[Web4lib] form to create static catalog links

[Cary Gordon]

One approach that might be effective would be to create your own  
search page along with a small app to generate the search URL, a tiny  
version of the URL, and submit the search.  You could pop up the  
persistent URL or ...

Cary Gordon
The Cherry Hill Company
http://www.chillco.com



On Sep 17, 2007, at 2:44 PM, Sara Patalita wrote:

> Hello!
>
> I'm hoping to create a quick Web-based application where people can
> enter their search terms and they will be given a static URL which  
> they
> could use to link to the results of this search in our (iBistro)
> catalog.  [Note: I want to provide a URL, not link to the URL.]
>
> Our catalog uses dynamic URLs while actively searching, so you can't
> copy and paste the URLs for later retrieval.  I learned how to  
> construct
> the syntax of search URLs in iBistro (see http://tinyurl.com/ 
> 32mux5 ) --
> and savvy users can insert their terms into the (admittedly long and
> somewhat cumbersome) basic link structure.  The static URLs are  
> used to
> email catalog links to our Ask a Librarian users, post on our Web  
> site,
> blogs, etc.
>
> I think more of our staff - and maybe patrons - would make use of  
> these
> URLs if they were easier to create.
>
> I assume I can create a simple application where users can enter their
> terms and get a quick URL back -- which would insert their terms into
> the catalog link structure (as described here: http://tinyurl.com/ 
> 32mux5
> ), and perhaps even then converting to a tinyurl-type URL to shorten
> them and prevent possible line break problems.  The problem is, I'm  
> not
> sure of what application/language I could/should use to accomplish
> this.
>
> Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Sara
>
>
>
> -- 
>
> ***********************************************************
> Sara Patalita
> General Reference Librarian
> Allen County Public Library
> 900 Library Plaza
> Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
> spatalita at acpl.info
> Phone 260.421.1252
>
> "The public library he mistook for heaven." ~The Poisonwood Bible,
> Barbara Kingsolver
> ***********************************************************
> "The views, opinions, and judgments expressed in this message are
> solely those of the author. The message contents have not been  
> reviewed
> or approved by the Allen County Public Library."
>
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