Call number sort key generation fails silently

[Jane Sandberg]

In EG 2.9, if we type in an incorrectly formatted call number (e.g. a Library of Congress call number without the expected dots, numbers, or spaces), the asset.call_number sort_key field is set to null. I don't think that having a null sort_key is ever desirable, but the cataloger is never notified of this issue. It would be preferable if we had the option of turning on a warning if a call number doesn't adhere to the relevant rules, so that catalogers could quickly fix their mistakes.

Null sort_keys have ramifications down the line (for example, if a report in the reporter relies on a sort key to get entries in the correct order, a missing sort key might mean that many items don't show up in a report). Perhaps they affect the shelf browse as well; I'm not sure of that.

[Dan Scott (denials)]

I can confirm that null sort keys prevent the item from being visible in shelf browse.