Support for multiple PAC interfaces by URL RFC

Support for multiple PAC interfaces based on the url accessed.

Implementation Status

commit ca5e412c1b5ceeb6928469e6e5f33214259ea585
Author: Ryan Higgins <rch@liblime.com>
Date:   Wed May 27 10:31:47 2009 -0500

    bug 3244: Support for multiple PAC interfaces.
    
    Adds three env vars allowing url-specific search limits, and defining
    how the limit interacts with 'SearchMyLibraryFirst'.
    See http://wiki.koha.org/doku.php?id=en:development:rfcs3.2:rfc32_multiple_opac
    
    Signed-off-by: Galen Charlton <galen.charlton@liblime.com>

Synopsis:

This RFC describes small changes to Koha's opac to simplify maintaining css and template changes between different libraries in a single Koha installation, allowing css overrides per branch location depending on the URI used to access the PAC.

Details:

This feature is implemented via the web server's capacity to pass environment variables to CGI. Three environment variables are defined:

• opac_css_override : defines a css file to apply after opaclayoutstylesheet and opaccolorstylesheet
• opac_search_limit : defines a search limit to associate with this url.
• opac_limit_override : defines how the opac_search_limit query terms interact with branch limits imposed by the searchmylibraryfirst system preference.

The cascade is thus:

• opaclayoutstylesheet
  • In most cases this will be the stock koha stylesheet.
• opaccolorstylesheet
  • System-wide styles overriding the stock koha stylesheet.
• opac_css_override
  • CSS applied only if Koha is accessed via a specific url.

Search Limits:

• opac_search_limit
  • a ccl query limit to add to all searches in this opac interface. common examples:
    • branch: each library in the Koha installation can have its own PAC, with scoped searches.
    • audience: in school libraries, one may wish to have define interfaces based on audience. The css can replace icons with a kid-friendly set, and opac_search_limit add audience-specific search limits.
    • itemtype / collection: a library may wish to offer a separate interface for materials that are available electronically. By cataloging those materials as a specific itemtype or ccode ( or any other ccl-indexed field ), a separate user interface can be built to provide access to these materials.

• opac_limit_override
  • a boolean value describing how the opac_search_limit variable should interact with the searchmylibraryfirst system preference.
    • true : the searchmylibraryfirst branch limit will be ignored, and not applied to searches in this interface.
    • false : the opac_search_limit will be ANDed with the searchmylibraryfirst branch limit.

Database changes:

none

API Changes:

Atuh.pm will pass these vars from CGI to templates.

System Preferences:

none; this feature is enabled by creating the env vars in web server configuration.

Interaction with other Koha features:

This feature potentially conflicts with the searchmylibraryfirst sytem preference. If the opac_search_limit is a branch limit, opac_limit_override should be set to true.