More fun with Dynix OPAC, PHP and XML

Remember four years ago when I did some experiments with my local library’s online catalog? While I’ve returned to the project, and have released some updated code that leverages the fact that Dynix, the engine behind the catalog, can output XML for almost everything it does. The result is a PHP class: class.dynix.php.

You can try this out for yourself, if you’re a PEI Provincial Library card holder, by visiting this example page wherein you can enter your public library card number and password and retrieve a nicely formatted list of the items you have checked out and on hold. Here’s what it looks like in action:

Note that although I don’t record your library card number and password, they are sent insecurely, and as such are liable to interception by evil doers. Of course this is also true when you use the OPAC directly, albeit with one fewer point of possible evil.

In theory this should work for any Dynix system that has a website: the default URL in the example above is for Prince Edward Island, but if you can find the equivalent URL for your system, just enter it (it might end in ipac.jsp like ours does?).

For maximum fun, go and grab the PHP source code and set yourself up locally: all you need is a standard PHP5 install — there are no other dependencies.