Step 3: Tidying, validating and publishing files

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Once files are uploaded to the server, further tasks, including validation and publication of EAD files, can be performed using Janus' web interface.

Connecting to the Janus Web Interface

On a Mac or PC, whether using Netscape or Internet Explorer, these processes should now appear almost identical.

• To access the Janus web interface, connect to http://edit-janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/ using a web browser. At this point you might wish to save the connection as a bookmark or favourite site.
• Select "home directories". Once this page has been loaded, select your repository's filespace and once this has loaded, select the directory, if necessary. The file that you uploaded using DAV should be listed here.

This page lists all files uploaded by you to Janus in this directory. In the left hand column is a check-box which allows you to select files for processing, next is a column stating what kind of file each one is (eg. EAD, HUB, A2A or REP[ository]), next is the name of the file, followed by a column giving the date and time the file was uploaded and its size in bytes. If Janus does not recognise the file you have uploaded its type will be given as ???. Tidying (see next section) may rectify the problem.

Tidying

The web interface incorporates a "tidyer" which corrects common mistakes and anomalies in each file. For example, it standardises the punctuation of name authorities, if they do not match the form set out in our guidance on best practice It also attempts to transform files created for the A2A and ArchivesHub networking projects into EAD recognised by Janus. Tidy each file before validation.

• To tidy a file(s) first select by clicking on the check-box in the left-hand column.
• Click on the "tidy" button alongside or at the bottom of the list of files.
• After a few seconds, a page reporting the tidying process will appear. Click on the "return" link to go back to the file directory.
• If the tidied file was originally created for another networking project (such as A2A or ArchivesHub), refresh the page to see the .xml version recognised by Janus.

Validating

Once the tidying process is complete, you may attempt to validate the file. Janus incorporates a validation program which checks to see if each file is valid EAD.

• Ensure that the check-box of the file(s) you wish to validate is ticked and click the "validate" button alongside or at the bottom of the list of files.
• Depending on the size of the file, validation may take a few moments. Once complete a web-page containing a validation report appears which may contain information of different types:
• If the document is invalid EAD, the report will state this at the top followed by a list of the errors in the file showing the line number and type of error. (If there are many errors, they may not all be displayed). Clicking on the file name at the head of the report takes you to a view of the file with every line numbered. Clicking on the line number next to the error message takes you to a view of the file with the term and line highlighted. If it is the case that your file is invalid, you will need to edit the file on your own machine and repeat the uploading, tidying and validation processes.
• If the document is valid EAD, but does not conform to local rules, this is reported as "exotic markup". This does not mean that the file is invalid EAD, but you should check that display of it on the web is as you had anticipated (see "publishing" section below).
• The validator tries to create "normalised" dates (that is, dates in a form - yyyymmdd - that a computer can easily sort, eg. 20 Mar. 1962 becomes 19620320) from dates in the <unitdate> fields in each EAD document. Those that it is unable to normalize it reports here.
• If the file contains controlled vocabulary terms which are not already in the database, the validator will ask you check their construction or selection. The line number of the term in question is given, followed in the case of name authorities by a note of any error in construction, and then by a list of terms which are similar for the sake of comparison. Finally the term itself appears. If, on reflection, your name authority term continues to conflict with that already uploaded for the same person/body/family, send a message to the discussion list to begin the process of reconciliation with the earlier contributor.
• Having viewed the report, click on the "return" link.

Publishing

Once you are satisfied that your file is valid EAD (Janus will reject it if it is not valid), you may now publish it. The first step towards publishing loads the file, including its controlled vocabulary, into the Janus database, but gives only the creating repository the opportunity to view it in order to be able to check that it displays correctly. Only when you are satisfied, need you make the file available to the public.

• Ensure that the check-box of the file(s) that you wish to publish is ticked.
• Click on the "Publish button" alongside or at the bottom of the list of files.
• If your file contains duplicate reference codes (that is, the data between the <unitid> tags is repeated in error) your file will be rejected. The line numbers of the repeats will be given in the failure report. Clicking on the file name at the head of the report takes you to a view of the file with every line numbered, in order that you can identify the specific reference. You will need to edit the file on your own machine and repeat the uploading, tidying and validation processes.
• If all is well with your file, a page should appear saying that your attempt to publish has been successful. The validation report is repeated, followed by a list, first of the catalogue title and then the controlled vocabulary terms uploaded to the database.
• Click on the link that says "Preview" below the title of the catalogue. You will then view the file exactly as it will appear when made available. Additionally, there is a dialog box to the left which contains, inter alia, buttons marked "delete" and "make public".
• If you are happy with what you see, you may now click on the "Make Public" button, which will allow the public access to the file you have uploaded. A message will appear to confirm that the file has been made public. You do not need to repeat this process with each of the controlled vocabulary terms uploaded in order to make them public.
• To check that the file has been successfully published, visit the Janus site using the public interface (http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk) and navigate to the list of your repository's collections. The file that you have uploaded should appear here.
• If your file does not appear as you wish, you will need to edit the EAD file that you created on your own machine and upload, tidy, validate and publish again.