Template Construction
A working understanding of the FGDC CSDGM is needed to create a template (or multiple templates for multiple data types). These templates are kept and maintained locally on your system as well as uploaded to the server for use with the metadata builder application. A new template for a particular data type is warranted when the labor of building a new template is less than the continued use of an existing template.
Templates must be plain text. A template is created by writing a metadata record that contains special tags. Each tag specifies an input field. Values entered into each of the resulting input fields replaces the associated tags in the template to produce a completed metadata record. The tags resemble HTML tags with a tag name and several attributes.
The suggested process for creating a template is as follows:
- Review your organizations metadata standard and the CRP Regional GIS Metadata standard to determine what fields are mandatory.
- Use the default CRP GIS metadata template, or using an existing default metadata template you have for your organization. The default CRP template can be found here (right click and save as for file).
- Add all static information to your template
- Identify the portions of text or the fields that will vary from record to record and replace them with tags formatted according to the following:
<?meta tag_name=" " type=" " label=" " value=" " [fgdc=" "] meta?> - Upload your XML file:
Each attribute (type, label, value, and fgdc) must be followed by an equal sign and a value in double quotes. Do not use double quotes in an attribute's content!
Creating Tags
The tag_name must be unique to the value you want inserted into the record.
The type attribute must be one of textbox, textarea, checkbox, select, or fgdc_list.
| Tag type | Description |
|---|---|
| textbox | A single-line, text entry field. |
| textarea | A multi-line, text entry field. |
| checkbox | The value will be included in the metadata record if the checkbox is checked. |
| select | Comma delimited values will be presented as options in a pull-down menu. |
| simple_list |
A multi-line, text entry field containing a list of items. Entries must be one per line. Each line will be added to a comma-separated list in the resulting record. |
| fgdc_list |
A multi-line, text entry field containing a list of items. Entries must be one per line. Each line is added to the resulting metadata record after the associated FGDC attribute value. |
The label will show up as the label for your input field.
The value attribute will contain the default content for the field. For text entry fields, the value may also be instructions to the user about how to fill the field correctly, or it can be left empty if no default value is desired. In a select tag, the value attribute should contain a comma-separated list of the items to appear in the pull-down menu.
The fgdc attribute is applicable to the fgdc_list tags, only. It must be supplied in an fgdc_list tag. The value for this attribute must be an FGDC field name exactly as it appears in the CSDGM. The value of this attribute, like Place_Keyword, will be added before each item entered in the associated data-entry field.
Tag Examples
An example of a textbox tag for the Originator field:
<?meta tag_name="originator" type="textbox" value="NOAA Coastal Services
Center" label="Originator" meta?>
That tag would produce an input field.
Example textarea tag:
<?meta tag_name="use_constraints" type="textarea" value="None"
label="Use constraints:" meta?>
Example checkbox tag:
<?meta tag_name="use_this_string" type="checkbox" value="text to insert"
label="Include this or not?" meta?>
Example select tag:
<?meta tag_name="name_of_list" type="select" value="1,2,3,4"
label="Pick one:" meta?>
Example fgdc_list tag:
<?meta tag_name="placekey" type="fgdc_list" value="Enter place keywords -
separated by newline." label="placekey"
fgdc="Place_Keyword" meta?>
