About RIMMF 3

This is version 3 of the software.

Go here for a list of the main changes that were made between version 1 and version 2. Here is a list of the main changes that have been made since version 2.

• 'Records' created in RIMMF2 must be converted to RIMMF3; records created in RIMMF1 must first be converted to RIMMF2 and then to RIMMF3; records created in RIMMF3 are not compatible with RIMMF2 or RIMMF1.

• Links between records are now colored blue; like hyperlinks, doubleclick on the link to open the corresponding record (in RIMMF1, links were grey and required a right-click followed by a menu selection to open)

• Access points in RIMMF records have been replaced with 'live links'; whenever any component of an access point changes (for example, the 'Date of Death' for a Person record), all references to that access point are immediately updated with the new data

• As a result of the above, Access Points are no longer editable in RIMMF2; one edits an access point's components instead of the access point itself

• To support this new thinking about access points, we have added a new column called 'AAP' to the RIMMF record form¹⁾; this column contains a checkbox if the corresponding element may be used in an AAP (Authorized Access Point); else it is blank. If it is checked, then that element will be used to build the AAP in the current record.

• To control which elements have their AAP checkbox selected by default, go to 'Tools|Setup|Edit AP Profile', and configure the defaults for each entity.

• To test out this new AAP functionality, open a record, select some AAP checkboxes, and click on the Text column of the AAP element–the program will then rebuild the AAP according to the current state of the AAP checkboxes.

• RIMMF2 also includes a 'VAP Generator'–Variant Access Points are automatically generated from the appropriate elements in PFC²⁾ records whenever the AAP is doubleclicked.

• Two new columns especially for catalogers have been added to the RIMMF record form: 'Source' and 'Data Entry [Instructions]'; each column contains very short (perhaps cryptic) phrases designed to tell the cataloger where to look on the resource, and how to record the data for an element, respectively. Both columns link to this wiki for fuller explanation.

• The 'Search LC' function³⁾, accessible by pressing <F3>, is now more tightly integrated with RIMMF, making the import of 'Authority' records more useful in building FRBR relationships. When performing a search, the current Entity Index is always searched first, and if hits are found, a link to those hits will be displayed.

• When adding a new authority to a record (eg. adding a Creator to a Work), one may right-click the RIMMF Identifier (as if one wanted to link to an existing authority), launch the 'Search LC' form, select a record, and that record will be added to your RIMMF collection and linked to the element that you originally started from (CreatorOfTheWork)

• A new column has been added to the Entity Index named 'Links'; it simply counts the number of links (Link From's) that exist in a record; if the record's entity is PFC (Person, Family, CorporateBody), then it counts the number of Link To's.

• A simple 'Search' option has been added to the Entity Index; it may be slow as it searches all the text in each record without the aid of an index.

• Several browse indexes have been constructed from the Entity Index to facilitate 'type-ahead' (or incremental search) behavior during data entry in these elements: Title Proper (Manifestation), Preferred Name (in the Person, Family, and CorporateBody entities)

• the File|Reopen menu now includes an option added to show the record's primary AAP (Authorized Access Point) instead of the record's control number

• When viewing a Work that is part of a WEMI 'set', a new menu option–File|Open all records in set–will open all of the records in that set

• MARC mapping is greatly improved, both in functionality and in the user interface. MARC Mapping now has a separate form(at the bottom of the screen), unlike RIMMF1 where it was bundled into the record itself.

• A 'MARC view' is now available, so that you may get an idea of how the current record will look in MARC (using the current MARC mapping); just press <Ctrl>M

• The 'Build WEM' process may now be restarted from any Manifestation–just press <F10>

• The <Enter> key may now be used to quickly scroll through the Text column of a record.

• Simply doubleclicking in an item in the RTree or the Entity Index will now open the record for that item

• A new column in the RTree–containing a simple checkbox–can be used to select records for export; clicking in the column header will select all of the records listed in the relationship tree; pressing 'Export' will produce a single file (archive) of those records (which you might email to a colleague, etc.)

• We have added a complete list of all special key assignments in RIMMF: select 'Help|Function keys' in any record to display this list

• User customizations to the elements are now saved in a separate table, so updating the program does not blow them away (as in version 1)

• Another new tool has beend added under the 'Admin' menu: 'RIMMF Global fix'; this is quite a dangerous tool and should not be used until you have opened a raw RIMMF text record in an editor and gotten an idea of the syntax that is being used. It does have a 'Pretend' mode, however, which lists the changes that will be made without making them.

• We have started to add support for Metadata to RIMMF2, but it is currently in a fledgling state (to access this feature, right-click on the Label (not the Text) of the element for which you want to make a note).