GSoC 2023: OpenMRS | Coding period, Week 04

Welcome to the fourth week update of my GSoC journey with OpenMRS, where I’ve been focusing on the print feature. Here’s a summary of what I accomplished:

1. Styling of Print Page: I dedicated time to enhancing the visual appeal of the print page feature. By applying suitable styles and formatting, the print page now offers a more user-friendly and professional appearance.
2. Configurable Header: I successfully implemented a configurable header in the OpenMRS platform. This new feature allows users to personalize the header section according to their specific requirements, resulting in a more tailored experience.
3. Filtering Issue Fix: During my work on the O3 project, I encountered a bug in the pagination system where sorting was only applied to the data that was fetched on the current page, rather than sorting all the data in a particular column. To address this issue, I implemented a solution using SWR-infinite, which allows data to be fetched in phases. With this fix, filtering now happens on all the fetched data, ensuring accurate sorting across all pages. You can find more details about the resolution in this pull request.
4. Progress Update and Discussion: I actively engaged with both users and mentors to provide progress updates on my work. I shared my achievements and discussed ongoing developments using our Slack communication channel. You can find the progress discussions here. I also got pull request reviews from my mentors Hadijah and Dennis whose suggestions were very helpful here is a link of their reviews
5. Print Feature Design Feedback: Since there were no specific designs available for the print feature, I relied heavily on feedback from the OpenMRS community. During the Thursday squad meeting, valuable suggestions were provided. It was suggested to include information on who printed the document and when the printing occurred in the footer. This ensures proper handling of patient information and improves overall data management. Additionally, it was noted that some data was being cut off from the print page, highlighting the need to modify and include all essential details.

Moving Forward: In the upcoming week, my plan is to incorporate the header and footer enhancements, along with margin adjustments, into the print preview. Once completed, I will share the updated version during the squad meeting to seek final approval.

Project Challenges: This week, we faced some challenges due to updates on the OpenMRS platform, which affected the local server’s operation. However, I’m pleased to inform you that a dedicated team from the OpenMRS community is actively working to resolve these issues. I remain confident that they will be resolved soon, allowing us to continue making progress.

Overall, it was a highly productive week, and I’m excited to continue working on improving the OpenMRS O3 print feature. And to always keep you in sync of whats happening.