Re: [VuFind-Tech] URLs in index and display in v2.1

[Demian K. <dem...@vi...>]

The url field in the Solr index is not used when you are working with MARC records, because the MARC record driver pulls more detailed data directly from the stored MARC record.

Take a look at the getURLs() method in the VuFind\RecordDriver\SolrMarc class (found in module/VuFind/src/VuFind/RecordDriver/SolrMarc.php). This is most likely what is informing the display characteristics of your URLs, and it is this logic which you may want to customize.

Let me know if you have any questions about this once you have looked at it, or if you have suggestions for improvement that you think would be of global usefulness. (Obviously I'd love to make this better for everybody -- but given the somewhat loose adherence to standards out in the wild, I'm also cautious about making changes that might break things for people whose records aren't too strict).

- Demian
________________________________
From: Sandford, Mark [SAN...@wp...]
Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 12:43 PM
To: vuf...@li...
Subject: [VuFind-Tech] URLs in index and display in v2.1

Hello all,

I’m working on tweaking which URLs from our records get indexed and displayed.  I’ve created a .bsh script for import that appears to be working.  Basically, it checks all 856 fields for second indicators of 0 or 1, as those should be pointing to the actual resource or an online version of it.  In tests, I’m seeing URLs properly indexed when I want them to be and not being indexed when they shouldn’t be.  All good on that front.

However, this appears to have no impact whatsoever on the display of URLs in the catalog.  Anything with a URL in the MARC record, indexed or not, has the URL displayed in search and holding displays, often misleadingly labeled by VUFind as “full text.” I’m not sure what the solr “url” field does at this point, as it is not searchable nor does it (appear) to inform the display.  Am I missing something?  Is there any way to examine URLs using indicators in order to make decisions about what to display in the search results and holdings displays?

Essentially, MARC allows for three types of URLs in 856 fields:  URLs pointing to the item being described (i.e. a link to the ebook in an ebook record), a link to another version (i.e. a link to the streaming version of video added to the DVD record), or related resources.  I’d absolutely love for the first two types of links to appear in search and holdings displays, and the last type to only appear in the item record, either in the main view or description tab.  I’ve considered simply stripping out URLs for related resources, but we include them for good reasons sometimes—for instance, teaching guides to go along with videos, or links to instructions for accessing our archives on records for archive materials.

Any advice on where to start working on this problem would be appreciated.  And if anyone’s already solved it—even better!


Mark Sandford
Special Formats Cataloger
Cheng Library
William Paterson University
(973) 720-2437