Configuring the Database Search Interface
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If you are working with Primo VE and not Primo, see Configuring Database Search for Primo VE.
Introduction

Unlike Primo VE, Primo does not provide auto-complete suggestions for databases enabled in Alma.
Browse Databases by Category
URM-83375
When configured (see Assigning Categories to the Database Records), the Database Search page allows users to display a list of databases by clicking specific categories and subcategories, up to three levels.
When the Database Search page opens, the categories display the first category level only. Users can select the icon to display the category's next level.
General Configuration
Element | Description |
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Normalization rules |
Out of the box, normalization rules exist in the Alma MARC Template to support this functionality. To provide this functionality for other sources, ensure you include the following mappings:
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Views Wizard - Main Menu tile (modified)
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Defines the Database Search link that displays on the Main menu in the new UI.
![]() Views Wizard - Edit Main Menu Tile
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Search Tile code table (modified)
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The following codes configure the display labels associated with Database Search:
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View Labels code table (modified)
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The following codes configure the display labels associated with Database Search in the Main menu:
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A to Z List code table (no change)
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Defines the labels that are associated with the A-Z links that display below the Database Search search box.
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Database Category Configuration
Assigning Categories to the Database Records
This feature requires you to apply database categories, which can contain up to three category levels, to the bibliographic records of your local databases.
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In Alma, choose a local bibliographic field (for example, select any 6XX or 9XX field for MARC21) in which to store the database categories in your local bibliographic records, and then enter that field in the db_categories_field parameter on the Alma Customer Parameters page (Configuration Menu > Resources > General > Other Settings).
Administrators require one of the following roles to update the above parameter:
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Catalog Administrator
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Repository Administrator
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General System Administrator
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For each local database, use the Metadata Editor (Resources > Cataloging > Open Metadata Editor) to add the chosen MARC field with the following subfields to assign up to three category levels: $$a (level 1), $$b (level 2), and $$c (level 3). For example:
699 ##$aEducation $bMedical $cFitness
699 ##$aEducation $bHealth
As shown in the example above, a database can belong to more than one category/subcategory.
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Wait for the Creates DB Categories File job (Admin > Monitor Jobs > Scheduled tab) under the Discovery filter to update the record's categories for discovery in Primo. This job is scheduled to run daily.
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Edit your normalization rules set in Primo, update the new facets/dbcategory rule to map the category information from the source records to Primo, and then deploy your changes to the Front End (Primo Home > Advanced Configuration > Full Normalization Rule Configuration). Note that you must include the subfield delimiter (U+2500).
For example:Update Facets/dbcategory Normalization Rule from Alma MARC Template -
In the Institution Wizard (Primo Home > Ongoing Configuration Wizard > Institution Wizard), enter the same value that you used for the API base URL in the new DB Category field under the Delivery Base URLs section.
DB Category Base URL in the Institution WizardClear this field if you want to disable categories in the view.
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Run a regular pipe and then re-index to see the database categories on the Database Search page in the new Primo UI.
Customizing the Display Labels
The following codes have been added to the new DB Search code table (Primo Home > Advanced Configuration > All Code Tables > Front End subsystem) to support the new display text on the Database Search page:
Code | Description |
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default.dbcategories.databases |
Search for databases |
default.dbcategories.description |
To search for databases, do the following: |
default.dbcategories.option1 |
Enter keywords in the search box. |
default.dbcategories.option2 |
Click a letter above. |
default.dbcategories.option3 |
Browse databases by category. |
default.dbcategories.results |
Databases found for |
default.dbcategories.title |
Databases by category |
Creating Translations for Categories
In addition to the labels that appear on the Database Search page, the DB Search code table allows you to translate your categories to other languages.
The display label that appears for a category and its translations is based on the value mapped from the MARC subfield. To specify a different display value or provide a translation for a category, you must create a row definition for each language:
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Code – Specify the value of the MARC subfield that is to be mapped from the source record. Ensure each space in the mapped value is converted to an underscore (_). For example, if your category is Medicine & Technology, the value of this field should be set to default.dbcategories.Medicine_&_Technology.
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Description – Specify the value of the category/translation to display. For example, if you are creating the Spanish translation for Medicine & Technology, specify Medicina y Tecnología.
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Language – Specify the browser language for which the translation displays.
If a row definition does not exist, Primo displays the value from the MARC subfield.