Bug 14095 - Enhancing the automatic renewal checkbox on checkout
Summary: Enhancing the automatic renewal checkbox on checkout
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: Koha
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Circulation (show other bugs)
Version: Main
Hardware: All All
: P5 - low enhancement (vote)
Assignee: Bugs List
QA Contact: Testopia
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2015-04-29 23:02 UTC by Christopher Brannon
Modified: 2023-08-05 10:04 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

See Also:
Change sponsored?: ---
Patch complexity: ---
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Text to go in the release notes:
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Description Christopher Brannon 2015-04-29 23:02:10 UTC
Automatic renewals should put the focus back on checkout barcode textbox after being checked or unchecked.

It should also stay on until turned off again or a new patron is pulled up.

It would be courteous to show automatic renewal has been applied on the slips.

My two cents.

Christopher
Comment 1 Christopher Brannon 2016-03-22 14:39:48 UTC
I should also add that this feature was added with no way to disable.
Comment 2 Owen Leonard 2016-03-22 15:06:45 UTC
It would be nice if the automatic renewal checkbox were checked by default if you were checking out to a patron who has automatic renewals turned on for their patron category in circulation and fine rules.
Comment 3 Christopher Brannon 2016-03-22 15:57:09 UTC
(In reply to Owen Leonard from comment #2)
> It would be nice if the automatic renewal checkbox were checked by default
> if you were checking out to a patron who has automatic renewals turned on
> for their patron category in circulation and fine rules.

Agreed.  :)
Comment 4 Christopher Brannon 2016-03-22 16:03:27 UTC
(In reply to Christopher Brannon from comment #1)
> I should also add that this feature was added with no way to disable.

As per a discussion in the IRC, I would suggest this pref be in the Circulation Rules and not thrown in with the other prefs.  I think circ prefs should migrate toward the circulation rules, and towards granularity.  This would be a great place to start.

With that said, it would be great if the pref was settable on each library, and one on the default page that would turn the feature on/off globally (master switch).

And along the lines with what Owen said, if a patron/library has this setting on, it should automatically show the checkmark during checkout.

As stated before, it would be great if this was indicated on the checkout slips along with the other minor tweaks mentioned above.
Comment 5 Katrin Fischer 2016-03-22 19:48:16 UTC
(In reply to Christopher Brannon from comment #3)
> (In reply to Owen Leonard from comment #2)
> > It would be nice if the automatic renewal checkbox were checked by default
> > if you were checking out to a patron who has automatic renewals turned on
> > for their patron category in circulation and fine rules.
> 
> Agreed.  :)

I disagree - but I will try to explain:

If you check out to a patron, where in the circulation conditions it's defined that the library-patron category-itemtype combinations is to be automatically renewed, then it happens automatically, there is no need for the checkbox. You just check it out, circulation condition applies and done. This might only apply to some itemtypes for a given patron category.

The checkox is only needed when you want to make an 'exception' - like when specifying the due date or switching to on-site checkout. It should never be checked by default, because the default cases are configured in the circulation conditions. 

I hope this makes sense :)

Otherwise - I think this would be better split into multiple bugs - good ideas, but should be dealt with separately.
Comment 6 Christopher Brannon 2016-03-22 21:06:51 UTC
> If you check out to a patron, where in the circulation conditions it's
> defined that the library-patron category-itemtype combinations is to be
> automatically renewed, then it happens automatically, there is no need for
> the checkbox. You just check it out, circulation condition applies and done.
> This might only apply to some itemtypes for a given patron category.
> 
> The checkox is only needed when you want to make an 'exception' - like when
> specifying the due date or switching to on-site checkout. It should never be
> checked by default, because the default cases are configured in the
> circulation conditions. 

But what if you want to make an exception from the norm, which might be to automatically renew.  If it is going to be forced without option, then I agree, take the checkbox option away completely.  But if not, then have it there, checked, with the ability to turn it off.

Why would anyone not want the automatic renewal on an item?  Perhaps it is a special case loan that can't stay out the extra days.
Comment 7 Katrin Fischer 2016-03-22 21:30:21 UTC
I think we are misunderstanding each other :(

The checkbox is to give you the option for automatic renewals on items where it's not defined in the circulation conditions.

When this feature was developed, that was a wish a library had - it's in the mailnig list archives somewhere.
Comment 8 Katrin Fischer 2016-03-22 21:33:34 UTC
Prechecking it would render the circulation conditions useless. 

An example: Students have to renew manually, while checkouts from teachers will be renewed automatically - but only for some item types. So usually, they can check out for a long time without having to keep an eye on their account, until someone places a hold. Then a reminder notice will be sent etc. as the renewal is blocked.
Comment 9 Katrin Fischer 2023-08-05 10:04:31 UTC
> (In reply to Owen Leonard from comment #2)
> > It would be nice if the automatic renewal checkbox were checked by default
> > if you were checking out to a patron who has automatic renewals turned on
> > for their patron category in circulation and fine rules.
> 
> Agreed.  :)

Hm, rereaading this: the reason we cannot pre-check the checkbox for a patron is simpler:

We cannot foresee the itemtype of the next scanned item. The automatic renewal is set in the circulation rules and might only apply for some item types. So if we pre-checked, we'd overwrite the circulation rules checking everything out with auto-renewal.(In reply to Christopher Brannon from comment #3)


(In reply to Christopher Brannon from comment #0)
> Automatic renewals should put the focus back on checkout barcode textbox
> after being checked or unchecked.
> 
> It should also stay on until turned off again or a new patron is pulled up.
> 
> It would be courteous to show automatic renewal has been applied on the
> slips.

These are still good ideas.