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Posted to user@ofbiz.apache.org by Andrew Ballantine <ac...@willowbrook.co.uk> on 2007/01/11 15:09:17 UTC
Sharing the OFBiz database.
Hi,
One of the things we shall need to do when adopting OFBiz is to be able to
share data from other applications with OFBiz. Why would we want to do that?
The client has a custom application for handling customer calls and the
necessary follow-up to getting an order. In doing this the application
collects the customer's details which will be needed by by the order
processing and stock control we hope to use in OFbiz. Although we may
transfer this custom application to OFBiz in the future, it works fine for
now and we will have enough to do on the order processing and stock control.
I realise that I can alter the application to write the customer details to
the DBMS, but am concerned that OFBiz might have some problems if it has
been written assuming it has exclusive access to the database.
Having separate customer databases is not considered an option.
Any input will be gratefully received.
Kind regards,
Andrew Ballantine.
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Re: Sharing the OFBiz database.
Posted by Walter Vaughan <wv...@steelerubber.com>.
Andrew Ballantine wrote:
> How do I get data from an external application into the OFBiz database?
Entity-engine-xml formatted if you can, should be the cleanest (as in you can't
mess up) method. The only downside is that it has to be clean data loaded in the
proper order. You can load 180,000 records and have one fail and it'll fail the
whole thing.
http://ofbizwiki.go-integral.com/Wiki.jsp?page=ImportingData
If you are talking about Customers/Orders/Items/Payments, we are writing
services that take a few input tables and build the dozens of ofBiz tables.
We're still not done, but it writes back to the input tables so we know which
records actually get into ofBiz.
You haven't mentioned what DBMS you are using. I don't think anyone recommends
the built-in Derby (nee: Cloudscape) database for production or even prototyping.
I'm wondering if that's what is happening... you've only worked with ofBiz with
Derby. There are tools to work with Derby...
http://db.apache.org/derby/docs/10.1/tools/ctoolsimport13648.html
Or are you using MS-SQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL 5+? As long as you load your
data in the proper order, you could use any of your DBMS's import tools.
--
Walter
RE: Sharing the OFBiz database.
Posted by Chris Howe <cj...@yahoo.com>.
2 ways come quickly to mind both with their pros and
cons of course.
1) Keep in mind that OFBiz doesn't have complete
control over the database, it is only connecting to it
via JDBC. So you can use any tool that connects
directly to the database and manipulate the
tables/entities that way (generally through SQL
statements).
2) Expose OFBiz services via SOAP and call those
services from your external application.
#1 is very simple to do, but you lose the benefit of
the checks (referential integrity, etc) that the
entity engine performs.
#2 is a bit more entailed as it depends more on your
ability to make SOAP calls from your external
application. However, because you're calling the
OFBiz service, it's manipulating data through the
entity engine and so will maintain those checks.
--- Andrew Ballantine <ac...@willowbrook.co.uk>
wrote:
> OK I'll rephrase the question.
>
> How do I get data from an external application into
> the OFBiz database?
>
> Do I get OFBiz? In principle I think I do.
>
> What I am I trying to achieve right now? Answers to
> fundamental questions
> that may or may not encourage me to commit to a 6-12
> project customising
> OFBiz for a specialist client.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Andrew Ballantine
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jacques Le Roux
> [mailto:jacques.le.roux@les7arts.com]
> Sent: 11 January 2007 20:18
> To: user@ofbiz.apache.org
> Subject: Re: Sharing the OFBiz database.
>
>
> Welcome on the new list (turing machine makes me
> smile :o)
>
> Jacques
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Walter Vaughan" <wv...@steelerubber.com>
> To: <us...@ofbiz.apache.org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 9:08 PM
> Subject: Re: Sharing the OFBiz database.
>
>
> > Andrew Ballantine wrote:
> >
> > > I realise that I can alter the application to
> write the customer details
> to
> > > the DBMS, but am concerned that OFBiz might have
> some problems if it has
> > > been written assuming it has exclusive access to
> the database.
> >
> > The way you ask your question makes me wonder if
> you really "get" ofBiz.
> Please
> > don't take this wrong, and I know this is the kind
> of thing that sounds
> bad on a
> > mailing list but would be fine face2face, but have
> you really grepped
> ofBiz?
> >
> > I say that because at the root level in my
> kindergarten appreciation of
> ofBiz,
> > the foreign key retraints make sure you don't
> create evil records or
> delete
> > required data, and that everything is atomic at
> the service level.
> >
> > So adding orders to the database externally isn't
> going to break it.
> What'll
> > break first is your mind learning the proper order
> to load the data into
> the
> > database to avoid foreign key restraints. Once you
> have that proceedure
> figured
> > out, then your're gold.
> >
> > At the end of the day ofBiz is still a turing
> machine. Without getting to
> deep,
> > it's still just a tool. To most of the world, when
> you own a hammer, the
> whole
> > world looks like a nail. But to 0.0079% of the
> population, they see a
> hammer and
> > think of it as something to throw in order to win
> gold metals.
> >
> > What drew me to the project is that the core
> committers (to me) seemed to
> see
> > ofBiz not as a hammer for just building a house,
> but a hammer that also
> could
> > win gold metals.
> >
> > --
> > Walter
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.9/623 -
> Release Date: 11/01/2007
> 15:33
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.9/623 -
> Release Date: 11/01/2007
> 15:33
>
> --
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.9/623 -
> Release Date: 11/01/2007
> 15:33
>
>
>
>
*****************************************************************
> This email has been checked by the altohiway
> Mailcontroller Service
>
*****************************************************************
>
RE: Sharing the OFBiz database.
Posted by Andrew Ballantine <ac...@willowbrook.co.uk>.
OK I'll rephrase the question.
How do I get data from an external application into the OFBiz database?
Do I get OFBiz? In principle I think I do.
What I am I trying to achieve right now? Answers to fundamental questions
that may or may not encourage me to commit to a 6-12 project customising
OFBiz for a specialist client.
Kind regards,
Andrew Ballantine
-----Original Message-----
From: Jacques Le Roux [mailto:jacques.le.roux@les7arts.com]
Sent: 11 January 2007 20:18
To: user@ofbiz.apache.org
Subject: Re: Sharing the OFBiz database.
Welcome on the new list (turing machine makes me smile :o)
Jacques
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walter Vaughan" <wv...@steelerubber.com>
To: <us...@ofbiz.apache.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 9:08 PM
Subject: Re: Sharing the OFBiz database.
> Andrew Ballantine wrote:
>
> > I realise that I can alter the application to write the customer details
to
> > the DBMS, but am concerned that OFBiz might have some problems if it has
> > been written assuming it has exclusive access to the database.
>
> The way you ask your question makes me wonder if you really "get" ofBiz.
Please
> don't take this wrong, and I know this is the kind of thing that sounds
bad on a
> mailing list but would be fine face2face, but have you really grepped
ofBiz?
>
> I say that because at the root level in my kindergarten appreciation of
ofBiz,
> the foreign key retraints make sure you don't create evil records or
delete
> required data, and that everything is atomic at the service level.
>
> So adding orders to the database externally isn't going to break it.
What'll
> break first is your mind learning the proper order to load the data into
the
> database to avoid foreign key restraints. Once you have that proceedure
figured
> out, then your're gold.
>
> At the end of the day ofBiz is still a turing machine. Without getting to
deep,
> it's still just a tool. To most of the world, when you own a hammer, the
whole
> world looks like a nail. But to 0.0079% of the population, they see a
hammer and
> think of it as something to throw in order to win gold metals.
>
> What drew me to the project is that the core committers (to me) seemed to
see
> ofBiz not as a hammer for just building a house, but a hammer that also
could
> win gold metals.
>
> --
> Walter
>
>
>
>
--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.9/623 - Release Date: 11/01/2007
15:33
--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.9/623 - Release Date: 11/01/2007
15:33
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.9/623 - Release Date: 11/01/2007
15:33
*****************************************************************
This email has been checked by the altohiway Mailcontroller Service
*****************************************************************
Re: Sharing the OFBiz database.
Posted by Jacques Le Roux <ja...@les7arts.com>.
Welcome on the new list (turing machine makes me smile :o)
Jacques
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walter Vaughan" <wv...@steelerubber.com>
To: <us...@ofbiz.apache.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 9:08 PM
Subject: Re: Sharing the OFBiz database.
> Andrew Ballantine wrote:
>
> > I realise that I can alter the application to write the customer details to
> > the DBMS, but am concerned that OFBiz might have some problems if it has
> > been written assuming it has exclusive access to the database.
>
> The way you ask your question makes me wonder if you really "get" ofBiz. Please
> don't take this wrong, and I know this is the kind of thing that sounds bad on a
> mailing list but would be fine face2face, but have you really grepped ofBiz?
>
> I say that because at the root level in my kindergarten appreciation of ofBiz,
> the foreign key retraints make sure you don't create evil records or delete
> required data, and that everything is atomic at the service level.
>
> So adding orders to the database externally isn't going to break it. What'll
> break first is your mind learning the proper order to load the data into the
> database to avoid foreign key restraints. Once you have that proceedure figured
> out, then your're gold.
>
> At the end of the day ofBiz is still a turing machine. Without getting to deep,
> it's still just a tool. To most of the world, when you own a hammer, the whole
> world looks like a nail. But to 0.0079% of the population, they see a hammer and
> think of it as something to throw in order to win gold metals.
>
> What drew me to the project is that the core committers (to me) seemed to see
> ofBiz not as a hammer for just building a house, but a hammer that also could
> win gold metals.
>
> --
> Walter
>
>
>
>
Re: Sharing the OFBiz database.
Posted by Walter Vaughan <wv...@steelerubber.com>.
Andrew Ballantine wrote:
> I realise that I can alter the application to write the customer details to
> the DBMS, but am concerned that OFBiz might have some problems if it has
> been written assuming it has exclusive access to the database.
The way you ask your question makes me wonder if you really "get" ofBiz. Please
don't take this wrong, and I know this is the kind of thing that sounds bad on a
mailing list but would be fine face2face, but have you really grepped ofBiz?
I say that because at the root level in my kindergarten appreciation of ofBiz,
the foreign key retraints make sure you don't create evil records or delete
required data, and that everything is atomic at the service level.
So adding orders to the database externally isn't going to break it. What'll
break first is your mind learning the proper order to load the data into the
database to avoid foreign key restraints. Once you have that proceedure figured
out, then your're gold.
At the end of the day ofBiz is still a turing machine. Without getting to deep,
it's still just a tool. To most of the world, when you own a hammer, the whole
world looks like a nail. But to 0.0079% of the population, they see a hammer and
think of it as something to throw in order to win gold metals.
What drew me to the project is that the core committers (to me) seemed to see
ofBiz not as a hammer for just building a house, but a hammer that also could
win gold metals.
--
Walter
Re: Sharing the OFBiz database.
Posted by Jacques Le Roux <ja...@les7arts.com>.
Andrew,
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Ballantine" <ac...@willowbrook.co.uk>
To: <of...@incubator.apache.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 3:09 PM
Subject: Sharing the OFBiz database.
> Hi,
>
> One of the things we shall need to do when adopting OFBiz is to be able to
> share data from other applications with OFBiz. Why would we want to do that?
>
> The client has a custom application for handling customer calls and the
> necessary follow-up to getting an order. In doing this the application
> collects the customer's details which will be needed by by the order
> processing and stock control we hope to use in OFbiz. Although we may
> transfer this custom application to OFBiz in the future, it works fine for
> now and we will have enough to do on the order processing and stock control.
>
> I realise that I can alter the application to write the customer details to
> the DBMS, but am concerned that OFBiz might have some problems if it has
> been written assuming it has exclusive access to the database.
> Having separate customer databases is not considered an option.
I don't know much about it but I guess it's how is working the group map
<group-map group-name="org.ofbiz.shipext" datasource-name="localderbyodbc"/>
It's goal is to share a DB with another shipment software.
You may check this way....
Jacques
> Any input will be gratefully received.
> Kind regards,
>
> Andrew Ballantine.
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.9/622 - Release Date: 10/01/2007
> 14:52
>
>
> *****************************************************************
> This email has been checked by the altohiway Mailcontroller Service
> *****************************************************************
>