Koha 3.0 has a tool for importing patron data, but no tool for exporting patron data. This would come in very handy for making batch edits to large or large-ish numbers of patrons: Export all data, edit as needed, then import. (I believe the Import tool only allows for over-writing the entire patron record, rather than just any fields that happen to be non-null.) If I have things right here, is there a canned report that will effectively export all the data? Is there any danger of de-linking circ data with the corresponding patron record? Thank you, Cab Vinton, Director Sanbornton Public Library Sanbornton, NH
Koha 3.0 has a tool for importing patron data, but no tool for exporting patron data.
This would come in very handy for making batch edits to large or large-ish numbers of patrons: Export all data, edit as needed, then import.
(I believe the Import tool only allows for over-writing the entire patron record, rather than just any fields that happen to be non-null.)
No, you can pick the fields to be updated. Fields that are not included will not be updated. However, note that this is not the same as merging data per user per field, with a preference for "more data". The update has to "call its shot", in effect saying "these are the fields I am updating". This is necessary to allow a field to be overwritten with an empty value (for example, a phone number being updated as disconnected).
If I have things right here, is there a canned report that will effectively export all the data?
For any sizable dataset, such a report would be big enough to cause problems. Using mysqldump for the borrowers table is probably better.
Is there any danger of de-linking circ data with the corresponding patron record?
Do not update the primary key (borrowernumber) and this won't be a problem. Of course you could achieve what looks like the same data corruption if you update rows with other patrons' information (garbage in, garbage out). This should be rather unlikely, and assuming you still have the original export from mysqldump (or wherever), it would still be recoverable. -- Joe Atzberger LibLime - Open Source Library Solutions
Thank you, Joe.
No, you can pick the fields to be updated. Fields that are not included will not be updated. However, note that this is not the same as merging data per user per field, with a preference for "more data". The update has to "call its shot", in effect saying "these are the fields I am updating". This is necessary to allow a field to be overwritten with an empty value (for example, a phone number being updated as disconnected).
OK, so to avoid overwriting a field, all I have to do is make sure that my CSV file does not have that field. Conversely, if I include a field, then that field will be overwritten, even if it happens to be empty for a particular patron. Do I have this right? Cab Vinton, Director Sanbornton Public Library Sanbornton, NH
On Mon, Jul 13, 2009 at 10:52 AM, Cab Vinton <bibliwho@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you, Joe.
No, you can pick the fields to be updated. Fields that are not included will not be updated. However, note that this is not the same as merging data per user per field, with a preference for "more data". The update has to "call its shot", in effect saying "these are the fields I am updating". This is necessary to allow a field to be overwritten with an empty value (for example, a phone number being updated as disconnected).
OK, so to avoid overwriting a field, all I have to do is make sure that my CSV file does not have that field.
Conversely, if I include a field, then that field will be overwritten, even if it happens to be empty for a particular patron.
Do I have this right?
Right.
participants (2)
-
Cab Vinton -
Joe Atzberger