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Formal metadata: information and software

Formal metadata: information and software

Genuine service trumps the best marketing or PR

What's it all about?

Metadata in plain language: A guide for authors and reviewers
The FGDC metadata standard
Metadata Community email list
Metadata FAQs with answers
Metadata Examples from USGS Geoscience Data
Editorial page: Advice and opinion about creating and using metadata
Inspiration for those who don't want to do metadata
National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse
- The real story
FGDC's directory of people who do training

Software tools

Name	Version	Documentation
mp	2.9.7	A compiler for formal metadata
mp	mp checks the structure of a metadata record against the FGDC standard, indicating discrepancies. It also re-expresses the metadata in several useful alternative formats.
cns	2.8.4	A pre-parser for formal metadata
cns	cns is used in case a text metadata record appears to have correct element names but is in a format that cannot be parsed by mp. Usually the main problem to be corrected is inconsistent indentation, but cns corrects a variety of other conditions. Use with care.
xtme	2.7.18	An editor for formal metadata
xtme	For primitive installations of the X Window System in which Tcl/Tk is not available, xtme uses Athena widgets.
Tkme	2.9.23	Another editor for formal metadata
Tkme	A versatile editing tool based on the Tcl/Tk toolkit.
mq	2.6.22	A Tcl interface for formal metadata
mq	Software interface that can be used to implement sophisticated editing operations on large, diverse collections of metadata records that are stored as separate files.
DBFmeta	1.13	A tool to help document DBF files
DBFmeta	Reads the DBF file and creates a Detailed_Description that can be pasted in a metadata record using Tkme. This tool can be used to detect spelling errors or other consistency problems in the data file.
err2html	2.1.9	Make mp's error messages easier to read
err2html	Re-expresses the error listing generated by mp to reduce duplication, show most severe messages first, and show hypertext links for element names.

Download software

System	Package	Contents	Size
Microsoft Windows (All versions)	all_win.exe	All programs and documentation	3.4M
	bin_win.exe	no Tkme, mq, or source code	1.9M
	tkme.exe	Tkme as a Windows stand-alone runtime	1.9M
Linux (i386)	bin_lnx.tar.gz	All programs and documentation	1.6M
Solaris (SPARC)	bin_sun.tar.gz	All programs and documentation	1.8M
All	src.tar.gz	Source code and documentation	1.5M
All	tkme.kit	Tkme as a platform-independent starkit	868K

Helpful web services:

Tips, tricks, and advanced topics:

The mq HOWTO: Batch editing of metadata records
How to compile the programs from the source code
MPBatch provides a Windows interface for running mp, developed by Intergraph
- Review by Hugh Phillips
Training resources:
- Metadata Primer -- A "How To" Guide on Metadata Implementation
  - Review of metadata tools by Hugh Phillips
- An ImageMap version of the FGDC Metadata Standard by Susan Stitt of USGS
- Training Exercises used within USGS Geologic Division (rough)
Ancillary software
- TclDBF, a Tcl extension for reading DBF files
- TclSHP, a Tcl extension for reading shapefiles
- DBFtools, utility programs for working with DBF files
Special issues using mp
Miscellany
- ASCII template for metadata
- Links to info about GNU tar and gzip
- Programmer's File Editor by Alan Phillips
- Digital signature files to verify integrity:
  
  all_win.exe GPG MD5
  
  bin_win.exe GPG MD5
  
  src.tar.gz GPG MD5
- my PGP public key

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://geology.usgs.gov/tools/metadata/
Page Contact Information: Peter Schweitzer
Page Last Modified: Tuesday, 19-Feb-2008 11:52:31 EST