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Version: 2.0

iAH: Display Customization

Similar to the standard OPAC, the way search results and individual records are presented in the iAH interface is entirely controlled by the ISIS Formatting Language (PFT). This gives administrators granular control over the layout, fields, and formatting of the information displayed to the user, allowing for a rich and intuitive user experience.

PFTs for Different Display Contexts​

The iAH interface uses a set of PFT files to define how records are displayed in different contexts:

  • Short Display: A concise, single-line format used in the list of search results.
  • Full Display: The detailed view of a single record, showing all relevant bibliographic information when a user selects an item.
  • Other Formats: iAH may also use specific PFTs for other features, like generating citation formats or exporting records.

How to Customize iAH Display Formats​

The customization process involves editing the specific PFT files associated with the iAH interface for each database.

  1. Locate the PFTs: These files are typically found within the pfts directory of the database being configured, often in a language-specific subdirectory (e.g., /var/opt/ABCD/bases/your_db/pfts/en/). The files used by iAH will have specific names, which can be identified in the iAH configuration files.
  2. Edit the PFT file: Open the relevant PFT file in a text editor to modify its content.

PFT Example for a Full Display:

You can design the HTML structure and include the desired fields. For instance, to display the title, author, and subject:

<div class="record">
    <h2>v245^a, ':', v245^b</h2>
    <p><strong>Author:</strong> v100^a</p>
    <p><strong>Subjects:</strong></p>
    <ul>
        (if p(v650) then '<li>'v650'</li>' fi/)
    </ul>
</div>
  • This example creates a div for the record.
  • It displays the title (field 245, subfields a and b) in an <h2> heading.
  • It shows the author (field 100, subfield a) with a bold label.
  • The (if p(v650) then ... fi/) structure creates a repeating block that lists all occurrences of the subject field (650) as items in an unordered list (<ul>).

This level of control allows for the creation of sophisticated and well-structured record displays that can include links, images, and other dynamic content, fully leveraging the advanced capabilities of the iAH interface.