Coffee|Code : Dan Scott

A while back I mentioned on the DSpace-devel mailing list that I was interested in adapting DSpace to use embedded Apache Derby as the default database, rather than PostgreSQL, as a means of lowering the installation and configuration barriers involved with setting up access to an external database. I haven't had time yet to actually carry out my musing, but today I had the chance to set up the Archimède institutional repository on a test server -- and imagine my surprise when I saw a derby.log file sitting in the Archimède repository. It looks like someone else at Université Laval had the same idea as me much further back.

It's still on my horizon to adapt DSpace to Derby; seeing that it works well for Archimède confirms my belief that it's the right direction to go.

Just a short note to let y'all know that I received the thumbs-up from my fellow PEAR developers to add File_MARC as an official PEAR package.

What does this mean? Well, assuming you have PHP 5.1+ and PEAR installed, you can now download and install File_MARC and its prerequisite with a simple command:

pear install File_MARC-alpha

I've also imported the File_MARC source into the PEAR CVS repository, so you can poke and prod and provide patches.

Before moving to a 1.0 release, I have to write up some user-oriented documentation. I have a hankering to provide MARCXML support as well, so that will probably work its way into the package before 1.0. I'd love some more testing and feedback from other library geeks; now that installation is so simple, I'm hoping to see the bugsfeedback roll in.

Oh yes: a big thanks to the PEAR developers who have given me some excellent suggestions along the way, from my first proposal all the way through to this alpha release. File_MARC wouldn't be what it is today without your help!

No candy for Amber this year... just unbearable cuteness!

Her first tooth is poking through her gums, and it was a bit of a tough process for her, but she always has lots of giggles and smiles for us.