It is possible to launch any kind of search in the web interface to I-Share without first signing on. Libraries who want to build dynamically updated search results into their library web pages, or to launch a connection to a particular catalog search page, can use the syntax described below.

Possible Applications

• web-based tutorials on searching the catalog
• a quick search form on a library web page
• current bibliographies of faculty publications represented in the catalog
• current subject references for topical web pages
• links to current status information from resource or new-title lists on the web
• links to reserve lists from instructors' web pages
• links to local holdings information from web-based bibliographic resources
• other creative things--let us know what you do!

Model URL A

Model URL B

(1) Server machine. Use "i-share.carli.illinois.edu" for production. Use "training.ilcso.illinois.edu" for training. Note that connections to "i-share.carli.illinois.edu/xxx" are load-balanced across multiple servers, for better performance.

(2) Institution designation. To connect to a particular institution's catalog, use the appropriate three-letter code.

(3) Search argument. Use a plus sign (+) between words, in place of spaces. If you're doing a Boolean (CMD) search, remember to use quotation marks as appropriate. In Keyword searches, including FT and CMD searches, remember to use the truncation symbol (?) as appropriate.

(4) Index. Use the appropriate code from the following table, or otherwise as defined in the System Administration of the database specified in part (2) of the URL. A plus sign (+) after a search code turns a left-anchored heading search into a browse search. An asterisk (*) after a search code enables relevance ranking of the results.

(5) QuickLimits. Use SL=None (or omit altogether) if not applying a QuickLimit. To apply a QuickLimit use SL=Submit and additional parameters from the table below. The limit value needs to be followed by the pipe (%7C or |) and a digit representing the relative position of the limit in the QuickLimit drop-down list of the database specified in part (2) of the URL. The first option listed after "None" is in position "0," the next option is in position "1." To launch a search with a limit option that is not listed on the database's drop-down list of QuickLimit options, use a number that is higher than the last limit option's position. That is, if there are five QuickLimit options in WebVoyage, numbered 0-4, use "5" for an unlisted limit option. In order for a QuickLimit option to be preselected when the user connects to the search page, the URL must contain the &Search_Arg= parameter (without a value) as well as the &SL= parameter. Within the &SL= parameter, use "%26" for &, "%3D" for =, and "%7C" for |, so that the whole string looks something like this:
&SL=Submit%26TYPE%3Dgm%7C4

(6) Records per page. Specify the maximum number of records to display per page in case multiple records match your search criteria.

(7) Bibliographic record number.

(8) View option, numbered from 1 to (at the most) 5 as the tabs display, left-to-right, on the single-record display pages. In I-Share libraries' default WebVoyage v1 is the Full View, v2 is the Brief View, v3 is the "More Like This" View, v4 is the Staff (MARC) View. The "=1" after the View specification means "first record in the set." Since the search is by bibliographic record number, only one record will be in the set, so the value is always 1. (It is possible to add something like "&v3=7" to a URL that executes a search and retrieves multiple records. In I-Share, "&v3=7" would display the seventh record retrieved in the "More Like This" View.)

Method

In general, the simplest method for building a re-executable URL-launched search is to:

• Perform the search you want in WebVoyage.
• Copy the URL the system builds for you.
• Paste that URL into some kind of text editor.
• Remove from that URL the &PID=##, &SEQ=##, and &HIST=## parameters.
• For course reserve searches, remove from the URL any &xxx=any parameters (&INST=any, &DEPT=Any, &CRSE=Any, or &SECT=Any)
• Add to that URL the parameter &DB=local

An excellent presentation on URL-launched searches in the Voyager environment was presented at the Voyager User Group Meeting in 2001: http://www.people.hbs.edu/hbloom/vugm2001/canned-searches.ppt.

Connecting Directly to Your Favorite Search Page

To the Quick Search page:

https://i-share.carli.illinois.edu/xxx/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=sbSearch

To the Advanced Search page:

https://i-share.carli.illinois.edu/xxx/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=bbSearch

To the Course Reserve Search Page:

https://i-share.carli.illinois.edu/xxx/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=rbSearch

Connecting "Directly" to the MyAccount Page (by way of the Login Page):

https://i-share.carli.illinois.edu/xxx/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=pbLogon