The document describes a project to create a web service and application to access publication information stored in M-Files. It involves developing a synchronization application to aggregate M-Files data and store it in a database, an OData web service to provide the data, and a prototype web application. Issues around standardizing property names across different conventions are also discussed. The next step is to create a web application integrated with UNEP's existing portal.

1. Conventions’ Publica
Service & Web Prototype
Sasha Mazurov
20 May 2014

2. Objectives
1.Create a web service to access information on
Conventions’ publications from M-Files
application
2.Develop a web application based on the
service that display the provided information
to public

3. M-Files
Distributed Windows file system that allows
to store additional properties (metadata)
with the corresponding file.
Properties: abstract, description, language,
keywords, publication date, …

4. Publication
A set of M-File objects with the same Un-number
property
• Each of this files differs by language and file
format. Language specific properties are
translated.
• This set have common properties. For example,
keywords, programmes, chemicals.

5. Properties
• Name or title (file name)
• Title
• Description – (short description in English) or Abstract/Summary
• Language – value list
• Programme/Subject Matter (related internal programme) – value list multi select
• Corporate Author
• Author(s)
• Web Published
• Chemical – value list multi select
• Pages (number of)
• PublicationDate-Year; PublicationDate-Month; PublicationDateDisplay
• Publication Symbol (should contain ISBN or equivalent)
• UN-number
• Terms (equivalent of keywords) – value list multi select

6. Web service
Based on OData standard which allows developers to
read publication’s information and use it in other
applications.

7. Architecture
M-Files
Synchronization Application
Database
Web ServiceWeb Application

8. Database schema
Generic properties solution: don’t need to change schema for adding new M-Files properties

9. Aggregates information from M-Files application and stores it in database
User configuration (App.config):
Connection String (path to database):
<connectionStrings>
<add name="PublicationsContext" connectionString="Data
Source=(LocalDB)v11.0;AttachDbFilename=f:sashaConventionsPublicationsSyncDataPublications.mdf;Integrated
Security=True;Connect Timeout=30" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</connectionStrings>
Configure what properties to store in database:
<appSettings file="PrivateSettingsUnep.config">
<add key="MFilesView" value="Web publications" />
<add key="PublicationProperties" value="Programme/Subject Matter;Chemical;Keyphrases"/>
<add key="LangPublicationProperties" value="Name or title;Title;Description;Author(s);Corporate Author;Pages (number
of);Publication Symbol;PublicationDateDisplay"/>
<add key="DefaultLanguage" value="English"/>
</appSettings>
Synchronization Application

10. Web application prototype

11. Issues
• Each Convention has separate set of properties. Usually
the properties with the same meaning in different
conventions has the same names (titles), but some of
them not. For example: “Chemical”, “Chemicals”, “All
chemical”; “Keywords”, “Keyphrases”. For convenience,
these names should be unified in all conventions.

12. Summary
• The following tools were developed
(https://github.com/mazurov/ConventionsPublications):
• Generic database schema for storing information from
M-Files
• Application for synchronizing M-Files and database
• OData web service to read information from database
• Prototype of the web application.
Next:
Create a web application for the existing UNEP portal in
collaboration with Zoi.net designer.