The Attack Of The 900 pound

Information

IGuana Presented by Gary RobertsAlfred University

The InfoIguana

•I will show you the difference between static Web pages and dynamic database-driven Web sites.

• I will explain the advantages of a database-driven Web site.

Objectives

The InfoIguana

•A Patron-Driven Interface

•A Database-Driven Web site

•A Sustainable Information System

•A Scalable Solution

The InfoIguana

•Library Web sites have grown large.

•There are more efficient ways to manage information than a hierarchy of static documents.

•E-commerce has got it right.

•Content Specialists are not always the same folks who have Web publishing skills.

The InfoIguana

Library Web sites have grown large

•Research Databases--How Many Do You Have?

• Do you have list of “approved” Web sites on your Web page?-How large is that?

• Print research guides--have you made these available via the Web?

• How many trial databases? What is the turnaround time?

The InfoIguana

Library Web sites have become large

•How many people are contributing to your Web site? How many should be contributing?

•Almost enterprise-level?

•Is all of your public information funneled through one person?

The InfoIguana

What about e-commerce?

•Amazon.com--A giant relational database with a Web front-end.

• Amazon’s Web site is simply 2-3 dozen Web templates.

The InfoIguana Web Server

Network/Internet

Client/BrowserStatic HTML Page Retrieved

Patron Clicks A Hyperlink

Static HTML Model

Large Number Of Content-Intensive, Static Web Pages

The InfoIguana

Template(.asp,.php,.cfm)

Database

Template merged with data(.asp,.php,.cfm)

Web Server

Network/Internet

Client/BrowserInfoIguanaResults

InfoIguanaRequest Form

The InfoIguana/Database-Driven Web Model

The InfoIguana

An Intermediate Solution

•The proverbial straw-- Our Research Services librarian wanted to export our print-based Research Guides to the Web.

•We saw the absurdity of exporting still more information into a large body of static documents.

The InfoIguana

An Intermediate Solution

Dynamic Content

Static Content

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The SourceFinder

www.vmi.edu/sourcefinder/

The InfoIguana

The Benefits Of A Database-Driven Site

•End-users are empowered to “Search.” Passive browsing is nearly eliminated.

•Resources which are appropriate in several areas need only to be edited once. All corresponding subject area pages are automatically updated.

The InfoIguana

The Benefits Of A Database-Driven Site (cont.)

•Content contributors do not need to know HTML or a WYSIWYG editor.

The InfoIguana

The Benefits Of A Database-Driven Site (cont.)

•Database content can be reused in other Web applications, paving the way for Web developers to rapidly create increasingly sophisticated patron interfaces to information.

•Patrons are accustomed to sophisticated e-commerce Web sites.

The InfoIguana

What About The Librarian/Staff Interface?

The InfoIguana

What About The Librarian/Staff Interface?

The InfoIguana

The Ready Reference database structure• I spent some time thinking about how the database would be used.

• I wanted to make sure that the database was scalable. I knew that additional fields and tables would be developed.

The InfoIguana

Ready Reference database structure

• Originally the Ready-Reference database had a free form structure. We’ve had to start codifying policy.

The InfoIguana

Technical Application Details

• Uses Microsoft Access 97 as a database back-end.

• The Web application is composed in Microsoft Active Server Pages.

• The e-mail component utilizes Persists’ “AspEmail .”

The InfoIguana

Technical Application Details

• What are Active Server Pages (ASP)?

• Server-Side Scripting. Like CGI

• Microsoft Proprietary Technology.

• InfoIguana could have been created in any Server-Side Script, ColdFusion, PHP, PERL.

The InfoIguana

Mix of VB script and HTML

Raw HTML sent back to browser

Web Server

Network/Internet

Client/BrowserASP page looks like any other HTML document

Request Sent For an Active Server Page

Active Server Page (ASP) Detail

Server Strips and Processes VB Script

The InfoIguana

ASP (Active Server Page) Details

• Consists of a full array of programming structures: variables, loops, conditional statements.

• Several Components for database-connectivity:

• ODBC, and non-DSN connections.• SQL for queries, updates and inserts.

The InfoIguana

Hardware/Software Requirements

• Persists’ “AspEmail” installed on Web Server.

• Microsoft Web Server, Internet Information Server, Personal Web Server.

• External SMTP server to bounce requests. Sufficient permissions on SMTP Server.

The InfoIguana InfoIguana.asp

InfoIguanaResults.asp

MyList.asp EmailThisGuide.asp

EmailGetter.asp MyListProcessor.asp

The InfoIguana

Making The InfoIguana Your New Pet

• Install Persists’ “AspEmail” on your Web Server.

• Install six ASP files within the server directory on your hard-drive. Don’t forget the “IguanaIncludes” folder.

• Modify line 56, 58 and 61 in “MyListProcessor.asp” to reflect your local information.

The InfoIguana

Making The InfoIguana Your New Pet (cont)

• Create an ODBC data source and name it “Reference.”

• Use an editor to change some of the HTML to reflect your library information on “InfoIguana.asp.”

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Future Directions

• Create a ranking system that prioritizes resources.

• Improve E-mail component flow.

• Clean and consolidate code.

• Create Subject-Heading Links Into DRA MultiLis or Aleph System.

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Future Directions

• Add several tables containing patron- information to create a MyLibrary Portal.