EAD Cookbook (EAD version 1.0)

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Archives and libraries implementing EAD face many options: what software to use to create documents, what elements and attributes to employ in encoding, how to configure their software for maximum efficiency, and how to create print and web-ready versions of their inventories. During the meeting of the EAD Roundtable at the 1999 Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists, attendees agreed that a simple model encoding protocol with an accompanying suite of software tools for "authoring" electronic finding aids and stylesheets for "publishing" them would be very useful. This Cookbook has been developed to accomplish that end. It functions as an extension of the EAD Tag Library and the EAD Application Guidelines. To use it, one must have a basic understanding of the EAD element set.

The EAD Cookbook includes a markup protocol that is based on recommendations found in the EAD Application Guidelines and those promulgated by several EAD projects. It offers an explanation of the decisions behind the encoding recommendations, is accompanied by a suite of software tools that incorporate the model markup in various SGML/XML authoring applications, and includes step-by-step instructions for applying them. A sample finding aid for a fictional collection, encoded according to these guidelines, is included as an appendix.

The markup syntax prescribed in the Cookbook enables one to display the text of a finding aid in many different ways. A set of four stylesheets, written in the Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL), is included to help you generate editions of your finding aids that are suitable for viewing in a web browser or as print copies. Step-by-step instructions guide you through each phase of EAD implementation.

Michael J. Fox
July 2000

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Appendix A: Sample encoded finding aid

• fonds.xml

Section 4: Authoring Tools

Section 4 of the Cookbook describes the use of three software applications for creating EAD documents: XMetaL, Author/Editor, and WordPerfect 9. The following files are to be used with those applications. The function, installation and use of each is described in Section 4.

XMetaL

• ead.css


• ead.ctm


• ead.mcr

NOTE: The above file is to be used with XMetal versions 1.0, 1.2, and optionally 2.0 (XT processor).


• ead2.mcr

NOTE: The above file is to be used with XMetal version 2.0 (MSXML processor).


• ead.rlx


• eadcorporate.xml


• eadperson.xml



Author/Editor

_eadcorporate.ae




_eadperson.ae




ead.mcr




ead.rls




EAD.stl

WordPerfect 9

ead.dtd




eadbase.ent




eadcorporate.wpt




eadperson.wpt

Section 5: Converting SGML Files into XML

Section 5 of the Cookbook describes two ways to transform EAD files form "classic SGML" to XML syntax. One of these methods involves the computer program SX. The use of the following files with SX is described in that section.

Catalog files:

catalog

Character entity files:

• Iso-cyr1.ent


• Iso-cyr2.ent


• Iso-dia.ent


• Iso-grk1.ent


• Iso-grk2.ent


• Iso-grk3.ent


• Iso-grk4.ent


• Iso-lat1.ent


• Iso-lat2.ent


• Iso-num.ent


• Iso-pub.ent


• Iso-tech.ent

Section 6: Stylesheets

Four XSL stylesheets have been created for use with EAD finding aids that have been marked up according to the encoding protocol in Section 3 of the Cookbook. They transform finding aids from XML files into HTML syntax so that they might be viewed in a standard web browser. Their structure and use is described in detail in Section 6.

At the present time, they must be considered to be in beta version as their author has not been able to validate them against a sufficiently large set of examples to warranty that they are free of bugs or other unwanted side-effects. Comments or problems should be reported to michael.fox@mnhs.org so that appropriate changes may be made.

These stylesheets are not general, all-purpose tools. They will not necessarily process all parts of each and every valid EAD document. They are designed particularly to function with the encoding protocol described in Section 3 of the Cookbook. However, they certainly may be modified to meet local preferences in encoding or presentation.

eadcbs1.xsl




eadcbs2.xsl




eadcbs3.xsl

NOTE: eacdcbs3.xsl uses an extension element that is unique to XT to produce the multiple output files needed to created an HTML frame display. It will not work with the MSXML, Saxon, or Xalan processors.

eadcbs4.xsl