------ Forwarded Message From: Lisa Schiff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 14:53:30 -0700 To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: CDL releases eXtensible Text Framework (XTF) 2.1
**This announcement is being widely released; apologies in advance for duplication.** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lisa Schiff California Digital Library University of California, Office of the President 415 20th St., 4th Floor Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 587-6132 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/xtf/ California Digital Library Announces New Release of the eXtensible Text Framework (XTF) Oakland, CA, May 12, 2008 - The California Digital Library (CDL) is pleased to announce a new release of its search and display technology, the eXtensible Text Framework (XTF) <http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/xtf/> version 2.1 (http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/xtf/ ). XTF is an open source, highly flexible software application that supports the search, browse and display of heterogeneous digital content. XTF offers efficient and practical methods for creating customized end-user interfaces for distinct digital content collections. Highlights from the 2.1 release include: * Extensive interface improvements, including new search forms, built-in faceted browsing, and a new look and feel. * Increased support for document and information exchange formats. > * XHTML and OAI-PMH output > * NLM article format indexing and output > * Microsoft Word indexing * Streamlined XSLT stylesheets for simpler deployment and adaptation. * Updated documentation that has been moved to the XTF project wiki <http://xtf.wiki.sourceforge.net/> , allowing XTF implementers to share solutions with entire user community. * "Freeform" Boolean query language, offered as an experimental feature. * Backward compatibility with existing XTF implementations. >> A complete list of changes <http://xtf.wiki.sourceforge.net/changeLog_2.1> >> is available on the XTF Project page on SourceForge >> <http://sourceforge.net/projects/xtf/> , where the distribution (including >> documentation) can also be downloaded. >> >> Since the first deployment of XTF in 2005, the development strategy has been >> to build and maintain an indexing and display technology that is not only >> customizable, but also draws upon tested components already in use by the >> digital library and search communities - in particular the Lucene text search >> engine, Java, XML, and XSLT. By coordinating these pieces in a single >> platform that can be used to create multiple unique applications, CDL has >> succeeded in dramatically reducing the investment in infrastructure, staff >> training and development for new digital content projects. >> >> XTF offers a suite of customizable features that support diverse intellectual >> access to content. Interfaces can be designed to support the distinct tools >> and presentations that are useful and meaningful to specific audiences. In >> addition, XTF offers the following core features: >> * Easy to deploy: Drops directly in to a Java application server such as >> Tomcat or Resin; has been tested on Solaris, Mac, Linux, and Windows >> operating systems. >> * Easy to configure: Can create indexes on any XML element or attribute; >> entire presentation layer is customizable via XSLT. >> * Robust: Optimized to perform well on large documents (e.g., a single text >> that exceeds 10MB of encoded text); scales to perform well on collections of >> millions of documents; provides full Unicode support. >> * Extensible: >>> * Works well with a variety of authentication systems (e.g., IP address >>> lists, LDAP, Shibboleth). >>> * Provides an interface for external data lookups to support >>> thesaurus-based term expansion, recommender systems, etc. >>> * Can power other digital library services (e.g., XTF contains an OAI-PMH >>> data provider that allows others to harvest metadata, and an SRU interface >>> that exposes searches to federated search engines). >>> * Can be deployed as separate, modular pieces of a third-party system >>> (e.g., the module that displays snippets of matching text). >> * Powerful for the end user: >>> * Spell checking of queries >>> * Faceted displays for browsing >>> * Dynamically updated browse lists >>> * Session-based bookbags >> These basic features can be tuned and modified. For instance, the same >> bookbag feature that allows users to store links to entire books, can also >> store links to citable elements of an object, such as a note or other >> reference. >> >> A sampling of XTF-based applications both within and outside of the CDL >> include: >> >> * Mark Twain Project Online <http://www.marktwainproject.org/> >> (http://www.marktwainproject.org), developed by the Mark Twain Papers >> Project, the CDL and the University of California Press. >> * Calisphere <http://www.calisphere.org/> (http://www.calisphere.org/), a >> curated collection of primary sources keyed to the curriculum standards of >> California¹s K-12 community, developed by the CDL. >> * The Encyclopedia of Chicago <http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/> >> (http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/), developed by the Chicago >> History Museum, The Newberry Library, and Northwestern University >> * The Chymistry of Isaac Newton <http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/newton/> >> (http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/newton/) and The Swinburne Project >> <http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/swinburne/www/swinburne/> >> (http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/swinburne/www/swinburne/), Indiana >> University >> * Finding Aides at the New York Public Library >> <http://labs.nypl.org/2007/10/30/extensible-text-framework-xtf/> >> (http://labs.nypl.org/2007/10/30/extensible-text-framework-xtf/) >> * EECS Technical Reports >> <http://sunsite2.berkeley.edu:8088/xtf/servlet/org.cdlib.xtf.crossQuery.Cross >> Query?rmode=btr> >> (http://sunsite2.berkeley.edu:8088/xtf/servlet/org.cdlib.xtf.crossQuery.Cross >> Query?rmode=btr), UC Berkeley >>>> ### >>>> >>>> >>>> ----------------------------------------------- >>>> Lisa Schiff, Ph.D. >>>> Technical Lead, Publishing >>>> California Digital Library >>>> 300 Lakeside Drive #745 >>>> Kaiser Center >>>> Oakland, CA 94612 >>>> 510-987-0881 (t) >>>> 510-987-0243 (f) >>>> www.cdlib.org <http://www.cdlib.org/> >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ------ End of Forwarded Message
