Configuring Basic Cross-Database Searching Functionality
Basic cross-database searching functionality is one of three searching components that are available in WebZ that you can configure in order to retrieve and display combined results. This foundation component must be in place for the other two components (combined result set functionality and Z39.50 duplicate detection service) to work successfully in your WebZ interface.
Configuring for Basic Cross-Database Functionality
Basic to cross-database functionality is the capability of WebZ to search more than one database at a time. All other cross-database functions hinge on the successful configuration of this central component.
Basic cross-database functionality is demonstrated in the OBI, version 1 anytime a patron conducts a search using a topic area. For example, choosing Articles searches two databases: ArticlesFirst and PapersFirst.
To enable this basic cross-database searching functionality, specific constructs, parameters, and references were required in three different configuration files.
| Configuration File |
Construct,
Parameter, or Reference
|
| ObiTopics.ini | Topic Area Specification |
| ZBase.ini | SupportsMultiDbQuery=true |
| BaseGroup.ini | ServerName=ZBase |
For each topic area available in the OBI, a topic area specification is created in the ObiTopics.ini file. The following is the specification for the Articles topic area that was used in the previous example:
SupportsMultiDbQuery Parameter
The SupportsMultiDbQuery parameter in the ZBase.ini file is set to "true" in order to provide cross-database searching for the Articles topic area.
| [ZBase] port = 0 hostname = localhost dbIniFile = databases.ini dbSectionName = ZBaseDBs SupportsReconnect = true SupportsSummaryDbResults = true SupportsMultiDbQuery = true SupportsSort = true SupportsMergeReads = true UseElementSetNames = true UseDefaultResultSetName = false QueryType = 0 |
Ultimately, all of WebZ cross-database functionality works because the parameter SupportsMultiDbQuery is set to "true" in the ZBase.ini file. True is the default and recommended setting; however, you can use your text editor to turn off cross-database functionality by setting the parameter's value to "false."
The ServerName parameter in the BaseGroup.ini file (group configuration file) references the ZBase.ini file. And since SupportsMultiDbQuery=true in the ZBase.ini file, databases grouped under topic areas in the BaseGroup.ini file (like Articles) are automatically configured for cross-database searching.
Although you can define multiple group configuration files, only one can be the default. BaseGroup.ini is the default group configuration file for the OBI, version 1.
See Also
WebZ
Configuration Files
Configuring
Combined Result Set Functionality
Configuring
Z39.50 Duplicate Detection Service