Hello,
We are testing GeoNetwork to catalog a mix of geospatial resources (including some AI-generated outputs), and we have a few questions about custom fields and template configuration.
1. Fields with no native ISO 19115 equivalent
We identified a handful of metadata fields specific to our use case that don’t seem to have a match in ISO 19115, even in Advanced/Complete view (e.g. a unit of measurement field, an interpretation/meaning field, and a couple of fields specific to AI-generated resources).
Would you recommend adding these as a specific development (schema extension), or documenting them in the existing “Supplemental information” free-text field instead? What’s the experience with maintainability of each approach?
2. Fields that exist but only appear in Advanced/Complete view
Some fields already exist natively (e.g. identifier, lineage/source information, lineage/process steps, aggregation info, data quality report) but are only visible in the Complete view, not in Simple.
Is it possible to reconfigure the Simple template to display some of these existing fields (without creating new ISO fields, just a display/layout change)? If so, where is this configured (template XML, layout file)?
3. Required/optional fields and long-term maintenance
More broadly: is it possible to switch fields between required and optional in a custom template? And what’s people’s experience with the maintenance effort of a customized template (modified Simple, or a new template) across GeoNetwork version upgrades?
Thanks in advance for any insight!