Hi Christopher,

If you are aggreggating files from numerous repositories into
one database, then you should consider assigning a unique ID to each
repository for starters.  This way you are able to identify the XML files
uniquely.

As for the <eadid> contents, a number of fields can be combined to form a
primary key delimited by a non-alphanumeric charcters (e.g *,:,/,;)

For example,
RepositoryUniqueId::repositoryName::XMLfileName::OtherHeaderInformationaboutFindingAid

This way you are sure to avoid duplicates.
Another approach would be to assign URL or URNs which are unique in their
own nature.  Its just a matter of preference.


Best Regards,

Aman Singh
XML Programmer
York University Archives and Special Collections



>From: christopher j prom <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Encoded Archival Description List <[log in to unmask]>
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>Subject: <eadid> element
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>Comments: To: [log in to unmask]
>
>Can anyone on the list offer some comment on how the <eadid> element is
>being used?  It is intended to provide a unique identifier, but as part of
>a project I am involved it, I am having trouble deciding whether it can be
>reliably used to point to the location of the actual EAD file.  This
>becomes an issue when you aggreggate files from numerous repositories into
>one database (like I am attempting to do)
>
>I notice versions encoded in SGML typically include SGML catalog entries,
>but
>what are people doing for XML files?  Is anyone using a handle technology
>like URN's or DOI's that are resolvable?  Do people use URL.  Or are
>people just giving a local file name or identifier along with a systemID
>attribute?  That has been my past practice.
>
>
>Chris Prom
>Assistant University Archivist
>University of Illinois Archives
>Room 19 Library (MC-522)
>1408 W. Gregory Drive
>Urbana, IL 61801
>
>web:    http://www.library.uiuc.edu/ahx/
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>phone:  217 333 0798
>fax:    217 333 2868




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