[Koha] Koha question about database fields / using scripts and sql vs web interface

[Linda Culberson]

Thanks, Zeno and Chris.
I tend to work in SQL more than the web interface since I'm old and gray 
and more used to the "command line" way of doing things.  I even love vi 
if that tells you anything.  I  had wondered some about the 
documentation, since it  sometimes seems to assume that only the web 
interface is safe to be used.

  Another example is the loading of bibliographic records.  For example, 
we used Zeno's bulkmarcimport.pl script rather than the web interface, 
finding it much better.  I understand that the web interface is easier 
for most people, but some of the documentation wording makes it sound 
like there is only the web interface way of doing something.  I'm more 
the Perl  "There is more than one way to do it"  type.  I haven't been 
sure to what extent this is acceptable in the koha community, making me 
uneasy because we're going to need to do quite a bit of customization to 
make koha work in our archival setting.

So, I thank you for the clarification and your patience with a Koha newbie.

On 9/10/2010 2:14 AM, Zeno Tajoli wrote:
>  Dear Linda,
>
> Il 09/09/2010 21:03, Linda Culberson ha scritto:
>> In the wiki at
>> http://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/Holdings_data_fields_%289xx%29 it 
>> says:
>> "The connection between the marc field and the sql tables 'items' is
>> done with the frameworks. You can't change the sql table 'items' but YOU
>> can change the marc field and subfields."
>> However, we have found that the size for itemcallnumber is too small for
>> some of our call numbers.  Does this mean that we cannot increase the
>> size of the field?
>
> I think you are working on 3.0.6 where items.itemcallnumber is a 
> varchar(30).
> You can change the size of the field but you need to use SQL.
> You can't use the web interface (as Chris says)
> On 3.2 the size is varchar(255).
> I suggest you to select a size betwenn 30 and 255.
> So, when you will update to 3.2, the script updatedatabase.pl will 
> expand your field and not truncate.
>
> I add a note to explain this on wiki.
>
> Bye
> Zeno Tajoli
>

-- 
Linda Culberson			lculber at mdah.state.ms.us
Archives and Records Services Division
Ms. Dept. of Archives&  History
P. O. Box 571
Jackson, MS 39205-0571
Telephone:  601/576-6873
Facsimile:  601/576-6824