Connexion ComparisonClient or Browser?

Fran JuergensmeyerWaukegan Public Library

2nd Annual WILIUG ConferenceJune 16, 2006

Cataloging from A (Authority) to C (Connexion)

What are the two versions of Connexion?

• Client – separate program on your computer

• Browser – accessed through a browser, such as Internet Explorer

What is the same?

Content – Both use OCLC’s full database, so any records that you can access in one, you can access in the other. Dublin Core records and local holdings for serials are exceptions – they can only be accessed through the browser.

What is the same?

Browsing for bibliographic records:

Client

Browser

What is the same?

Searching for bibliographic records:

Command line searches – ISBN, OCLC number, derived searches

Client

Browser

What is the same?

Searching for bibliographic records:Keyword searches – combine up to three words or phrases in different fields (can be saved using “Retain Search” checkbox)

Client

Browser

What is the same?

Searching for bibliographic records:Limiting Searches – limit by language, format, year, or other criteria (can be saved using “Retain Search” checkbox)

Client

Browser

What is the same?

Working with bibliographic records:Derive a new recordClient Browser

What is the same?

Working with bibliographic records:Full-text editingClient

Browser

What is the same?

Working with bibliographic records:Help for fixed fields and MARC formatClient

Browser

What is the same?

Working with bibliographic records:Validating records (although there were differences in the settings for automatic validation before Client v1.5)

Client

Browser

What is the same?

Working with bibliographic records:Controlling headings – blue headings are linked to the appropriate authority record

Client Browser

What is the same?

Working with bibliographic records:Exporting records

Client Browser

What is the same?

Working with bibliographic records:Setting and deleting holdings

Client Browser

What is the same?

Browsing for authority records:Client

Browser

What is the same?

Searching for authority records:

Command line searches – keyword and scan searches

Client

Browser

What is the same?Searching for authority records:Keyword searches – combine up to five words or phrases in different fields (can be saved using “Retain Search” checkbox)Client

Browser

What is the same?

Working with authority records:Derive a new recordClient Browser

What is the same?

Working with authority records:Full-text editingClient

Browser

What is the same?Working with authority records:

Help for fixed fields and MARC formatClient

Browser

What is the same?

Working with authority records:

Validating records

Client

Browser

What is the same?

Working with authority records:Exporting records

Client Browser

What is the same?

Saving records:Client Browser

What is different?

• Client – Separate software must be installed, and reinstalled with each upgrade. Upgrades are less frequent and must be downloaded and installed separately.

• Browser – Can be used at any computer with Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher (6.0 recommended), Netscape Navigator 7.0 or higher (7.2 recommended), Mozilla 1.0.1 or higher, or Firefox 1.0 or higher. Upgrades are more frequent and automatic.

What is different?

• Client – Easier to switch between a single record and a list, or between multiple records. Users can have multiple records open at once, and can switch back and forth or tile them easily.

• Browser – More difficult to switch between records and lists. Unless the user has multiple browser windows open, there is no way to open multiple OCLC records.

What is different?

• Client – Displays export information, showing responses received from the user’s catalog.

• Browser – Cannot display export information.

What is different?

• Client – Can be customized with icon toolbars, colors, and text size in records and lists.

• Browser – Cannot use special toolbars beyond what is available for the browser. Flexibility in colors and text size are also limited by the browser’s capability.

What is different?

• Client – Most commands can be executed with either mouse or keyboard. Additional macros and keymaps can be used to increase keyboard capabilities. Also, most keyboard commands are listed by the commands in the menus.

• Browser – Cannot use macros or keymaps beyond what is available for the browser. Keyboard commands are limited and many cannot be changed. Those that cannot be changed are only listed in the documentation on OCLC’s Website.

What is different?

• Client – Single type of record display.

• Browser – Can choose MARC template view or MARC text area view. Also, records can be edited in Dublin Core view and exported in Dublin Core HTML and Dublin Core RDF/XML formats

What is different?

• Client – Has “Find and Replace” command. Starting with 1.4, a spell-checker was included.

• Browser – Can use the browser’s “Find” command, but text cannot be automatically replaced.

What is different?

• Client – Both online and local save files are supported. Records in local save file do not age.

• Browser – Only online save file is available.

What is different?

• Client – Bibliographic records can include non-Latin script, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hebrew, Cyrillic, Greek, Thai and Tamil scripts.

• Browser – Only Latin scripts are available.

What is different?

• Client – Can create new records, edit saved records, and validate offline.

• Browser – Can only work when connected to OCLC.

What is different?

• Client – Can add or delete holdings by OCLC record number from a list. Can also search for records in batches using any index. The results of batch searches are saved to a local file.

• Browser – Can only work on individual records.

What is different?

• Client – No access to local holdings records.

• Browser – Can create and edit local holdings records.

Which should you use --

Client or Browser?

Useful URLs -- Connexionhttp://www.oclc.org/connexion/interface/chart/

Useful URLs -- Connexionhttp://www.oclc.org/support/tips/connexion/

Useful URLs -- Connexionhttp://www.oclc.org/support/documentation/connexion/

browser/gettingstarted/keycomparison/keycomparison.pdf

Useful URLs -- Browserhttp://www.oclc.org/support/training/connexion/browser/tutorial/

Useful URLs -- Browserhttp://www.oclc.org/connexion/support/browser_known_problems.htm

Useful URLs -- Browserhttp://www.oclc.org/support/documentation/connexion/browser/

gettingstarted/options_keyboard/Default.htm#gs-keystroke-options

Useful URLs -- Clienthttp://www.oclc.org/support/training/connexion/client/tutorial/

Useful URLs -- Clienthttp://www.oclc.org/connexion/support/

client_known_problems.htm

Useful URLs -- Clienthttp://www.oclc.org/connexion/support/macros.htm