App to add a GDocs Spreadsheet to CKAN instance like datahub.io in one click

[rufuspollock]

No description provided.

[Aaron-M]

Just fyi, we (Landcare Research in NZ) are investigating linking the DataUp excel addin* which allows you to record metadata for your dataset. Out of the box DataUp deposits to a US repository (DataONE), but we are looking at getting it to send data into our installation of CKAN.

*http://dataup.cdlib.org/dataup_features.html (note the DataUp developers have decided to focus on the webapp, but I see more value in the excel addin)

[rossjones]

+50 on excel import. +30 on GDocs ;)

[rufuspollock]

@Aaron-M huge +1 here - do you have a link to any example excel plugin code?

[Aaron-M]

@rgrp The original developers code is on this bitbucket site
https://bitbucket.org/dataup/main/downloads (documentation and install of compiled addin)
https://bitbucket.org/dataup/main/src (code of both webapp and addin)

They originally produced 2 versions, the Addin which users interact with inside excel (can be used offline for most of the functionality) and a webapp which you uploaded your spreadsheet to the website, it checked, any problems you fix and re-upload, finally enter some stuff/finalise QA and then post to a repository (all online). Personally I felt the webapp was the clunky poor cousin to the addin, however the developers have for what ever reason shelved the addin and progressed the webapp to DataUp version 2.

Internally we have picked up the original addin code and begun changing it to our needs:

• some cosmetic and usability improvements
• refinements to the meta data (which brought it more in line with CKAN out of the box, but also covering off some requirements of the DataCite metadata standard which we will need to issue DOIs)
• disabled the post to the DataONE respository in the USA. It can now be given to our staff (or anyone else really) to use the data QA/metadata features, and eventually we hope to turn back on the post to repository button and have it deposit to CKAN.

The programmers here have done a lot of the first two points, and I think begun investigating linking to CKAN but early days on that (haven't had an update from them for a while and they pretty stretched on various projects). I'll bring them into the loop on this discussion - I'm sure they would be happy to share code of where they have got to and engage with you guys if you wanted to help us progress it and release (a generic version) to the CKAN community.

[Aaron-M]

Just a quick update, we have got the excel addin posting data to our test CKAN repository. It still needs work to fine tune it, but the first hurdle has been overcome, and not proved too difficult. Adding some smarts and fine tuning may be trickier, as well have to consider (know/confirm) things like the users authorisation - what (existing) organisations they have rights to upload datasets too vs simply depositing to a holding tank from where a person reassigns to an organisation...

[Aaron-M]

Update - We have made substantial improvements to the original excel addin v1 release the original developers made, and all going to schedule I should have a 'final' version by the end of Feb. Our improvements tie in with #106 and has been done with #6 in mind (aligning metadata with the DataCite requirements for DOIs).

Note: the original developers of DataUp have ceased work on it (both the excel addin which they dropped some time ago, and the web version). They are happy for us (Landcare NZ) to take over/continue development on the excel addin.