Interlibrary loans module

21 Feb 2017

      Hello Kohites!

Andrew and I have just finished a second major revision of our proposed
interlibrary loans module for Koha.  The code and bug can be found at
[https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=7317].

We believe the code has now reached the maturity it requires for wider
engagement, and, more importantly, it's now reached the maturity that it
should be easy to get it up and running relatively easily in your
development environments.

Unfortunately we cannot deploy the module using sandboxes because
backends are implemented as separate code projects.

And we would *love* your comments thoughts and concerns about the module
if you are interested in ILL!

The final comment on the bug contains basic documentation for the Module
as a whole, and also some installation instructions.  But for reference,
I've attached the same document to this email too.

Below you will find some further high-level background and a roadmap of
what we would like to achieve.

For now, if you're interested in this module:
• have a look at the bug, and get involved in the discussion!
• try to set up the module in your dev environment.  It should work
  easily on dev boxes and dev installs that track master.
• let us know if you face any issues!
• start a conversation with us if you might be interested in creating a
  backend for your country's / organization's ILL workflows.

Finally, if you don't have access to a development environment, but you
would be interested in becoming involved in this project, get in touch
and we might be able to provide you with access to a testing
environment!

Best regards,

Alex Sassmannshausen

PTFS Europe

1 High-level background
═══════════════════════

  The ILLModule aims to provide a core framework against which different
  ILL workflows can be implemented within Koha.  It achieves this by
  using 2 new tables as data store, and by using an extensible backend
  system to create 'connectors' to ILL providers.

  The data store consists of the illrequests and the
  illrequestattributes tables.  The former is a traditional table that
  stores essential values associated with an ILL request.  The later is
  a key/value store, linked to a row in the former.  This store can be
  used to store arbitrary data provided by a backend.

  The backends implement highly customizable workflows for several core
  steps in the ILL management process.

  At the same time, each backend can extend the core steps (called
  defined as the `core_status_graph` in Koha/Illrequest.pm) with their
  own additional steps (defined as the `status_graph` in a backend's
  Base.pm).

  Each of these steps, both core and extensions, in turn can define any
  number of 'stages' required to complete each individual step.

  Each step has access to a template include file, which can dispatch on
  'stage'.  This is mirrored by each step having a sub in a backend's
  Base.pm, which once again can dispatch on 'stage'.  The subs in
  Base.pm have access to the full data store provided by the ILLModule;
  similarly the template includes have full access to Koha template
  features, including access to custom JS blocks through which, for
  instance, external APIs can be called.

  The main aim of this Koha module was to provide a core that is
  comprehensive enough to store core data to only have to implement ILL
  once in Koha, whilst being extensible enough so that virtually any ILL
  workflow can be implemented against this core.

  We believe we have achieved this.  I'd be very interested to hear from
  you if you believe you have a workflow that cannot be captured by this
  (obviously, third party tools that do not provide API access will be
  virtually impossible to seamlessly integrate into Koha).

2 Roadmap
═════════

  The roadmap starts from the current release of code on the bugzilla
  issue.

  • Publication of mature beta level code (21 February 2017)
    ⁃ public testing
    ⁃ public discussion
    ⁃ dogfooding

  • Augment core functionality (~ June 2017)
    ⁃ add advanced configuration options for the core module
    ⁃ add a standard system for configuring backends
    ⁃ allow for an 'unmediated workflow'
    ⁃ finalise 'generic requests' workflow

  • Meet Koha QA standards (~ July 2017)
    • Add unit tests to core ILLModule
    • Ensure UI respects Koha standards
    • Ensure Core code passes qa scripts

  • Addition of Documentation
    ⁃ contributing a chapter to the Koha manual
    ⁃ ensure all pod information is correct and complete
    ⁃ ('writing your own backend' tutorial?)

  • Provide consistent error handling
    ⁃ standard means through which a backend can 'throw' an error.
    ⁃ replace uses of die with this standard route

  • Integration into Koha core in Koha 17.11

Alex Sassmannshausen

Hugo Agud

Alex Sassmannshausen

Gaetan Boisson

Alex Sassmannshausen

Gaetan Boisson

alex sassmannshausen

tags

participants (4)