Using Open Source CMS to build library website

[paulk7737514]

I would like to know if anyone has done  this and what sort of coding is required to integrate the CMS with the library catalogue software. I found a description of using Joomla to build a library website and it appears that there really is no integration, just a link to the catalogue search form.

The document brief:

http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/4226#note4

The website:

http://herrick.alfred.edu/index.php/services/research-help

The catalogue:

http://alfred.summon.serialssolutions.com/#!/

[Rob_Hecker2]

The catalog uses Angular JS. If you are not familiar with Angular JS, there is plenty of info on the web.

You should talk to the company that provides the catalog software. They will probably have an integration guide.

[pziecina]

Rob Hecker2 wrote:

The catalog uses Angular JS. If you are not familiar with Angular JS, there is plenty of info on the web.

I would add to that, if you are not proficient in modern javascript, proceed with extreme caution when working with or modifying Angular.js.

[paulk7737514]

Thanks, but isn't the catalogue hosted on a completely different website, a subdomain of of serialssolutions.com? So the actual Alfred University library site simply links to its own catalogue?

[paulk7737514]

I mean the menu item,

Search > Summon Search

which appears to be their main catalogue.

[Rob_Hecker2]

Instead of speculating. . . .

"You should talk to the company that provides the catalog software. They will probably have an integration guide."

[paulk7737514]

It's not a future job, I'm just speculating for the moment because I want to get an idea of the complexity involved for such a job.

Apparently the only integration required is something called an OPAC search box builder which generates the code according to your custom fields.

The website:

OPAC Search Box Builder

Sample code:

<style type="text/css">

<!--

.hidden {

  position: absolute;

  left: -200em;

  top: -20em;

}

-->

</style>

<form action="https://i-share.carli.illinois.edu/uic/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi" method="get" target="i-share">

<fieldset>

<input type="hidden" name="DB" value="local" />

<input type="hidden" name="CNT" value="50" />

<label for="searchFor"><strong>Search I-Share:</strong> </label>

<input type="text" name="Search_Arg" id="searchFor" size="10" maxlength="100" />

<label for="searchType" class="hidden">Search Type</label>

<select name="Search_Code" id="searchType">

<option selected value="110A^">Corporate Author</option>

<option value=GPON>GPO Item Number</option>

</select>

<input type="hidden" name="SL" value="None" />

<input type="submit" value="Search" /> 

<input type="reset" name="reset" value="Reset" />

</fieldset>

</form>

[paulk7737514]

By the way, where are the buttons to insert code on the editor? Mine are missing.

[Rob_Hecker2]

If you have a web application that needs to be integrated into other websites which you do not control, providing an API is the means of doing this. If you are going to allow SQL sent from other websites to hit your database, you need to have a robust layer of protection limiting what is allowed.

There are several different solution patterns to deal with a web application interacting with other websites. The one you are looking at uses Angular. I am not familiar with Angular, so I am not sure exactly how it is being used.

Have fun exploring the possibilities.

where are the buttons to insert code on the editor?

I don't know. Maybe someone else knows what you are referring to.

[paulk7737514]

The button on the HTML editor. There used to be a button that would highlight code inserted.

[Rob_Hecker2]

OK. I still don't know what you are referring to. Someone else might know.

[paulk7737514]

Wouldn't the sample code I inserted above from the form generator constitute an API? As seen in the image below:

[paulk7737514]

When you post to this forum you need to insert code in your posts. Normally there is an Insert Code > HTML, CSS, PHP, etc. option in the menu. I only have Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough, Unordered List, Ordered List, Insert Image, Insert Video, Insert Hyperlink, Emoticons, Quote Previous Message, Toggle Spell Checker.

[Rob_Hecker2]

Now I understand. I didn't know you were talking about inserting code into the forum. I thought you were talking about the DW editor.
As far as I know the Adobe forum has never had a code > insert feature.

As for the screenshot in item 11. An API allows you to do more low level integration, so that would not be an example of an API integration.

[paulk7737514]

Well can you give me an example of an API allowing more low-level integration?

[pziecina]

paulk7737514 wrote:

Well can you give me an example of an API allowing more low-level integration?

If you are working with javascript in the browser, or wish to use Angular.js, then you should be aware of these api's -

Browser - https://www.w3.org/standards/techs/js#w3c_all

Angular - https://docs.angularjs.org/api

[Rob_Hecker2]

I have never needed to write an api. GOOGLE something like api development and I am sure you will find lots of info.

[paulk7737514]

Neither have I and am likely incapable of doing so. The reason why I ask is that in the brief I linked to above it appears the website builder simply included the form code to search the library catalogue in an HTML module on the library website page. The form could of course be more elaborate.

If that's the case, then a library website with its catalogue hosted by some professional library catalogue hosting service is quite doable.

[Rob_Hecker2]

If it's simply a link to a separate website or even a post to a separate website, many twelve-year-olds could do it. If the catalog is integrated into the other website, it becomes more involved.