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November 2013

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From:
John Chapman <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
MarcEdit support in technical and instructional matters <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 22 Nov 2013 16:55:28 -0500
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Hello Mary-Frances, 

The Metadata API is designed to support an online-cataloging model, where you 
are reading, enhancing, and then replacing WorldCat records. The workflow you 
are attempting is closer to the model supported by our batchload services, which 
do not actually directly replace but instead merge records that have been edited 
in a local system.

The 005 check that is preventing this replacement is the way that we check on 
whether the master record being replaced has changed since the incoming 
"replace version" was read from the master record. If it doesn't match, but we 
allow the replace, then we have the potential of record edits being stomped on. 
Normally, the scenario that we are trying to prevent would involve an 005 
coming in that was an older timestamp than the one on the master record; in 
this case it is newer.

Overall, we are trying to balance a web service design that is as close as 
possible to the "RESTful" ideal of get/put - read/update/replace - with the 
"versioning" capability of the MARC 21 standard, which is sadly lacking. When 
two catalogers are working on the same record, we need a way of knowing 
which changes to accept. 

If you have further questions on the API, please let me know.

-John

John Chapman
Product Manager, WorldShare Metadata
OCLC, Inc.
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