ON-LINE REQUESTS AND EMAIL NOTIFICATION

This is a modified, test version of a default 1.2.3RC13 install of Koha that includes on-line requests and email notification.

The modifications have NOT been thoroughly tested and are not ready for production use.

Katipo are currently working on a better integrated and more robust solution (see below) so these modification are of limited value - but still may be of some use.

An archive of the complete test system (minus sample data) is available http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/dropbox/download.html download from here (about 1.6M).

The download supports on-line OPAC Requests and back-end Email notification. A copy of Soupermail [http://soupermail.sourceforge.net] and example forms is included. Soupermail is a free, generic, highly configurable form to email CGI program. Its written in Perl, interfaces directly with SQL and runs on UNIX and Windows NT based webservers.

The core Koha distribution is based on Steve Tonnesen's 1.2.3RC13 tarball so you can very easily copy over one or more of the modified files if you are already using Steve's layout - no further modification required!

All paths are default as per the RC13 installer script (/usr/local/koha/*).

An example apache vhosts is included in the same folder as the README.TXT file in the root folder of the dowload archive.

A demo may be running at: :http://www.library.nsw.org.au/

To login and make requests: :demo :demo

You will notice various cookie and related debug info on some screens.

You will also note that there has been no attempt to remove or modify Steve's authentication or Cookie stuff.

The SQL data is the same example data supplied in Steve's RC tarball… so you could also login as a default user created by that data.

The modifications ar minimal. They are 99% based on existing koha code with some hacked copies of “intranet” cgi'd copied to “opac” cgi-bin. The “Intranet” remains unchanged except for minor cosmetic changes to some html, some additional icons, and a couple of additional “includes”.

A new directory ”/help/” which now includes the “join.html” page (moved from ”/join.html”.

The modifications have been made by a non programmer - enough said!

To place/manage requests, javascript and cookies are required.

A copy of the request is sent to the librarian(s).

Email notifications sent to librarian include barcodes that can be copied/pasted or scanned from print copy of email messages (requires a barcode font to be installed on workstation).

Email to librarian includes a custom URL for specific click and manage of requests.

PLEASE VIEW AND CUSTOMISE THE EMAIL ADDRESSES IN SOUPERMAIL CONFIG FILES

Confirmation web page and email sent to user on completion of request.

Email backend uses Soupermail (soupermail.sourceforge.net) - supports SQL.

Javascript support for (optional) forced login if a user wishes to place requests.

Current authentication data is read direct from koha borrowers table: :username firstname :password surname

Remember: authentication does NOT equal security!!!!

In the short term, I'm happy to get feedback about any simple improvements…. or anything else that may be useful for that matter!

I can be contacted at: rogATsaasDOTnswDOTeduDOTau

FUTURE Finlay Thomposon (Katipo) is currently developing a better solution for on-line user request for Koha so there should be no need to use these hacks in longer term.