Implementing Library Shelves as a UI Upgrade

[felixOlesen]

Description Implementing the library shelves requires:

• gibbonLibraryShelf table and gibbonLibraryShelfItem relational tables to be implemented. Done ✅
• add, addProcess, edit, editProcess, delete, and deleteProcess basic forms and process files to be made for CRUD of the libraryShelves. Done ✅
• Setting up necessary ajax files with respect to different form inputs requiring them. Done ✅
• Writing LibraryShelfGateway and LibraryShelfItemGateway files for querying the database. Done ✅
• Writing up a twig template for rendering the library shelves in the Library > Browse Library page. Done ✅

Motivation and Context The Library > Browse Library page was implemented with a simple table, displaying all the information of library items present in gibbonLibraryItem. We were approached by a librarian to try and make the catalog browsing more exciting for other users. Therefore, we were asked to implement a netflix-like rails design in the form of library shelves.

How Has This Been Tested? Tested Locally

Screenshots Manage Library Shelves

Add Library Shelves

Edit Library Shelves

Browse Library Shelves

Advanced Search of Library Items

[felixOlesen]

Hi Sandra, thanks very much for the feedback. The suggested changes look good to me so I've committed them in. 👍 I'm glad that it's all looking ok and excited to know it'll be in production soon! 😁

[SKuipers]

Hi @felixOlesen Thanks again for your amazing work on this new feature, it has now gone live in ICHK, just in time for Book Week 🎉

Post-merge, I made some tweaks and changes before pushing to production, found in this commit.

• Removed the border radius, since books are square, it felt a little visually strange to see them with rounded corners.
• Lowered the transition duration, so the hover-over feels snappier.
• Changed the library search from grid to flex with flex-wrap, since the grid was causing books to overlap each other.
• Fixed a PHP notice when there are no shelves.
• Added some upper page size limits, to reduce page load time, since there is no pagination.
• Added some default library shelves for Top 20 and New Titles, so even if there are no shelves, the browse page isn't blank. These could ideally be worked into a type of automatic shelf, so they could be reordered and added/removed as desired.
• I found a tweak that can be made to the Google Books API url, to retrieve a higher quality image for some books (if one is available), so that the book thumbnails aren't as blurry.

An additional consideration for development:

• Item status should include all copies of an item. Otherwise it may appear that the book is unavailable when it really is available in other copies.

Thanks again! It is lovely to see these changes in production just in time for book week.

[felixOlesen]

Hi Sandra, these tweaks sound awesome! Thanks very much for sorting it out. I've started development on those auto-shelves, I'll make a PR draft once I have something more substantial. I'm so glad it's up and running for book week! 😁