Metadata Input Tool for CADIS Scientists and Data Managers by D. Stott August 8, 2007

Scope Metadata for CADIS data sets will be entered by use of the metadata input tool Data files will be uploaded to the UCAR/NCAR CADIS archive through the metadata tool Metadata entered through the tool will be made available, or published, to the Community Data Portal as THREDDS catalogs

Submitting a data set...

Entering metadata...

Specifications This first-cut documentation will be posted to the FastTrack basecamp writeboard for editing...

Requirements... The metadata entry tool will be a web application and must be able to run in current Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari web browsers.

Requirements... The metadata entry tool will be a web application and must be able to run in current Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari web browsers. It will provide a graphical interface to functions for submitting and updating CADIS data sets.

Requirements... The metadata entry tool will be a web application and must be able to run in current Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari web browsers. It will provide a graphical interface to functions for submitting and updating CADIS data sets. It must interface with the Community Data Portal, and be developed in a language that compiles to Java byte code.

Requirements... The metadata entry tool will be a web application and must be able to run in current Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari web browsers. It will provide a graphical interface to functions for submitting and updating CADIS data sets. It must interface with the Community Data Portal, and be developed in a language that compiles to Java byte code. It must be compatible with the future Community Data Portal, as well, making use of the Hibernate and Spring frameworks, possibly the dojo toolkit, and a backend database.

Requirements... More requirements to be decided: Major Functions? Performance Issues? Management and Technical Constraints?

Metadata Tool Problem Statement

Design and write software that will function as an interface for inputting metadata for CADIS data sets. The metadata input interface will be a web application that presents a user interface that is both simple to navigate and user friendly, guiding the user through the steps required to add or modify metadata for data sets. The user should be able to choose from a list of data sets, or choose to create a new one. If an existing record is chosen, the fields of the input form is populated with the stored metadata for that data set, ready to be edited. The data set ID can be changed, and the entry saved, creating a new data set using the existing one as a template. If the dataset ID is the same, all edits update the data set metadata record. If choosing to create a new record, the user is guided through the process of providing the necessary information. The program will accept input from the user both through the keyboard and the mouse, utilizing sliders, drop-down text boxes, free-form text entry fields, clickable maps, and/or other methods of data entry as is determined best suited for the purpose. The input will be validated before storage. The metadata entry interface will be designed to work seamlessly with the Community Data Portal (CDP). The tool will incorporate an FTP upload service to facilitate the submission of the data files along with the metadata. Metadata entered through the CADIS interface will be published to the CDP as THREDDS catalogs, ensuring a wide range of CDP services with the data and metadata. To sum it up in a single sentence: the CADIS metadata entry tool will be an interface to display the metadata records of CADIS data sets on the CDP, allow them to be changed in a logical, step by step process, and to facilitate the creation of new records.