Koha-US Online Together 2020 Conference, 23 Sep 2020

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From YouTube: Making Slips Your Own

Description

Presenter: Joe Sikowitz, Fenway Library Organization

Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1umUwAZoYfGSrC8PZ8JXRVZO49Y3CrDl3/view?usp=sharing

A

We're we've got joe sikowitz from fenway library organization, doing making slips your own. Take it away.

B

Okay, thank you lizette. um My name is joe psykowitz and I am going to be talking about making slips your own using basic, html css and the template toolkit to make dynamic notices and slips in cohab.

B

um I am the systems and support manager at the fenway library organization, which is a consortium based out of boston uh for several academic libraries, but we also work with many other academic libraries throughout massachusetts.

B

One takeaway from this presentation, I hope, is that you don't need to be very skilled in html, css or template toolkit to do what I did in the main example that I'm going to show here and if you do have um skills in these areas, you maybe will do something fancier than what I did so hopefully this will be a good introduction to get. You started if you're interested and in doing anything like this.

B

B

So a little bit of background about this project, so I, as I said, I work for flow, but I also work with a consortium called the higher education libraries of massachusetts, which is supported by flo.

B

It's a network of 12 colleges in massachusetts. 11 of them are community colleges. One is a four-year college, however, they have a fairly similar needs. So uh when we came up with this solution, we were able to adapt it for all of them.

B

uh They've been koha users, since the network was founded in 2017, so about three to four years and uh flow, as I mentioned, provides library support and we also host their catalog and then one one interesting thing about helm is it's highly collaborative.

B

The entire network is managed through a highly collaborative approach, and this project really wasn't done any differently and I'd I'll just mention that I worked closely with a colleague kim robbins at middlesex on this to develop uh this process. So it was an iterative process where kim and I went back and forth to uh get get it just right.

B

Okay, so what is the problem that we were trying to solve here? So the problem we found was that we needed different slips and notices for different circumstances and specifically the example. We're going to look at today, helm needed three different types of hold slips, depending on where the item was going to go. The first one was an internal halt slip, so that was for items that were remaining at the library we also needed slips for comcat and comcat is stands for commonwealth catalog.

B

That is a statewide, uh more or less ill service, and so we needed slips indicating that items were going to go to comcad for those requests, and then we also needed in-network slips. So within helm uh they were going to non-middle sex or non-um non-originating branch libraries and they also had to mimic the statewide delivery form and that's a very specific form that I'm going to show you in a few few minutes and they require that the slip looks exactly like the form that they have. So that was one challenge that we had to overcome.

B

So what was our solution? It was to use basic and I want to emphasize basic html css and the template toolkit to create customized solutions for each of these three scenarios, uh specifically the logic that template toolkit and I will abbreviate it in my presentation as tt uh the logic that tt provides, allows for different slips or notices if you're, making notices to be triggered depending on where the hold is supposed to go. So in our case, we were looking at holds, but it could be for other variables or other factors.

B

And the html and css we use were for some basic formatting and then the template toolkit was basically just used to determine where um or which slip to print out and we're going to go in depth on how we did that.

B

So here is the uh hold slip pop-up, and this is the statewide delivery form that was required in order to circulate these uh to our statewide delivery service within the helm network. So this is what we had to produce or wanted to produce automatically.

B

uh If an item was going to another helm library that wasn't the originating branch, um so looking at this form, the things that are generated from cohab variables are the region code and region at the top. So the n northeast region in this example middlesex community college library, bedford that is generated as well and then the date line is generated from koha as well. Everything else is coded into the template with html and css.

B

So that's how we get the formatting and the language that appears outside of those three variables and I'm going to talk about this more in um more in depth as well. So this is the most complicated piece that we had to produce. The other pieces, as you'll see, uh were more or less notes that we were just asking it to to produce.

B

Okay, so before I get into the mechanics of what we specifically did, I just wanted to present a few other possible applications. If you are interested in doing something like this, just to get your your brain thinking about other applications of these tools, uh so one is that you could send different overdue notices to different patreon groups. Potentially. So if you had one notice that you wanted to send to adults or one notice you wanted to send to children at your library, you could do that in the academic setting.

B

You could send one notice to students and one to faculty.

B

Another example is, you could use um item type to send one notice for books, another one for laptops, potentially or other technology, um and then what we did is we sent different or we printed different, hold slips based on the destination, so you could print one whole slip for network holds and another for ill and really there are, I wouldn't say, an infinite number of combinations that you can dream up, but there are many many more combinations you could come up with and potentially use for uh or with these tools.

B

Okay, so now I'm going to break the process down piece by piece, so you can see what we did and then finally we'll build up to the final product, and you can hopefully see how all these pieces interact to allow us to do this, and then I will show a brief demo in our test system. That shows you it actually working.

B

So first up is html, so we actually only used very few html tags. um In this example, I'm just showing an h2 tag, which is a heading tag in html. All html goes between the two tags. There's an opening and a closing tag in this example. There's a h2 opening tag and then the h2 closing tag with the slash in it.

B

uh Basically, the html tags, each control, the formatting of text and then in this example. H2 is a heading tag, so that comes with some formatting um and font weight automatically added to it, and then we also did use some css, which allows you to do a little bit more complex formatting and in this example, below under html and css, there's a div tag.

B

So you can see the div at the beginning and then the closing div tag at the end and then everything after the style in the quotation marks is our css and I'll provide some resources at the end of this. If you want to look at the different html and css tags you can use, but the point here is that you can really control um the formatting more using the css. So here I'm changing the border at the top, I'm changing um it to a solid line and making it black.

B

I'm also aligning the text in the center I'm adding padding, which just means spacing to the top, and I'm changing the weight of the font to bold here as well.

B

So you can do all of those things just using css inside of that style attribute now the town, slash institution, that's just the text that I'm asking it to display within that html tag, just like I'm doing it above in the h2 example.

B

Okay, so one other piece that was important to this project were html tables and html tables have essentially three elements. So there are there's the table tag, so you can see in this example, and I've marked it here- there's it's just table inside the two angle brackets and then a slash table at the end of your table and then within your table. You have rows and you have cells.

B

So in my example, at the top I have one row: it's the tr and again that has opening and closing tags. I have one cell, that's the td uh again opening and closing tags, and then I have some more html inside the div tag like I used before in my last example, and then within that is a cohab variable. So, if you're familiar at all with the cohort notices and slips, the quahog variables come in the double angle bracket bracket.

B

So in this example, I am using the branches.branch address three variable from the notices and you can use these all throughout your notices and slips whether you're using template, toolkit or not whether you're, using html or not. You can always use the cohop provided variables and then here at the bottom, just to make how tables work even clearer.

B

I am providing a visual example, so the entire table is enclosed by our table tag and then each row is a tr, a table row tag and then each cell is a td tag and you can have as many td tags within a row as you would like, and each one is a is a separate cell of data or information that you're providing so using those html tools, the tables uh and then a few tags, mostly headings and divs. That's all the html that I've used.

B

I did use a bit of css as you can see, but it's more or less just some basic formatting.

B

Okay, so getting now into template toolkit, um this is available in all cohan notices and slips. So you can do this for any notice. You'd like um in this example. We did it in a slip and, according to the manual, it's a fast, flexible and highly extensible template processing system. So it allows you to um essentially use a template, but with different results depending on the circumstances.

B

uh One important thing to know about template toolkit is that all directives are between the uh square bracket and percent sign tags. So just like html has the angle bracket tags. All template toolkit tags have this format, so template toolkit allows for a lot of the features of a programming language like conditions, variables, loops and more.

B

However, in my example- uh and you may be able to do this, if you're interested in doing yourself, you really don't need most of that. uh In an example, I'm gonna show I only use conditions and I actually only use one variable. So just using conditions and variables you can produce different slips or different notices.

B

Based on the on the data. There is a template toolkit manual, which is highly detailed and provides a lot of information. Again. You may not need the entire thing to do what I'm doing here, but it is uh freely available on the internet and I'll provide a link at the end as well. So take a look at that.

B

The coal wiki is a good source for the available variables by notice and slip so again I'll provide that link again at the end of this presentation, but that is my primary source to see which availables are or which variables are available to template, toolkit in the different notices and slips.

B

And then the final thing I'd like to emphasize with template toolkit is that experimentation is key, as I mentioned at the beginning of this.

B

This was an iterative process that I went through with a colleague of mine testing it over and over again to make sure we were getting the correct results, so we didn't get it the first time. The second time we tried it, we just had to keep trying different things.

B

I also built up from simple examples to more complex, um a more complex system that eventually did work. Okay, so here is a simple example of a template toolkit in action similar to what we use in our notices.

B

um So the first thing to notice or to note here are the tags. So, as I mentioned on the last slide, our template toolkit is in the square bracket percent sign tag.

B

Next is our: um if statement the, if is just saying, check this condition and it checks to see if it's true or false, that's it is this condition true or false after that is what we're checking. So we are checking a variable and, as I mentioned, these variables are available uh from that cohort wiki page, so we're checking to look at the hold branch code and what we're trying to see if it's, if, if is true, is it is the whole dot branch code variable equal to the branch in this case middlesex bedford.

B

So that's our branch code mccb, if it is true produce the result below and the result below, is just the html and text that I'm asking it to print. So in this case the p tag with some text and then finally, all template toolkit directives are finished with an end statement. So in this example again we have the square brackets with the percent sign and we have the end command, and so just to sum it up. This simple example just says: if the hold was placed for the middlesex bedford branch display the html below.

B

It's also important to note that if the hold is not for middlesex bedford, then nothing will happen, so it won't produce any any slip or any anything.

B

um One final thing to note about this is the template. Toolkit will go through all the conditions you get give it until it finds a true one, and then it will execute the true condition and that's going to become more apparent as we go through our actual example.

B

Okay, so here is uh the real world example that we created uh in order to do this, and it looks a little more intense, but really it's not using much more um than what I've already talked about. um So our first section here is for internal hold, so these are holds that are remaining at the middle sex library. There are two middle sex branches, so I actually have two conditions but I'll get to that in a second.

B

So at the top we see our template toolkit. If statement it's the same one we saw in the last example. If that condition is true, it's going to print out everything below it. So all that html with the notice slip variables that are available automatically in koha we're using some html, some, mostly heading tags. There are list tags as well. The ul and li are listed just to create a list um and then finally, down towards the bottom, is another statement called an else.

B

If statement, it's exactly the same as an if statement, but it just comes after the first, if statement. So, if that first, if statement is false, if this hold is not going to middlesex bedford, the next thing we're going to check is if this is going to middlesex lowell, that's their other campus library.

B

If that's true, it's then going to print out uh the html below that. So you can see it's going to print out a note that says: use the green slip send to lowell. So we're really just using the few tools that we've talked about, and you can see here- we're not even using css at all. So all we're using is are a couple conditions from template toolkit and a little bit of html, along with the notice and slip variables that come with coho automatically.

B

So the second hold slip we needed was a whole slip that went or identified that this was a com cat hold and there's really nothing new. Here um we have yet another else.

B

If statement and remember else if statement is exactly the same as an if statement, we're just going to check to see if this condition is true, so if it's going to a comcat library print out this html below this condition again, you can see we're printing out a note that says the item is going out on a comcount loan and then the staff member should go into comcap to complete that loan um and, as I mentioned, there's really nothing different here. It's it's pretty much like what we've seen before and then.

B

Finally, this is what produces our formatted uh slip, that is mimicking the statewide delivery system. It looks pretty intense because it's longer, but again it's really just using html and css.

B

uh The most important thing to note here at the top is we are using an else statement.

B

An else statement is basically just the default, so if all of our, if and else if statements prior to this did not end up being true, this is the default that will be triggered and in this example, you can see that we're using tables like I mentioned before, to format it and then just some div tags and css for more formatting. That's it.

B

A lot of the text is hard coded into it, so you can see that and then there are variables that are coming from the cohort notices module as well and then finally, we end all of this with our our final end statement to say that our template is now complete and that's it that's how we produced it.

B

uh There is one final, additional piece that we I had to use for this project. It may or may not be relevant for you, but it might be something you want to think about, and that is that I utilized address line 3 in the library record itself.

B

So if you look at the image at the bottom, I actually went into each library and set up a region in address line 3, and I just formatted that with some html and css, and the reason for that was each library is in a different region and that needed to be generated as part of the slips dynamically.

B

So the easiest way to do that and to format. It was just to actually add the html directly into that field, and then I just pull it into my notice with uh one of those cohop provided variables. So it's just the address line. Three variable, that's provided by coho already and it will the notice or the slip will recognize the html and format it accordingly.

B

Okay, so I'm going to quickly show you hopefully how this works. So, if you want to see um the full template is in our notices and slips here, so you can see everything. I've just showed you is just in the normal notices and slips uh window here under email.

B

You do need to check html message here are my cohab variables that I can pull in just by clicking insert over here and, as I mentioned here, is uh my address line three that variable that I'm pulling in from the library record.

B

B

Here is our first slip. This should be an internal node or slip.

B

If I click print slip and confirm okay, so that is my first slip. I can't make it any bigger, and that is the format that we provided um here and that for internal use to the library.

B

Let me pull up my.

B

Second, slip.

B

So my second slip should be going to comcat.

B

Okay and there is that note that I asked it to produce for comcat holes and finally, you should have a hold that's going to another helm library. So an.

B

In-Network, an in-network slip should be produced.

B

And there we go so now: we've produced uh something roughly or pretty close to the statewide delivery slip that we needed uh in order to send these to holyoke community college. So, as I mentioned, you can see uh the western region that is provided in the holyoke community college library record. The name as well comes from the school record and the date finally is just a system provided variable uh from koha that you can add to all notices and slips and then down here.

B

All of this information is hard-coded, because it's always going to be coming from this library, my the library that I'm working at.

B

Okay, as promised at the beginning, uh here, are a few resources ones that I found particularly useful as I worked on this project. First up, the coho wiki has a couple very useful pages, customizing notices and slips.

B

So if you haven't created your own notices and slips in the past you're going to want to familiarize yourself with how to do that, and that wiki page will provide you lots of information on doing that and then there's another really good page on the coho wiki notices with the template toolkit, and that provides a lot of information, including some examples on how to actually put template. Toolkit into your notices, I would say the most important piece of that page is that it provides a table or a chart.

B

That shows you all the variables that are available on each notice. Not every variable is available for each notice, but uh there are are important ones that are in each one. um Again, I mentioned the template toolkit manual.

B

That is a great resource, although you may only need some basic tools from that. A couple. A couple of things like I showed you variables and conditions. Maybe all you need, and then, if you're interested in good references for html and css, the w3schools has a lot of good information for you. I use it all the time just to look things up.

B

um So just using a few things from there, you can easily put together some notices that are formatted and then, finally, if you're interested in learning more about helm, the higher education libraries of massachusetts, I provided that link right. There.

B

And that concludes my presentation. Thanks for listening, um are there any questions.

A

Thanks joe, that was great, um we do have one question from ed phil. Is it best practice to put all your css in line, or could you point it to a style sheet hosted somewhere else.

B

That's a good question, um I'm not entirely sure of the answer, but I think it has to be inline. That's the only way I've done it before.

A

Okay, I have a question for you, which is: are you going to be putting this up on the notices and slips wiki.

B

Sure that's a good idea.

A

I just I like two weeks ago, I did kind of a similar template, toolkit hold slip, thing different for consortium holds and stuff, and just put that up on the on the wiki as well.

B

Yeah I'll add it to the wiki.

A

And there's lots of great presentation comments. George was gonna. Ask the question. I just asked.

B

And this presentation, I think, will be shared afterwards.

A

Yeah, we're gonna share all the presentations online and then we also asked for slides, I'm hoping to get slides up today or tomorrow for today's presentations and tomorrow or thursday for tomorrow's presentations. So those all be up on our website and ed said in the chat. I think the css needs to be inline.

B

Yeah, I think that's right, I'm not entirely sure how it would work if you tried to link to a style sheet.

A

Okay, let's oh and uh the thursday videos that the education committee has been putting together was also uh about template. Toolkit notices similar like a variation on that. So that's another thing to check out if you're interested in more excellent presentations, so many possibilities.

A

And yeah we're going to take another break, this one's a little longer, we'll be back at 10 30. My time, let me look at what all the 10 30 pacific, uh 1 30 eastern, for where was I again, making coha recall user actions after login? I hope everyone has a nice break.