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Hi Jonathan, XTF was actually used as an experimental OPAC technology at the CDL for an experiment with ranking and recommendation features with our catalog data. You can read about it here: http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/melvyl_recommender/ There is also a link on that page to the experimental site, which is still running (albeit on somewhat of a slow machine). Martin Haye and Kirk Hastings, both of the CDL publishing group and code4lib attendees over the last two years, were the developers on this project. Lisa Lisa Schiff Technical Lead, Publishing California Digital Library 300 Lakeside Drive #745 Kaiser Center Oakland, CA 94612 510-987-0881 (t) 510-987-0243 (f) www.cdlib.org [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jonathan Rochkind Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 2:10 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] CDL releases eXtensible Text Framework (XTF) 2.1 Anyone have any experience with this product, anything else to share? Would it possibly be suitable for use as an OPAC replacement, do you think? Jonathan Lisa Schiff wrote: > **This announcement is being sent to many lists; apologies in advance > for duplication.** > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > > > > Contact: Lisa Schiff > > California Digital Library > > University of California, Office of the President > > 415 20th St., 4th Floor > > Oakland, CA 94612 > > (510) 587-6132 > > [log in to unmask] <blocked::mailto:[log in to unmask]> > > http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/xtf/ > > > > California Digital Library Announces New Release of the eXtensible > Text Framework (XTF) > > > > Oakland, CA, May 12, 2008 - The California Digital Library (CDL) is > pleased to announce a new release of its search and display > technology, the eXtensible Text Framework (XTF) > <blocked::http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/xtf/> version 2.1 > (http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/xtf/ > > ). XTF is an open source, highly flexible software application that > supports the search, browse and display of heterogeneous digital > content. XTF offers efficient and practical methods for creating > customized end-user interfaces for distinct digital content collections. > > > > > Highlights from the 2.1 release include: > > * Extensive interface improvements, including new search forms, > built-in faceted browsing, and a new look and feel. > * Increased support for document and information exchange formats. > > > * XHTML and OAI-PMH output > * NLM article format indexing and output > * Microsoft Word indexing > > * Streamlined XSLT stylesheets for simpler deployment and > adaptation. > * Updated documentation that has been moved to the XTF project > wiki <blocked::http://xtf.wiki.sourceforge.net/> , allowing XTF > implementers to share solutions with entire user community. > * "Freeform" Boolean query language, offered as an experimental > feature. > * Backward compatibility with existing XTF implementations. > > > > A complete list of changes > <blocked::http://xtf.wiki.sourceforge.net/changeLog_2.1> is available > on the XTF Project page on SourceForge > <blocked::http://sourceforge.net/projects/xtf/> , where the > distribution (including documentation) can also be downloaded. > > > > Since the first deployment of XTF in 2005, the development strategy > has been to build and maintain an indexing and display technology that > is not only customizable, but also draws upon tested components > already in use by the digital library and search communities - in > particular the Lucene text search engine, Java, XML, and XSLT. By > coordinating these pieces in a single platform that can be used to > create multiple unique applications, CDL has succeeded in dramatically > reducing the investment in infrastructure, staff training and > development for new digital content projects. > > > > XTF offers a suite of customizable features that support diverse > intellectual access to content. Interfaces can be designed to support > the distinct tools and presentations that are useful and meaningful to > specific audiences. In addition, XTF offers the following core > features: > > * Easy to deploy: Drops directly in to a Java application server > such as Tomcat or Resin; has been tested on Solaris, Mac, Linux, and > Windows operating systems. > * Easy to configure: Can create indexes on any XML element or > attribute; entire presentation layer is customizable via XSLT. > * Robust: Optimized to perform well on large documents (e.g., a > single text that exceeds 10MB of encoded text); scales to perform well > on collections of millions of documents; provides full Unicode support. > * Extensible: > > * Works well with a variety of authentication systems > (e.g., IP address lists, LDAP, Shibboleth). > * Provides an interface for external data lookups to > support thesaurus-based term expansion, recommender systems, etc. > * Can power other digital library services (e.g., XTF > contains an OAI-PMH data provider that allows others to harvest > metadata, and an SRU interface that exposes searches to federated > search engines). > * Can be deployed as separate, modular pieces of a > third-party system (e.g., the module that displays snippets of > matching text). > > * Powerful for the end user: > > * Spell checking of queries > * Faceted displays for browsing > * Dynamically updated browse lists > * Session-based bookbags > > These basic features can be tuned and modified. For instance, the > same bookbag feature that allows users to store links to entire books, > can also store links to citable elements of an object, such as a note > or other reference. > > > > A sampling of XTF-based applications both within and outside of the > CDL > include: > > > > * Mark Twain Project Online > <blocked::http://www.marktwainproject.org/> > (http://www.marktwainproject.org), developed by the Mark Twain Papers > Project, the CDL and the University of California Press. > * Calisphere <blocked::http://www.calisphere.org/> > (http://www.calisphere.org/), a curated collection of primary sources > keyed to the curriculum standards of California's K-12 community, > developed by the CDL. > * The Encyclopedia of Chicago > <blocked::http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/> > (http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/), developed by the > Chicago History Museum, The Newberry Library, and Northwestern University > * The Chymistry of Isaac Newton > <blocked::http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/newton/> > (http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/newton/ > <blocked::http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/newton/> ) and The Swinburne > Project > <blocked::http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/swinburne/www/swinburne/> > (http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/swinburne/www/swinburne/), Indiana > University > * Finding Aides at the New York Public Library > <blocked::http://labs.nypl.org/2007/10/30/extensible-text-framework-xt > f/ > >> (http://labs.nypl.org/2007/10/30/extensible-text-framework-xtf/) >> > * EECS Technical Reports > <blocked::http://sunsite2.berkeley.edu:8088/xtf/servlet/org.cdlib.xtf. > cr > ossQuery.CrossQuery?rmode=btr> > (http://sunsite2.berkeley.edu:8088/xtf/servlet/org.cdlib.xtf.crossQuery. > CrossQuery?rmode=btr), UC Berkeley > > > > > > ### > > > ----------------------------------------------- > Lisa Schiff, Ph.D. > Technical Lead, Publishing > California Digital Library > 300 Lakeside Drive #745 > Kaiser Center > Oakland, CA 94612 > 510-987-0881 (t) > 510-987-0243 (f) > www.cdlib.org <http://www.cdlib.org/> > [log in to unmask] > > > -- Jonathan Rochkind Digital Services Software Engineer The Sheridan Libraries Johns Hopkins University 410.516.8886 rochkind (at) jhu.edu