Value lists¶
Value lists feed the selection fields of the forms — object type, level of description, actor type, keyword type, conditions of access and others. They can be consulted in the application under Help → Value lists; that is at the same time the most reliable information about what applies in the particular archive.
Structure¶
Every value list is a taxonomy with entries. An entry has a technical name, which stays fixed, and a label per language, which is free. When cataloguing, the label is displayed; what is stored is the entry.
From this follows the most important point in dealing with value lists:
Renaming is harmless, deleting is not
The label of an entry can be changed at any time — existing records then simply show the new text. If an entry is removed, however, the records that use it lose their value.
Extensible or fixed¶
Not every value list may be added to. The difference is deliberate:
| Value list | Extensible? |
|---|---|
| Keyword type, place type, object type | yes — each archive according to its own needs |
| Level of description | no — it follows ISAD(G), and Anton calculates with it |
| Actor type | no — person, family, corporate body, department, group, software are anchored in the code |
With the fixed lists, the labels are nevertheless freely translatable. An archive can therefore call «corporate body» «organisation» — it just cannot extend the list itself.
Maintenance¶
Value lists are edited under Admin → Value lists. The levels of description and other system-related lists are reserved for superusers; with Anton as a Service, k & r is responsible for them.
Which value list feeds a selection field is determined by the form — the same field definition can point to different lists in different forms.
Protection periods¶
The conditions of access are a value list with a particularity: periods in years are attached to their entries. They are therefore maintained separately — see protection periods.