[OPEN-ILS-DEV] Modifications to Circ Matrix Matchpoint checking

Tue Sep 7 16:29:16 EDT 2010

My previous email included a patch that was, unfortunately, just the  
tip of the iceberg, so to speak. I have since figured out a lot of  
what needs to be done to do this on the backend.

However, in looking at what needs to be done, I came up with several  
questions as to how to handle things.

Currently the circulation flag, duration rule, recurring fine rule,  
and max fine rule are on my list of things to have "fall through".

I am unsure as to whether or not to have the total copy hold ratio or  
the available copy hold ratio values fall through or not. They are not  
"endpoint" data, but at the same time may be considered to be an  
important part of the checks.

In that regard, I see three logical options:
1 - Don't have them fall through. If they aren't set on the first  
matchpoint found, they aren't set.
2 - Have them fall through until we run out of rules or they are  
filled, like the four values above.
3 - Have them fall through, but only until we have filled the other  
four values. Once the other four values are filled we officially stop  
checking them.

I am partial to 1 or 3 in this case.

The other main issue I am seeing right now is the circ mod test. In  
particular, the current system uses the matchpoint ID for the check.  
As my changes make it so that there is more than one matchpoint ID  
possibly involved there are several options:

1 - Negate the check when there is more than one matchpoint used in  
the final result
2 - Use only the first matchpoint found for the check
3 - Have it use all matchpoints that were considered for the check  
(were valid and before we filled in our values)
4 - Have it use all matchpoints that contributed to the check (were  
valid, before we filled in our values, AND set at least one value)

I am partial to 3 in this case, as that would allow for creating a  
matchpoint that would be specifically for triggering that limit,  
without changing any of the resulting rules.

Any thoughts?

Thomas Berezansky
Merrimack Valley Library Consortium

Quoting Thomas Berezansky <tsbere at mvlc.org>:

> Theory:
> Make the things returned (circulate, duration_rule,   
> recurring_fine_rule, max_fine_rule) "fall through" when set to NULL.
>
> The attached patch attempts to make this happen on the back end, but  
>  provides no front end interface changes for configuring it.
>
> IT HAS NOT BEEN TESTED, mainly because I don't want to screw with  
> our  test system right now when others may be trying to test  
> existing  functionality.
>
> It also adds in the ability to pass in one more (optional) boolean   
> parameter to the function to return the entire list of rules used to  
>  create the final result, intended for "debug/test" front end   
> functionality to show what rules were considered in the fall-through  
>  checking.
>
> Pros:
>
> You can override a subset of those fields with a specific rule while  
>  allowing broader rules to fill in the holes.
> This may result in less duplication of information across rules,   
> making things easier to maintain.
> Thus, this may result in less rules in general, and thus less   
> processing time on sorting them overall.
>
> Cons:
>
> Manually figuring out the specifics of what will happen will take  
> more  time/effort.
> Changing a single rule may have a greater unintended effect on other rules.
> Staff would need training for when to have a rule fall through and   
> when to set it.
> More time to return from the DB for any rule that is "falling  
> through"  to broader rules.
>
> Examples for the following org tree:
>
> CONS
> -SYSA
> --LIBC
> --LIBD
> -SYSB
> --LIBE
> --LIBF
>
> Implementing the following "business" rules:
>
> At the CONS level:
> By default, everything circulates, uses DFLT_DUR duration,  
> DFLT_RFINE  recurring fine, and DFLT_MFINE max fine.
> Circ Modifier "book" uses the duration BOOK_DUR
> Reference flagged materials don't circulate
>
> At the SYSA level there are no special rules.
>
> At the SYSB level the max fine should be SYSB_MFINE.
>
> At the LIBC level the recurring fine is LIBC_RFINE
>
> At the LIBD level circ modifier "book" uses the DFLT_DUR duration   
> instead of "BOOK_DUR"
>
> At the LIBE level reference flagged materials circulate.
>
> At the LIBF level there are no special rules.
>
> The current method would require the following circ rules to  
> implement  those business rules:
>
> CIRC_LIB CIRC_MOD REFERENCE CIRC? DURATION_RULE RECURRING_FINE MAX_FINE
> CONS     NULL     NULL      TRUE  DFLT_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> CONS     NULL     TRUE      FALSE DFLT_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> CONS     book     NULL      TRUE  BOOK_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> CONS     book     TRUE      FALSE BOOK_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> SYSB     NULL     NULL      TRUE  DFLT_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     SYSB_MFINE
> SYSB     NULL     TRUE      FALSE DFLT_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     SYSB_MFINE
> SYSB     book     NULL      TRUE  BOOK_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     SYSB_MFINE
> SYSB     book     TRUE      FALSE BOOK_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     SYSB_MFINE
> LIBC     NULL     NULL      TRUE  DFLT_DUR      LIBC_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> LIBC     NULL     TRUE      FALSE DFLT_DUR      LIBC_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> LIBC     book     NULL      TRUE  BOOK_DUR      LIBC_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> LIBC     book     TRUE      FALSE BOOK_DUR      LIBC_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> LIBD     book     NULL      TRUE  DFLT_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> LIBD     book     TRUE      FALSE DFLT_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> LIBE     NULL     NULL      TRUE  DFLT_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     SYSB_MFINE
> LIBE     book     NULL      TRUE  BOOK_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     SYSB_MFINE
>
> 16 circ rules total.
>
> The new method would require the following circ rules to implement   
> those business rules:
>
> CIRC_LIB CIRC_MOD REFERENCE CIRC? DURATION_RULE RECURRING_FINE MAX_FINE
> CONS     NULL     NULL      TRUE  DFLT_DUR      DFLT_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> CONS     book     NULL      NULL  BOOK_DUR      NULL           NULL
> CONS     NULL     TRUE      FALSE NULL          NULL           NULL
> SYSB     NULL     NULL      NULL  NULL          NULL           SYSB_MFINE
> LIBC     NULL     NULL      NULL  NULL          LIBC_RFINE     NULL
> LIBD     book     NULL      NULL  DFLT_DUR      NULL           NULL
> LIBE     NULL     TRUE      TRUE  NULL          NULL           NULL
>
> 7 circ rules total.
>
> Starting with the above, lets assume that SYSA wants to change their  
>  recurring fine to SYSA_RFINE.
> LIBC's recurring fine is to be unchanged.
>
> The current method requires the following changes:
>
> ADD the following entries:
> CIRC_LIB CIRC_MOD REFERENCE CIRC? DURATION_RULE RECURRING_FINE MAX_FINE
> SYSA     NULL     NULL      TRUE  DFLT_DUR      SYSA_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> SYSA     NULL     TRUE      FALSE DFLT_DUR      SYSA_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> SYSA     book     NULL      TRUE  BOOK_DUR      SYSA_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> SYSA     book     TRUE      FALSE BOOK_DUR      SYSA_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
>
> UPDATE the LIBD entries:
> CIRC_LIB CIRC_MOD REFERENCE CIRC? DURATION_RULE RECURRING_FINE MAX_FINE
> LIBD     book     NULL      TRUE  DFLT_DUR      SYSA_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
> LIBD     book     TRUE      FALSE DFLT_DUR      SYSA_RFINE     DFLT_MFINE
>
> 4 rules added, 2 changed, total is now 20 rules.
>
> The new method would require the following changes:
>
> ADD the following entry:
> CIRC_LIB CIRC_MOD REFERENCE CIRC? DURATION_RULE RECURRING_FINE MAX_FINE
> SYSA     NULL     NULL      NULL  NULL          SYSA_RFINE     NULL
>
> 1 rule added, 0 changed, total is now 8 rules.
>
> Thomas Berezansky
> Merrimack Valley Library Consortium
>