This is a summary of the software used for CLOSER Discovery. Also described are some of the reasons behind the decisions made in the project, that might help inform people making a similar choice later. None of these software are required to produce DDI Lifecycle compliant metadata or even the CLOSER implementation of DDI Lifecycle (i.e. the particular elements in use).
A part of the scope for CLOSER was that it not be a major software development project. Neither the timetable nor the budget allowed this. Therefore, where possible, off-the-shelf products were acquired. Changes to these products were minimal with the exception of Colectica Portal. The changes have largely been included in the release version of Colectica Portal. Ensuring we do not deviate from the core version will help ensure the product remains supported and updated over time as both the product and DDI Lifecycle evolve, and so was an important consideration.
All of the products come from just two companies - Colectica and Metadata Technologies. DDI Lifecycle software is a niche area and only a limited number of companies are producing software in this area. Of those, only these two had updated their software to be 3.2 compliant in a time frame the project required.
Where off-the-shelf products were not available or consider sub-optimal, some in-house production took place. The key example of this is CADDIES. The CADDIES UI has been designed to be much more efficient for the large scale of entry that CLOSER has undertaken. Mapper developed as an extension of this.