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OPLE Software

Introducing OPLE
Installing OPLE
Getting Started with OPLE
Sample ONIX-PL template expressions

OPLE v1.0: the ONIX-PL Editor
To support the creation, editing and maintenance of ONIX-PL expressions, EDItEUR has developed an Open Source software package, OPLE. After more than a year's experience with a pilot version of the software, pre-release copies of version 1.0 were installed with a small number of users in November 2008. Based upon their experience, the software is now available for wider installation.

What is OPLE?
OPLE is a software package for creating, editing and managing license expressions using ONIX-PL. OPLE has been developed as an "open source" package, which means that it can be freely copied, used and adapted, with minimal restrictions or obligations (its use is covered by a license based upon the well-known BSD open source software license). OPLE is built upon a stable foundation of established open source software components. OPLE can be installed on a wide range of computer platforms, from large network servers to individual laptop PCs, and is compatible with all major operating system environments (Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh, Linux).

OPLE has been developed by EDItEUR with generous financial support from the Joint Information Systems Committee of the UK Higher Education and Further Education funding bodies (JISC) and the Publishers Licensing Society (PLS).

Who needs OPLE?
OPLE is the first tool developed specifically to enable machine-readable expressions of complete publications licenses to be captured, edited and managed in ONIX-PL format. It has been developed primarily for use by publishers, libraries and intermediaries in the management of licensing the use of published content, especially online. OPLE may be installed and used as a stand-alone system, but it may also be adapted to function as a component within a larger system, such as a library's resource management system or publisher's license management system.

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Installing OPLE: Version 1.0 Build 1.2.1
OPLE can be installed on a stand-alone Windows PC, or on a network server, or under other operating systems. The current release is Version 1.0 Build 1.2.1. Build 1.2.1, issued in September 2009, incorporates some minor corrections to Build 1.2.0 which was issued in February 2009. If you have installed the previous release, we recommend that you replace it with the updated build.

Installation on a stand-alone PC
OPLE can be installed on a stand-alone Windows PC without a high level of technical knowledge. Full instructions are provided in a step-by-step installation guide available by clicking on the link in the next section.

The OPLE installation guide: Installing OPLE on a stand-alone PC
Installing OPLE on a stand-alone PC requires a number of software components, all of which are freely available, mostly from third-party websites. No special expertise is needed, but it is important to follow the instructions in the installation guide precisely and in the right order. You must have 'administrator' privileges on your PC.

The installation guide contains links to all the software needed for OPLE. We recommend that you save a copy of the guide on your own PC rather than using it in a browser window, so that you can keep your place in the guide while you are following the download links in the browser.

At certain stages during the installation process, you will be linked back to this page, so that you can download three components which are supplied directly by EDItEUR:

Download Tomcat users file (ZIP)

Download eXist version 1.2.6 installation file (ZIP) (21MB file)

Download OPLE 1.0 Build 1.2.1 web archive installation file (ZIP) (19MB file)

Upgrading OPLE Version 1.0 from Build 1.2.0
To upgrade OPLE Version 1.0 from Build 1.2.0 to Build 1.2.1 the following steps should be performed:

1. Ensure that Tomcat is NOT running. Stop Tomcat if necessary (see Step 4 of the installation guide).

2. Delete the folder named ople and the file named ople.war within the Tomcat \webapps folder. In a normal stand-alone PC installation you will find this in:
C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat 5.5
Take care to ensure that the folder named exist is NOT deleted.

3. Start Tomcat (see Step 4 of the installation guide).

4. Carry out all of Steps 9 to 12 in the installation guide.

Installation in other environments
Installation on network servers and on other operating systems will require some adaptation of the installation guide to reflect the characteristics of different system environments, but such adaptation has generally been found to be straightforward. You will probably want to consult your IT support staff. If you or they have problems, please contact EDItEUR, and we will try to help.

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Getting started with OPLE
To help you get started with OPLE, EDItEUR provides some sample ONIX-PL expressions that you can import and use for evaluation, research and training; and, with help from early adopters, we are developing detailed guidelines on how to use the software.

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Sample ONIX-PL expressions and user guidelines
Follow the links below to download sample expressions and associated explanatory guides.

CLIR-DLF Standard License: ONIX-PL expressionThe CLIR-DLF Standard License is a public-domain model license developed in 2001 by the US library community. EDItEUR has mapped it as an ONIX-PL template. You can import it into your OPLE installation by downloading the XML expression here and following the accompanying instructions, which include a link to the license text.

ONIX-PL template ‘starter'The ONIX-PL template ‘starter' has been prepared to make it easier for OPLE users to create their first license template expression. You can download the XML expression, installation instructions, and user guidelines here.

How to use the template starter (PDF) - available shortly
A user guide to OPLE is in preparation and will be made available from this web page shortly. In the meantime, if you need assistance with learning how to use OPLE, please contact EDItEUR and we will try to help.