Documentation

The documentation referred to here, consists of web pages and/or manuals in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

The Axiell WebAPI in detail

Open documentation describing the highlights of the Axiell WebAPI and the advantages over its predecessor wwwopac.exe (a CGI extension).

Open a concise overview of the image handling functionality in the Axiell WebAPI.

Open documentation about the differences between the default and structured XML types for saved searches (aka pointer files).

Open documentation about the differences between structured wwwopac.exe output and grouped wwwopac.ashx output.

Choosing your implementation

The Axiell WebAPI can be implemented using a jQuery plugin, Adlib.Data.dll or Url requests.

Open an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of each flavour.

Optional JSON output

Besides XML, the output format JSON can be returned by wwwopac.ashx and oai.ashx.

Open the documentation about JSON.

Axiell system requirements

For the Axiell WebAPI to function, certain hardware and software requirements need to be met, and for image retrieval some adjustments need to be made to the structure of database(s), using Axiell Designer.

Open the system requirements documentation.

Open "Web_API_Installation_Guide_A5.doc" (Word document).

Configuring your Axiell WebAPI system

The adlibweb.xml file is used to configure your wwwopac. In it, you specify paths to the data folder, and other relevant folders, you indicate which user authentication service to use, you configure image retrieval, and you list the fields that must be included in the search result.

Open an example of an adlibweb.xml file.

Open documentation explaining the possible settings in adlibweb.xml.

Open documentation explaining how to include data from linked records in your XML output.

Open documentation explaining how to set up user authentication.

Open documentation explaining how to set up site mapping functionality.

Open documentation explaining how to set up an OAI (Open Archives Initiative) server.

Open documentation about XML payload processing support by the WebAPI.

Plugins

For wwwopac.ashx, several plugins are available to extend the functionality of the WebAPI, usually to allow for calls to third-party APIs.

Open documentation explaining how to configure the Axiell basic POST plugin for the WebAPI. The plugin takes the request message from a specific configured field in a specific record from a specific configured database and will POST the raw contents to the URL configured for the plugin and relays the response back to the caller. This plugin is available from version 3.5.1.2226 of the WebAPI.

Open documentation explaining how to configure the Axiell generic Media Server plugin for the WebAPI. This plugin allows wwwopac.ashx (3.4.1.1928 or higher) to pass through requests to different external media storage/retrieval services, using the mapping of the arguments passed to the getcontent command to a service URL.

Open "Axiell Portfolio image plugin_EN.doc" (Word document). This image plugin allows wwwopac.ashx to ingest and retrieve content (e.g. image files) into and from the Extensis Porfolio Server DAMS through the Portfolio API.

Open documentation explaining how to configure the Open Text image plugin for the WebAPI. This image plugin allows wwwopac.ashx (3.7.15106.2 or higher) to communicate with an OpenText DAMS through the DAMS-specific API.

Open documentation explaining how to configure the Pictura image plugin for the WebAPI. This image plugin allows wwwopac.ashx to communicate with a Picturae DAMS through the DAMS-specific API.

Open documentation explaining how to configure the Piction image plugin for the WebAPI. This image plugin allows wwwopac.ashx to communicate with a Piction DAMS through the DAMS-specific API.

Open documentation explaining how to configure the FotoWare image plugin for the WebAPI. This image plugin allows wwwopac.ashx to communicate with a FotoWare DAMS through the DAMS-specific API.

Open documentation explaining how to configure the Azure image plugin for the WebAPI. This image plugin allows wwwopac.ashx to communicate with a Azure Blob Storage through its specific API.

Release notes

From wwwopac.ashx version 3.7.13301, release notes will be made available here for each new released version.

Open the preliminary release notes for WebAPI 3.5.1.2380 (2023-05-22).

Open the release notes for WebAPI 3.5.1.2263 (2023-03-31).

Open the release notes for WebAPI 3.4.0.1844 (2022-10-31).

Open the release notes for WebAPI 3.3.1.1683 (2022-09-14).

Open the release notes for WebAPI 3.3.0.1587 (2022-08-05).

Open the release notes for WebAPI 3.2.0.1357 (2022-04-14).

Open the release notes for WebAPI 3.0.22034.1 (2022-02-09).

Open the release notes for WebAPI 3.0.21078.1 (2021-03-19).

Open the release notes for WebAPI 3.0.21040.1 (2021-02-23).

Open the release notes for wwwopac.ashx 3.7.15343 ('15-12-09).

Open the release notes for wwwopac.ashx 3.7.15132 ('15-05-12).

Open the release notes for wwwopac.ashx 3.7.14202 ('14-08-08).

Open the release notes for wwwopac.ashx 3.7.14042 ('14-02-11).

Open the release notes for wwwopac.ashx 3.7.14013 ('14-01-13).

FAQs

• Enhancing the WebAPI search performance As far as the configuration of your Axiell Collections databases and Axiell WebAPI is concerned, the performance and results of WebAPI searches can be enhanced by applying combined indexes for term indexed fields that often contain more than a single word (like person names or object names) and/or for almost identical linked fields, and by using search indirection in your WebAPI queries or adlibweb.xml configuration file to access those combined indexes.
• Excluding anonymous internet users from records (Word document). If you've already set up an Axiell Internet Server application or just an Axiell wwwopac server, and you are not sure how to exclude certain records from showing up in search results from your otherwise public database, you may find this FAQ document useful.
• How to sort on the first occurrence of a field only When you sort the search result on a repeated field, the record usually appears as many times in the search result as the field is actually repeated in the record. If you want any retrieved record to appear only once in a search result sorted on a repeated field, you will have to make a few changes to your database and web application.
• What to do when certain records cannot be found There are different reasons why sometimes you can't find the records you are looking for, even when you know they exist. Knowing where to look for the problem and how best to solve it may save you valuable time. Click the FAQ header to learn more.