Paper Overview Introduction to FISH and MIDAS MIDAS XML Heritage Exchange Protocol Data Validation Tool Conclusions

Forum for Information Standards in Heritage: FISH and MIDAS Forum for Information Standards in Heritage: English Heritage The National Trust The Archaeology Data Service Scottish and Welsh Royal Commissions Many others… MIDAS: Monument Inventory Data Standard Data standard used throughout UK for Monument Inventories Ten years development and use Used for monuments and related information including: Related Events Related References Cultural Heritage and Monument Management

MIDAS XML and the FISH Toolkit Initiative by FISH to create interoperability ‘Toolkit’ for heritage professionals: XML schemata Data Validators Exchange Protocols MIDAS XML Improved version of MIDAS Formalised Structure XML Encapsulated

XML Technology Overview Open standard: Well used, well documented & well supported Text based: XML files are human-readable and logically organised Can be viewed/editing using simple text editor Designed for encapsulation and exchange: XML can contain one monument or entire HER Designed for interoperability Formally structured: XML schema dictates structure Structural capabilities contribute to future development

MIDAS XML Design Philosophy Keep it Simple Identify and standardise common components Re-use existing terminology wherever possible Keep it Usable: Do not sacrifice usability to obtain pure semantic clarity Make it scalable, extensible Keep it Loose: Flexible schema encourages use Do not enforce HER benchmarks with XML schema (do this by other means) Continue to tighten schema as sector’s use of XML matures

MIDAS XML Overview Three primary schemata: Seven supporting schemata: MONUMENTS EVENTS REFERENCE Seven supporting schemata: Craft: watercraft and aircraft annex Artefact: small find and artefacts Actor: all people and groups Meta: metadata structure Spatial: GIS and place-related information Temporal: time and dates Common: elements common to MIDAS Casework: Monument maintenance and status

The MONUMENT structure

The EVENT structure

The REFERENCE structure

Mobile: use to exchange geographic data for single spatial feature. Spatial Schema… Consolidated: records Address, Placename, Geographic (GIS), and map data in a single element set Universal: common element used in monument, event and casework schemata Versatile: geography node can be used to record all spatial aspects of a monument, including monument location, scheduled area, ownership and land use. Shapely: Can be used to represent monuments/events as points, lines or polygons. Mobile: use to exchange geographic data for single spatial feature. Standard: Based on OGC (Open Geographic Consortium) and CRM Vendor-Neutral: GIS platform independent

Historic Environment Exchange Protocol Designed to facilitate and formalise communication and data exchange between two Heritage Services using MIDAS XML Protocol Document: text document that uses a very formal, specific language. It does not cover implementation of a HER Service, but only the communication between Services. Schemata: The HEEP relies on MIDAS XML for the exchange of data, but has its own schemas for inter-Service querying and communication. The protocol is not a working application, but rather a set of rules that developers can use to create another major toolkit component.

What can the HEEP do? Archive Updates: a local service can automatically update itself at weekly intervals with data from a national service Data Synchronisation: two national research framework projects studying sites with rock art, one in North England, one in Scotland, can synchronise their data with a central database of UK rock art. Transparent querying and Linking: a user viewing a webpage of an historic building will be shown a list of hyperlinks on nearby ancient monuments Amalgamation: a user running an ‘Ancient Britain’ website writes an application which collects and gathers all information from the NMR, RCHMS, and CADW relating to henge monuments.

REQUESTS: CAPABILITIES EXCEPTIONS HEEP Schemata Structure of queries that are sent to a HEEP Service CAPABILITIES How HEEP Services report their capabilities (what data they hold and what they can do with it) EXCEPTIONS How HEEP Services report errors

Data Validation Tool: Overview Validates the contents of MIDAS XML documents against formal wordlists and thesauri Provides a level of content control that XML schema cannot match Core Components PHP Code: the magic that makes it happen Documentation: explains the code and how to use it Database Configuration: one database contains HER Benchmark configurations, the other contains the configurations for the DVT application itself.

Data Validation Tool: How it Works XML document is uploaded to the DVT validator The document is parsed, and the number of monuments, events, etc. within the document are counted The system looks up the rules and rulesets required for the requested benchmark Each monument/event/reference is validated against rules and rulesets The monument (event, etc.) fails if any rules or rulesets fail The XML document fails if any of the monuments it contains fail Results of the validation are returned to the user

Data Validation Tool: results Rule name Value(s) in brackets (rule failed) Rule Set Record result

Data Validation Tool: Network Overview The DVT can run on one or more machines The DVT can use one or more INSCRIPTION databases The current system: One possible system: DVT at OAD + DVT and INSCRIPTION on OAD’s Development Server Internet EH Thesauri NT and ALGAO lists *The DVT is completely separated from the resources it uses for validation RCHMS thesauri

Data Validation Tool Summary Validates content as well as structure Can connect and validate against any online thesaurus or wordlist Is extensible, customisable and can be regionalised Provides formal mechanism for producing ‘seal of approval’ Can enrich data after validating: Translate coordinate and long/lat from grid reference Supply preferred terms

Final Conclusions on the Toolkit I18n: International in scope Modular: complete separating of tools from data and application Web Service based: platform and OS independent Use through Usability: aim of FISH is to promote standards use and adoption through the provision of professional, desired, usable and well-considered information tools.

http://www.fish-forum.info Tyler Bell: tyler.bell@oxarchdigital.com Andrew Larcombe: andrew.larcombe@oxarchdigital.com Yegor Veter: yegor.veter@oxarchdigital.com