Documentation
Printable documentation is listed below. Additional community-developed documentation is available
on the project wiki at http://wiki.CollectiveAccess.org, where you'll
find installation instructions
and answers to frequently asked questions,
amongst other things.
CollectiveAccess is a configurable cataloguing tool with metadata and user interface structures that are tailored to your specific requirements.
This means that writing user documentation is a challenge: how can you write a users' guide when most of the screen layouts and
data entry elements change radically from user to user? Our answer is a generic Users' Guide, based upon the
Dublin Core installation profile,
that is meant as both a guide for Dublin Core users and a template for other users to develop their own project-specific documentation.
If you develop documentation for your own project we hope you will share it with other CollectiveAccess users by posting it on this page. If
you have documentation you wish to share please contact us at support@CollectiveAccess.org.
You may also consider posting documentation on the project wiki, which is open to all.
Administrative documentation
Describes how to create new or modify existing CollectiveAccess
installation profiles, text documents used by the CollectiveAccess
installer
to fully specify the characteristics of an installation, including metadata elements, input validation, drop-down list
content, languages and locales, relationship types, user interface design and more. The document includes an overview of
how CollectiveAccess structures data internally as well as a complete reference to the installation profile file format and syntax.
PDF format, 46 pages.
Provides an overview of data backup and recovery options for a CollectiveAccess installation and a discussion
of the pros and cons of various backup media options.
PDF format, 7 pages.
User documentation
Provides a general overview of CollectiveAccess' cataloguing user interface and functionality.
Intended for new users and those considering using CollectiveAccess, the guide can also be useful as a starting point for
your own project-specific documentation.
PDF format, 23 pages.
A short guide to CollectiveAccess' "advanced search" form construction system and searching with custom-made forms.
PDF format, 2 pages.
