The SWORD Course

Module5 Create your

own SWORDclient

Module objectives

• By the end of this module you will:– Know about the EasyDeposit SWORD client

creation toolkit– Have seen some example configurations of

EasyDeposit– Understand how to construct a custom SWORD

client– Have had the opportunity to construct your own

custom EasyDeposit SWORD client

Background to EasyDeposit

• Created at the University of Auckland Library– Digital Development and Media Services team

– Already created several custom SWORD clients• Thesis deposit• Computer Science technical report archive

– Wanted an easy way to create more clients

EasyDeposit

• Benefits– Written in PHP (a skill often found in general web

teams rather than specialised repository development teams)

– Web-based (user + admin)– Stand-alone (doesn’t require extra systems such as

a database)– Comes with more than 20 ‘steps’ out-of-the-box– Open-source: you are free to modify or extend it

EasyDeposit

• http://easydeposit.swordapp.org/– Download application– Installation and configuration instructions– Example clients

• Makes use of the SWORDAPP PHP library• Built on the popular CodeIgniter framework

Anatomy of EasyDeposit

• Home page– Customisable

• Deposit screens– Made up of a series of ‘steps’– Steps can be added or removed– Steps can be configured– Extra steps can be added

• Look and feel– Customisable CSS / header / footer

Steps

• Different types of step– Login (must come first)– Repository credentials– Repository related– Data collection– Verification– Deposit– Post-processing

Visible / Invisible steps

• Some steps are visible:– Collect metadata– Upload files– Verify inputs

• Some steps are invisible:– Deposit

Login steps

• Must come first– Sets the user ID (used to store uploaded files on

disk, and optionally for deposit credentials)– Different options:• LDAP login – allows local credentials to be used• Service Document login – checks username and

password with the repository• No login – Used when you want anonymous deposit

Repository credentials

• Must set repository credentials– Repository username / password / on-behalf-of

• Use users’ credentials– Deposit performed as that user

• Use single set of credentials– Minimises number of user accounts in the repository

if users only deposit a few items (e.g. theses)

Repository related steps

• Allow user to interact with the Service Document– Select from collections they are allowed to deposit

to• Only useful if they understand the choice

– Select a repository to use from a pre-defined list or enter a Service Document URL• Too complex for most users

Data collection steps

• Collect metadata• Allow files to be uploaded• Can have automated steps– E.g.: Crossref DOI lookup

Verification step

• Allows user to verify their submission– Allows the user to return to the step to edit the

details if required

Deposit step

• Performs the deposit– Usually also performs the packaging– An invisible step

– Multiple repository deposit step to deposit to multiple repositories

Post-processing steps

• Performs tasks after the deposit has taken place– Examples:• Email confirmation to the user• Thank you message with the URL of the deposited item• Email sent to administrator to alert them

An example

• Deposit a journal article with a DOI– Steps:• Nologin• Crossrefdoilookup• Crossrefdoimetadata• Uploadfiles• Verify• Deposit• Thankyou

Another example

• Deposit of a PhD thesis– Steps:• Ldaplogin• Title• Uploadfiles• UOACreativecommonsembargo• Verify• Deposit• Email• Thankyou

The administrative interface

• Protected with a username and password• Edit and configure the steps• Edit the welcome screen• Edit the commons header, footer, and CSS• Set some global settings

HEADER

WELCOME SCREEN

FOOTER

Extending EasyDeposit

• Based on CodeIgniter– MVC-based architecture– Create a controller and a view– Look at the current controllers and views to see

how they work– Feel free to contribute them back to the project

Conclusion

• If you have any questions or suggestions about EasyDeposit, please get in touch!

– stuart@stuartlewis.com

Credits

• This course has been produced by:– Stuart Lewis

• The SWORD project– http://swordapp.org/

• Funded by JISC– http://www.jisc.ac.uk/

• Licence– Creative commons

Photo Credits• Lecture hall: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthebestartist/2008790/