OraCIF SELECTOR  provides an SQL-like interface for defining a set of depositions within source database(s). This set of depositions can then taken by the Exporter and extracted into mmCIF/Xml.

INPUT

The Selector provides filters that allow a set of depositions to be defined in terms of values of mmCIF items within those depositions. This "mmCIF query"  interface enables the user to query the data without to know about the (highly complex) structure of the underlying source database(s) .  

The input therefore resembles an SQL string with  the form: Select PDB_Identifiers from source database(s)   where  condition.

Where the condition is an mmCIF query,  for  example: autor.editor like '%wilson%'  and struct_ref.db_name = 'SWS'. 

PROCESS

These queries are used to set up jobs that are  stored in the OraCIF  system. These jobs can either be temporary or permanent. The results from temporary jobs are deleted periodically, although the queries  are archived and may be retrieved at a later date. The results from permanent jobs can be periodically updated and this allows exports based on this query to be updated as the underlying data in the source  database(s) changes. There is even a facility by which changes in the underlying data can be set up to  trigger a rerun of the permanent jobs stored in the Selector.   These properties of permanent jobs enables a set  of mmCIF files based on the database to be synchronised with the  database itself, something that is important for the exchange of mmCIF data between the EBI  and the RCSB.

OUTPUTS

The Selector produces a list of PDB id codes and writes this list into a  OraCIF table. Details about performance and failure of the filters are also written into this table, which allows other components, such as the Exporter, to monitor the success of overall workflow.