[Archivesspace_Users_Group] API wizardry for batch editing

Fri Nov 3 09:35:16 EDT 2017

You might be right, Lydia. I created a new template yesterday, and it works great, even today. In the past, the template would work OK the day of creation, and then, the next day, it wouldn't. That doesn't make sense, I realize, but it was one reason I stopped using templates. 

But your post does raise a question. If you DO include a date field in a template but don't have dates for every entry, is there a way to "Null" those? 

Sincerely,

Joan Curbow
Reference Librarian and Archivist
Buena Vista University Library
Buena Vista University
610 West Fourth Street
Storm Lake, Iowa  50588
712.749.2094
www.library.bvu.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org [mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org] On Behalf Of Tang, Lydia
Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2017 10:20 AM
To: Archivesspace Users Group <archivesspace_users_group at lyralists.lyrasis.org>
Subject: Re: [Archivesspace_Users_Group] API wizardry for batch editing

Hi Joan,
Is it because your existing templates all have date fields, even if they are empty?  I created a template without date fields to just add titles and it seems to work ok now.  Maybe it’s a bug re: the date fields.
Lydia

On 11/2/17, 9:19 AM, "archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org on behalf of Joan Curbow" <archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org on behalf of CurbowJ at bvu.edu> wrote:

    I stopped using RDE templates because I received error messages with dates, too, and then if I had, say, 25 entries, none of it would save and my work would be for naught. Now, I just uncheck the boxes for the fields I don't want EVERY DAY and go that route. In effect, I'm making my own daily template but I'm just not saving it as such. Yes, it's a pain, but once I do that, those changes "stick" for the entire workday, and I'm not having to rekey data because it refuses to save.

    Sincerely,

    Joan Curbow
    Reference Librarian and Archivist
    Buena Vista University Library
    Buena Vista University
    610 West Fourth Street
    Storm Lake, Iowa  50588
    712.749.2094
    www.library.bvu.edu

    -----Original Message-----
    From: archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org [mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org] On Behalf Of Christine Di Bella
    Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2017 3:28 PM
    To: Archivesspace Users Group <archivesspace_users_group at lyralists.lyrasis.org>
    Subject: Re: [Archivesspace_Users_Group] API wizardry for batch editing

    Thanks, Lydia. The first one is a head-scratcher. (It'd be great to see what's happening with the exclamation there at the left.) Feel free to file a bug report, though since it sounds like it only happens with pre-existing RDE templates it'd be great to hear from others using RDE templates if they're experiencing the same thing, including whether they have to hide date fields in order to not get an error.

    The latter is a known bug: https://archivesspace.atlassian.net/browse/ANW-194. Looking forward to the improvements to the RDE being recommended by your staff interface enhancement group, which I know are just days away from being distributed to the community!

    Christine

    -----Original Message-----
    From: archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org [mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org] On Behalf Of Tang, Lydia
    Sent: Wednesday, November 1, 2017 4:12 PM
    To: Archivesspace Users Group <archivesspace_users_group at lyralists.lyrasis.org>
    Subject: Re: [Archivesspace_Users_Group] API wizardry for batch editing

    Hi Christine,
    Ok, it seems to be inconsistent.  It seems like if I work from an existing template, even if the field is blank, just by having the Date Type field available causes the error.  Otherwise, if I create a template and suppress all date-related fields, it seems to be ok.
    Also, I noticed that the columns visible button stays the same, regardless of if I switch to templates with less fields.  It seems to update when I manually select/unselect fields, but doesn’t catch the change with templates.
    Thanks!
    Lydia
    On 11/1/17, 3:51 PM, "archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org on behalf of Christine Di Bella" <archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org on behalf of christine.dibella at lyrasis.org> wrote:

        Hi Lydia,

        I'll let people more knowledgeable about the API and how to address this challenge respond to that portion, but just a quick note that dates are not required by the RDE, in versions 2.1+ or otherwise. At the collection level a date is required, but for all other levels a resource component requires only a title or a date - it can have both, of course, but doesn't have to. I just tested in my archive of ArchivesSpace versions for 2.1, and the sandbox, which is on 2.2, to verify this was the case, and found it to be true (to my relief!). 

        It would be great to see screenshot of the error you're getting if you're not able to save title-only components. Just in case it's this, I'll mention that sometimes people are using an RDE temple or have specified default values for resource components that have data in a field that another field is dependent on and that's why it's being required unexpectedly. For example, if you've entered a date type, you're going to be required to enter a date - if you get rid of the date type, you should be able to save as expected.

        ArchivesSpace does follow the DACS principle that you only need to enter description at the level for which it is appropriate, and not repeat description that can be inherited from higher levels. ArchivesSpace is very much suited to minimal processing/extensible processing, with one of its guiding design principles being that people should be able to use it to facilitate the level of details in description that works best for them at a particular point in time and iterate or build upon it as needed.

        Christine

        Christine Di Bella
        ArchivesSpace Program Manager
        christine.dibella at lyrasis.org
        800.999.8558 x2905
        678-235-2905
        cdibella13 (Skype)

        -----Original Message-----
        From: archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org [mailto:archivesspace_users_group-bounces at lyralists.lyrasis.org] On Behalf Of Tang, Lydia
        Sent: Wednesday, November 1, 2017 2:58 PM
        To: Archivesspace Users Group <archivesspace_users_group at lyralists.lyrasis.org>
        Subject: [Archivesspace_Users_Group] API wizardry for batch editing

        Hello all,
        Out of some foggy-headed data entry with RDE, I’ve realized that I will need to replace all of the date expressions for around 30 archival objects (see screen shot).  Is there some wizardry with the API I could use to batch fix this issue?  Also, it seems like the RDE in 2.1+ requires the dates, which is a requirement for DACS, but I wasn’t sure if – in cases of minimal processing – whether it is required for all levels of description?  For example, if I have a collection materials entirely from 1996, of course I was planning to use the date in the collection-level description, but repeating it for all child elements seems kind of redundant -- although, I could be wrong.  Thanks for your thoughts!
        Lydia
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