Re: [Koha-zebra] A few ZOOM::Package questions

[Joshua Ferraro]

On Mon, Feb 20, 2006 at 11:39:54AM +0000, Mike Taylor wrote:
> > What are the case scenerios where the 'commit' method would be
> > useful?
> 
> When using shadow registers in Zebra.
Which we definitely want to use. So do we 'commit' after 
multiple update services or after each one?

A somewhat related question is what you recommend for handling
the $Zconn object. Our early proof-of-concept code had a new
connection object being created and destroyed for every update
action -- so ... should their be a single $Zconn for the whole
system? or should we handle each incoming request as a separate
connection (for search, update, create, drop (when available).
One idea proposed was having our Context.pm module handle the
connection in the same way we currently handle the dbh connection
to MySQL ... but I know Z39.50 is a bit more stateful than MySQL...
any suggestions?

> > What is the xmlupdate method? :-)
> 
> Don't know -- that's one for Adam to answer.
Cool ... hopefully he's cced on this...

> > We're trying to figure out when it would be useful (if ever) to use
> > recordIdOpaque and/or recordIdName. The only reference to them I can
> > find is here: http://www.indexdata.dk/zebra/NEWS where it says:
> > 
> > "Allow Remote insert/delete/replace/update with record,
> > recordIdNumber (sysno) and/or recordIdOpaque(user supplied record
> > Id). If both IDs are omitted internal record ID match is assumed
> > (recordId: - in zebra cfg)."
> > 
> > Could someone provide a couple case scenerios where these would be
> > used?
> 
> I've not heard of "recordIdNumber" before, but I am guessing that it
> just means "the unique ID of the record, as extracted from the record
> itself using the rules specified in the Zebra configuration".  As you
> know, every record in a Zebra database is identified by a, uh,
> identifier.  That can either be drawn from the record itself (which
> is probably what you want when adding MARC records that have IDs in
> them), or you can specify an ID explicitly when you add the record.
> 
> I don't know about case scenerios -- again, Adam would have a better
> handle on that.
Ditto.

> > When would it be useful to populate the databaseName option?
> 
> Always, when creating or destroying a database.
> 
> > Isn't that already provided by the $conn object?
> 
> No.  You might have a connection pointing at one database, and want to
> create or destroy a different one.
> 
> > or can we connect to multiple databases in that object and then
> > specify which one we want the specific package operation to be
> > performed using that option?
> 
> There's no "connect to multiple databases" functionality in ZOOM, no.
> (What would such functionality mean?)
In my estimation, that would mean that you could connect to multiple 
databases in the connection object, then specify which one you want
to interact with for a given operation. One way this could be used would
be for a Zebra installation that had two databases, one for full-text
items in Dublin Core, and one using MARC records -- the MARC editor would
first commit the full-text stuff to the DC db then the MARC records
to the MARC db. But I think I understand now that the connection object
only allows a single connection at a time.

> > Finally, no mention is made of the record update 'syntax' option in
> > the ZOOM documentation. Is it supported? if so, what are the valid
> > values?
> 
> Sorry -- again, I don't know.  Adam's yer man.
Ditto.

Cheers,

-- 
Joshua Ferraro               VENDOR SERVICES FOR OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE
President, Technology       migration, training, maintenance, support
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