New Features in EPrints 3.2

DRAFT DOCUMENT (not yet approved by whole EPrints 3.2 team)

EPrints Edit locking

Allows you to lock editing to certain users and sessions

Expected: Beta 1

Plug-in Based Storage Layer and Storage Controller

The EPrints Storage Layer is evolving to enable easy plug-and-plug with many storage platforms including local and multiple institutional storage as well as cloud storage. The Storage Controller enables you to use multiple storage platforms simultaneously, define rules for what is stored on each platform and also manage these platforms and migrate resources between platforms as required. More information, including the current API, can be found on the StorageController page.

Expected: Beta 1

SWORD 2 (1.3 Specification Support)

Conforming to the new standards set out by the SWORD project, EPrints 3.2 will include compatibility for the new features.

Expected: Beta 1

Preservation Planning Capabilities

Allows EPrints to be linked with file classification tools (primarily DROID) and risk analysis services (PRONOM) which can then not only profile the content of your repository but also identify risks to objects contained within it.

More information on this can be found on the Preservation in EPrints 3.2 page.

Expected: Beta 1

Arbitrary metadata linking capabilities

Allows the user to expand their data model with custom predicates which link a resources with other resources. Such an example include the derivedFrom predicate which we are already using.

Expected: Beta 1

docx,xslx,pptx MS Office XML compatability

Upon upload of these file types EPrints 3.2 will automatically fill in much of the metadata such as title, authors and abstract if possible. 3.2 will also be able to pull these files apart offering optional access to the content within them such as embedded pictures.

Expected: Beta 1 (tentative)

Enhancements to repository web site management

Taking on the push of 3.1 to make it easy for the repository manager to edit and change the repository configuration without needing access to the configuration files themselves, we are taking that another step further. Coming in 3.2 we intend to allow full look and feel (branding) editing of the main EPrints web pages and templates to be done externally to EPrints in tools such Dreamweaver and Amaya. There will also be a complementary way of uploading new image files.

This editing capability is also complemented by two links which appear on certain pages enabling the administrator to directly edit the page look and feel as well as the phrases on that page.

Expected: Beta 1

Abstract Page Improvements

Lightboxes have been added to the abstract pages for easier previewing of documents.

Expected: Beta 1

User definable datasets

Allows you to expand the core EPrints data model with whole new types of data and datasets which can be indexed and used in searches.

Expected: Beta 1 (command line only)

IR Stats

Institutional Repository stats are becoming an even more important part of the repository and we hope to have these in the final 3.2 release.

Expected: Beta 2

EPrints Scheduler

Allows tracking of events which happen as well as scheduling new events which need to take place to maintain your repository. Investigation is under way into the power of such a system and if it can be interfaced with desktop calendar programs such as iCal and Google Calendar.

Expected: Beta 2

Shelves of EPrints

No details to be released on this yet

Expected: Beta 2 (tentative)

Issues Raising and Resolving Tool

No description currently

Expected: Beta 2 (tentative)