September 2007 - Koha-devel - lists.koha-community.org

UTF-8
by Dorian Meid 03 Dec '07

03 Dec '07

Gentlemen, I have a problem using UTF-8 with Koha. If I import MARC-Data via z3950 special characters are treated differently ÄÜÖäüö works at some pages but not in all. ß dosn't work at any page. This is the ü I get from z3950 and this is the ü which is generated when I type it. These are two different characters. I'm using Koha 2.2.8, MySQL5 and Apache 1.3 on Mac OSX 10.4 with Firefox. I've read the notes on the Wiki and my server, Database and the tables are set to UTF-8. I also set the templates encoding variable and added the encoding to httpd.conf The z3950 server sends data UTF-8 encoded Did I miss something? Dorian Meid

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ANNOUNCE: New Installer in master git tree
by MJ Ray 21 Oct '07

21 Oct '07

Well, one koha user already tried it, so I guess I should announce it here: THE NEW INSTALLER IS IN THE MASTER TREE The new installer is based on MakeMaker, the tool that is usually used to install CPAN modules. This means that if you know how to customise CPAN-installed modules, the same things should work for you with Koha. If not, don't worry. If you want to customise the installation more than described in the README.txt, run "man ExtUtils::MakeMaker" By default, the installer doesn't ask you any questions and tries to assume sane defaults, which I think is A Good Thing, but you can override most of the settings with environment variables. For instructions on how, run perldoc rewrite-config.PL As well as the CPAN-package-style installation, there is also a very quick-and-dirty script called install-CPAN.pl which should install all dependencies from CPAN automatically. For instructions on how to package releases, run perldoc Makefile.PL TREE STRUCTURE C4/*.pm is copied to perl’s lib namespace. CGIs are copied to $(PREFIX)/lib/cgi−bin/koha/ and other scripts to koha/ in perl's lib. Config files are copied to $(PREFIX)/share/koha/etc Templates are copied to koha/templates, excluding non−files, CVS files and whitespace in filenames. KNOWN BUGS There is no zebra init script and some of the zebra-related directories are not constructed and not complete. This is partly because I don't really know what I'm doing with the zebra server yet. Can anyone explain it to me, or remind me where to find the explanation, please? Thanks, -- MJ Ray - see/vidu http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html Experienced webmaster-developers for hire http://www.ttllp.co.uk/ Also: statistician, sysadmin, online shop builder, workers co-op. Writing on koha, debian, sat TV, Kewstoke http://mjr.towers.org.uk/

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Koha Day - CGI::Carp error handling
by Mason James 02 Oct '07

02 Oct '07

Hi Koha-Devel, There has been a little talk recently on the koha-devel list about error handling in Koha. Chris and I spent some time on Friday(nz time) to work out a relatively small and tidy way, using CGI::Carp, to trap and redirect most runtime errors in Koha to the user's browser. We have made a System-Preference called DebugLevel, that has currently 3 values 0, 1 and 2. (more?) something like... ??? 0 is Quiet - For production 1 is Developer - For debugging 2 is Logging - Bug reporting , and additional package version info too, like Apache, MySQL, Perl,YAZ, Z9350::ZOOM MARC::Record/Charset.... The CGI::Carp stuff has been added near the start of Output.pm, so it's set up nice and early to handle (and output) any later errors. I committed the CGI::Carp stuff to dev_week, but if people like the idea, I'll commit it to rel_3 too... Here is the commit to Output.pm below. http://cvs.savannah.nongnu.org/viewvc/koha/C4/Output.pm? root=koha&r1=1.51.2.2.2.1&r2=1.51.2.2.2.2&pathrev=dev_week Using CGI::Carp with the DebugLevel syspref at '2', Koha now handles this example script's syntax error. ---------------------------------- #!/usr/bin/perl use C4::Output; ndjsnsjkcndjkscndjskcndjks exit; ------------------------------------ And sends Perl's error message back to he user's browser for either debugging further, or perhaps attaching to a bug report, or to the bottom of a koha-devel list email. Like this below.... ---------------------------------- debug level 2 Got an error: syntax error at /koha/dev_week/intranet/cgi-bin/misc/ carp_test.pl line 6, near "ndjsnsjkcndjkscndjskcndjks exit" Execution of /koha/dev_week/intranet/cgi-bin/misc/carp_test.pl aborted due to compilation errors. Koha 2.2.8 Perl 5.008008 MySQL mysql Ver 14.12 Distrib 5.0.32, for pc-linux-gnu (i486) using readline 5.2 OS Linux arwen.metavore.com 2.6.18-4-686 #1 SMP Mon Mar 26 17:17:36 UTC 2007 i686 GNU/Linux Apache Server version: Apache/2.2.3 Server built: Jun 17 2007 20:24:06 ---------------------------------- How does this sound, Any improvements suggestions or corrections? Cheers, Mason -- Mason James mason.james(a)liblime.com Programmer www.liblime.com LibLime +64 21 542 117

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need for non-SQL in updater : got it !!!
by Paul POULAIN 01 Oct '07

01 Oct '07

Kados & slef, Slef asked me "could you give me an example of something that can't be ruled only by SQL during update". I answered I had found one, but could not remember it. I have got it now ! When dealing with something that depends on language and/or MARC flavour. For example, I want to add a systempref for Reserve behaviour (to fix http://bugs.koha.org/cgi-bin/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=1416) If langage is french, i'll add something, otherwise i'll add something else. I add it now, but i'm afraid I won't have time to commit before the end of the day (need to merge to official branch, fix errors and send patch) -- Paul POULAIN et Henri Damien LAURENT Consultants indépendants en logiciels libres et bibliothéconomie (http://www.koha-fr.org) Tel : 04 91 31 45 19

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OO-RDB mapper
by Rick Welykochy 01 Oct '07

01 Oct '07

Have the Koha developers given any thought to recoding the raw DBI calls in Koha with an OO-RDB mapper? There are a number of them available on CPAN. I've written these things, at varying levels of complexity and completeness, in the past and the advantages are numerous: (*) separate the Perl code from the SQL (*) rows in tables are represented by objects so no more errors like this: $row->{naem} -- instead: $row->name (*) the abstraction layer of an OO-RDB mapper can provide 99% database driver independence; Koha could suddenly be supported by MYSQL, Postgresql, oracle, sqlite, etc.etc. (*) the abstraction layer allows application-level hooks to be installed *anywhere* in the RDB transcation process and total global control of RBD operations is suddenly available (instead of scanning/editing 1000's of lines of source code to make a basic functional RDB change) (*) audit logging can be automated; all insert, updates and deletes can be caught in the abstraction layer -- do what you want with them (*) updating a row in a table becomes foolproof: $row = OORDB->fetch(criteria); $row->name("new name'); $row->debt(undef); $row->commit; The list of advantages does go on and on. cheers rickw -- _________________________________ Rick Welykochy || Praxis Services Q: What's the difference between a software sales person and a car sales person? A: With a car sales person there is a slight chance that he actually knows how to drive.

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KohaLa New Item
by Russel Garlick 28 Sep '07

28 Sep '07

Hi Everyone, I have added a news item about the upcoming KohaLa meeting to the Koha site. http://www.koha.org/about-koha/news/nr1190752450.html (Thanks to MJ for translating the french mailing list posts). If anyone has more to add to the press release, then please feel free to contact me off list. Cheers, Russel -- Russel Garlick russel.garlick(a)liblime.com General Manager - Australasia +64 21 542 188 LibLime Limited www.liblime.com

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NZOSA Awards
by Russel Garlick 26 Sep '07

26 Sep '07

Hi all, Just to let you all know that Chris and Koha have both been nominated as finalists in the inaugural New Zealand Open Source Awards. I think Chris' nomination as a Contributor is fantastic recognition of all his hard work over the years. For more info see : http://www.koha.org/about-koha/news/ nr1190767600.html Congrats to Chris, and thanks to all of you who sent through nominations. Cheers, Russel -- Russel Garlick russel.garlick(a)liblime.com General Manager - Australasia +64 21 542 188 LibLime Limited www.liblime.com

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More complete patron renew process
by Owen Leonard 21 Sep '07

21 Sep '07

Right now the method for renewing a patron (updating their expiration date), is a javascript: link that upon confirmation redirects back to moremember.pl with a reregistration=y parameter. In order to make this possible without javascript, the logical thing to do would be to make it a real URL: <a href="/cgi-bin/koha/members/moremember.pl?reregistration=y&borrowernumber=" onclick="confirm_reregistration(); return false;">Renew</a> This should work fine, but leaves out the confirmation step. Is the confirmation necessary? Also: Should there be feedback passed back to moremember.pl to let the user know that the patron's expiration date has been updated? Right now a bug prevents the expiration date from even showing up on moremember.pl after the renewal link has been clicked, but even with that bug fixed perhaps there should be a message: "This account has been renewed until xxxx-xx-xx" That's probably doable in the template alone. Is there ever a time when a renewal will fail? Should there be code for passing such an error back to the screen? -- Owen

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I solicit to participate in the development of koha and to contribute
by Roxana Luz Fleipaz 20 Sep '07

20 Sep '07

Hello to all the companions of Hispanic speech. I communicate to suggest to the community on the existence of the readaptado Koha and that this working very well apparently. The contact and author are Chrsitian Jhonny Jahuira Street. They can see its access and characteristic in: http://kantaita.blogspot.com Koha-Bolivia The best thing of this is than I recibi a gratuitous copy of of this system and I am it perfectly. The mail of Chrsitian J. Jahuira Street is: christianjcj(a)gmail.com Now I am publicitando it. I hope serves east message A Warm greeting Roxana Luz F. Hola a todos los compañeros de habla hispana.. Me comunico para sugerir a la comunidad sobre la existencia del Koha readaptado y que esta funcionando muy bien al parecer. El contacto y autor es Chrsitian Jhonny Calle Jahuira. Pueden ver su acceso y caracteristicas en: http://kantaita.blogspot.com Koha-Bolivia Lo mejor de esto es que yo recibi una copia gratuita de de este sistema y lo estoy perfectamente. El correo de Chrsitian J. Calle Jahuira es: christianjcj(a)gmail.com Ahora lo estoy publicitando. Espero sirva este mensaje Un saludo Cordial Roxana Luz F.

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System pref search
by Owen Leonard 20 Sep '07

20 Sep '07

A long time ago the System Preferences page had a search form: <form action=/cgi-bin/koha/admin/systempreferences.pl method=post> <input type=text name=searchfield value=""> <input type=reset name=reset value="clr"> </form> I'm assuming it worked at some point, but at some point it stopped, and now the form isn't in the template anymore. Is the search handling stuff still in the script? Can someone take a look at see if it can be revivied? Thanks, Owen

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