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WYLD TECHNOTE 97

Date: 04/19/2005
Subject: Catalog Access Links for web developers   (note - this technote assumes familiarity with HTML)

Some libraries may wish to create their own catalog access page in order to highlight local resources or additional databases as well as the standard resources linked from default pages at http://wyld.state.wy.us. (also known as 'welcome screens'.) The following technote provides the syntax for creating links to your catalog, a quick form for keyword searching, and examples of searches embedded in URLs.

Linking to your WYLDCAT catalog

To link to your WYLDCAT catalog, you must pass login information in the body of the URL. An example hyperlink will look like this:

http://wyld.state.wy.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/57/49?user_id=wslweb
Simply replace the portion after 'user_id=' with your catalog userid. This is typically your library policy name followed by the word 'web'. E.g. larmweb, larm-burnweb, larm-genweb. If you are unsure of your library policy name, please contact the WYLD Office. There must be no spaces in the URL

Creating a form that will launch a quick keyword search in the library catalog

To place a basic form on a webpage that will launch a search you need to have the following information:

  1. The login information in the form action statement. You must provide the user_id or the search will not use your WYLDCAT environment. See above for more information about the user_id for your library.
  2. The srchfield1, searchoper1, search_type1, and library as hidden fields. The library value is your library's Policy name. If you do not include your library's policy name, the search will not limit to your library.
  3. Search terms are passed to the server through the 'searchdata1' field.
  4. See the example below and replace the WWCC information with your own library's information to use this form. 

<form NAME="searchform" METHOD=POST ACTION="http://wyld.state.wy.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/57/5?user_id=wwccweb">
			
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="srchfield1" VALUE="GENERAL^SUBJECT^GENERAL^^keyword">
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="searchoper1" VALUE="AND">
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="search_type1" VALUE="KEYWORD">

<!-- add these lines with your library policy name as 'library' to limit search-->
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="library" VALUE="WWCC">
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="new_gateway_db" VALUE="">

<INPUT TYPE=text name=searchdata1 size=10 maxlength=255 value="">
<INPUT TYPE="submit" VALUE="Search">

</form>

To offer multiple choices for locations to search, change the line: 

	<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="library" VALUE="WWCC">
to a select list, like below. *you will need the policy names for the libraries you wish to search: 
 
    <SELECT name="library" id="library" ">
        <option value="WWCC">Western Wyoming College</option>
        <option value="SWTRLIBS">Sweetwater County Library</option>
        <option value="ALL">All WYLD Libraries</option>
    </SELECT>

Creating links to pre-determined searches in URLs

Your url cannot have any spaces in it and must contain the following elements:

Examples: (the code is too long to display on one line, but it must appear as one line with no spaces in your code for it to work!)

For further limiting, add any of the following parameters to the URL:
language= (e.g. &language=SPANISH)
item_type= (e.g. &item_type=BOOK or &item_type=VIDEO+OR+DVD+OR+DVD2)
item_2cat= (e.g. &item_2cat=ADULT or &item_2cat=JUVENILE)
pubyear= (e.g. pubyear=2003)

Direct links to other catalog results or pages:

  • RESERVE ROOM
    http://wyld.state.wy.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/57/36/1163/X/BLASTOFF?user_id=lcccweb&library=LCCC

    Replace the user_id and library parameters with your library specific information as outlined above.

  • CHILDRENS CATALOG
    http://wyld.state.wy.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/57/1/774/X/BLASTOFF?user_id=albyweb&library=ALBY

    Replace the user_id and library parameters with your library specific information as outlined above.

  • ACCOUNT INFO SCREEN
    http://wyld.state.wy.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/57/1/1166/X/BLASTOFF?user_id=albyweb

    Replace the user_id parameter with your library specific information as outlined above.

  • ADVANCED SEARCH SCREEN
    all libraries - http://wyld.state.wy.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/60/1173/X
    individual library - http://wyld.state.wy.us/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/57/38/1179/X/BLASTOFF?user_id=natrweb&library=NATR

    Replace the user_id and library parameters with your library specific information as outlined above.

  • NEW MATERIALS LINKS
    (7 day list) http://wyld.state.wy.us/New/[LIBRARY_POLICY].html
    (30 day list) http://wyld.state.wy.us/New30/[LIBRARY_POLICY].html

    Replace the [LIBRARY_POLICY] value with your library's SirsiDynix policy name, eg NATR or ALBY-ROCK
    http://wyld.state.wy.us/New/NATR.html
    http://wyld.state.wy.us/New/ALBY-ROCK.html

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