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- Name/Version: (NOAA) FGDC Metadata Toolkit Version 1.0 Beta
- Reviewer / Date: Hugh Phillips / September 1996
- Date of last known release: January 16, 1996
- Function: CSDGM Metadata entry tool
- Background information: http://www-orca.nos.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/titledetails.pl?2_SEA_MetadataToolkit (This URL was broken 1/2/2001)
- Get binaries or source code from: ftp://seaserver.nos.noaa.gov/other_products/fgdc_toolkit/ (This URL was broken 1/2/2001)
- Platform: MS-Windows
- Principal Contacts:
- Peter Grose, NOAA Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Division, pgrose@seamail.nos.noaa.gov
For technical assistance contact Larry Claflin, lclaflin@seamail.nos.noaa.gov - Status:
- No longer available. The software only made it to the beta stage. Further development went on hold because the original programmers left for other pursuits. At the time of this review (1996) NOAA wanted to encourage someone with Power Builder programming experience, and who was willing, to continue development and refinement of this tool. NOAA would have provided the source code for the beta product at that time.
- Metadata Storage Structure: database, but acts like discrete
- Brief Description:
-
The NOAA FGDC Metadata Toolkit is a MS-Windows based CSDGM metadata entry tool utilizing a Power Builder interface to a Watcom database management system. In appearance, it is as sophisticated as MDC, however, in operation it reveals some of the results of its incomplete development. In particular, even though it is built on a dbms, it exploits none of its features. For example, Contact Information cannot be entered once, then used in multiple documents. The tool has been reduced to a series of sophisticated forms which require that users enter all the information for all datasets. Because any data set must be assigned a unique identification number which cannot be edited, it is not even possible to create a 'template' document (with Contact Information for example) which can be cloned for documenting actual data sets.
The interface consists of a window in three major parts (in addition to some pull down menus): at the top are a series of tabs whose labels indicate the major sections if you are the top level in a document, and the subsections if you have dived down to document a particular section. The tabs of course allow one to jump to the section on the tab label. The middle part of the window is for data entry, which can be accomplished in text windows and with pull down lists. The bottom of the window has command buttons which may be used to call up help for the elements of the current section, delete and add buttons to clear selected sections or to add an additional instance of an element which can repeat, navigation buttons, and a button to choose between browse and edit mode.
Hmmm. Well that's about all that could be considered a 'brief description.' If you are still interested, and in particular if you are developer interested in addressing some of the foibles of the existing tool, then you can continue on with the Windy Description. If you are having trouble getting this tool running, then you should look at these hints.
- Cost: none
- Notable Plus:
- An excellent manual (although even it is abruptly terminated without the Appendices listed in the Table of Contents).
- Notable Minus:
- All 'mandatory if applicable' elements are considered 'mandatory' by the tool, and all such elements must be completed within any selected subsection for any edits to that subsection to be saved. The output report includes all fields (including empty 'optional' fields), and leaves out some intermediate elements.
- Sample of Interface: