Validation Anonymous: A JHOVE Error Message Helpspace
Carl Wilson Micky Lindlar
JHOVE is one of the most widely used tools in digital preservation. Those familiar, will know the number of error messages it reports. Currently, JHOVE supports different types of messages, ranging from error messages for validation failures which can indicate a problem with the file, to info messages covering everything else, e.g. too many PDF fonts for reporting. Even validation errors are varied, especially for complex file formats. In this workshop, the presenters will lend their considerable JHOVE experience to help users to analyse JHOVE error messages and diagnose problems in affected files.

The session targets beginners and practitioners. No experience in file format analysis is required of attendees. Before the workshop, we will circulate installation instructions and ask participants to bring examples of problematic files. This will allow participants to work with data and problems that feel familiar to them.

We will begin with a twenty-minute introductory session to JHOVE and its standard modules. We will then discuss the error message reports in more detail: how to interpret JHOVE messages and demonstrate the use of standard tools, like hex viewers/editors, file format standards and other file format analysis tools to find the location of errors in problematic files.  

The second part of the workshop will be hands-on, dividing the participants into small breakout groups. We will employ the techniques covered earlier to try to understand real-world error messages/file problems, using their own data or data provided by the facilitators. The presenters will moderate and assist up to three groups each, including online breakout rooms, during which we plan to engage both remote and onsite participants. 

There will then be a twenty-minute session to discuss the groups’ experiences. Attendees will be encouraged to report their successes and failures, as well as provide feedback as to how JHOVE reporting might be improved. We will conclude with a ten-minute session to debrief. While this can comfortably fit in an hour and a half, it could also be extended if needed. 

The minimum number of attendees would be twelve to fifteen people, but we can accommodate up to forty for this session.
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