The document discusses strategies for presenting and searching structured data, specifically in academic settings such as universities. It emphasizes the automation of publication, presentation, and intuitive search capabilities while sharing examples from various institutions on how they've integrated systems like Peoplesoft and content management solutions. The challenges include managing multiple data sources and ensuring ease of maintenance while providing a responsive, user-friendly interface.

1. The Aviva Stadium Dublin, 21-22 November 2013

2. The following slides are not just about course
search!
It’s about organising and presenting STUFF!

3. • Projects are not just about “building a site”
• Often get requests for presentation and searching of
structured data
• More than just “web search”
• Main examples: Course search / People Directories
• Lots of data of same/similar layout
• Coming from many different sources
• CMS, Student Mgt system, LDAP, Research systems
• Challenge:
• How to automate publication
• Presentation (responsive)
• Provide intuitive search
• Ease of maintenance / update

4. • Houston Community College - Multiple external sources, Data & Web Object,
Content Syncer , PeopleSoft
www.hccs.edu/finder/
• University of St Mark & St John - JavaScript Search
http://www.marjon.ac.uk/courses/
• University of Portsmouth – keywords and all data in CMS
http://www.port.ac.uk/courses/
• University of Derby – PHP searching XML, all data in CMS
http://www.derby.ac.uk/courses/
• University of East London – JSP & XML, data in CMS
http://experts.uel.ac.uk/course-search/
• Sacred Heart Faculty Pages - Content Sync from phone DB
http://www.sacredheart.edu/facultystaffdirectory/
• SAIC Profile pages - built from LDAP and CMS
http://www.saic.edu/profiles/
• SAIC – Course Search, PeopleSoft & Syncer
http://www.saic.edu/coursesearch/
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5. 240,000 course combos output via Site Manager
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6. • Taking data from both PeopleSoft and a legacy
course system in CSV format & via MySQL.
• Syncing this with SiteManager to push out 2500
courses and 300 programs with scheduling.
• Requirements and credit information all of which is
searchable and filterable by PHP.
• Also combining the content syncer with the data
object to further refine the output of the possible
240,000 course combos!
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8. All Program information is being published to one file
using the Publish to one file Navigation object.
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http://www.marjon.ac.uk/courses/
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9. Classes are added to TERMINALFOUR Site Manager as Content; 1
class = 1 piece of Content. The Content Type has an alternative
Content Layout which is used to format the Content Layout as XML.
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10. The programs are
displayed on the
page with the
text/html layout.
This layout links to
a fulltext layout
when you link on
the course name.
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11. The rest is then is all JavaScript.
Notice how the listing changes when you select a filter.
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12. Type in word in the search box, the listing
changes as well.
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13. When a program is added in Site Manager, there are 2
lists, one for Letter and another for program type –
Undergraduate, postgraduate.
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http://www.port.ac.uk/courses/
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14. The program Content Type contains a list which is made up of
entries (A – Z). When adding a program the user selects a letter
which corresponds to the course.
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15. On the program page, they have the same list as the
program Content Type; which is used to display what is
displayed at that point. The Content Type has a Keyword
Content Search Navigation object in it.
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16. Keyword Content Search Navigation Objects Is used to
display content which matches set criteria.
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17. The program Search Functionality is PHP. PHP is used to
search the XML produced by Site Manager. Site Manager
outputs a Page Layout as PHP this page layout has one
function and that is to search the XML file.
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http://www.derby.ac.uk/courses/
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18. Programs are added to Site Manager as Content; 1 program = 1
piece of Content. The Content Type has an alternative Content
Layout which is used to format the Content Layout as XML.
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19. Filters use a mixture of xpath & filtering through returned arrays.
Predictive text is based off Program Name within the
program Content Type, it will match from three letters
upwards.
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20. Search function is JSP, this was custom built by Terminalfour and
controls the filters and what content is displayed
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http://experts.uel.ac.uk/course-search/
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21. Programs are added as content using a Undergraduate and
Postgraduate Content Type’s. These Content Types have alternative
Content Layout that are used to format the content as XML.
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22. All Program information is being published to one file using the
Publish to one file Navigation object.
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23. Content displayed on
the following page is
another alternative
layout.
http://experts.uel.ac.uk
/course-search/ .
When you click on
program name it takes
you to the normal
Content Layout
text/html.
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