This is the project handbook for SODA, Semantic Online Data Access. SODA is a web software component (version 0.4 currently being rewritten using the CakePHP framework), that manages datasets. One can store and retrieve data and metadata in an online fashion, control the visibility of resources to the world and groups, distribute data as necessity dictates, and provide unified definitions (a controlled vocabulary) for data the data cataloged. This site contains documentation, links to download this component (todo), SODA API reference, and links to other sodanet websites.
A goal is to standardize scientific data access so that data is cataloged in a consistent manner, and by doing so, exposing there metadata so that other services and tools can utilize the data they store. It provides a "generic" query interface for selecting parameters and collection locations, providing the raw data in a delimited file (.csv). There is a management interface for metadata upkeep and dataset interactions. This modules was written in PHP, and is designed to be run in conjunction with a CMS, a Content Management System (this site is running Drupal).
This handbook represents the most up-to-date "official" documentation for this project. By putting these pages on the web, perhaps it will be easier to keep them updated. :-)
