[Koha-devel] Koha 2.2.2 is available for download

[Paul POULAIN]

Hello,

The new version of Koha (2.2.2) is available at 
http://sourceforge.net/project/shownotes.php?release_id=318874

RELEASE NOTES
=============

Koha is the 1st Open-Source Integrated Library System.
Released at first in New zealand, in 2000 januaray, it is maintained by 
a team of volunteers from around the globe, the Koha system is a full 
catalogue, opac, circulation and acquisitions system.

Koha 2.2 is more than 247 000 lines of code, developped by more than 30 
differents developpers (excluding translators).

With the 2.2 version, Koha is now a mature product, with a lot of nice 
features. It's used in more than 50 libraries, from all kinds (public, 
schools, search, religious...), of all size (from 1 to 8 branches, from 
1000 to 300 000 items).

========
WARNINGS
========
* The librarian interface is tested only with mozilla/firefox. Should 
work (partially) with IE. OPAC should work fine with any navigator.

=======
DIFFS
=======
Diff 2.2.1 => 2.2.2
*******************

DB MODIFS :
***********
(This new chapter in release notes will be in all new releases. It point 
any change in the DB. All changes are supposed to be handled by the DB 
updater, but here for your information)

DB structure : none
DB content :
* new systempref MIME (OPENOFFICE.ORG or EXCEL) and delimiter (;). They 
are used by the Reports module, when exporting a report to a spreadsheet
* new userflags *management* and *tools* to separate systempreferences 
in 3 differents permissions (see below)

BUGFIXES
***** Critical & Minor mixed
=== ACQUISITION ===
* 3 bugfixes in suggestions :
- major : a suggestion was not shown in acquisition except when ordered 
by the suggestor itself.
- major : the mail to the suggestor was not sent.
- minor : the name was not shown in accepted by column, in acquisition

* virtual sheves in OPAC :
- The user needed to have librarian rights to be able to go to the 
virtual shelf page.
- Adding a book to an existing virtual shelf did not work

* when a line was deleted, it was still counted in bookseller number of 
pending line order (in order.pl).

* a non closed basket could be modified even if the supplier was set 
"inactive"

=== OPAC ===
* showing marcnotes in opac-detail (bug #920)

=== CATALOGUE ===
* some fixes in authority search (worked, but could fail to return 
results under certain circumstances)

* libopac now works : in Koha >> parameters >> biblioframework >> modify 
field or subfield. If you set "opac text" to a different value than 
librarian text, you'll have different headers/text for MARC fields (for 
example : "1st responsability" for librarians, "author" for end users)

* removed a limit to 255 char in field length in MARC editor (the DB can 
handle much more)

* tabs in MARC editor : the active tab is now hilighted & in biblio 
modif, empty tabs are not shown (as in biblio add)

* bugfixes in permissions (some pages required parameters where they 
should require editcatalogue)

* the z3950daemon was buggy (forgotten to port a bugfix in 2.0 branch. 
It works again)

=== CIRCULATION ===
* renewal date was improperly calculated. Now, returndate is calculated 
from today, not from previous returndate

* display waiting status only if item has arrived at pickup branch. 
Setting 'atdestination' variable if so.  Changes are required in the 
template to take advantage of this.

* in circulation, when clicking on member, the member page is opened 
twice (in main window & in a popup). The popup has been removed.

=== BORROWERS ===
* bugfixes in parameters (when modifying a borrower, with alternate address)

* members flags (card lost, debarred, gone no address) are back in 
default template.

=== ALL ===
* some fixes for date & currency format

IMPROVEMENTS
***** Major

=== STATS ===
* The stat module is here !!! In Reports menu, you now have 4 powerful 
"wizards" (for catalogue, borrowers, issues and acquisitions). You can 
define 3 things in a report : what you want in columns, what you want in 
lines, and filters you want on datas. For issues & acquisitions, you 
also can choose what you want in each cell (count or amount, or loan 
length). You can get those results in your borwser, or in your 
spreadsheet (MS-Excel & OpenOffice.org work fine). This module will 
continue to be improved to get the possibility to retrieve bulk datas in 
your spreadsheat. It works quite well, but has still some bugs and 
weaknesses. You also get some nice "top XXX" stats.
        
=== CATALOGUE ===
* catalogue, changed the small "search glass" behaviour. It now appears 
only on subfields that have a "link" value. Avoid useless glasses and 
removes nothing. **** WARNING **** : if you don't change you MARC 
parameters, glasses DISAPPEAR, because no subfields have a link value. 
So you MUST "reactivate" them manually. If you want to enable the search 
glass on field 225$a (collection in UNIMARC), just put 225a to "link" 
field (Koha >> parameters >> framework >> 225 field >> subfield >> 
modify $a >> enter 225a in link input field (without quotes or anything 
else)

* showing item status in result list. The book status is in 
items.notforloan (every non 0 value meaning "book not for loan). The 
item status should be mapped to an item MARC subfield & this subfield 
should usually be connected to an authorised_value list.

* in authorities search forms, adding a "main entry" field ($a), to 
limit the search. The "anywhere" field is still here. An option has been 
added to search "contains" or "start by".

* item status (opac & librarian interfaces) The item status has been 
improved : It now can be :
- on order (= item has been ordered, but not yet arrived at the library)
- not for loan : if the "notforloan" field is mapped to an authorised 
value list, the right value is shown. Thus, an item can be "lost" or 
"being repaired", or whatever you put in the authorised values list. 
(reminder : the "notforloan" field, when 0 means 'ok, book can be 
issued', and all other values means 'nok, book can't be issued' 
(whatever the reason, that can be in the authorised value table)

* in catalogue search, the user can now order asc or desc.

* in catalogue search, the result list now show the itemtype in a column

* in catalogue search, if there is only 1 answer, open it directly, 
don't show a list of results with just 1 line.

* added an option to duplicate a biblio

* in search before adding a biblio, the search uses the standard Koha 
API. It means the user don't have to write the title exactly as in 
biblio.title (empty words are now excluded)

* changed behaviour for long fields : if a field contains more than 200 
chars, the field will be edited as a textarea, not as a standard input. 
More conveinent.

* in item MARC editor, the item list is hidden if empty.

* in item MARC editor, the user can switch easily to the biblio again

* UNIMARC plugin for 4xx fields. In UNIMARC, 4xx are related to links. 
This plugin works like the authority popup, but search in biblio instead 
of authorities. To set it up, you must :
- define a 4xx$9 that will contain the biblio number of the linked 
biblio. In this 4xx$9 subfield, you must fill the "link to" with the 
field/subfield that is connected to biblio.biblionumber (090a by default).
- define the subfield you want in the 4xx field. This plugins deals 
"classic link" method (one of the 2 UNIMARC possibilities for links)
- choose one subfield and set unimarc_field_4xx.pl as plugin.

=== TOOLS ===
* added a tool in misc/merge_authority.pl to merge 2 authorities (and 
modify biblios using them) This script can also be used to update 
biblios that use an authority that has been modified.

* added a tool in misc/migration_tools/check_marc_definition.pl that can 
be helpful when you migrate your datas. It compare the datas in the DB 
and the setting of MARC structure
It show all fields/subfields that are in the MARC DB but NOT in any tab 
(= fields used but not visible) Usually, this means you made an error in 
your MARC editor. Sometimes, this is something normal.

* Useful for translators only : modified tmpl_process to copy files that 
are not translated (like images, css... previously, they were not 
copied, it had to be done manually. Errors occurs because changes in 
english css or images were not reported to the translation directory 
giving a buggy translation)

=== ALL ===
* added a stylesheet for the printer (useful in acquisition basket 
printing. The doNotPrint style can be used anywhere to remove a part of 
the screen during printing)

* new permissions : management & tools. You now have 2 new permissions :
- management : means the user can manage library parameters, but NOT 
system parameters.
- parameters : means the user can manage all parameters (including 
system parameters : marc structure, authorised values, system 
preferences. Was the only flag previously existing)
- tools : means the user can import/export datas & edit barcodes.

note that for compatibility reasons, a user having "parameters" can 
access everything.

* new permission scheme. In every template new variables are available. 
They are written CAN_user_permission, with permission being one of the 
permission flag. templates can now show or hidde menu entries depending 
on user permissions. For example, a user with just circ permissions 
should have only the "circulation" button on home page. Templates are 
NOT updated in this version (except for system parameters, as proof of 
concept), they will be in the next ones. But the scheme is ready.

**** Minor
=== OPAC ===

* added ISSN to simple biblio detail

* added glasses to OPAC marc view, with same behaviour as in librarian 
interface.

* overdues items are more visible on opac-user page

* removed menu at bottom of basket page. They are badly shown in some 
browsers

* in biblio basket, showing item info (location, callnumber and barcode)

* if a search give only 1 result, the user reach it directly (without a 
1 line list)

=== ACQUISITION ===
* acquisition, module, adding a button to delete a line in order (was 
possible by setting qty to 0, but it's more user-friendly)

=== CATALOGUE ===
* in authorities, added a "main entry" search field. Will limit the 
search to the main entry of the main field of the authority (the $a of 
the tag_to_report field)

=== BORROWERS ===
* Show the current borrower in librarian interface, normal view of a 
biblio (with a link to jump to borrower page)
        
=== CIRCULATION ===
* in circulation, adding a button to edit the borrower & go back to the 
circ screen directly.

=== TOOLS ===
* changes in overdue_notice.pl script :
- moving all parameters at start of script => easier to maintain
- sending overdues for borrowers without mail to a "koha admin mail".
- ignoring borrowers with "overduenoticerequired" set to 0 (= don't send 
overduenotice)
- removing "print" to have a silent script (ie can be put in crontab)

--
Paul POULAIN
Consultant indépendant en logiciels libres
responsable francophone de koha (SIGB libre http://www.koha-fr.org)