[Koha] Problems modifying a new record

[Jim Thomas]

Hi all,

We have recently installed Koha at our school, and today our librarian
ran into some trouble when she tried to modify a new entry.  This server
is not available on the internet except via ssh (text mode).  I poked
around the database using mysql after she reported this problem:

==============================================================================
I used the marc lookup and imported the file for Charlie Horse/Mrs.
White's Secret Sock.  I modified the data before saving.  It set up the
biblio for the book, plus my item number 5658.

Then I later realized that I wanted to add one more subject to the
subject listing.  I looked up Charlie Horse in the catalog.  I clicked
on it which gave me the Biblio.  I clicked on modify.  Even though the
biblio showed subject lines, the subject lines were missing on the
modify screen!  I input the one it wanted to add and clicked the
query(save) button.  Normally it flips me to the new modified biblio,
but this time it only brought up a blank biblio.

I again looked up Charlie Horse in the catalog.  This time before trying
to add the new subject, I realized that when I added it to the catalog
in the first place I caused an accidental mispelling to the title.  I
tried to fix that only, but with no more success than when I had tried
to add the subject line.

Finally I decided that I would delete the entire thing and start again. 
I had to first delete my item number 5658.  Then I deleted the biblio.

At that point both the book title and item number no longer showed up
when I searched the catalog.  So I assumed everything had been erased
out and went to start all over again on the book.

But the computer would act like the biblio was already there and prompt
me for an item number.  It would act like it was taking the item number
-- no error messages or warnings that the number was already in use. 
But then when I would look up Charlie Horse, the title was there but it
refused to say that there was an item in the library.
==============================================================================

I don't really know my way around in MySQL - just enough to be
dangerous.  And I really don't know how the db is laid our in Koha. 
Here's what I found/did.  I found that the original biblionumber for the
"Charlie Horse" book was 934, and the new one had a biblionumber of
940.  biblioitems and bibliosubject both still had entries for
biblionumber 934, which I deleted.

The items table still had an entry for biblionumber="934", but no entry
for biblionumber="940".  So I did an 

update items set biblionumber = "940" where barcode="5658";

Which seemed to partially fix the problem.  After I did this, she tried
to do a dummy checkout of the book, but it couldn't find it.

Can anyone advise me at this point?  Are there other tables I need to
modify?  Should I refrain from manipulating the db with mysql (yes)?


-- 
Jim Thomas            Principal Applications Engineer  Bittware, Inc
jthomas at bittware.com  http://www.bittware.com          (703) 779-7770
I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.