[Koha] Improving the advanced search form

[Owen Leonard]

On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:03 PM, Chris Cormack
<chris at bigballofwax.co.nz> wrote:
> On 25 October 2012 14:55, Srikanth Dhondi <srikanth at catalyst.net.nz> wrote:
>>
>> In my opinion, layout similar to the one http://kea.massey.ac.nz/search/X,
>> is better.
>>
> I'm going to disagree and say that site is horrid :)

Actually I think that layout isn't much different from the way Koha is
now, other than the fact that is shows "more options" by default. The
reason Koha doesn't show more options by default is that it was
thought it would be better not to make the advanced search page *too*
advanced. The  expandedSearchOption  system preference can be switched
if one disagrees.

I too think the advanced search page could be improved, but I think we
need to define (and agree on) some goals.

- improved accessibility
- improved usability (layout? labeling? help?)
- improved appearance (style)
- improved functionality

The first three are relatively easy in that they don't require
programming. The last one seems to be the one people are responding to
but is also the most difficult to accomplish.

> For example, the default boolean operator is AND which is not obvious to
> even normal user.

I would contend that the "normal" user has no idea what a default
boolean operator is. I think we should probably focus on making both
the "fewer" and "more" views look and work better without worrying
about whether "fewer" should have more and vice versa.

 -- Owen

-- 
Web Developer
Athens County Public Libraries
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