ArchivesSpace-API-Proposal.md

ArchivesSpace API Workshop Proposal

Introducing the ArchivesSpace REST API using Python 3

Requirements

• Laptop (Linux, Mac OS X or Windows)
• Python 3.5 or better
• Vagrant and Virtualbox
• Download the workshop materials
• ArchivesSpace 1.4.2 (or 1.5 if that is available at that time)
• A web browser

Before the workshop

• Install Virtualbox and Vagrant if needed
• Install Python 3.5 if needed
• Download and install the vagrant instance from https://github.com/caltechlibrary/aspace-api-workshop
• Make sure you can bring up ArchivesSpace in the vagrant configuration
• Make sure you have Python version 3 available on your laptop

Overview

• Setting up your Vagrant ArchivesSpace instance
• Brief explanation of REST and JSON
• Documentation on the ArchivesSpace REST API http://archivesspace.github.io/archivesspace/api/

Making contact with the API

• Starting the Python Development Environment (IDLE)
• Importing the modules needed for the workshop
• How to make a web client request in Python
• How to view the response

Authenticating

• Forming your request
• Understanding the response
• Remembering the authentication token

Getting started with a Repository

• Creating two new repositories
• View the repository information
• List the available repositories
• Deleting a repository

Working with Agents

• Creating two Agents
• View an Agent details
• Update an Agent
• List Agents ID
• Delete an Agent

Working with Accessions

• Creating two Accessions
• Viewing Accession details
• Updating an Accession
• Listing Accession IDs
• Deleting an Accession

Working in batches

• getting a list of useful IDs
• iterating over the IDs
• managing process load
• avoiding too much of a good thing

Other ArchivesSpace models

• Digital Objects
• Resources
• Subjects/Terms

Where to find more help

• References materials and links