Baseprint Document Successions

Data records of a Baseprint document succession are replicated across multiple repositories, such as GitHub and the Software Heritage Archive, for long-term preservation. These preserved data records, not perm.pub nor any website, determine that an author controls the succession to the latest edition of a published Baseprint document.

A Baseprint document succession consists of document snapshots encoded in Baseprint Document Format (BpDF). Each Baseprint snapshot can be identified by adding an edition number to a Document Succession Identifier (DSI).

To learn about the benefits of document successions, read "Why Publish Document Successions".

Tools for Baseprint Successions

BaseprintLens

BaseprintLens is an open-source Single-Page Application (SPA) that:

• takes a Document Succession Identifier (DSI),
• retrieves data records of the corresponding Baseprint document succession from the Software Heritage Archive and GitHub,
• verifies the document succession data records are valid for the DSI, and then
• renders the document editions in the document succession as web pages.

lens.perm.pub is one installation of BaseprintLens.

You can deploy your own website with BaseprintLens to provide up-to-date web pages for all published Baseprint document successions. BaseprintLens generates dynamic HTML pages for document successions on-demand after retrieving the most recently archived revision.

BaseprintPress

BaseprintPress generates static HTML pages and PDF files. These static webpages will NOT automatically update if a new edition in a document succession is published.

Hidos

For an introduction on how to use Hidos, refer to the tutorial to Post a Temporary Document Succession. As of 2024, Hidos is the only practical tool for creating a document succession.

Git

You can use Git directly using the Document Succession Highly Manual Toolkit Manual to create a Baseprint document succession, but it will be less convenient than using Hidos.