[Koha-devel] RFC: create old_issues and old_reserves

[Galen Charlton]

Hi,

I would like to create two new tables, old_issues and old_reserves,
that would be used to store completed checkouts (issues) and hold
requests (reserves).  Similar to how tables like deleteditems
function, whenever a checkout or hold request transaction is completed
or canceled, the row representing it would be moved to old_issues or
old_reserves respectively.

I believe doing this would have several advantages:

1. The issues and reserves tables would cease to grow indefinitely;
instead, they would have only as many rows as needed for a library's
peak number of transactions.  It is my hope that this would improve
performance, particularly when processing long hold queues.

2. It would become possible to add a unique key constraint on
issues.itemnumber (as an item can be issued only once at a time).
Similarly, it may become possible to add unique key constraints on
reserves.

3. Some queries and joins would be simplified.  Perl code and ad-hoc
reports could rely on a conceptually simpler notion that if a row is
present in issues or reserves, it represents a current or otherwise
active transaction.

4. Koha administrators could safely archive or truncate the old_issues
and old_reserves tables if they desire to remove or completely
anonymize circulation history.

Thoughts?

Regards,

Galen
-- 
Galen Charlton
Koha Application Developer
LibLime
galen.charlton at liblime.com
p: 1-888-564-2457 x709