[OPEN-ILS-DEV] Web Client (Sprint 1) demo - initial testing results

Wed Aug 27 12:16:39 EDT 2014

I very much like the idea of using this opportunity to reevaluate the menus
and splash page.

Search the Catalog definitely belongs under Search, not under Cataloging.

It would great if the splash screen could vary from one user to another.
There is no need for users who aren't using cataloging functions to see
them on the splash page, for example.

"Search For Patron By Name" is misnamed, since this is where you go to
search for a patron by any criteria. It should read just "Search for
patron".

"Check Out Items" should be "Retrieve Patron by Barcode" since that is what
it does.

It would be better if the linked "Evergreen Documentation" were only for
the client. Most of the linked document will be unhelpful to those using
the client.

Also, some questions and observations about the client in general:

1. Why is there a separate check-in and capture holds? In my experience, we
rarely don't want to do both of these things at once. (Apparently this is
true in the current client too, but I have only ever used check-in [which
does capture holds, at least the way things are set up here] and I didn't
realize the other existed until I just checked.)

2. Why does the Holds Pull List print so differently from the way it is
displayed on the screen? Can the print view be customized? (I couldn't find
an appropriately named template under administration.)

3. When configuring columns, what does is the function of the row labeled
"sort"?

4. The "Configure Columns" option is a toggle and so should have a check
mark when it is in use. It might also be nice to have a button to turn off
configure columns without having to return to the menu.

5. The page navigation is very nice, but the grey for disabled icons is
dark enough that if all the icons are disabled (which happens whenever
there is only one page of data to show) it isn't cleared that they are
disabled. If they were lighter this would be clearer.

6. I wonder if the results per page picker could be labeled more clearly. I
know "results per page" or "rows per page" is more verbose,  but the
current label of "rows" doesn't make the function clear.

Thanks for all the hard work, everyone!

Benjamin Kalish
Forbes Library / 413-587-1012 / bkalish at forbeslibrary.org

Currently reading: *Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City
One Step at a Time* by Mark Adams and *1Q84 *by Haruki Murakami
Just Finished: *Marco Polo: from Venice to Xanadu* by Laurence Bergreen

On Wed, Aug 27, 2014 at 9:13 AM, <
open-ils-dev-request at list.georgialibraries.org> wrote:

> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2014 09:13:40 -0400
> From: Grace Dunbar <gdunbar at esilibrary.com>
> Subject: Re: [OPEN-ILS-DEV] Web Client (Sprint 1) demo - initial
>         testing results
> To: "McCanna, Terran" <tmccanna at georgialibraries.org>
> Cc: Evergreen Development Discussion List
>         <open-ils-dev at list.georgialibraries.org>,       Evergreen
> Discussion Group
>         <open-ils-general at list.georgialibraries.org>
> Message-ID:
>         <
> CAOrp-BsszDRraH_Y7va3X3EMW6siSdRWEgmZr7UZEkZdEZyRVQ at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> Answers inline.
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 25, 2014 at 6:32 PM, McCanna, Terran <
> tmccanna at georgialibraries.org> wrote:
> >
> > MAIN SCREEN OF INTERFACE:
> > - Register Patron(s) link missing
> > - Pull List for Hold Requests link missing
> > - Catalog Search field missing
> > - Advanced Search link missing
> > - Item Status link missing
> >
>
> To be clear, I assume you mean that all of the above should be added as
> "quick links" from the splash page?
> These actions
> - Register Patrons
> - Pull List for Hold Requests
> - Catalog Search
> - Advanced Search
> - Item Status
> are all available from the menus at the top.
>
> Since we're moving to a browser client and have the opportunity to re-think
> the splash page I think this might be a good time to get community input as
> to what actions should be included and how those should be organized.
> Should there even be a splash page with a browser client and, if so, what
> should be included as "quick links" by default?
>
>
>
> > - Is the large Equinox banner across the bottom of the screen present
> > because it's being hosted on an Equinox server, or is this something you
> > have added to the default interface?
>
>
> Equinox would never brand the Evergreen open source product with its name.
> Never.
> This is simply a style banner to indicate that we are hosting this
> community test server.  I'm sorry if that wasn't clear.
>
>
> > MENUS:
> > - Search Catalog link missing from Search dropdown menu
> >
>
> We can add that.  (Right now it appears under Cataloging, for those who are
> just following the email discussion)  In the current client a link to
> search the catalog appears under both Cataloging and Search menus. Should
> we keep them both or eliminate one?
>
> PATRON FUNCTIONS:
> > - When creating a new message on an account there is an empty dropdown
> box
> > on the right side of the pop-up window - what is that for? I don't seem
> to
> > be able to do anything with it.
> >
>
> What Bill said. It exists in the current client for custom penalties. We
> should probably put a label on it at the very least.
>
>
> > - the Message pop-up window is missing the field to record staff initials
> > that is in the current staff client
> >
>
> Good catch.  We'll add that.
>
>
> > ITEMS OUT SCREEN - COLUMN PICKER:
> > - I didn't go through every option, but there were obvious differences
> > between the current staff client and the web client and definitely some
> > columns missing that are in the current staff client.
> >
>
> There are a few things missing (like checkout/checkin workstation and circ
> or renewal worktation), and the list of values in the web based client is
> not ordered alphabetically.  We can fix the latter and the former is due to
> one of the known challenges going to a web interface.  A longer and more
> explanatory email to come on that.
>
>
>
> > - Show All Columns and Hide All Columns don't appear to do anything
> >
>
> They surely don't.  And honestly, I would not recommend anyone ever use
> "show all columns" - do we really need that option when we have 60+ column
> options?  And, now that I think about it... Has anyone ever user hide all
> columns except after you accidentally chose show all columns? Any opinions
> on keeping those functions?
>
> - There is an optional column for "Due Date/Time" - what is that for? (It
> > does not display the date and time from the normal "Due Date" column.)
> >
>
>  The labels come from a different place, since the code is different. The
> different place they come from calls that column "Due Date/Time" -- it's
> the same place as the report output gets its column labels. We can choose
> to allow both columns, or just one, and we can change the labels.  Opinions
> on the this?
>
>
>
> > - 'Check Out Date/Time' column is empty when turned on
> >
>
> Bug. Will be fixed.
>
>
> > - 'Check Out Date/Time' should be 'Checkout Date/Time' to be consistent
> > with other terminology
> >
>
> Can do.
>
>
> > - 'Check In Date/Time' should be 'Checkin Date/Time' to be consistent
> with
> > other terminology
> >
>
>  Does this even belong on this column picker?  I'm probably missing an
> obvious use case but when would you have an item in the "items out" list on
> this interface that has a checkin time?
>
>
> > - There is also a 'Checkin Scan Date/Time' - is that different from
> > 'Checkin Date/time' ?
> >
>
> Checkin scan date/time is the time the item was actually scanned. The other
> will give you the checkin date/time after any backdating.
>
>
> >
> > RENEW ITEM WITH SELECTED DUE DATE:
> > - date is off (example: select November 5, 2014 as the new date and it
> > records it as November 4, 2014)
> >
>
> You're correct.  That's a bug.  Fixing...
>
>
> > - does it matter what format the date is entered in? is there going to be
> > a calendar picker next to date fields like this?
> >
>
> See Bill's answer. :)
>
>
> >
> >
> > SCAN ITEM AS MISSING PIECES:
> > - it displays a field called Patron Barcode rather than Item Barcode
> >
>
> Oops!  It surely does.  We will fix the mislabeling.
>
>
> Thanks for the testing and feedback!
> Grace
>
>
>
> > Terran McCanna
> > PINES Program Manager
> > Georgia Public Library Service
> > 1800 Century Place, Suite 150
> > Atlanta, GA 30345
> > 404-235-7138
> > tmccanna at georgialibraries.org
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Grace Dunbar, Vice President
> Equinox Software, Inc.  -  The Open Source Experts
> gdunbar at esilibrary.com
> 1-877-OPEN-ILS    www.esilibrary.com
>
>
> --
> Grace Dunbar, Vice President
> Equinox Software, Inc.  -  The Open Source Experts
> gdunbar at esilibrary.com
> 1-877-OPEN-ILS    www.esilibrary.com
>
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