Semantics of Abstract URIs

When Arboreal encounters a potentially abstract URI, it uses the following lookup behavior:

1. Arboreal checks to see if the URI is mapped in the current catalog. If it is, Arboreal considers the URI to be equivalent to the mapped URI.

2. If the URI is not mapped in the current catalog, Arboreal treats it as a real URI.

Example 1: A user clicks on a link with the target 007/01/002.jpg. A catalog file has been loaded that maps this abstract URI onto

http://archimedes.fas.harvard.edu:8080/docuserver/digitallibrary/digilib.jsp?007-01-pageimg+2

Arboreal opens a web browser window displaying the page image in Digilib.

Example 2: A user clicks on a link with the target 007/01/002.jpg. This URI is not mapped in the current catalog. Arboreal treats the URI as relative to the location from which the current document was loaded.