Automating a Vendor File Load Process with Perl and Shell Scripting Roy Zimmer Western Michigan University

We needed to get Promptcat approval files, from OCLC’s ftp site.

Historically, we’ve done file retrieval and processing via shell scripting, with some supporting Perl software.

We needed to get Promptcat approval files, from OCLC’s ftp site. Historically, we’ve done file retrieval and processing via shell scripting, with some supporting Perl software. In this case, we started out mostly manual, with some programmatic support.

We needed to get Promptcat approval files, from OCLC’s ftp site. Historically, we’ve done file retrieval and processing via shell scripting, with some supporting Perl software. In this case, we started out mostly manual, with some programmatic support. We kind of snuck up on the final method of retrieval and processing.

The ftp site has quite a few files, including a number of different types: LBL, RPT, APPR, FIRM…

Let’s use a representative sample for this presentation…

Out of this large number of files, only one or a few will be of interest. For example, take the files for May 7.

Out of this large number of files, only one or a few will be of interest. In this case, the files for May 7. How do we pick them out?

This is where Perl comes to the rescue. With Perl, you can do many things.

Code details, main program, ftp stuff ftppcatappr.pl Required when using ftp within Perl

Site password is stored here. Code details, main program, ftp stuff ftppcatappr.pl Required when using ftp within Perl

Site password is stored here. Code details, main program, ftp stuff ftppcatappr.pl Required when using ftp within Perl - Site URL - Username - directory where files are - transfer mode

Code details, main program, ftp stuff ftppcatappr.pl Self-explanatory Required when using ftp within Perl Site password is stored here. - Site URL - Username - directory where files are - transfer mode

Site password is stored in a file. Code details, main program, ftp stuff ftppcatappr.pl

Site password is stored in a file. Setting up for FTP Code details, main program, ftp stuff ftppcatappr.pl

Retrieve ftp site file listing into a variable as an array of directory entries. Code details, main program, ftp stuff ftppcatappr.pl

Set each line up to be split on the space character and then do so. Code details, main program, ftp stuff Retrieve ftp site file listing into a variable as an array of directory entries. ftppcatappr.pl

Set each line up to be split on the space character and then do so. The last piece in each line will be the filename. Split this into pieces based on the period. Code details, main program, ftp stuff Retrieve ftp site file listing into a variable as an array of directory entries. ftppcatappr.pl

Set each line up to be split on the space character and then do so. The last piece in each line will be the filename. Split this into pieces based on the period. Look for the one(s) that correspond(s) with yesterday’s date and keep those. Code details, main program, ftp stuff Retrieve ftp site file listing into a variable as an array of directory entries. ftppcatappr.pl

Want the files to be processed in order Code details, main program, ftp stuff ftppcatappr.pl

Code details, main program, processing each file ftppcatappr.pl Get the files

Code details, main program, processing each file Records will need some editing… (Thanks to Birong Ho, our systems librarian, for originally supplying this editing code.) Get the records ftppcatappr.pl

Records will need some editing… “grab” the fields of interest Get the records Code details, main program, processing each file ftppcatappr.pl

Records will need some editing… Some fields are deleted… Code details, main program, processing each file ftppcatappr.pl

Records will need some editing… …and others are edited. More edits than this are performed; the basic syntax is the same for each of them. Code details, main program, processing each file ftppcatappr.pl

File will need some splitting… Split each file up based on the invoice number found in field 980 |f Code details, main program, processing each file

File will need some splitting… Split each file up based on the invoice number found in field 980 |f The next program takes care of this… I did say we snuck up on this, didn’t I? Code details, main program, processing each file

File will need some splitting…split each file up based on the invoice number found in field 980 |f Rather than using the familiar LF, the MARC format uses a different EOL character. Code details, helper program, processing each file oclc980.pl

File will need some splitting…split each file up based on the invoice number found in field 980 |f This section reads each MARC record, looking for the 980 field. Code details, helper program, processing each file oclc980.pl

File will need some splitting…split each file up based on the invoice number found in field 980 |f Get the subfields into an array. Code details, helper program, processing each file oclc980.pl

File will need some splitting…split each file up based on the invoice number found in field 980 |f Get the subfields into an array. Code details, helper program, processing each file Look for subfield f and read it to get the invoice number. oclc980.pl

File will need some splitting…split each file up based on the invoice number found in field 980 |f Get the subfields into an array. Code details, helper program, processing each file Look for subfield f and read it to get the invoice number. Determine if it’s a new or “existing” invoice number. This also lets us count records for each invoice. oclc980.pl

File will need some splitting…split each file up based on the invoice number found in field 980 |f Get the subfields into an array. Code details, helper program, processing each file Look for subfield f and read it to get the invoice number. Determine if it’s a new or “existing” invoice number. This also lets us count records for each invoice. Use append mode to open, write a record, and close the file for each invoice number. oclc980.pl

There are usually several files after splitting the file being processed. Each one must be further processed and loaded into Voyager. This is controlled via a small shell script. Code details, helper program, processing each invoice file

There are usually several files after splitting the file being processed. Each one must be further processed and loaded into Voyager. This is controlled via a small shell script. It calls another shell script for preprocessing and bulk loading of each of the invoice files. Code details, helper program, processing each invoice file (Thanks to Keith Kelley, director of systems, for creating this script.) importall.sh

Code details, helper program, importing each invoice file $1 is the default first parameter to the script. Let’s use a more descriptive variable. prodimport.script

Code details, helper program, importing each invoice file $1 is the default first parameter to the script. Let’s use a more descriptive variable. Let’s also drop the filename extension, so that we can “reuse” the filename. prodimport.script

Code details, helper program, importing each invoice file $1 is the default first parameter to the script. Let’s use a more descriptive variable. Let’s also drop the filename extension, so that we can “reuse” the filename. Get ready for the prebulk processing. prodimport.script

Code details, helper program, importing each invoice file prodimport.script 1 st use of file referenced by $1, so that use is OK

Code details, helper program, importing each invoice file Start with some final edits… prodimport.script

Code details, helper program, importing each invoice file Start with some final edits… We’ll use marcedit.pl to replace the contents of field 981 |a, as illustrated: There are 59 such edits possible. prodimport.script

Code details, helper program, importing each invoice file Start with some final edits… Prep for bulkimport, too prodimport.script

Code details, helper program, importing each invoice file Start with some final edits… Prep for bulkimport, too Self-explanatory prodimport.script

Code details, helper program, importing each invoice file Prebulk output is bulkimport input. Perform the bulkimport prodimport.script

Code details, helper program, importing each invoice file Prebulk output is bulkimport input. Perform the bulkimport The final step for each file is to do some cleanup and moving files to the loaded directory. prodimport.script

Password maintenance The ftp site requires us to change our password every 90 days. We wanted all this to run hands-off, so that had to be automated, also. The password gets changed every two months.

Password maintenance, getpromptcatpw.ksh

Password maintenance, pwgen.pl Want an 8-character password

Password maintenance, pwgen.pl Want an 8-character password Password length defaults to 10

Password maintenance, pwgen.pl Want an 8-character password Password length defaults to 10 Password consists of these characters

Password maintenance, pwgen.pl Want an 8-character password Password length defaults to 10 Password consists of these characters Seed the random number generator

Password maintenance, pwgen.pl Want an 8-character password Password length defaults to 10 Password consists of these characters Seed the random number generator Generate the password

Review Run ftppcatappr.pl Login to OCLC ftp site for promptcat Find desired files and retrieve them Do process each file remove unwanted 6xx, 938, 948 fields edit some 856 fields run oclc980.pl do process each record in the current file look at the 980 |f (contains the invoice number) if it contains invoice NNN, (create and) put this record in file NNN.marc, etc. end do run importall.sh do process each file created by oclc980.pl run prodimport.script use marcedit.pl to process 981 |a replacements (59 possible edits) prebulk bulk import wait 1.5 minutes before continuing end do move all interim.marc,.preimp, and.imp files to /loaded End do Move all RCD* files to /loaded

Review Run ftppcatappr.pl Login to OCLC ftp site for promptcat Find desired files and retrieve them Do process each file remove unwanted 6xx, 938, 948 fields edit some 856 fields run oclc980.pl do process each record in the current file look at the 980 |f (contains the invoice number) if it contains invoice NNN, (create and) put this record in file NNN.marc, etc. end do run importall.sh do process each file created by oclc980.pl run prodimport.script use marcedit.pl to process 981 |a replacements (59 possible edits) prebulk bulk import wait 1.5 minutes before continuing end do move all interim.marc,.preimp, and.imp files to /loaded End do Move all RCD* files to /loaded

The files listed below are available at fileload.pptthis presentation ftppcatappr.plgets the files and controls the processing oclc980.plsplits retrieved files based on invoice number pwgen.plgenerates a password importall.shensures that each “split file” for a particular retrieved file is processed prodimport.kshdoes the actual processing of each file getpromptpw.kshhandles all the details of a password change Resources except for marcedit.plenables batch editing of MARC files which is at

CPANhttp://cpan.org FTP I’m not sure if the FTP module is supplied on Voyager boxes or not. If you don’t have it, go to the above URL. It also has good documentation on this module. Resources

Thank you for listening. Roy Zimmer Picture © 2008 by Roy Zimmer