<simpara>
Pazpar2 is a high-performance, user interface-independent, data
model-independent metasearching
<simpara>
Pazpar2 is a high-performance, user interface-independent, data
model-independent metasearching
- middleware featuring merging, relevance ranking, record sorting,
+ middle-ware featuring merging, relevance ranking, record sorting,
to be used either from a browser-based client (JavaScript, Flash, Java,
etc.), from from server-side code, or any combination of the two.
Pazpar2 is a highly optimized client designed to
to be used either from a browser-based client (JavaScript, Flash, Java,
etc.), from from server-side code, or any combination of the two.
Pazpar2 is a highly optimized client designed to
<para>
Additional functionality such as
user management, attractive displays are expected to be implemented by
<para>
Additional functionality such as
user management, attractive displays are expected to be implemented by
- applications that use pazpar2. Pazpar2 is user interface independent.
- Its functionality is exposed through a simple REST-style webservice API,
- designed to be simple to use from an Ajax-enbled browser, Flash
+ applications that use Pazpar2. Pazpar2 is user interface independent.
+ Its functionality is exposed through a simple REST-style web-service API,
+ designed to be simple to use from an Ajax-enabled browser, Flash
animation, Java applet, etc., or from a higher-level server-side language
like PHP or Java. Because session information can be shared between
browser-based logic and your server-side scripting, there is tremendous
animation, Java applet, etc., or from a higher-level server-side language
like PHP or Java. Because session information can be shared between
browser-based logic and your server-side scripting, there is tremendous
scenes. Pazpar2 connects to servers, carries out searches, and
retrieves, deduplicates, and stores results internally. Your application
code may periodically inquire about the status of an ongoing operation,
scenes. Pazpar2 connects to servers, carries out searches, and
retrieves, deduplicates, and stores results internally. Your application
code may periodically inquire about the status of an ongoing operation,
normalized to XML/UTF-8, and then further normalized using XSLT to a
simple internal representation that is suitable for analysis. By
providing XSLT stylesheets for different kinds of result records, you
normalized to XML/UTF-8, and then further normalized using XSLT to a
simple internal representation that is suitable for analysis. By
providing XSLT stylesheets for different kinds of result records, you
retrieval servers. Finally, metadata is extracted, in a configurable
way, from this internal record, to support display, merging, ranking,
result set facets, and sorting. Pazpar2 is not bound to a specific model
retrieval servers. Finally, metadata is extracted, in a configurable
way, from this internal record, to support display, merging, ranking,
result set facets, and sorting. Pazpar2 is not bound to a specific model
to performance and economy that we use in our indexing engines, so that
you can focus on building your application, without worrying about the
details of metasearch logic. You can devote all of your attention to
to performance and economy that we use in our indexing engines, so that
you can focus on building your application, without worrying about the
details of metasearch logic. You can devote all of your attention to
</para>
<para>
If you wish to connect to commercial or other databases which do not
support open standards, please contact Index Data. We have a licensing
</para>
<para>
If you wish to connect to commercial or other databases which do not
support open standards, please contact Index Data. We have a licensing
thousands of online databases, in addition the vast number of catalogs
and online services that support the Z39.50 protocol.
</para>
thousands of online databases, in addition the vast number of catalogs
and online services that support the Z39.50 protocol.
</para>
approach to performance, and attempting to make maximum use of the
capabilities of modern browsers. The demo user interface that
accompanies the distribution is but one example. If you think of new
approach to performance, and attempting to make maximum use of the
capabilities of modern browsers. The demo user interface that
accompanies the distribution is but one example. If you think of new
can provide assistance with regards to training, design, programming,
integration with different backends, hosting, or support, please don't
can provide assistance with regards to training, design, programming,
integration with different backends, hosting, or support, please don't
that is not there today, please don't hesitate to contact us. It may
already be in our development pipeline, or there might be a
possibility for you to help out by sponsoring development time or
that is not there today, please don't hesitate to contact us. It may
already be in our development pipeline, or there might be a
possibility for you to help out by sponsoring development time or
- Greek, Russian, German and Frensh. Pazpar2 uses the ICU
- unicode character conversions, unicode normalization, case
+ Greek, Russian, German and French. Pazpar2 uses the ICU
+ Unicode character conversions, Unicode normalization, case
folding and other fundamental operations needed in
tokenization, normalization and ranking of records.
</para>
folding and other fundamental operations needed in
tokenization, normalization and ranking of records.
</para>
for Debian versions Etch and Lenny (as of 2007).
Theses packages are available at
<ulink url="&url.pazpar2.download.debian;"/>.
for Debian versions Etch and Lenny (as of 2007).
Theses packages are available at
<ulink url="&url.pazpar2.download.debian;"/>.
metasearching functionality to your application, exposing this
functionality using a simple webservice API that can be accessed
from any number of development environments. In particular, it is
metasearching functionality to your application, exposing this
functionality using a simple webservice API that can be accessed
from any number of development environments. In particular, it is
website scripting, with scripting or code running in the browser, or
with any combination of the two. Pazpar2 is an excellent tool for
building advanced, Ajax-based user interfaces for metasearch
functionality, but it isn't a requirement -- you can choose to use
website scripting, with scripting or code running in the browser, or
with any combination of the two. Pazpar2 is an excellent tool for
building advanced, Ajax-based user interfaces for metasearch
functionality, but it isn't a requirement -- you can choose to use
- pazpar2 entirely as a backend to your regular server-side scripting.
- When you do use pazpar2 in conjunction
+ Pazpar2 entirely as a backend to your regular server-side scripting.
+ When you do use Pazpar2 in conjunction
with browser scripting (JavaScript/Ajax, Flash, applets,
etc.), there are special considerations.
</para>
with browser scripting (JavaScript/Ajax, Flash, applets,
etc.), there are special considerations.
</para>
server-side scripting. Because the security sandbox environment of
most browser-side programming environments only allows communication
with the server from which the enclosing HTML page or object
server-side scripting. Because the security sandbox environment of
most browser-side programming environments only allows communication
with the server from which the enclosing HTML page or object
proxy in front of an existing webserver (see <xref
linkend="pazpar2_conf"/> for details).
In this mode, all regular
HTTP requests are transparently passed through to your webserver,
proxy in front of an existing webserver (see <xref
linkend="pazpar2_conf"/> for details).
In this mode, all regular
HTTP requests are transparently passed through to your webserver,
a reverse Proxy. Refer to <xref linkend="installation.apache2proxy"/>)
for more information.
This allows your existing HTTP server to operate on port 80 as usual.
a reverse Proxy. Refer to <xref linkend="installation.apache2proxy"/>)
for more information.
This allows your existing HTTP server to operate on port 80 as usual.
implement data import functionality, emailing results, history
lists, personal citation lists, interlibrary loan functionality
,etc. Fortunately, it is simple to exchange information between
implement data import functionality, emailing results, history
lists, personal citation lists, interlibrary loan functionality
,etc. Fortunately, it is simple to exchange information between
the server-side, and access that from the browser or elsewhere. The
possibilities are just about endless.
</para>
the server-side, and access that from the browser or elsewhere. The
possibilities are just about endless.
</para>
that they are organized in any particular way. The only assumption
is that data comes packaged in a form that the software can work
with (presently, that means XML or MARC), and that you can provide
that they are organized in any particular way. The only assumption
is that data comes packaged in a form that the software can work
with (presently, that means XML or MARC), and that you can provide
you decide which data elements of the source record you are
interested in, and you specify any desired massaging or combining of
elements using an XSLT stylesheet (MARC records are automatically
normalized to MARCXML before this step). If desired, you can run
multiple XSLT stylesheets in series to accomplish this, but the
output of the last one should be a representation of the record in a
you decide which data elements of the source record you are
interested in, and you specify any desired massaging or combining of
elements using an XSLT stylesheet (MARC records are automatically
normalized to MARCXML before this step). If desired, you can run
multiple XSLT stylesheets in series to accomplish this, but the
output of the last one should be a representation of the record in a
webservices. The initial goal of the software was to support
Ajax-based applications, but there literally are no limits to what
webservices. The initial goal of the software was to support
Ajax-based applications, but there literally are no limits to what
- you can do. You can use pazpar2 from Javascript, Flash, Java, etc.,
+ you can do. You can use Pazpar2 from Javascript, Flash, Java, etc.,
on the browser side, and from any development environment on the
server side, and you can pass session tokens and record IDs freely
around between these environments to build sophisticated applications.
on the browser side, and from any development environment on the
server side, and you can pass session tokens and record IDs freely
around between these environments to build sophisticated applications.
to handle a broad range of different server behavior, through
configurable query mapping and record normalization. If you develop
configuration, stylesheets, etc., for a new type of resources, we
to handle a broad range of different server behavior, through
configurable query mapping and record normalization. If you develop
configuration, stylesheets, etc., for a new type of resources, we
<para>
For a growing number of resources, Z39.50 is all you need. Over the
last few years, a number of commercial, full-text resources have
<para>
For a growing number of resources, Z39.50 is all you need. Over the
last few years, a number of commercial, full-text resources have
no effort. Resources that use non-standard record formats will
require a bit of XSLT work, but that's all.
</para>
no effort. Resources that use non-standard record formats will
require a bit of XSLT work, but that's all.
</para>
<para>
But the bottom line is that working with non-standard resources in
metasearching is really, really hard. If you want to build a
<para>
But the bottom line is that working with non-standard resources in
metasearching is really, really hard. If you want to build a
non-standard interfaces, we can help. We run gateways to more than
2,000 popular, commercial databases and other resources,
making it simple
non-standard interfaces, we can help. We run gateways to more than
2,000 popular, commercial databases and other resources,
making it simple
database, we can help you establish connections to your licensed
resources. Meanwhile, you can help! If you build your own
standards-compliant gateways, host them for others, or share the
database, we can help you establish connections to your licensed
resources. Meanwhile, you can help! If you build your own
standards-compliant gateways, host them for others, or share the
we believe that Z39.50 is presently the most widely implemented
information retrieval protocol that has the level of functionality
required to support a good metasearching experience (structured
we believe that Z39.50 is presently the most widely implemented
information retrieval protocol that has the level of functionality
required to support a good metasearching experience (structured
- Pazpar2 is unicode compliant and language and locale aware to
- the exted the used backend Z39.50 targets are. Just a few bad
- behaving targets can spoil the search experience considerably
- if for example Greek, Russian or otherwise non 7-bit ASCII
+ Pazpar2 is Unicode compliant and language and locale aware but relies
+ on character encoding for the targets to be specified correctly if
+ the targets themselves are not UTF-8 based (most aren't).
+ Just a few bad behaving targets can spoil the search experience
+ considerably if for example Greek, Russian or otherwise non 7-bit ASCII
option which is available to the system administrator if ICU
support is compiled into Pazpar2, see
<xref linkend="installation"/> for details.
option which is available to the system administrator if ICU
support is compiled into Pazpar2, see
<xref linkend="installation"/> for details.