Skip to main content
OCLC Support

Work with full text

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF
Find information about working with full text in the Project Client.

Use Full Text Search for transcripts of documents, letters, books, or other items that contain large amounts of text. When full text searching is enabled, users can search within compound objects and view page images and transcript text side by side in tabs. The CONTENTdm administrator can choose how the full text is displayed in the public interface by using the Website Configuration Tool.

To enable these features, the administrator must define a Full Text Search field by editing the collection field properties in CONTENTdm Administration.

CONTENTdm automatically extracts text from Portable Document Format (PDF) and Finding Aids and enters the data into the first full text field of a collection. For other file types, full text can be added using separate text files or OCR (requires the OCR Extension).

Transcript files

A transcript file is a text file that contains the text contained within the image. If you are using the OCR Extension for the Project Client, you can generate text transcripts while you are adding the item into your project. For more information, see Optical Character Recognition (OCR). If you have multiples files to add with metadata already contained in a database, see Import data from another database.

If you are using a transcript file with full text searching enabled, users can search within compound objects and view page images and transcript text side by side in tabs. The CONTENTdm administrator can also choose how the full text is displayed in the public interface by using the Website Configuration Tool.

Use Metadata Templates to specify a directory

Metadata Templates can be used to import transcripts for single files and multiple files. For more information about using Metadata Templates, see Use Metadata Templates.

Specify a directory in the Metadata Templates:

  1. The CONTENTdm administrator may wish to add a new field especially for the transcript. See Edit field properties.
  2. Confirm that the transcript files are named with the same root name as the image files. From the Project menu, select Project Settings Manager and then click Metadata Templates.
    • For example, the transcript file for item.tif is item.txt.
  3. In the selected template for the item or object types to be added, set the field where you wish to add the transcript to Directory Import.
  4. Click Yes to browse to the directory that contains the text files.
  5. Select the directory, and then click OK
  6. ClickOK to close the template and then click OK to save your changes and close the Project Settings Manager.
  7. Add the item(s).

Use a Compound Object Wizard to import transcript files from a directory

All compound object wizards provide an option for importing transcript files. All compound object wizards provide the transcript option within the Page Information screen.

Import transcript files from a directory:

  1. The administrator must edit field properties of the collection to allow full text searching. The administrator might add a separate field to contain the transcript file.
  2. From the left task bar on the Home tab or the Project tab, click Add Compound Objects.
  3. On the Page Information screen, select Import transcript files from a directory.
  4. Click Browse and select the directory that contains the transcript files. Click OK.
  5. To review the compound object, after the compound object is added to your project,& open the compound object in a new tab by double-clicking the thumbnail in the project spreadsheet.

Import text files into a specified metadata field

Use the Add Text File feature when you need to add text transcripts to items that have already been added to your collection. Search the collection from your Project Client project by using the Find in Collection tab, add the items to the project, then add text to one item at a time by following the steps below.

  1. From the Project tab, right-click in the full text field of the item and select Add Text File. Or open an item by double-clicking the item thumbnail. The item is opened in a new tab.
  2. From the Editmenu, select Add Text File. The Import Text File dialog displays.
  3. Click Browseto locate the text file.
  4. Select the text file and click Open.
  5. Select the metadata field that will display the contents of the text file.
  6. Select the correct encoding for the text file.
  7. Click OKto close the dialog and add the text file to the selected field.