[OAI-implementers] Perl oai modules

[Tim Brody]

Hi all,

I've uploaded a new version of my oai-perl libraries to CPAN, as HTTP-OAI.

These aren't related to Zeno's patches, which I'll eventually integrate 
into the changes I've made here with Celestial.

Compared to the sourceforge versions (linked from openarchives.org):

- Uses XML::LibXML (DOM 2 API)
- SAX handler & generator
- Support for plugable metadata classes, included are Dublin Core, 
OAI_Eprint and OAI Identifier schemes (so you can access oai_dc using 
Perl hashes)
- Support for OAI static repositories
- Supports OAI versions 1.0 through static 2.0
- Moved to HTTP::OAI::* (won't clobber existing installations)

An example implementation is included for creating a CGI gateway to a 
static repository file.

To install:
perl -MCPAN -e "install HTTP::OAI"

This installs the oai_browser.pl script that allows command-line 
browsing of OAI repositories.

These modules represent very similar functionality to Ed Summer's 
Net::OAI::Harvester for harvesting, but with support for constructing 
OAI responses (the repository side). I hope (!) they are also more 
resilient to repository weirdness.

I use these libraries with Citebase/Celestial, but are still in 
development (hence not going into the main CPAN tree yet).

Comments, suggestions welcome!

Tim Brody
- Citebase Search, http://citebase.eprints.org/