[Koha-bugs] [Bug 6650] New: no holds message is not always clear

[bugzilla-daemon at bugs.koha-community.org]

http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=6650

             Bug #: 6650
           Summary: no holds message is not always clear
    Classification: Unclassified
 Change sponsored?: ---
           Product: Koha
           Version: master
          Platform: All
        OS/Version: All
            Status: ASSIGNED
          Severity: enhancement
          Priority: P5
         Component: Circulation
        AssignedTo: ian.walls at bywatersolutions.com
        ReportedBy: nengard at gmail.com
         QAContact: koha-bugs at lists.koha-community.org
                CC: gmcharlt at gmail.com


Problem: 

On the staff side of Koha, if we try to place a hold on a Reference or Reserve
book, Koha properly denies the request with an odd message:  Cannot place hold,
patron has too many holds.  It’s the correct action, but strange. Is this one
of those built in messages? Not very informative certainly confusing.

Explanation of solution:

What Koha's doing, under the hood, is checking the CanBookBeReserved
subroutine, which is a simple boolean 'Yes/No' answer.  It's a boolean OR of
all the CanItemBeReserved answers for all the items of that title.

In the case of a title with a single reference copy, which allows 0 holds on
it, the answer is 'no, this item cannot be reserved'.  The problem is that Koha
is then setting the "maxreserves" flag, because the patron's current number of
reserves on such items (which is 0) is greater than or equal to the max allowed
(also 0).  In any other context, this would make sense:  if you were allowed
only 4 holds, say, on a Book, and you wanted to place your 5th, you'd get the
messaging saying you had too many already.

I suppose the confusion really comes in when the global "maxreserves" system
preference is also consulted, and sets the same flag.  So, you've got an
unlimited maxreserves, but you're still getting the message because 0 >= 0.

The solution, I believe, is to use a separate message for the CanBookBeReserved
check than for the overall maxreserves check.  This could be something like
"Cannot Place Hold:  <patron> cannot place any more holds on this item type". 
Still not perfect for the Reference use-case, but better.

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