Reference codes¶
Anton creates reference codes automatically. The standard scheme is described
here; how reference codes are formed can be changed per archive via the
identifier_generator setting:
| Value | Behaviour |
|---|---|
standard |
The scheme described below |
recordgroup_as_base |
Like standard, but with the recordgroup instead of the collection as the base |
id_identifier |
Consecutive number |
manual_identifiers |
No automatic assignment — the reference code is entered by hand |
Beyond this, an archive-specific way of forming reference codes can be programmed. The setting is chosen during set-up and cannot be changed in the admin area.
Levels of description¶
| Level of description | Example reference code | Description | May contain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collection | KRA | Comprehensive unit of an institution. Has no parent unit of description. | Recordgroup, Fonds |
| Recordgroup | not relevant to the reference code | Allows fonds to be ordered logically. | Recordgroup, Fonds |
| Fonds | KRA 3 | Unit of one provenance or one transfer. Fonds are numbered consecutively per collection. | Series, Class, File, Item |
| Class | not relevant to the reference code | Allows files to be ordered logically. | Series, Class, File, Item |
| Series | KRA 3/22 | Behaves like a file as far as reference codes are concerned | Series, File, Item |
| File | KRA 3/22 | Standard unit of description. Records, official registers and the like are described at file level. Files are numbered consecutively per fonds. | File, Item |
| Item | KRA 3/22.1 | Lowest level of description, for photographs or individual documents, for example. | Item |
Recordgroups, classes, series, files and items may contain units of their own kind (sub-files, for example). Fonds within fonds, by contrast, are not permitted.
For collection, recordgroup and class, Anton assigns no reference code — these levels are not relevant to the reference code and are labelled by hand where desired.
Reference code scheme¶
The reference code is composed of the collection abbreviation, the fonds number and the file and item numbers.
CollectionAbbreviation FondsNumber/FileNumber.ItemNumber
The file number and item number can be nested further. Each additional level is separated by a full stop.
Examples¶
KRA, 22/1.5 (collection KRA; fonds 22; series or file 1; sub-file or item 5)
Test, 1/1 (collection Test; fonds 1; series, file or item 1)
HDR, 25/4.7.5 (collection HDR; fonds 25; series or file 4; series or (sub-)file 7; sub-file or item 5)
Changing reference codes by hand¶
The automatically assigned reference code can be overwritten — the reference code field is an ordinary input field.
Reference codes are not unique
Anton does not enforce unique reference codes. If a reference code that has already been assigned is entered, a notice appears on saving with a reference to the affected records — but the record is saved nonetheless. The notice is deliberately non-blocking, because duplicates do occur in practice.
When a record is moved, the reference code remains unchanged. It has to be adjusted manually afterwards where necessary.
Former reference code¶
A separate former reference code field is available for superseded reference codes and file numbers. It is included in the full-text search.