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Adding a BER Conversion Program to SSDOT
Upon installation, the SiteSearch Database Operations Tool (SSDOT) recognizes two utility programs, sgmlconv and marcconv, that convert SGML- and MARC-formatted data into ASN.1/BER format to build a searchable database. These conversion utilities are used whenever you update a database to ensure that the data being added or revised is in ASN.1/BER format.
If you develop a conversion progam of your own or the SiteSearch Custom Services area provides you with a conversion solution, you can add this program to the SSDOT configuration file, ssdot.ini, so that SSDOT can access your conversion program when updating the database.
Important Note: When you are creating a new SiteSearch database, convert your source data to ASN.1/BER format by executing your conversion program manually from the system command prompt before you build the database. Next, if necessary, add the conversion program to SSDOT by following the instructions below and build the database.
Requirements
To access the new conversion method through the SSDOT program, you will need to know where the following files are stored in your system directory structure:
- any executable files that are a part of your conversion program
- the ssdot.ini file
You will also need an understanding of any required parameters that will need to be defined in the ssdot.ini conversion program definition. Refer to the individual conversion sections of the ssdot.ini file for more information.
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The ssdot.ini configuration file is generally stored within the SiteSearch <SystemRoot>/dbbuilder/ssdot/exes directory.
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Tip
If you use several conversion programs, or utilities, to convert your source data, you may want to write a single script that can execute all of the required utilities. Then you will only have to define the single script in the ssdot.ini file to perform the entire conversion process instead of defining several utilities.
Procedure
The following procedure describes how to add a conversion program to the SSDOT environment.
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1. Open the ssdot.ini file in a text editor.
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2. Locate the BER Conversion section of the ssdot.ini file. This section will look like the following:
[BER Conversion]
method1 = SGML
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3. Add your source data format to the list, labeling the format method with the next consecutive number. This step will allow you to define the format of the raw data, or source data, for the database in item 13 of the database registration information. This step must be completed for you to register your database correctly.
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If you do not use the next consecutive number, SSDOT will create blank options to fill in the missing numbers in the Format raw data registration information options. If a user selects a blank conversion option in the registration information, SSDOT will be unable to access the correct utility program for the conversion process.
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For example, if you want to add the MARC format to the BER Conversion list in step 2, it would look like the following:
[BER Conversion]
method1 = SGML
method2 = MARC
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4. Next, locate the individual conversion sections for the current source data formats as shown below:
[SGML]
name = SGML
executable = /ss3/class/student7/bin/sgmlconv -iSGML -dDTD -oBER
parameter1 = SGML
message1 = Enter the full name and path of the SGML file.
parameter2 = DTD
message2 = Enter the full name and path of the DTD file.
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5. Add a section that describes your source data format and the ASN.1/BER conversion program for that specific format. To identify the start of the individual conversion section, enclose the name of the conversion method in brackets ('[ ]'). The name of the conversion method needs to match the name you used to describe the conversion in the BER Conversion section. Next, add any necessary parameter variables (name, executable, and parametern) and corresponding messages (messagen) to allow SSDOT to prompt the user for information regarding the conversion. See ssdot.ini Configuration File for more details about the elements that make up the ssdot.ini file.
If you added the individual section for the MARC conversion method, it would look like the following:
[MARC]
name = MARC
executable = /ss/class/student/bin/marcconv -iMARC -oBER
parameter1 = MARC
message1 = Enter the full name and path of the MARC file.
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6. Save the file and exit the text editor.
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See Also
ssdot.ini Configuration File
ssdot.ini File Example
The SiteSearch Database Operations Tool (SSDOT)
Changing the Name of an SSDOT Environment
Moving the SSDOT Environment
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