MetaLite
MetaLite has been developed by the USGS and UNEP. It is
a convenient Metadata generator, but apperently it can't do everything, and the
USGS recommends that for certain applications one should use Corpsmet.
Installation Instructions
Installation Instructions MetaLite been compressed into
one large self-extracting zip file or four smaller self-extracting zip files.
The directions are almost the same. The only difference is that all the
downloaded files must be run to extract the setup program. If you do not
un-install older versions of MetaLite, you may not get all the new
features.
 | Step 1: Use Add/Remove Programs on the Control Panel
to uninstall any previous versions of MetaLite. (This will not delete your
data!) |
| Step 2: Download the executable(s) into a temporary
directory. |
| Step 3: Run the executable and follow the on-screen
instructions to extract the files. Extract all files to the same
location. |
| Step 4: Run the Setup.exe that was extracted above
and follow on-screen prompts. |
Create a new metadata entry
With MetaLite, several separate metadata entries can be
created and stored to be used one at a time. An example of when this capability
would be desirable would be the ability to document more than one data set. A
new, empty data set may be created at any time .
To create a new metadata entry:
1. Select File from the main menu.
2. Select New from the File menu.
A metadata preferences dialog box will appear (Shown
Below).
- 3. Enter an 8-character name for the metadata
record.
- This Name is used to identify this record and it
must be unique from any other record in the database.
- 4. Optionally, you may enter the metadata Title.
- This may also be specified later through the
Metadata Entry Screen.
- 5. Select the OK button.
Open an existing metadata entry
With MetaLite, several separate metadata entries can be
created and stored to be used one at a time. An example of when this capability
would be desirable would be the ability to document more than one data set. A
new, empty data set can be created at any time .
To open an existing metadata entry:
1. Select File from the main menu.
2. Select Open from the File menu.
A metadata preferences dialog box will appear (Shown
Below).
3. Choose one of the items from the list.
4. Select the OK button.
Duplicate a metadata entry
With MetaLite, you have the ability to duplicate an
existing metadata entry. This is desirable when documenting several data sets
with similar features or for creating a template from which to start
documentation.
To duplicate a metadata entry:
1. Select File from the main menu.
2. Select Duplicate from the File menu.
A metadata preferences dialog box will appear (shown
below).
- 3. Enter an 8-character name for the metadata
record.
- This Name is used to identify this record and it
must be unique from any other record in the database.
4. Select the OK button.
Export a metadata entry
With MetaLite, the triplicate files required by
Clearinghouse can be created on one step.
To export the metadata entry:
1. Select File from the main menu.
2. Select Export from the File menu.
A Windows dialog box will appear (Shown Below).
- 3. Select a directory to save the three export
files.
- The file that is exported is an SGML file. Text,
HTML, FAQ, and XML files may be created by specifying them on the MP menu.
By default only Text and HTML are created. These files are created by a
program called MP (Metadata Parser). A version of the MP software has been
provided with MetaLite. All files will reside in the same directory. NOTE:
MP cannot accept filenames with spaces in them, so you must export to a
directory that does not have a space in the file name or path.
An export results dialog box will appear. The dialog
box will describe any errors encountered while processing the export files
(Shown Below). You may leave this window open and correct your errors or you may
close it. A new window is created with each export.
4. Select the Close button.
Managing Contacts
Contacts are now managed as separate entities. All
contact information is entered through the Contact Information Window.
Contacts may then be selected through a handy combo box that is included on
the metadata entry window. This contact information is shared by all metadata
records.
The new User Interface here has two parts: Contact
Selection (or the contact on the main Metadata Entry window), and the Contact
Information window. When editing, any record selected in the Contact
Information window, becomes the current record in the Contact Selection when
the OK button is pressed.
Simple tasks with this new interface are outlined
below:
Selecting a Contact Record from the Metadata Entry
Screen
The Distribution, Metadata, and Technical Contact all
use the same interface. To choose a contact, simply type the Contact ID or use
the drop-down list to choose an existing contact. The contact information will
be displayed in the text box immediately below the drop-down list.
Creating a New Contact Record
You may create a new record in several ways. The
simplest is to click the New button just above the drop-down list. This will
open the Contact Information window with no record selected. Just enter your
contact information and click OK.
You may also create a new contact by clicking on
Clear and then Edit, or Edit when no contact information is selected. If you
are editing a contact and wish to create a new contact, simply press the New
button on the Contact Information Screen. Whichever record is selected when
the OK button is pressed, is the record returned to the main Metadata Entry
window.
Editing a Contact Record
Select a Contact ID from the drop-down list and then
click the Edit button.
Deleting a Contact Record
Unfortuneately, you may not actually delete a contact
record. This was done to maintain the data integrity within the internal
database. You may, however, type new information over the old information and
replace old contacts with a new one by doing so.
Please note that when you do replace a contact, every
metadata record that uses that contact will be changed to the new contact.
Using the Calendar
The calendar is a simple component that is used to
pick a single date from a graphical form. It consists of 3 parts. At the top
is the Month and Year. Use the arrow buttons to change this. Below the Month
and Year is the days of the month. This is laid out as a wall calendar in a
grid. To the right of this are the command buttons.
The easiest way to use the calendar is to move to the
date you wish to select and double-click on the number. You may also click
once on the number to highlight it and then click the OK button to select it.
The today button will quickly highlight the current date.
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