS1_4.PDF : Guidebook ISIS/DOS users (by Int. Trade Centre) • ‘Training suite PPT slides’