Web Client: Specific Due Date Hidden

[Scott Thomas]

In the Web Client, you need to click on Due Date Options under Checkout to invoke Specific Due Date. The problem is the date selection tool appears even if no due date option has been selected. This leads users to believe that Special Due Date is in effect when in fact it isn't. (We have had this happen leading to customer service issues.) Shouldn't the date selection tool stay hidden or be disabled until a selection is made under Due Date Options? We are at 3.0.4.

[Rogan Hamby (rogan-hamby)]

After some discussion around the office here I'm not sure we all have the same opinion about how it should be handled but we have agreed that there needs to be a visual identifier. For my part I don't have a strong feeling about what it should be except consistent with other parts of the interface and remove ambiguity about what is or isn't happening.

[Kathy Lussier (klussier)]

The checkmark used in the old client was a nice visual indicator, but with the two options available now, I don't know if it would work as well in the web client. I agree that the UI could be improved here.

[Kathy Lussier (klussier)]

On second thought, I think a disabled due date box would work well here. I also think it's consistent with how we deal with other elements in the web client, though I can't think of a specific example off the top of my head.

[Cesar V (cesardv)]

This is a good catch for some UX improvement that was missed during original creation of the Date Options feature.

Here's a possible fix that improves the UX of the Date Option dropdown stuff.
It disables the due date box when the option is not active, while also making the dropdown change to a green via a bootstrap btn-success class when active, so that the user can easily tell when Specific Due Date is ON:

http://git.evergreen-ils.org/?p=working/Evergreen.git;a=shortlog;h=refs/heads/user/cesardv/lp1759352_webstaff_specific_due_date_ux

[Scott Thomas (scott-thomas-9)]

I can't speak to the technicalities, but this is exactly how we feel it should work.

[Rogan Hamby (rogan-hamby)]

Tested and looks good to me, sign off pushed.

[Kathy Lussier (klussier)]

Rogan's signoff pushed here - http://git.evergreen-ils.org/?p=working/Evergreen.git;a=shortlog;h=refs/heads/user/rogan/lp1759352_webstaff_specific_due_date_ux-signoff

[Galen Charlton (gmc)]

Pushed to master, rel_3_1, and rel_3_0. Thanks, Cesar and Rogan!

[Scott Thomas (scott-thomas-9)]

We just upgraded to 3.0.8, and I tested this. The behavior is as follows:

1. Open Checkout. Date Option appears with today's date. If you check the item out without touching Date Option, it will check the item out using the relevant circulation policy.

2. If I change the date in Date Option without selecting Special Due Date, it will check the item out using the relevant circulation policy.

3. If I select Special Due Date, it works fine.

Am I correct in assuming that #2 is not the intended behavior? I am using an Incognito window.

Scott

[Galen Charlton (gmc)]

Hey Scott, just to clarify, your upgrade to 3.0.8 hasn't happened yet; it's scheduled for tonight.

[Cesar V (cesardv)]

Hi Scott,

So for #2, (once the above patch is installed) if Special Due Date is not checked/selected, then the Date field input should be disabled for you, and display a "disabled pointer" when your mouse hovers over it (See attached pic for example).

You shouldn't be able to enter a due date, and the loan should have the "normal" duration per the circ policy. If Special Due Date is selected/checked or active, the Date Options menu button should show a green foreground color.

[Michele Morgan (mmorgan)]

I don't have a 3.0.8 server handy, but I applied the patch to a 3.0.7 server and I'm not seeing the same behavior Scott describes above. For #2, I am not able to change the date in Date Option.

However, if I have selected Specific Date, and set the Date Option, the selected due date continues to show in the Date Option box even when I deselect Specific Date. Checkouts get the normal loan period.

If the persistence of the previous selected Date Option is confusing even after Specific Date is deselected, it should probably be addressed in a new bug.

[Scott Thomas (scott-thomas-9)]

As Galen pointed out so diplomatically, I am still on 3.0.7. I put "3.0.8" in my calendar for today, but forgot to add "Prepare for" and assumed it ran last night. Sorry for the bother. I'll give it another go tomorrow.

Scott

[Scott Thomas (scott-thomas-9)]

We are now really at 3.0.8, and the fix works perfectly. Thank you!