MARCView/MARConvert News

Open-Source Progress Report

In our last newsletter we announced our intention to provide the MARCView and MARConvert programs to the community as open-source, free and without obligation. We have identified a suitable sponsor and host for the source code, but are not yet able to make this public. Both parties are working to make the source code available as soon as possible.

The code will be covered by the Apache 2.0 license.

Until the source code finds a new home, you may continue to order MARCView from our ecommerce site. Please see the Order Page for prices and links. (We are no longer taking orders for MARConvert.)

We will continue to honor our support policies. For MARCView, we will support release 3.11 until the end of 2008, and the current release (3.12) for at least two years after your purchase. For MARConvert, support will be provided for five years after the initial delivery. All support is free.

We thank all our clients for their business and suggestions over the years. Sixteen years is a long run!

We will continue to provide ways to search and view MARC files through our MWeb Universal product (see next article).

MWeb Universal 1.2 Released

MWeb Universal provides web-based federated searching of multiple MARC21 files in their native format -- no need to convert or export. Any number of MARC files can be searched at once. All MARC files must be either bibliographic or authority, and encoded in either MARC-8 or UTF-8. (A later release will provide the ability to mix formats and encodings. UNIMARC and MARCXML will also be supported in a later release.)

Search features include keyword and phrase searching, boolean, truncation, and the ability to restrict searches to specific fields. In addition, searches can be restricted to subsets of the files, such as juvenilia, reference, records with specific fields, etc.

Images will show in MWeb search results and full records if they have URLs in the 856$u.

Each site may customize the searches, displays, and interface.

Low price with no annual fee. Free support is included.

For more information, see the MWeb Universal homepage at systemsplanning.com/mweb/universal.asp, which includes server requirements and ordering information.

MWeb Universal 2.0 Beta Program

MWeb Univeral 2.0 will provide web-based federated searching of multiple databases of different types, on multiple Windows servers anywhere. Databases are searched on their existing servers -- ideal for consortia because it avoids having to send files to a common point.

So far, it has been tested with these systems: SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, Access, Foxpro, PastPerfect-Online, MARC21 bibliographic files, MARC21 authority files, and MWeb Enterprise Databases.

We are now looking for sites to test this release. Your input would be highly valued! Please see the Beta Program page for more information.

More Information

For more information, please see the MARCView Homepage or the MARConvert Homepage.

We welcome all comments and suggestions!

MARCView, MARConvert, and MWeb are trademarks of Systems Planning.