In Chordata, Assets are connected to entities through a simple Dropzone field. In most cases, this is sufficient to describe the relationship between files and the entity entry. However, Products present special challenges when it comes to describing these relationships since these files have real-world uses in printing and digital-world uses in distribution to consumers. The Product Components module organizes all physical and digital assets of a Product.
What are Components?
When discussing a Product Component, it can be thought of as a container for a single unit of content from a given product, sharing the same content over many different kinds of Assets. For example, the guts of a book may have files of varying formats (engraving files, artwork files, desktop publishing files, etc.) that all share the same content across different stages of the publishing process. These files would all be linked together under a single Component where they share common metadata and connection relationships with other Components. All data associated with a single Component is saved in metadata fields. Print Components also have additional “finishing” data which describe the real-world relationships between Components.
Component Metadata
Each Component has a host of metadata fields associated with it. They range from broad categories to very specific and precise print specifications. Any data relevant to the content of the specific Component.
Components can be broadly categorized by its Component Type and further refined by the Component Function. Each can be used to precisely define what the content of a Component is without actually opening the files. This metadata is also used in third-party apps (such as the Publisher’s website) to consume Assets in various ways, for example, making files available for consumers to download through digital distribution channels.
Component Type
Component Types are broken into two parent categories: Print and Digital. A Print Component is where the Assets are printed on paper to create a physical product, usually a book or a book-like derivative. Print Components can be combined in various ways to show the binding or placement of components in the real world. A Digital Component is where the Assets are consumed by the user directly through digital sales. Digital Components do not have binding or placement relationships since they are intangible.
Both Print and Digital have a set of subcategories which broadly define the physical orientation of the content.
Print Component Types
- Cover: a cardstock sheet that is bound to and wraps around a guts component
- Guts: a set of paper pages contained within a cover. Guts will always be bound to a cover. Taken together with a cover, these create a complete “book.”
- Insert: a component which is self-contained and printed on standard paper. It cannot be bound to anything else and is usually inserted into another component with the placement relationship.
- Complete: a component which has both elements of a cover and guts in the same digital assets and printed object. These are colloquially called “self-covers” where the cover is the same paper stock as the guts content.
Digital Component Types
- Complete: a complete publication, analogous to the Print Complete type. Every digital product would require at least one Complete component.
- Media: any other components intended for digital consumption that are not directly tied to the Complete product. Full recordings or promo material would go here.
- Additional: any additional materials that travel with the Complete component to fill out a product. These can be individual parts, piano scores, play-along recordings, etc.
Component Function
Component Function further refines how to define the content of the Component by indicating what the component is used for. This is analogous to the Category Function for the Product at large.
- Score: a component that contains music notation for all instruments in the work, in contrast to a Part.
- Part: a component that contains music notation for a single instrument in a work, in contrast to a Score.
- Text: a text-based component in contrast to a musical component. This could be a libretto, performance instructions, or other text-dominant content.
- Errata: a list of errata items within a product.
- Pronunciation: a pronunciation guide that is separate from the main guts component. These can be printed or media.
The Function field can also be left blank if none of the above accurately describes the Component’s content.
Finishing
In Print Components, there are two methods of showing the “finishing” actions associated with the real-world components. Finishing, in this context, refers to the bookmaking actions of binding pages together into a single book. Product Components splits this into two related but distinct types of finishing work: binding and placement.
Note that these principles do not apply to Digital Components and the respective functions are disabled for those types of Component.
Binding
Binding is the finishing stage of bookmaking where multiple pages or sheets are attached together with a fold and/or fastener. Components can only be bound to a single other component, including itself. This binding is then displayed as an orange line to the left of the respective Component headers. An icon will also show the type of binding.
Certain Component Types can only be connected in certain ways. Guts components can only be bound to Covers and vice versa. When either type of component is not bound to the other, a warning will pop up alerting the user to this condition which isn’t allowed, and Product Status changes will be locked until this error is resolved. On the other hand, Insert and Complete components can only be bound to themselves.
Binding Types
- Fold: A spread (or collection of spreads) folded down the middle of create a signature. No further fasteners are used. This is most common with very short publications or individual parts.
- Reverse Fold: A fold, but the folded edge is on the right side of the paper causing an inner spread to be facing outward. Usually for certain individual parts to facilitate page turns.
- Saddle Wire Stitch: A folded signature with staples on the spine of the book. Often combined with a cover but can be self-cover.
- Perfect Bound: A collection of sheets bound on the left edge with glue or other types of binding, such as thread.
- Spiral: A collection of sheets bound on the left edge with a plastic or metal rod formed into a spiral, which fits into precut holes, usually circular.
- Comb: A collection of sheets bound on the left edge with a plastic or metal “comb”, which fit into precut holes, usually square.
- None: A set of sheets grouped together through an external binding. The sheets are most commonly shrink-wrapped or bound with strips of paper, but the actual printed sheets are loose upon removal of the outer wrapper.
Placement
Placement is the finishing stage of bookmaking where individual Components are placed inside each other for convenience of handling, not to be confused with a fold binding. In terms of music publications, parts are usually placed inside a score or cover to protect them. This paradigm is so ubiquitous in music publishing that Placement is separate from Binding; it also has unique rules of which Components can be placed into others, and how those components interact via a Placement.
Placements are shown as blue lines to the left of the respective Component headers. Any number of Components can be placed into another, but one Component must act as a “destination”
Components can be placed inside other components, but only in certain combinations: All components can be placed inside a Folder type. Inserts can be placed inside a Cover and Guts book.