Creating Controlled Vocabulary Lists
- The easiest way to create a controlled vocabulary list is to work directly in Notepad ++. Enter each term on a separate line. CONTENTdm will arrange the file alphabetically upon import, so the order of terms is not important.
- If you have been given a file in Word, save it as type “Plain Text (*.txt)” and then open in Notepad ++.
- Enter and/or edit your controlled vocabulary terms.
- When you are finished, click the “Encoding” tab and select “Encode in UTF-8 without BOM” (important!)
- Save your file. This may be done directly on the CONTENTdm server at path \\cluseau\collections\ControlledVocab\. Select (or create) the folder for the appropriate collection and give the file a descriptive name.
- Next call up the CONTENTdm web admin interface.
- Choose the collection you're working with and click on the “Collections” tab.
- Then click on the “Field Properties” option.
- Choose "edit" for the field in which you'd like to add the controlled vocabulary.
- On the subsequent editing screen, change the “Controlled vocabulary” radio button to “Yes.”
- When the “Select and share controlled vocabulary” pane appears, click “Import vocabulary from a file on the server.”
- Enter the path name for your file, e.g. \\cluseau\collections\ControlledVocab\[Collection Name]\[filename.txt].
- Choose “Do not share this controlled vocabulary.”
- Save your changes.
- You may now view the controlled vocabulary list either within the Project Client or web admin (choose “Administer controlled vocabulary” and “Browse” from the edit window). Terms can also be added or deleted from web admin.
Editing and Replacing Controlled Vocabularies in CONTENTdm
- Copy the original controlled vocabulary file from the server (see above for the path).
- Open the file using Notepad ++.
- Edit the file.
- When you are finished, click the “Encoding” tab and make certain it is “Encode in UTF-8 without BOM” (important!)
- Once you have finished editing, use the “save as” function to replace the original file on the server.
- Call up the CONTENTdm web admin interface.
- Choose the collection you're working with and click on the “Collections” tab.
- Next click on the “Field Properties” option. You are now going to replace the old vocabulary with the new one.
- Choose "edit" for the field in which you'd like to replace the controlled vocabulary.
- On the subsequent editing screen, change the “Controlled vocabulary” radio button to “No” and save the changes. The existing vocabulary list will be deleted.
- Click “edit” for the field again. Then change the “Controlled vocabulary” radio button to “Yes.”
- When the “Select and share controlled vocabulary” pane appears, click “Import vocabulary from a file on the server.”
- Enter the path name for your file, e.g. \\cluseau\collections\ControlledVocab\[Collection Name]\[filename.txt].
- Choose “Do not share this controlled vocabulary.”
- Save your changes.
- You may now view the controlled vocabulary list either within the Project Client or web admin (choose “Administer controlled vocabulary” and “Browse” from the edit window). Terms can also be added or deleted from web admin.
For more information, consult the tutorial at http://www.contentdm.org/help6/collection-admin/fields3.asp.
6/12/14 D. Kulczak / J. Dean
