nameresolver: For Building Persistent URLs

nameresolver is a CGI program that allows lengthy URLs-- e.g., those with multiple CGI parameters-- to be translated to a short URL for permanence. In the case of DLPS, URLs such as:

Get translated to:

This provides a bookmarkable URL for incorporation into DLXS templates and other web pages.

The program works by parsing the ID attribute of the A field in Bib Class and appending the value of that attribute to the http://name.umdl.umich.edu/ prefix. The record associated with the A field is what the user sees when they link to the short, persistent, nameresolver URL, e.g., http://name.umdl.umich.edu/1462339.1913.002

To use the program:

  1. Create Bib Class records with appropriate ID attributes.
  2. Create a new group in collmgr with the ID of bibperm with webdir set to /b/bibperm.
  3. Check those Bib Class collections you want to provide nameresolver URLs for and release the group.

The program itself lives in /{$DLXSROOT}/cgi/b/bib and is called bibperm.