Q. How do I use the CaltechDATA API to create records?

First, you need to generate an access token. Log into CaltechDATA, and then click on your user menu (the person icon in the upper right hand corner). Then click "Applications".

Click on the "+ New Token" button in the Personal access tokens section.

On the page that is shown after you click that button, name your token (the name does not matter) and click the Create button

Your token will be shown on screen. Copy it down and store it somewhere secure. It functions just like an account password.  

You can create records using our python library caltechdata_api. You can install the library by typing `pip install caltechdata_api` in a terminal window.

To use the library, you'll need to set the access token you just created. Type 'export RDMTOK=TOKEN', where TOKEN is replaced by your actual token - or use the token.bash script that is distributed with the library.

We're also here to help - just send us an email at data@caltech.edu.