current/doc/History.txt

*       0.9.0   June 2003

The simple standalone server ois is provided,
currently single-threaded and non-windows only.
Run in the database directory, naming the databases to serve like
$
cd /my/db/dir
/opt/openisis/sto/ois cds unesb anotherdb
$
For a demo of query and read access, see php/query.
Other calls are now added to the Isis/Db.php and a like
plain perl module will follow soon.

Note, that the communications protocol probably is to undergo some
changes on the way to version 1.0, however,
the only intersting features still missing in this version are
-       unicode collation support (which you might not need)
-       views based indexing (but application based indexing is supported)
-       new-style metadata (typically ignored in applications anyway)
so you may get by with this version for a fairly long time ...


*       0.8.9   May 2003

New
>       Serialized      plaintext database
passes all test. It's typically more than 10% smaller than the traditional,
has the same format on all platforms and no limits on field or record size.
It can be fixed with a text editor; the pointer file is rebuild automatically.
By default, it uses 4/3/1 pointers (4GB DB size, 16MB records).
See
>       DbFiles
for how and when it's used. Create a text db using
$
sto/openisis -db db/cds/cds >db/cds/cds.txt
$

New plain PHP package features flexible "v" operator,
direct access to the plaintext database (using 4/4/0 pointers)
and isis database server access.
The OpenIsis Tcl server oits can be used like
$
bin/oits -db 1234 test/testsrv.tcl
$
a plain server is to follow soon ...


*       0.8.8   April 2003

Sort of a preview to stable version 0.9.

The C-API seems to be mostly stable now (but don't use the RecStream),
and there are not much known bugs (deleting index entries is broken;
fixed in current CVS version).
Yet, of course, features are going to be added ...

The Tcl-API now gives a good idea of what it's going to be,
but still will undergo some changes during the following month.
After that has settled down, Java, Perl and PHP will receive their upgrades.

Although there may be some changes until version 0.9,
it's recommended to start playing around with the Tk demo GUI, tisis,
and it's formatting TSPs (Tcl Server Pages),
that also can be used as CGIs (see demo.cgi).
Use
>       /tar/test.tgz   this little test database
(a copy of CDS recoded to Latin-1, with OpenIsis index and
a procedure to select index entries).

Also try dexml, which uses the TclXML package to convert *ANY*
valid XML input to ISIS records w/o loosing information!


*       0.8.7.5 April 2003

Last version of the 0.8.7.x developer series.
It contains all the developments of winter 03.

Version 0.8.7.5 is the last to contain all that devel stuff.
Version 0.8.8 will have explicit passing of Session removed,
i.e. change the 0.8.7.x API, but still be compatible for the 0.8.6 calls.


*       Perl improvements February 2003

Try 'make pdemo' to see encoding support (Cp850 to Latin1,
for other see perl/encoding.pl), a sample standalone perl install tree,
support for 'indicators' (initial unnamed subfields)
and a non-nonsense way of spitting out XML.


*       0.8.7.4 January 2003

Experimental FDT support and preliminary (old-style),
but pretty usable Tcl bindung by Matthias included
(see tcl/test for how it works,
please contact us before using it for serious work).
Of course several fixes...

*       0.8.7.2/3 December 2002

No longer uses stdio but direct threadsafe buffered io (*snprintf still used).
Every session has their own buffered in, out and err streams,
which may be accessed w/o interlocking.

*       0.8.7.1 November 2002
The IO module is rewritten to use native windows calls for WIN32.
This also fixes some problems with read-only databases.
Error checking needs to be added; however, under wine,
it passes the standard test.
adjust make.mingw to fit your MINGW installation, then use
$
make WIN32=sigh test
$
*       October 19th 2002
The OpenIsis society ("Verein") has been founded with 15 members.
Chairman is Erik Grziwotz, other board members are Gabi Rohmann,
Ingo Struck and Thomas Sonnemann.
*       0.8.7 October 2002
Version 0.8.7 supports writing of DOS/WinIsis masterfiles and xrf.
This currently works fine for a single process on Linux. See
[17]writing.txt for details. Current TODOs: interlock multiprocess
writing (PHP, Perl CGI) and fix the windows and solaris versions.
Besides writing support, there is a new streaming record reader,
which groks various formats like the SYSPAR.PAR, email headers and
property files, so you can fill your db from such textfiles. Next
step: new indexing engine.
*       August 2002
No new software yet. Still very busy doing metawork. We are
preparing to set up an organisation to support OpenIsis
development with much more momentum and a company for professional
services like help on large scale ISIS installations. paperwork on
[18]the universal ISIS record
*       July 2002
some paperwork on [19]What is it about ISIS that makes it ISIS?
*       0.8.6 June 2002
This version supports basic formatting. While most, especially
graphical, features of WinISIS or CISIS formatting are not yet
supported (which are typically not used in a web environment
anyway), there is support for repeated subfields as declared by
MARC for many fields. See [20]formatting notes for details. The
perl binding supports formatting (see the test.pl), enhanced
versions for all those languages are to follow soon.
*       PHP June 2002
[21]Braulio José Solano Rojas from Costa Rica created a PHP
binding, which can be seen in action at [22]galileo. Available as
[23]download or from sourceforge module php-openisis. Also, the
[24]Institut Teknologi Bandung of Indonesia switched it's web
index to a PHP/OpenIsis based version.
*       0.8.5.2 March 2002
Much enhanced PERL binding. See the OpenIsis.pm included in the
sources.
*       0.8.5.1 March 2002
Java now has support for basic formatting modes like MHL, various
HTML-safety modes (like escaping all non-ASCIIs), a
[25]Vn-field-selector-style method and several nice utils.
Indentation is not properly handled, since there is no easy common
solution in HTML. Will build tools for a choice of standard
strategies later ...
*       0.8.5 March 2002
Finally some implementation of the query language ([26]demo). All
the operators are there (including /(tag), but not /(t1,t2...)).
Every attempt is made to limit the potential costs of even
extremely stupid queries like "$"^"$", so no historical (#n) or
intermediate results (for precedence) are stored. Queries are
processed strictly left to right on a buffer of 1000 hits.
*       0.8.4 January 2002
Nearly complete rewrite of search code with support for NEAR
conditions. Fixed alignment problems in IFP, now works with the
unesb db (-format aligned) and the cds db as distributed with
winisis.
The cds db we had with previous versions (from an old CDS
distribution) has a mixed format: aligned leaf files, others
unaligned. Although support for a mixed format is easily achieved
with openisis, it will not be included unless somebody has a need
for it (send us mail).
The JSP demo now supports [27]searching the unesb db with over
58.000 rows (note the hosting server is a 500MHz Celeron).
Searching is limited to 1000 postings, usually resulting in a
somewhat lower number of rows (where rows have multiple matching
postings). The lowest row number (MFN) that was cut off is
recorded, and it is possible (not yet in the JSP) to repeat the
search starting from that rowid.
*       0.8.3 October 2001
First truly usable release, since we have true search by index now
(as prefix or complete word). Search gives a list (array) of
sorted MFNs; arithmetic on those lists (and, or, not) is
straightforward. The JSP [28]demo shows how a query is refined
(narrowed) iteratively by ANDing it with a second query. And
thanks to Veronica Lencinas and colleagues, we have a version of
this document [29]en espanol.
*       September 2001
Not a new release yet, but maintenance and testing. New structure
logging mechanism. Sources are available via CVS at
[30]sourceforge. Windows version openisis.exe running.
*       0.8.2 August 2001
openisis now under [31]LGPL, no legacy code. Conversion from file
structures governed by abstract dynamic description rather than
C-structs, so we can support different file layouts, much larger
databases, big endian processors and more. Simple full-scan search
available in C-Lib and Java. Given a random read throughput of
about 30.000 Records/sec on a lame 300 MHz Notebook this seems to
be of practic use. jsp demo under [32]development ;).
*       0.8.1 June 2001
Java native interface version available. Java package org.openisis
has Db, Rec, Field, Test. NativeDb implemented in libopenjsis.so.
Subfield splitting and htmlifying in pure java.
*       0.8.0 May 2001
Subfield splitting and htmlifying. Everything also available from
perl as an xsub. Record shows up as hash, handy but no repeated
fields. Makefile.PL, test.pl etc.
*       0.7.9 May 2001
First version: static C-Library libopenisis.a for reading records
by rowid(Mfn). Executable "openisis" does test. Logging,
argumentparsing, Makefile, demo etc.

... ToDo
1	dpavlin	237	* 0.9.0 June 2003
2
3			The simple standalone server ois is provided,
4			currently single-threaded and non-windows only.
5			Run in the database directory, naming the databases to serve like
6			$
7			cd /my/db/dir
8			/opt/openisis/sto/ois cds unesb anotherdb
9			$
10			For a demo of query and read access, see php/query.
11			Other calls are now added to the Isis/Db.php and a like
12			plain perl module will follow soon.
13
14			Note, that the communications protocol probably is to undergo some
15			changes on the way to version 1.0, however,
16			the only intersting features still missing in this version are
17			- unicode collation support (which you might not need)
18			- views based indexing (but application based indexing is supported)
19			- new-style metadata (typically ignored in applications anyway)
20			so you may get by with this version for a fairly long time ...
21
22
23			* 0.8.9 May 2003
24
25			New
26			> Serialized plaintext database
27			passes all test. It's typically more than 10% smaller than the traditional,
28			has the same format on all platforms and no limits on field or record size.
29			It can be fixed with a text editor; the pointer file is rebuild automatically.
30			By default, it uses 4/3/1 pointers (4GB DB size, 16MB records).
31			See
32			> DbFiles
33			for how and when it's used. Create a text db using
34			$
35			sto/openisis -db db/cds/cds >db/cds/cds.txt
36			$
37
38			New plain PHP package features flexible "v" operator,
39			direct access to the plaintext database (using 4/4/0 pointers)
40			and isis database server access.
41			The OpenIsis Tcl server oits can be used like
42			$
43			bin/oits -db 1234 test/testsrv.tcl
44			$
45			a plain server is to follow soon ...
46
47
48			* 0.8.8 April 2003
49
50			Sort of a preview to stable version 0.9.
51
52			The C-API seems to be mostly stable now (but don't use the RecStream),
53			and there are not much known bugs (deleting index entries is broken;
54			fixed in current CVS version).
55			Yet, of course, features are going to be added ...
56
57			The Tcl-API now gives a good idea of what it's going to be,
58			but still will undergo some changes during the following month.
59			After that has settled down, Java, Perl and PHP will receive their upgrades.
60
61			Although there may be some changes until version 0.9,
62			it's recommended to start playing around with the Tk demo GUI, tisis,
63			and it's formatting TSPs (Tcl Server Pages),
64			that also can be used as CGIs (see demo.cgi).
65			Use
66			> /tar/test.tgz this little test database
67			(a copy of CDS recoded to Latin-1, with OpenIsis index and
68			a procedure to select index entries).
69
70			Also try dexml, which uses the TclXML package to convert ANY
71			valid XML input to ISIS records w/o loosing information!
72
73
74			* 0.8.7.5 April 2003
75
76			Last version of the 0.8.7.x developer series.
77			It contains all the developments of winter 03.
78
79			Version 0.8.7.5 is the last to contain all that devel stuff.
80			Version 0.8.8 will have explicit passing of Session removed,
81			i.e. change the 0.8.7.x API, but still be compatible for the 0.8.6 calls.
82
83
84			* Perl improvements February 2003
85
86			Try 'make pdemo' to see encoding support (Cp850 to Latin1,
87			for other see perl/encoding.pl), a sample standalone perl install tree,
88			support for 'indicators' (initial unnamed subfields)
89			and a non-nonsense way of spitting out XML.
90
91
92			* 0.8.7.4 January 2003
93
94			Experimental FDT support and preliminary (old-style),
95			but pretty usable Tcl bindung by Matthias included
96			(see tcl/test for how it works,
97			please contact us before using it for serious work).
98			Of course several fixes...
99
100			* 0.8.7.2/3 December 2002
101
102			No longer uses stdio but direct threadsafe buffered io (*snprintf still used).
103			Every session has their own buffered in, out and err streams,
104			which may be accessed w/o interlocking.
105
106			* 0.8.7.1 November 2002
107			The IO module is rewritten to use native windows calls for WIN32.
108			This also fixes some problems with read-only databases.
109			Error checking needs to be added; however, under wine,
110			it passes the standard test.
111			adjust make.mingw to fit your MINGW installation, then use
112			$
113			make WIN32=sigh test
114			$
115			* October 19th 2002
116			The OpenIsis society ("Verein") has been founded with 15 members.
117			Chairman is Erik Grziwotz, other board members are Gabi Rohmann,
118			Ingo Struck and Thomas Sonnemann.
119			* 0.8.7 October 2002
120			Version 0.8.7 supports writing of DOS/WinIsis masterfiles and xrf.
121			This currently works fine for a single process on Linux. See
122			[17]writing.txt for details. Current TODOs: interlock multiprocess
123			writing (PHP, Perl CGI) and fix the windows and solaris versions.
124			Besides writing support, there is a new streaming record reader,
125			which groks various formats like the SYSPAR.PAR, email headers and
126			property files, so you can fill your db from such textfiles. Next
127			step: new indexing engine.
128			* August 2002
129			No new software yet. Still very busy doing metawork. We are
130			preparing to set up an organisation to support OpenIsis
131			development with much more momentum and a company for professional
132			services like help on large scale ISIS installations. paperwork on
133			[18]the universal ISIS record
134			* July 2002
135			some paperwork on [19]What is it about ISIS that makes it ISIS?
136			* 0.8.6 June 2002
137			This version supports basic formatting. While most, especially
138			graphical, features of WinISIS or CISIS formatting are not yet
139			supported (which are typically not used in a web environment
140			anyway), there is support for repeated subfields as declared by
141			MARC for many fields. See [20]formatting notes for details. The
142			perl binding supports formatting (see the test.pl), enhanced
143			versions for all those languages are to follow soon.
144			* PHP June 2002
145			[21]Braulio José Solano Rojas from Costa Rica created a PHP
146			binding, which can be seen in action at [22]galileo. Available as
147			[23]download or from sourceforge module php-openisis. Also, the
148			[24]Institut Teknologi Bandung of Indonesia switched it's web
149			index to a PHP/OpenIsis based version.
150			* 0.8.5.2 March 2002
151			Much enhanced PERL binding. See the OpenIsis.pm included in the
152			sources.
153			* 0.8.5.1 March 2002
154			Java now has support for basic formatting modes like MHL, various
155			HTML-safety modes (like escaping all non-ASCIIs), a
156			[25]Vn-field-selector-style method and several nice utils.
157			Indentation is not properly handled, since there is no easy common
158			solution in HTML. Will build tools for a choice of standard
159			strategies later ...
160			* 0.8.5 March 2002
161			Finally some implementation of the query language ([26]demo). All
162			the operators are there (including /(tag), but not /(t1,t2...)).
163			Every attempt is made to limit the potential costs of even
164			extremely stupid queries like "$"^"$", so no historical (#n) or
165			intermediate results (for precedence) are stored. Queries are
166			processed strictly left to right on a buffer of 1000 hits.
167			* 0.8.4 January 2002
168			Nearly complete rewrite of search code with support for NEAR
169			conditions. Fixed alignment problems in IFP, now works with the
170			unesb db (-format aligned) and the cds db as distributed with
171			winisis.
172			The cds db we had with previous versions (from an old CDS
173			distribution) has a mixed format: aligned leaf files, others
174			unaligned. Although support for a mixed format is easily achieved
175			with openisis, it will not be included unless somebody has a need
176			for it (send us mail).
177			The JSP demo now supports [27]searching the unesb db with over
178			58.000 rows (note the hosting server is a 500MHz Celeron).
179			Searching is limited to 1000 postings, usually resulting in a
180			somewhat lower number of rows (where rows have multiple matching
181			postings). The lowest row number (MFN) that was cut off is
182			recorded, and it is possible (not yet in the JSP) to repeat the
183			search starting from that rowid.
184			* 0.8.3 October 2001
185			First truly usable release, since we have true search by index now
186			(as prefix or complete word). Search gives a list (array) of
187			sorted MFNs; arithmetic on those lists (and, or, not) is
188			straightforward. The JSP [28]demo shows how a query is refined
189			(narrowed) iteratively by ANDing it with a second query. And
190			thanks to Veronica Lencinas and colleagues, we have a version of
191			this document [29]en espanol.
192			* September 2001
193			Not a new release yet, but maintenance and testing. New structure
194			logging mechanism. Sources are available via CVS at
195			[30]sourceforge. Windows version openisis.exe running.
196			* 0.8.2 August 2001
197			openisis now under [31]LGPL, no legacy code. Conversion from file
198			structures governed by abstract dynamic description rather than
199			C-structs, so we can support different file layouts, much larger
200			databases, big endian processors and more. Simple full-scan search
201			available in C-Lib and Java. Given a random read throughput of
202			about 30.000 Records/sec on a lame 300 MHz Notebook this seems to
203			be of practic use. jsp demo under [32]development ;).
204			* 0.8.1 June 2001
205			Java native interface version available. Java package org.openisis
206			has Db, Rec, Field, Test. NativeDb implemented in libopenjsis.so.
207			Subfield splitting and htmlifying in pure java.
208			* 0.8.0 May 2001
209			Subfield splitting and htmlifying. Everything also available from
210			perl as an xsub. Record shows up as hash, handy but no repeated
211			fields. Makefile.PL, test.pl etc.
212			* 0.7.9 May 2001
213			First version: static C-Library libopenisis.a for reading records
214			by rowid(Mfn). Executable "openisis" does test. Logging,
215			argumentparsing, Makefile, demo etc.
216
217			... ToDo