Using the Catalog Features in Arboreal

Task 1: Loading a catalog. Select Load catalog from the File menu.

When a new catalog is loaded, Arboreal adds the entries to a lookup table stored in memory. If a catalog entry maps an abstract URI that has already been defined, the entry in the new catalog overrides the previous definition. Once a document that has a locator has been loaded into memory, Arboreal considers the loaded version canonical and will access that version in lieu of referring to the catalog lookup table.

Task 2: Adding catalog entries. There are two ways of adding mappings to the current catalog within Arboreal:

1. If a document has already been loaded as a master text, it may be added to the current lookup table in memory by selecting Add to catalog from the File menu.

2. Most file choosers include a button labeled Add to catalog...; this button will be enabled if a file is selected in the chooser.

When adding XML files to the catalog, the file will be parsed, and metadata for the catalog will be extracted automatically. In the case of files where metadata is not available, the user will be prompted to enter the metadata manually. Arboreal uses the docspec system to determine the appropriate metadata elements for a file. If a locator is not specified for the file in a way that Arboreal recognizes, Arboreal uses the filename as the locator. (The docspec system is described in a separate document.)

Task 3: Saving a catalog file. A catalog file that contains all the entries that have been manually added within Arboreal can be saved by selecting Write new catalog from the File menu. This file will not include entries that have been loaded from other catalog files.