Transcript Ex Libris API Presentation

APIS for Back-Office Functions
Helping customers help
themselves
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
1
What’s an API?
 API = Application Programming
Interface
 Allows programs to interact with
other programs
 Examples:
 SOAP / REST APIs for Voyager
7+ OPAC
 Voyager BatchCat.dll
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
2
APIs are for more than OPAC
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Acquisitions
Cataloging
Circulation
System Administration
Staff searching, including
suppressed records
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
3
Why not use macros?
 Macros require a user interface
 Macros are fragile, subject to
 User interface changes
 Network & display latency
 A carelessly-written macro can be
as destructive as any API-based
program… and is likely to be
written by a non-technical user
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
4
Key API characteristics
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Platform-neutral
Programming language-neutral
Enforce business rules
Enforce data integrity
Fully documented
Same APIs used by vendor for its
own development
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
5
Why APIs are important
 No vendor can anticipate every
customer need, nor build an
interface which supports every
workflow
 Allow customers to do whatever
the business rules permit – safely
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
6
Why APIs are important
 Staff time is precious – save it for
tasks requiring thought
 Automate routine tasks
 Do batch updates quickly
 Exchange data with other systems
 Enhance and extend functionality
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
7
Automate routine tasks
 Cancel old orders automatically,
without manual review via
Problems report
 Delete old “on-the-fly” records
after items are returned
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
8
Automate routine tasks
 Adding a new location in
SysAdmin requires:
 Add to Acq/Cat/Circ policies
 Add to Acq/Cat/Circ/Master
security profiles (UCLA has 39)
 Several clicks for each = a
tedious & error-prone process
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
9
Do batch updates quickly
 Add/change/delete MARC records
 Consistent notes & formatting
 Retroactively improve records
 Location changes & merges
 Set prices on items based on
subject / location / publication
place
 Delete unused vendors
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
10
Exchange data with others
 Two-way exchange of patron
billing data with campus system
(campus bills the students, we
load payments into Voyager to
clear blocks)
 Add check/payment information to
Voyager invoices from campus
accounts payable system
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
11
Enhance functionality
 Retain patron/item history based
on time (e.g., 1 year), not number
of patrons (e.g., last 3 patrons)
 Overcome client design limitations
(e.g., web app for adding
operators to all relevant security
profiles at once)
Andy Kohler - UCLA - Voyager Developer
Meeting - February 1-2, 2010
12