[Web4lib] III XML Server (Was ISBN 10->13 conv.)

[Ryan Eby]

David,

The III XML Server is the beginning of them giving access to data but
it is far from complete and has various other issues. I'm hopeful they
will improve it while working on their upcoming Encore product. I'm
also hopeful they will roll it into the main product or make it
cheaper, but I'm more doubtful in this area.

As for uses there are endless possibilities once you have decent
access to your data. Some are using it to create an SRU interface to
the INNOPAC which can then be included in non-III metasearch products.
Blyberg is using it for quite a few things on his Drupal powered site,
though not as much as he could have (poor documentation). There are
also export possibilities and things like AIM bots, etc. Here's some
links to examples:

http://wiki.lib.muohio.edu/xmlopac/index.php/XMLOPAC_Applications

You'll also find some documentation on that site that myself and some
others have compiled. It's sad we had to go this route with the lack
of official documentation.

You can also find some posts I've made on my blog that might help you.

http://blog.ryaneby.com/archives/category/xml-server/

Unfortunately I haven't had time to create any example uses myself.

Ryan Eby
Michigan State University

On 10/2/06, David Kane <DKANE at wit.ie> wrote:
> Hi again,
>
> Thanks for the script, Paul.  Gave it a quick test, however I'll go for
> John Blyberg's PHP, thanks to Tim and Dave for that link.
>
> I notice from Blyberg's page that there are good resources for
> connecting to III's XML Server.
> It looks as if III are liberating our data, at last.  Exciting stuff,
> but what price freedom, I wonder?
>
> Does anyone here use III's XML Server?  If so, why did you get it and
> what do you use it for?
>