= Proposal title =

|| '''Date''' || 2010/09/07 ||
|| '''Contact(s)''' || Simon Pigot ||
|| '''Last edited''' || ||
|| '''Status''' || in progress ||
|| '''Assigned to release''' || 2.7.x ||
|| '''Resources''' || Available ||

== Overview ==

Metadata Schemas (including profiles) should be pluggable in GeoNetwork. This means that a user/admin should be able to use a service to add a profile/schema to their existing GeoNetwork installation without having to make changes to Java code, xslts and javascript.

=== Proposal Type ===
 * '''Type''': Core Change
 * '''App''': !GeoNetwork
 * '''Module''': Kernel, Data Manager

=== Links ===
 * '''Documents''':
 * '''Email discussions''':
 * '''Other wiki discussions''':

=== Voting History ===
 * Not yet proposed.

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== Motivations ==
To add a schema to GeoNetwork a user currently has to:

 * add the schema and ancillaries to web/geonetwork/xml/schemas directory
 * add codelists and labels xml files to web/geonetwork/WEB-INF/config.xml
 * add presentation xslts to web/geonetwork/xsl and import them into web/geonetwork/xsl/metadata-utils.xsl
 * modify web/geonetwork/xsl/{metadata.xsl,metadata-utils.xsl} to switch on schema for full and brief mode processing
 * add brief, summary and full presentation xslts to web/geonetwork/xml/csw/schemas
 * add schema detection code to the autodetectSchema method in DataManager.java
 * add namespaces used for elements to the tooltip javascript (web/geonetwork/scripts/editor/tooltip.js and web/geonetwork/scripts/editor/simpletooltip.js)
 * schemas added to GeoNetwork exist inside the web application deployment making it more difficult to manage upgrades and new deployments of GeoNetwork

This is not only tedious but requires a fair bit of knowledge to ensure that the installation is not broken by inappropriate or incorrect changes. In some cases these changes are large enough that communities with national schemas/profiles will create their own branch of GeoNetwork to support their schema/profile. This should not be necessary.

Removing the need to make code changes and consolidating schema information will make adding a schema to GeoNetwork much easier. Having plug in schemas/profiles will also remove the need to create a code branch to support the schema/profile.  

== Proposal == 

Make the following changes:

 * consolidate presentation xslts into the schema directory
 * remove the need for switch on schema type in metadata.xsl and metadata-utils.xsl
 * provide the ability to rewrite xslt imports using a URI resolver and oasis catalog file
 * allow users to rewrite 
=== Backwards Compatibility Issues ===

=== New libraries added ===
Explain which and why new libraries are required for that proposal ...

== Risks ==

== Participants ==
 * List of participants and role (if necessary) in current GIP