ECSSeed

The ECSSeed application is a tool for controlling, creating and correcting data packages that comply with the ECSS M40 C (a slight adaptation of the ISO 10303 step AP232 standard) on technical documentation exchanges in the space domain. In addition to simplifying and homogenizing exchange formats, compliance with the standard simplifies recording in an electronic document management system (EDM).

Technically, a Data Package is an archive file, usually .zip, which contains a set of file directories accompanied by a specific directory containing the metadata. This metadata describes the transmitted files, but also the data package itself.

The standardized description is carried by an XML file. This file contains at least the mandatory fields of the standard.

ECSSeed allows a user :

• open a data package, browse the tree structure (folders), view the records (file descriptions) and access the files described by a record,
• check the consistency of the XML schema, and verify if each file is well described, and correct if necessary,
• translate the original metadata into metadata specific to the recipient to simplify import into a DMS, or to produce a user interface with an Excel file and relative links to a Windows directory,
• create files, using the metadata present in an Office document, and add files with the same name but different extension (e.g. a .PDF),
• complete, modify, correct, delete (e.g. delete the .doc files after exploiting the metadata to leave the stable .PDF formats) rename the files (avoid duplicates, simplify searches...),
• to build a simple tree structure of folders, to complete them, to modify them by drag and drop of already created files or complete subfolders,
• manage a database of companies, persons and metadata translations to simplify creations and corrections.