1. Paper Overview
Introduction to FISH and MIDAS
MIDAS XML
Heritage Exchange Protocol
Data Validation Tool
Conclusions

2. Forum for Information Standards in Heritage:
FISH and MIDAS
Forum for Information Standards in Heritage:
English Heritage
The National Trust
The Archaeology Data Service
Scottish and Welsh Royal Commissions
Many others…
MIDAS: Monument Inventory Data Standard
Data standard used throughout UK for Monument Inventories
Ten years development and use
Used for monuments and related information including:
Related Events
Related References
Cultural Heritage and Monument Management

3. MIDAS XML and the FISH Toolkit
Initiative by FISH to create interoperability ‘Toolkit’ for heritage professionals:
XML schemata
Data Validators
Exchange Protocols
MIDAS XML
Improved version of MIDAS
Formalised Structure
XML Encapsulated

4. XML Technology Overview
Open standard:
Well used, well documented & well supported
Text based:
XML files are human-readable and logically organised
Can be viewed/editing using simple text editor
Designed for encapsulation and exchange:
XML can contain one monument or entire HER
Designed for interoperability
Formally structured:
XML schema dictates structure
Structural capabilities contribute to future development

5. MIDAS XML Design Philosophy
Keep it Simple
Identify and standardise common components
Re-use existing terminology wherever possible
Keep it Usable:
Do not sacrifice usability to obtain pure semantic clarity
Make it scalable, extensible
Keep it Loose:
Flexible schema encourages use
Do not enforce HER benchmarks with XML schema (do this by other means)
Continue to tighten schema as sector’s use of XML matures

6. MIDAS XML Overview Three primary schemata: Seven supporting schemata:
MONUMENTS
EVENTS
REFERENCE
Seven supporting schemata:
Craft: watercraft and aircraft annex
Artefact: small find and artefacts
Actor: all people and groups
Meta: metadata structure
Spatial: GIS and place-related information
Temporal: time and dates
Common: elements common to MIDAS
Casework: Monument maintenance and status

7. The MONUMENT structure

8. The EVENT structure

9. The REFERENCE structure

10. Mobile: use to exchange geographic data for single spatial feature.
Spatial Schema…
Consolidated: records Address, Placename, Geographic (GIS), and map data in a single element set
Universal: common element used in monument, event and casework schemata
Versatile: geography node can be used to record all spatial aspects of a monument, including monument location, scheduled area, ownership and land use.
Shapely: Can be used to represent monuments/events as points, lines or polygons.
Mobile: use to exchange geographic data for single spatial feature.
Standard: Based on OGC (Open Geographic Consortium) and CRM
Vendor-Neutral: GIS platform independent

11. Historic Environment Exchange Protocol
Designed to facilitate and formalise communication and data exchange between two Heritage Services using MIDAS XML
Protocol Document: text document that uses a very formal, specific language. It does not cover implementation of a HER Service, but only the communication between Services.
Schemata: The HEEP relies on MIDAS XML for the exchange of data, but has its own schemas for inter-Service querying and communication.
The protocol is not a working application, but rather a set of rules that developers can use to create another major toolkit component.

12. What can the HEEP do?
Archive Updates: a local service can automatically update itself at weekly intervals with data from a national service
Data Synchronisation: two national research framework projects studying sites with rock art, one in North England, one in Scotland, can synchronise their data with a central database of UK rock art.
Transparent querying and Linking: a user viewing a webpage of an historic building will be shown a list of hyperlinks on nearby ancient monuments
Amalgamation: a user running an ‘Ancient Britain’ website writes an application which collects and gathers all information from the NMR, RCHMS, and CADW relating to henge monuments.

13. REQUESTS: CAPABILITIES EXCEPTIONS HEEP Schemata
Structure of queries that are sent to a HEEP Service
CAPABILITIES
How HEEP Services report their capabilities (what data they hold and what they can do with it)
EXCEPTIONS
How HEEP Services report errors

14. Data Validation Tool: Overview
Validates the contents of MIDAS XML documents against formal wordlists and thesauri
Provides a level of content control that XML schema cannot match
Core Components
PHP Code: the magic that makes it happen
Documentation: explains the code and how to use it
Database Configuration: one database contains HER Benchmark configurations, the other contains the configurations for the DVT application itself.

15. Data Validation Tool: How it Works
XML document is uploaded to the DVT validator
The document is parsed, and the number of monuments, events, etc. within the document are counted
The system looks up the rules and rulesets required for the requested benchmark
Each monument/event/reference is validated against rules and rulesets
The monument (event, etc.) fails if any rules or rulesets fail
The XML document fails if any of the monuments it contains fail
Results of the validation are returned to the user

16. Data Validation Tool: results
Rule name
Value(s) in brackets
(rule failed)
Rule Set
Record result

17. Data Validation Tool: Network Overview
The DVT can run on one or more machines
The DVT can use one or more INSCRIPTION databases
The current system:
One possible system:
DVT at OAD +
DVT and INSCRIPTION on
OAD’s Development Server
Internet
EH Thesauri
NT and ALGAO lists
*The DVT is completely separated from the resources it uses for validation
RCHMS thesauri

18. Data Validation Tool Summary
Validates content as well as structure
Can connect and validate against any online thesaurus or wordlist
Is extensible, customisable and can be regionalised
Provides formal mechanism for producing ‘seal of approval’
Can enrich data after validating:
Translate coordinate and long/lat from grid reference
Supply preferred terms

19. Final Conclusions on the Toolkit
I18n: International in scope
Modular: complete separating of tools from data and application
Web Service based: platform and OS independent
Use through Usability: aim of FISH is to promote standards use and adoption through the provision of professional, desired, usable and well-considered information tools.

20. http://www.fish-forum.info Tyler Bell: tyler.bell@oxarchdigital.com
Andrew Larcombe:
Yegor Veter: